Can't improve CARS

[Cathy45]

Hi,

So I am planning on taking MCAT on Jan 18th. I have been taking practice exams and aamc section banks and constantly improving all my other sections except for CARS! I keep scoring 122-123 and I just want to cry so bad. I have tried highlighting, no-highlighting, reading questions first, reading paragraphs first thoroughly but nothing seems to improve my score. I feel like my entire MCAT will be ruined just because of this one section. English is not my first language. Do you have any suggestions on what to do?

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[GreenDuck12]

When you say you’ve taken practice tests do you mean AAMC practice tests or from 3rd parties?

 

[Cathy45]

When you say you’ve taken practice tests do you mean AAMC practice tests or from 3rd parties?

AAMC practice tests

 

[GreenDuck12]

How are the other sections going?

Speaking generally and without knowing your particular goals, I would highly encourage you to delay your MCAT until a later date. In the amount of time you left before your exam it is unlikely you will be able to improve the necessary 3 or 4 points. Additionally, the stress associated with taking the actual exam I would be concerned about your scores going down.

you mentioned that English is not your first language. I have some specific ideas about strategies you can use to approach the section in a systematic way. Feel free to send me a message if you would like.

 

[Cornfed101]

Don’t worry about gimmicks... just read the passage first and then answer the questions. Have you done the CARS qpacks? If so, how have you been reviewing the questions? You need to be reviewing every answer choice (right and wrong) to determine exactly why they are right or wrong. The AAMC has a style and they use similar patterns that you have to learn to recognize. I wish it were as easy as: here is the pattern, here is how you answer, but it’s not. You just have to get a feel for it. Once you do, your score will improve.

 

[Dochopeful13]

Don’t worry about gimmicks... just read the passage first and then answer the questions. Have you done the CARS qpacks? If so, how have you been reviewing the questions? You need to be reviewing every answer choice (right and wrong) to determine exactly why they are right or wrong. The AAMC has a style and they use similar patterns that you have to learn to recognize. I wish it were as easy as: here is the pattern, here is how you answer, but it’s not. You just have to get a feel for it. Once you do, your score will improve.

What do you think about previewing the questions first so you somewhat prime your brain for info? TPR recommended to do that.

 

[Cornfed101]

What do you think about previewing the questions first so you somewhat prime your brain for info? TPR recommended to do that.

IMO, I found that it was a waste of time and I didn’t understand the passage as well as if I had just read the passage to comprehend it. It might work for you, and you can definitely experiment, but I didn’t like it.

In fact, I did a lot of 3rd party practice passages without reading or doing the questions at all and this improved my score on AAMC passages because I simply improved my reading comprehension for dense MCAT-length passages

 

[GreenDuck12]

Things are different when English is someone’s second language. Strategies can help keep track of shifting arguments as well as strong vs weak statements.

As for TPR, I think I remember early on in one of their cars prep books it encouraged us to pick one passage to only skim so that we’d had more time to read other articles and questions. Terrible advice.

 

[Cornfed101]

Things are different when English is someone’s second language. Strategies can help keep track of shifting arguments as well as strong vs weak statements.

I didn't mean to have no strategies at all, but I would focus on strategies that improve comprehension, not strategies to approach questions differently or reading questions first or gimmicky strategies like that. Here are some reading comprehension strategies that I implemented and that helped me tremendously.

1. Metacognition – Metacognition literally means “thinking about thinking.” In the context of reading comprehension, it just means to be aware of what you are thinking. Understanding a passage requires both seeing the words on the page and thinking about those words. This may sound simple, but it is so easy to drift off.
2. Comprehension Monitoring – You need to be able to quickly discern if you do or do not understand something. On CARS, if you still don’t understand something quickly, it is best to ignore that sentence and move on. It is a common misconception that you have to understand every single word. You don't.
3. Linking – In discovering the main idea, it is important to be able to quickly connect a sentence you just read to a sentence you have previously read. You have to work to understand how each sentence in the passage fits together.
4. Summarizing – When you truly understand something, you are able to water it down to simple main points that even a fourth-grader could understand. Work on constantly summarizing and re-summarizing what you are reading as you read it.
5. Main Idea Finding – CARS questions tend to focus on the main idea of the passage. In fact, if all you can do during a passage is discover its main idea, you can often answer the majority of the questions correctly.
6. Using Background Information / Previewing – Although the CARS section does not require you to have background knowledge on philosophy or history to understand these passages, using what background information you do have can help make a passage more understandable.
7. Making Inferences and Predictions – Try to make inferences and predict what the author is going to say next. Doing so enhances your engagement with, and understanding of, the passage. If you think about it, this is what you are doing when reading a novel or watching a movie.
8. Visualization – By visualizing what you read, you will not only understand it better, but also have an easier time remembering it.

