do forms have different questions? are they curved with other forms??

[doktadoom]

so do different forms have the same questions and different layout?

if they have different questions are they curved just with the same forms?

thanks

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[phomp]

Yes, could someone answer this definitively?

After reading other posts, I would assume that the different forms did have diff ?s and that some of the test forms were easier than others.

SO SAD!!..#^%$ing bad luck for getting ^#@%^#% hard test form!! wahhh...august mcat here i come...

 

[medschool22]

A little bit about the curve.

I know people keep saying it is curved by passages. This is not true. I think we all know they are scored by the number of answers you get correct. We had to hear this 20 different times on test day.

Also, there are "experimental test" passages. They ARE calculated into the curve. So, you are graded out of 77, not 70 (as someone previously stated).

 

[DrBowtie]

A little bit about the curve.

I know people keep saying it is curved by passages. This is not true. I think we all know they are scored by the number of answers you get correct. We had to hear this 20 different times on test day.

Also, there are "experimental test" passages. They ARE calculated into the curve. So, you are graded out of 77, not 70 (as someone previously stated).

Read the MCAT materials on their site. The experimental passages are NOT calculated into the curve and do not affect your score.

 

[heeseop]

i talked to some ppl who had different forms at my test center and it seemed like 80% of our passages were exactly the same.

my form was DH, others had CHs, BHs.. im guessing closer the alphabets are, closer the resemblance..
of course, they probably can't use similar forms for like east and west coast..

 

[ucsd85]

New items are included in each administration of the MCAT as "field test" questions. Field test questions are not scored, but they are assessed for their performance and, if they are approved, are used on a future MCAT.


Every question on every version of the test is graded and analyzed w/ statistics, to get a mean, median, mode and standard deviation. Based on how well everyone does on one particular question, it is given a certain amount of "points". So, for each question on the test that you take, they do the statistics, and then apply them to the 15 point scale for each section. Because they are grading on a statistical analysis of each question, it comes out to a curve, as opposed to strictly number correct divided by number incorrect. That is why it takes so long to grade the MCAT, in addition to graders actually reading your essays.

 

[hmm...]

According to the MCAT Interpretative Manual

"Some explanation about the derivation
of the scaled scores may be helpful. Each
of the MCAT multiple-choice sections
consists of operational questions, and
some experimental questions. For the
multiple-choice sections, raw scores are
calculated by summing the number of
operational questions answered
correctly, with no penalty for incorrect
answers. The raw scores are converted to
scaled scores through a process called
equipercentile equating. Although all
forms of the MCAT measure the same
basic skills and concepts, each form
contains different questions. Since one
form may be slightly easier or more
difficult than another, it is necessary to
perform analyses to equate the various
test forms. The result of such analyses is
a set of conversions that allows
translation of the raw scores to the
scaled scores, taking into account
differences in the difficulty of test
questions. Therefore, regardless of the
particular form used or the particular
administration at which the test is taken,
equal scaled scores will represent the
same level of skill mastery. (For further
information on test equating, see Kolen
and Brennan, 1995.)"

 

[monwilli]

What if I understood the experimental passage and answered all of the questions correct but bombed another passage that counted? Hopefully the agriculture passage on AS was experimental

 

[PleaseMiami]

Yea!! was that the 10question one?? I had that on form BT...it was a BIATCH!

 

[ChymeChancellor]

What if I understood the experimental passage and answered all of the questions correct but bombed another passage that counted? Hopefully the agriculture passage on AS was experimental

I'm beginning to think the agriculture passage was on multiple forms because I had AP and it was there too. I guess theres no way to know which one was the true experimental passage. I'm hoping it was the one on taxes.

 

[aamartin81]

Here's another angle for you guys: When I took the test last year, there were people who had different forms but shared some passages - nly thing is, they had different question sets for the shared passages.

As for the difficulty of the real thing versus the practice tests, I felt like I got killed by the real deal only to score one point higher than AMCAS 7. In practice, I typically finished the PS section with 5-10 minutes to spare and was scoring very well. On the real deal, I had to read only the questions for two passages, because I didn't have time to read the passsages themselves (still turned out to be my best scoring section). The wait is no fun, but rest assured, most people score in the same range they practiced.

 

[Polusia]

To put some fears at ease, I just called the MCAT office and directly asked them how they scale the exams. The gentleman told me they scale EACH FORM SEPARATELY. He said it's done by "perceived level of difficulty" and corrected me twice when I used the word "curve." So, bottom line is, people who had a more difficult form will end up with a more forgiving curve. Conversely, those who had an easier form won't be as lucky.

Time to stop worrying. Chances are if you thought it was hard, so did many others with your form.

 

[zimmie256]

I'm beginning to think the agriculture passage was on multiple forms because I had AP and it was there too. I guess theres no way to know which one was the true experimental passage. I'm hoping it was the one on taxes.

The agriculture passage was on BR too.

 

[blantant]

Time to stop worrying. Chances are if you thought it was hard, so did many others with your form.

It's karma: the people with easy tests should worry now, since the curve is going to be brutal.

 

[Jacqui3932]

New items are included in each administration of the MCAT as "field test" questions. Field test questions are not scored, but they are assessed for their performance and, if they are approved, are used on a future MCAT.


Every question on every version of the test is graded and analyzed w/ statistics, to get a mean, median, mode and standard deviation. Based on how well everyone does on one particular question, it is given a certain amount of "points". So, for each question on the test that you take, they do the statistics, and then apply them to the 15 point scale for each section. Because they are grading on a statistical analysis of each question, it comes out to a curve, as opposed to strictly number correct divided by number incorrect. That is why it takes so long to grade the MCAT, in addition to graders actually reading your essays.

So are the "easier" questions "worth" less than "harder" ones then?

 

[medschool22]

Read the MCAT materials on their site. The experimental passages are NOT calculated into the curve and do not affect your score.

You're right, they're not calculated into the curve.

But you're also wrong, because it says they have "field questions" NOT "Experimental Passages." A whole passage isn't dropped from each section, more like maybe 1 question from each (possibly 2).

 

[DrVanNostran]

You're right, they're not calculated into the curve.

But you're also wrong, because it says they have "field questions" NOT "Experimental Passages." A whole passage isn't dropped from each section, more like maybe 1 question from each (possibly 2).

I think in a previous thread or from my MCAT lectures it was confirmed that actual PASSAGES were used as experimental data.

 

[DrVanNostran]

To put some fears at ease, I just called the MCAT office and directly asked them how they scale the exams. The gentleman told me they scale EACH FORM SEPARATELY. He said it's done by "perceived level of difficulty" and corrected me twice when I used the word "curve." So, bottom line is, people who had a more difficult form will end up with a more forgiving curve. Conversely, those who had an easier form won't be as lucky.

Time to stop worrying. Chances are if you thought it was hard, so did many others with your form.

Thanks for that info Polusia, time to check the BG form thread again