did well on practice tests, bad on the real one?

[ASDIC]

I was doing the practice tests AAMC versions and was scoring in the 30's...but I am worried that my actual score would not reflect that. Does anyone feel like this? Did anyone score lower on the real deal compared to practice tests?

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[UCLAstudent]

I was doing the practice tests AAMC versions and was scoring in the 30's...but I am worried that my actual score would not reflect that. Does anyone feel like this? Did anyone score lower on the real deal compared to practice tests?

I feel the same way. I scored 30, 34, 34, 33 on AAMC 4-7, respectively, but I feel terribly about the real deal. Coming to SDN doesn't help (hearing about all of the stuff I got wrong).

 

[TX_Longhorn]

I feel the same way. I scored 30, 34, 34, 33 on AAMC 4-7, respectively, but I feel terribly about the real deal. Coming to SDN doesn't help (hearing about all of the stuff I got wrong).

a word of encouragement

i know we all feel like ****. but i talked with some of my friends that took it last august. one of myfiend had the same score 34,34 on 5r and 6r...came out feeling like **** after his mcat...guess what he got...34


so dont fret, cross your fingers....and hope for the best.

 

[blz]

Be careful, there's gonna be a lot of haters on this thread that are gonna talk about how they scored 40+ on their practice tests and scored a 24 on the real thing. Just keep your head up, you did fine.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Be careful, there's gonna be a lot of haters on this thread that are gonna talk about how they scored 40+ on their practice tests and scored a 24 on the real thing. Just keep your head up, you did fine.

Why are they haters? The title of the post is a question. So yes, people like myself are obviously going to say that they did worse on the real thing then the practice.


However, just because that happened to me, doesnt mean it happens to everyone.







AL

 

[keithslc]

I feel the same way. I felt alot more comfortable with my scores on the practice aamc 3r-7r than i do feel now after the actual MCAT. I was scoring well on the practice ones also. Hopefully I will still get a good score off of the real MCAT, it sure seemed like I had a much harder test than any practice one. I had form AG.Have to cross my fingers for a good scale and that all test takers of AG had a more difficult time.

 

[blz]

Why are they haters? The title of the post is a question. So yes, people like myself are obviously going to say that they did worse on the real thing then the practice.


However, just because that happened to me, doesnt mean it happens to everyone.







AL

The trend around these parts recently has been to put down people (see post entitled "To all the overconfident")

 

[UCLAstudent]

I feel the same way. I felt alot more comfortable with my scores on the practice aamc 3r-7r than i do feel now after the actual MCAT. I was scoring well on the practice ones also. Hopefully I will still get a good score off of the real MCAT, it sure seemed like I had a much harder test than any practice one. I had form AG.Have to cross my fingers for a good scale and that all test takers of AG had a more difficult time.

I had the same form. I thought it was pretty bad.

 

[Premedtomed]

Just relax. The anxiety over scores has taken over my mind as well. I would say it is a horrible situation to be in! But all of use are going through the same emotions. My highest score's been 34 on the practice one I took and 33 on the Kaplan administered. I will be happy if i get above 30 (this is how I calm myself down ) just don't listen to what others say just foloow your own way ... return to innocence (Enigma )
j/k dude just chill. I sympathize with you hoping to receive the same in return

 

[DrSal]

yea, i feel the same way. I had a 29/30 on 5r/6r...so i was right on the edge. i feel like my verbal sucked on the real thing b/c i was trying too hard to do it right to the point where all the answers seemed correct. That had never happened to me b4 since on practice exams i knew it was just practice...so...

but, i have my life back for the next 2 months at least...and i'm just hoping for the best.

 

[a*brown]

thank god! i thought i was the only one who felt this way... i had form AH and felt it was slightly more difficult than any of the aamc 3r-7 exams. in fact, i was pretty consistent with the last three (5r, 6r, 7), within each section too, between a total score of 29-30. and that's all i want from the real one too. i hope it won't be lower. but why do i have the feeling it will be?

 

[Premedtomed]

Just don't worry about it

 

[blz]

If it makes anyone feel better, I'm an MCAT instructor and I think I failed the verbal and I didn't find the PS and BS that easy. My practice scores ranged from 36-41 and I don't feel like I scored in that range. All 37 of my students all agreed that the test was difficult.

 

[Premedtomed]

Wow BLZ how old are you? Sorry if the question's too personal.
Also if you got 36-41 on practice I am quite sure that you will atleast get 34-35

 

[mkkelly]

I was scoring 33-35 on 5-7r and I feel the same way everyone else does here, that I simply didnt preform very well. There was something consistent with the practice exams that I felt was missing one the real mcat. I cant dont know what it is, but finishing that exam was not the same as the practice. I always had a pretty good feel on how I did, expect on verbal. However, I have no idea on the real thing.

 

[blz]

Wow BLZ how old are you? Sorry if the question's too personal.
Also if you got 36-41 on practice I am quite sure that you will atleast get 34-35

LoL, i'm 21 (3rd year student)...do I sound old or something?

That could explain why I suck at verbal. I have a few students who are in their late 20s and the one trend i've noticed is that they are all amazing at verbal. There could be some correlation with age (real life experiences, other jobs, etc.) and verbal scores.