 

[Cathy45]

I didn't mean to have no strategies at all, but I would focus on strategies that improve comprehension, not strategies to approach questions differently or reading questions first or gimmicky strategies like that. Here are some reading comprehension strategies that I implemented and that helped me tremendously.

1. Metacognition – Metacognition literally means “thinking about thinking.” In the context of reading comprehension, it just means to be aware of what you are thinking. Understanding a passage requires both seeing the words on the page and thinking about those words. This may sound simple, but it is so easy to drift off.
2. Comprehension Monitoring – You need to be able to quickly discern if you do or do not understand something. On CARS, if you still don’t understand something quickly, it is best to ignore that sentence and move on. It is a common misconception that you have to understand every single word. You don't.
3. Linking – In discovering the main idea, it is important to be able to quickly connect a sentence you just read to a sentence you have previously read. You have to work to understand how each sentence in the passage fits together.
4. Summarizing – When you truly understand something, you are able to water it down to simple main points that even a fourth-grader could understand. Work on constantly summarizing and re-summarizing what you are reading as they read it.
5. Main Idea Finding – CARS questions tend to focus on the main idea of the passage. In fact, if all you can do during a passage is discover its main idea, you can often answer the majority of the questions correctly.
6. Using Background Information / Previewing – Although the CARS section does not require you to have background knowledge on philosophy or history to understand these passages, using what background information you do have can help make a passage more understandable.
7. Making Inferences and Predictions – Try to make inferences and predict what the author is going to say next. Doing so enhances your engagement with, and understanding of, the passage. If you think about it, this is what you are doing when reading a novel or watching a movie.
8. Visualization – By visualizing what you read, you will not only understand it better, but also have an easier time remembering it.

Thank you!!!!

 

[_Cloud9]

hey @Cathy45 ! just wanted to leave a quick comment to say best of luck to you! It can't be easy trying to ace that dreaded thing with English as a second language. I am sorry you have been feeling upset about it but keep working hard, read as widely as you can, you've got some really great tips shared above so I am crossing my fingers for you!! You can do it!!

 

[Blueprint Med School]

I didn't mean to have no strategies at all, but I would focus on strategies that improve comprehension, not strategies to approach questions differently or reading questions first or gimmicky strategies like that. Here are some reading comprehension strategies that I implemented and that helped me tremendously.

1. Metacognition – Metacognition literally means “thinking about thinking.” In the context of reading comprehension, it just means to be aware of what you are thinking. Understanding a passage requires both seeing the words on the page and thinking about those words. This may sound simple, but it is so easy to drift off.
2. Comprehension Monitoring – You need to be able to quickly discern if you do or do not understand something. On CARS, if you still don’t understand something quickly, it is best to ignore that sentence and move on. It is a common misconception that you have to understand every single word. You don't.
3. Linking – In discovering the main idea, it is important to be able to quickly connect a sentence you just read to a sentence you have previously read. You have to work to understand how each sentence in the passage fits together.
4. Summarizing – When you truly understand something, you are able to water it down to simple main points that even a fourth-grader could understand. Work on constantly summarizing and re-summarizing what you are reading as they read it.
5. Main Idea Finding – CARS questions tend to focus on the main idea of the passage. In fact, if all you can do during a passage is discover its main idea, you can often answer the majority of the questions correctly.
6. Using Background Information / Previewing – Although the CARS section does not require you to have background knowledge on philosophy or history to understand these passages, using what background information you do have can help make a passage more understandable.
7. Making Inferences and Predictions – Try to make inferences and predict what the author is going to say next. Doing so enhances your engagement with, and understanding of, the passage. If you think about it, this is what you are doing when reading a novel or watching a movie.
8. Visualization – By visualizing what you read, you will not only understand it better, but also have an easier time remembering it.

These are beautiful. With 9 days to go, your best bet is to try and incorporate a few of these into the way you attack a passage and do the same thing every time. It can be very tempting when you are seeing inconsistent results, to continually tweek around with the process, but you will grow more when you find a good system that works for you, and stick with it. Otherwise you spend time thinking about the process, rather than doing it.

Good luck!

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[MaxCycle42]

Hey Cathy, I'm in the same boat as you.. second language, struggling with CARS, and test date 1/18. so you are NOT alone! Think positively and do lots of deep breathing during this section........and we'll be fine.