CARS is ruining me?

[bme94]

Hi,

I'm extremely frustrated right now, almost to the point of tears. CARS has always been my weakest area. I took the MCAT last year and scored an abysmal 122 on that section. I've been working really hard, and thought I saw great improvement until I took the Next Step exams...I can NEVER finish their CARS sections on time. I usually I have 2-3 passages left by the end! If I don't rush, my accuracy is decent. If I rush, I get a lot more wrong.

Their passages are so long...my exam is on the 9th and I don't know what to do. All of the other sections are fine, it's just this one section. I've done the AAMC Question packs, and they're WAY too easy. I really DON'T want to have to wait 2 years to go to medical school (applying to DO schools)...I just graduated and I'm already on a year off...please help, what do I do

Also, why do we need a 62% just to get a 125? Shouldn't be more towards 50%? Thanks.

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[premedkid1994]

why are you doing nextstep CARS.
Quit while you can!!! They are horrible. Same goes for every test company CARS.

last 1-2 weeks ONLY focus on AAMC cars

 

[bme94]

why are you doing nextstep CARS.
Quit while you can!!! They are horrible. Same goes for every test company CARS.

last 1-2 weeks ONLY focus on AAMC cars

Really? Did you take the exam? If so, did you find Next Step CARS to be more difficult?

I've done most of the Q packs, it's just that they're relatively easy compared to other test prep companies...I thought that was the general consensus

 

[premedkid1994]

Really? Did you take the exam? If so, did you find Next Step CARS to be more difficult?

I've done most of the Q packs, it's just that they're relatively easy compared to other test prep companies...I thought that was the general consensus

I haven't taken the exam.
But Qpack 1 first half is more difficult than the actual exam from everybody I have heard from.

Furthermore, AAMC has a different question style than testprep companies

 

[MCAT2017]

The real exam has longer passages than Q packs

 

[vernhart]

I haven't taken the exam.
But Qpack 1 first half is more difficult than the actual exam from everybody I have heard from.

Furthermore, AAMC has a different question style than testprep companies

definitely not, you may be thinking of Section Bank? Q packs are for sure easier. OP I agree with doing AAMC only (I'd say for about a month) leading up to the exam. Think hard and think fast before taking the exam with scoring a 122 (if you are still in that ballpark-you need at least 125 imo, but with pretty decent other sections you could likely get a DO acceptance with a 124). Unless you were somehow planning on applying this year after having taken the exam, I would strongly considering waiting to test. Focus on knowing which passages to come back to later if there is time, knowing when to move on (you'd be amazed how much time people who are slow in this section actually waste on the Q's and NOT the reading-though they always assume they must be amazingly slow readers), and practicing very consistently (daily, at least 3 passages-per above save the AAMC for last). Best of luck!

 

[To be MD]

Hi,

I'm extremely frustrated right now, almost to the point of tears. CARS has always been my weakest area. I took the MCAT last year and scored an abysmal 122 on that section. I've been working really hard, and thought I saw great improvement until I took the Next Step exams...I can NEVER finish their CARS sections on time. I usually I have 2-3 passages left by the end! If I don't rush, my accuracy is decent. If I rush, I get a lot more wrong.

Their passages are so long...my exam is on the 9th and I don't know what to do. All of the other sections are fine, it's just this one section. I've done the AAMC Question packs, and they're WAY too easy. I really DON'T want to have to wait 2 years to go to medical school (applying to DO schools)...I just graduated and I'm already on a year off...please help, what do I do

Also, why do we need a 62% just to get a 125? Shouldn't be more towards 50%? Thanks.

Search SDN and immediately do the TestingSolutions 1-week guide to MCAT CARS, using AAMC questions as your practice resource. Your score will improve.