Crazy idea? Taking the SAT for practice?

[CorrieNC]

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This is probably very very stupid but I figured I would ask. I am a HS student and plan to go to eventuallly pharmacy school. I know already that I don't do well on standardized tests.

I have no idea how similar the information is but would it be beneficial to take the SAT Bio, Chem, Math II to prepare for the PCAT? It wouldn't have to be reported to the schools but would let you get an idea of where your knowledge stands.

Even if the information is only at a highschool level, you should be able to know all the answers, right?

👍 or 👎

 

[crazybob]

This is probably very very stupid but I figured I would ask. I am a HS student and plan to go to eventuallly pharmacy school. I know already that I don't do well on standardized tests.

I have no idea how similar the information is but would it be beneficial to take the SAT Bio, Chem, Math II to prepare for the PCAT? It wouldn't have to be reported to the schools but would let you get an idea of where your knowledge stands.

Even if the information is only at a highschool level, you should be able to know all the answers, right?

👍 or 👎

Definitely a possibility, but depending on what they ask you, you can't expect to remember everything you know.

If you do well with analogies and sentence completion type of stuff, then you should be ok.

 

[Monsterdaddy]

This is probably very very stupid but I figured I would ask. I am a HS student and plan to go to eventuallly pharmacy school. I know already that I don't do well on standardized tests.

I have no idea how similar the information is but would it be beneficial to take the SAT Bio, Chem, Math II to prepare for the PCAT? It wouldn't have to be reported to the schools but would let you get an idea of where your knowledge stands.

Even if the information is only at a highschool level, you should be able to know all the answers, right?

👍 or 👎

A better use of your funds would be to spend $60 on the 2 Pearson practice tests that come out every year. By the time you are ready to take a real PCAT you will be well prepared. And by studying ahead, you should ace your biology and chem courses in college. 😀

 

[phathead]

The SATs are designed to test the knowledge you gain in 4 years of high school course work.

The PCAT is designed to test the knowledge you have gained in 3-4 years of college course work.

Last I checked, you don't cover classes like O Chem, Microbiology, Genetics, A&P, etc like you do in college.

In no way will the material be similar, especially since the PCAT is one of the more intense tests in the nation.

Since you're a high school student, you have no idea the amount of material that you'll cover. When you get there... have fun lol

 

[Duc888]

In my opinion, the best way to prepare for the Bio, Chem, and Math (somewhat) portions of the PCAT is to pay attention in your college classes. My community college classes are at a higher level that PCAT questions... if you actually learn the material, then review your notes and maybe some sample tests before (which will all be review because you have already mastered the material in class), then you will do well. In addition, for the math portion, practice is needed in doing the questions in the time allowed, for which sample questions were useful (I only used Barrons book and Pearson practice tests, they seemed to cover most of the tricky SAT type math questions that are easy if you know the fast way to do them). All of the calculus on the PCAT was pretty basic.

The Verbal section is more a test of IQ, they are very similar to questions I have seen from Pearson for pre-employment test that Pearson runs for many companies on potential hires. I suppose memorizing words can help as well. Reading comp also seems more IQ geared than anything else but it appears the consensus around here is that if you are weak there reading peer reviewed science journal articles can help.

This is all my opinion and based solely on my experience with the October PCAT. I studied about 2 weeks only for math, bio, and chem and recieved a 97 composite with chem being my lowest section score at 81 %. There were about 7 or 8 questions on the chem section from Ochem that had material I had not learned yet as I was only about 5 chapters into Ochem I when I took the test, so I was happy with the 81 there though unhappy with how heavy on Ochem this test was versus practice tests and anecdotal info about other tests I had heard. I started taking all my prereqs since Jan. 2009 which was a huge help in terms of learning the material so recently before the test. Hope this helps...

 

[Moni526]

This is probably very very stupid but I figured I would ask. I am a HS student and plan to go to eventuallly pharmacy school. I know already that I don't do well on standardized tests.

I have no idea how similar the information is but would it be beneficial to take the SAT Bio, Chem, Math II to prepare for the PCAT? It wouldn't have to be reported to the schools but would let you get an idea of where your knowledge stands.

Even if the information is only at a highschool level, you should be able to know all the answers, right?

👍 or 👎

I wouldn't do it. But I really only came here because of your name; my sister spells her name Corrie also and it is rare to see it like that!

 

[phathead]

I wouldn't do it. But I really only came here because of your name; my sister spells her name Corrie also and it is rare to see it like that!

I have three people I know from college on Facebook that spell it that way. Must be more common here