Clueless and Humbly Seeking Help on How to Begin

[Icantplayspades]

I want to start studying for the MCAT(the right way) so I can sit in January but I have no clue how to study for the exam. What is a good six month schedule or, better yet, how do I develop my own. I'm somewhat weak in science content and I'm really trying to bone up. I'm sick of thinking the MCAT is too
hard and I want a great score. I'm willing to put in the time but I'm clueless on how to proceed.

I took the MCAT last year and got a measly 500.

Please help.

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[Icantplayspades]

So, I did EK Physics chapter 1 in class exam and only got a 123! I'm really trying to study but if feels like I'll never be ready. I suck at C/P and B/B and I'm actually trying.

What should I do?

 

[vrazzles]

I have no experience with the EK exams and didn't do many of the questions in the the books rigorously. I did find the EK books very useful for highest yield material and supplemented that high yield material by reading the combined Princeton Review book (Complete MCAT). I studied 5 days a week after work for 4 hours/day for 2 months. I followed no formal schedule. Just read. Didn't answer many questions during this time.

After those 2 months, I started taking 2 tests a weekend (1 Saturday, 1 Sunday). I used the weekdays to go over questions that I missed. I focused on understanding why I missed them and reread the relevant sections of the books. I used all 10 NextStep and all 10 Altius tests. They are way harder than the real thing. This took roughly 10 weeks. I took the 2 AAMC exams last to best predict how I would do on the real thing. I rested for 2 days before the actual exam.

I scored a 524.

Then I got very drunk.

 

[Icantplayspades]

I have no experience with the EK exams and didn't do many of the questions in the the books rigorously. I did find the EK books very useful for highest yield material and supplemented that high yield material by reading the combined Princeton Review book (Complete MCAT). I studied 5 days a week after work for 4 hours/day for 2 months. I followed no formal schedule. Just read. Didn't answer many questions during this time.

After those 2 months, I started taking 2 tests a weekend (1 Saturday, 1 Sunday). I used the weekdays to go over questions that I missed. I focused on understanding why I missed them and reread the relevant sections of the books. I used all 10 NextStep and all 10 Altius tests. They are way harder than the real thing. This took roughly 10 weeks. I took the 2 AAMC exams last to best predict how I would do on the real thing. I rested for 2 days before the actual exam.

I scored a 524.

Then I got very drunk.

Thanks for the encouragement. I just did EK Chemistry Chapter 1 30 Minute Exam and got a 132! I didn't take notes but I read actively and reminded myself to bone up on anything I was getting right away.

 

[vrazzles]

Thanks for the encouragement. I just did EK Chemistry Chapter 1 30 Minute Exam and got a 132! I didn't take notes but I read actively and reminded myself to bone up on anything I was getting right away.

Frankly, those were very little like my real exam. If you like them, use them for review, but I wouldn't put too much stock into the scores you get from anything but the real AAMC tests.

 

[vrazzles]

Frankly, those were very little like my real exam. If you like them, use them for review, but I wouldn't put too much stock into the scores you get from anything but the real AAMC tests.

And mind you, there is an excel sheet floating around here somewhere that shows that the majority of students performed better on the actual exam than on either of the first 2 AAMC practice tests. I think there is a third one now?

 

[Shotapp]

And mind you, there is an excel sheet floating around here somewhere that shows that the majority of students performed better on the actual exam than on either of the first 2 AAMC practice tests. I think there is a third one now?

Did you take any notes or did you just read the books passively?

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

What did you use to study when you got your 500 azolesoul? If you got a 500 and want to get better, then you need to find something which works better for you than what you did last time.

 

[Icantplayspades]

What did you use to study when you got your 500 azolesoul? If you got a 500 and want to get better, then you need to find something which works better for you than what you did last time.

I only studied for like a month the first time and I just used textbooks for the most part and NS exams; I'm using a more thorough study regimen this time.

 

[vrazzles]

Did you take any notes or did you just read the books passively?

I read actively but without notes, but I have never been a good note taker.

Everyone is different though.

 

[vrazzles]

I only studied for like a month the first time and I just used textbooks for the most part and NS exams; I'm using a more thorough study regimen this time.

I highly reccomend you don't use textbooks as your only study material. I would use a higher yield material such as test company books and supplement with textbooks.

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

Did you take any notes or did you just read the books passively?

You can't read the books I'm using passively, because they have practice questions incorporated on almost every page. It forces you to stop and think about the material. I only take notes on the questions. I also keep a running list of their shortcuts.

 

[itsanotherpremed]

I feel your pain. I scored a 503 my first time around in April 2017.

I retook the MCAT in May 2018 and scored a 516. This was what I did.