 

[Premedtomed]

Hey I turned 21 two weeks back.
How can you be an instructor when you took the test with them?

 

[blz]

Hey I turned 21 two weeks back.
How can you be an instructor when you took the test with them?

I took it last august after my sophomore year and got a 32. That's how I got the job. I decided to retake it too while teaching.

 

[ms2209]

I was scoring 33-35 on 5-7r and I feel the same way everyone else does here, that I simply didnt preform very well. There was something consistent with the practice exams that I felt was missing one the real mcat. I cant dont know what it is, but finishing that exam was not the same as the practice. I always had a pretty good feel on how I did, expect on verbal. However, I have no idea on the real thing.

I completely understand what you mean. I was in the same boat as you (32 - 35), and I did feel that although some of the tests varied in the level of difficulty, I was able to perform relatively consistantly on all of them. However, when I got to the actual exam, I don't know if it was the experimental passages or what, but I felt as though it wasn't as "routine" as the other practice exams I had taken. Probably the only benefit from taking so many practice exams (as far as I felt after coming out of the actual exam) was that it helped build up my endurance so that I didn't burn out by the time I got to the Bio section. Other than that, I felt as though the exam was very unpredictable. I remember my Kaplan instructor saying that you come out of there so overjoyed, but I only felt apathetic, partly because I was tired and partly because I have absolutely no idea how it went. Anyway, it's going to be a fun waiting period, that's for sure!

 

[mkkelly]

FUN WAITING PERIOD?!

Though i will say that as time has passed I tend to think of the scores less and less, but its not out of my mind completey yet.

 

[jeanie523]

Don't be so hard on yourself. As said previously, no use in worrying about it now. We (especially me) can't dwell on past mistakes forever, right? Right.

But to note, I have to friend who was also scoring between 31-35 on the AAMC practice tests AND also thought she did worse on the real thing. Well, when she got her scores, she actually peaked on test day (by 3 points)! This could very well happen to any of us. We all studied hard for this test, most of us countless number of hours and days, so we can't be THAT hard on ourselves...right?

Cheer up.

 

[mkkelly]

Yeah I agree completely, I cant do anymore then I already did and I dont think I could have prepared any better. the only thing that was holding my scores in the low 30's was I could never get better then a 10 on the PS. Funny how I am more worried now then I was before and during the test. I hope your right about both of our scores

 

[ms2209]

Yeah I agree completely, I cant do anymore then I already did and I dont think I could have prepared any better. the only thing that was holding my scores in the low 30's was I could never get better then a 10 on the PS. Funny how I am more worried now then I was before and during the test. I hope your right about both of our scores

That's EXACTLY like my situation! LOL! I could never break 10 in the PS section, because I stink at Physics. And based on the way I felt about the ACTUAL exam, I think it would take a miracle for me to even get a 10 on that section!

 

[Doko]

If you look at the AAMC's self-reported statistics, they tell that on average, most students will score +/- 2 points from what they scored on AAMC 6R. Although 6R was released quite some time ago, it is still a very good indicator of the real exam.

The statistics for AAMC 7 aren't up yet, but I'm sure that it will show the same thing.

For what it's worth, I wish the best to all of you. Personally, this is my SECOND time taking it, and I just don't know if I could go through all of the stress and anxiety again... it was just TOO draining!

 

[mkkelly]

If you look at the AAMC's self-reported statistics, they tell that on average, most students will score +/- 2 points from what they scored on AAMC 6R.

I dont know if that reassures me or scares me. I think I will be forced to retake if I manage an 8 on PS. Its sad that even though I have taken the mcats it still manages to steal so much of time through worrying now

 

[ASDIC]

The Aprill 2004 MCAT was entirely different in terms of difficulty and concepts from the 6 R...So I dont see how our scores would reflect that.

 

[theDr.]

I was scoring a 31 on 5,6,7 of the aamc but when I took the real thing I felt lost. The PS portion was just soo odd....i felt like I didn't do one calculation which scares me to death...the verbal was horrendous -- same thing -- just had that feeling of guessing and the bio was def not the easiest I have taken and I believe I found the experimental passage in Bio -- because i wasted so much time on it just trying to figure out what was being said -- it was a horrible experience.

 

[freesolo]

ms2 i just cracked up in the library after reading you kramer quote . Damn i miss seinfeld too bad its finals week =/.

 

[Wahooali]

MkKelly - Is your signature quote from Boondock Saints? If so, props to you, great movie!

 

[mkkelly]

YUP! thats a great movie glad to know some other people out there have seen it.

 

[jp2004]

I was scoring a 31 on 5,6,7 of the aamc but when I took the real thing I felt lost. The PS portion was just soo odd....i felt like I didn't do one calculation which scares me to death...the verbal was horrendous -- same thing -- just had that feeling of guessing and the bio was def not the easiest I have taken and I believe I found the experimental passage in Bio -- because i wasted so much time on it just trying to figure out what was being said -- it was a horrible experience.

i feel the same way, i took 3-7R aamc and feel okay after each test...but the april 2004 test is another story...physics...i dont know its always been my weakness...verbal...i was welcomed with 10 questions for the first passage...bio there were passages in which the answer choices were tooooo wordy...really wordy...