Resources Used
- Next Step 10 Full Length Exams
- Princeton Review 3 Full Length Exams (you get them with the set)
- AAMC Sample and FL 1, 2, 3
- AAMC Section Banks
- AAMC Question Packs
- Kaplan Quicksheets (Free and Invaluable Content Review) [24 pg pdf search on the Internet]
- mcat-review & Kaplan Biochem diagrams (3-4 only) for supplemental review on random things

What I did 4-12 weeks prior
- Take two FLs per week for your first 6-8 weeks. Use Next-Step/Princeton/non-AAMC material. I usually took them on Sunday's and Thursdays and reviewed them the day after. When you review the FL's, go over ALL questions not just the ones you got wrong. Create a Google Doc and write down any topics you did not know onto the doc. Once you are done reviewing, go over all the topics in the doc and write thorough descriptions of them. Read over the doc to make sure you know all the topics inside and out.
- On days that you are not taking/reviewing FL's, read through Kaplan Quicksheets for content review. Make sure you read it multiple times. every single thing on the quicksheets is fair game.

What I did 1-4 weeks prior
- Take 1 AAMC FL per week and review it in the same way that was previously explained.
- Do the AAMC Section Banks as early as possible, review them in the same way. Then do the AAMC question packs
- On days that you are not taking/reviewing FL's, read through Kaplan Quicksheets for content review. Make sure you read it multiple times. every single thing on the quicksheets is fair game.

What I did 1 week prior
- Keep reading the AAMC FL/Sample Test/SB/QP review docs that you created to ensure you know all the topics tested real well
- Redo the section banks (invaluable) and see how much better you do
- Take the AAMC Official Guide Exam (1/2 exam, way harder than the real deal)
- Keep reviewing Kaplan Quicksheets

Hope this helps and best wishes! Feel free to message me if you have any questions

 

[676188]

Here's what I would recommend, since you have six months:

Take a FL as soon as you can, to get a new baseline. Your year-old MCAT can't count as your current baseline.
Begin content review and get through it as quickly as you can based on whatever other commitments you currently have (using the EK materials you already have is fine...go through the books, work the problems and fix your gaps as you go.)
Take a FL every 6 weeks while doing content review and use the results to fix gaps you're still missing

Once content review is done (~2 months), start doing FLs more often, maybe once every 2-3 weeks, and starting doing section banks.
In between FLs, review them and fill any concept issues you're still not getting.
I would save the AAMC stuff until closer to the end of your MCAT prep, and go with something like Next Step for these.
This is the time to evaluate whether you're improving enough to go ahead with your testing date, or it back if necessary. Some people learn faster than others.

About a month out, take the AAMC full lengths, one per week, leading up to the exam. You should be scoring within 5 points of your desired score to be confident of your goal score.

 

[Icantplayspades]

Here's what I would recommend, since you have six months:

Take a FL as soon as you can, to get a new baseline. Your year-old MCAT can't count as your current baseline.
Begin content review and get through it as quickly as you can based on whatever other commitments you currently have (using the EK materials you already have is fine...go through the books, work the problems and fix your gaps as you go.)
Take a FL every 6 weeks while doing content review and use the results to fix gaps you're still missing

Once content review is done (~2 months), start doing FLs more often, maybe once every 2-3 weeks, and starting doing section banks.
In between FLs, review them and fill any concept issues you're still not getting.
I would save the AAMC stuff until closer to the end of your MCAT prep, and go with something like Next Step for these.
This is the time to evaluate whether you're improving enough to go ahead with your testing date, or it back if necessary. Some people learn faster than others.

About a month out, take the AAMC full lengths, one per week, leading up to the exam. You should be scoring within 5 points of your desired score to be confident of your goal score.

I have three TPR exams- should I use one as a baseline?

 

[676188]

I have three TPR exams- should I use one as a baseline?

That would be fine, the company of the first few FLs doesn’t really matter, because your goal in the beginning is to train for endurance for the exam, find and fill knowledge gaps, and show improvement. Use whatever you’ve already paid for to start out and buy/use the AAMC stuff close to your test date.

 

[Icantplayspades]

That would be fine, the company of the first few FLs doesn’t really matter, because your goal in the beginning is to train for endurance for the exam, find and fill knowledge gaps, and show improvement. Use whatever you’ve already paid for to start out and buy/use the AAMC stuff close to your test date.

I took TPR Test 1 and got a 499 (one point less than my real exam): c/p:124, cars:125; b/b:124 and p/s:126. What should be my course of action?

 

[676188]

I took TPR Test 1 and got a 499 (one point less than my real exam): c/p:124, cars:125; b/b:124 and p/s:126. What should be my course of action?

Go through EVERY test question and know why you missed the ones you did, as well as which ones you knew for sure, got right by guessing, etc.

Then start content review and take another FL in 6-8 weeks, depending on how fast your content is going.

 

[Icantplayspades]

Go through EVERY test question and know why you missed the ones you did, as well as which ones you knew for sure, got right by guessing, etc.

Then start content review and take another FL in 6-8 weeks, depending on how fast your content is going.

Thank you! It's just so hard to take a standardized test and merely be average (this is abnormal for me). Does the MCAT make anyone else feel inferior?

 

[676188]

Thank you! It's just so hard to take a standardized test and merely be average (this is abnormal for me). Does the MCAT make anyone else feel inferior?

I think the MCAT makes most people feel inferior.