Do you read passages on the MCAT?

[fullset]

I'm going through TBR physics, and while I'm doing the practice passages, I don't read the passage most of the time. TBR books usually have good diagrams, and I can kinda see the experiment they're trying to do. Also, answers to the hard questions (section on work) are not in the passage and the explanations gave reasoning not included in the passage. So the question that I have for people with >10 sectional scores is did you guys read the passages on the real MCAT?

While I'm thinking about TBR work section, did anyone else find them painfully difficult?

Related thread with my original question:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-42506.html

It seemed really old, so I figured I'd ask again.

Thanks

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[plsfoldthx]

Yes because although not all questions require information from the passage, many of them do. During my MCAT, however, there was one passage that I just did not have time to read so I went straight to the questions. The first question was like a discrete, the next two did seem to require passage information and just randomly guessed, the last one also required passage information, but the answer was easily obtained just by glancing at the table in the passage.

I would not try to read the physics passages as if I were reading a verbal passage. I'd read through it quickly to get the gist of what it's talking about and get a general idea of where the information I might need later is within the passage should I need to go back to it.

 

[LostInStudy]

Yea, I think reading is essential. Sometimes the passage offers conditions to certain questions that change even if you think it can be solved without the passage. The passage usually warmed me up to the topic and questions that could get asked so that helped too.

The work section wasn't the worst in my opinion. The work section I got 19/21 and 17/21. The worst for me was the next section, the momentum section I got 19/21 and 16/21. The first phase wasn't bad but the second phase (I think that was the one with the roller coasters) was pretty bad. I have phase 3 scores somewhere but I don't really feel like looking.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

 

[Izak]

Bump**

Two years later. I'm wondering if anything has changed and/or if the OP read the passages on the MCAT. I've found myself finishing way faster by reading the questions and referring to the passage as needed. So I'll search what I'm looking for in the passage based on the question, and that seems to work really well. Any thoughts? I know that's not possible for the BS b/c of the emphasis on application.

 

[UrshumMurshum]

On the PS section I went to the questions and if I needed to reference the passage I would.

On the BS section you need to read the passages, then go to the questions, then back to the passages... a few times.

 

[BABSstudent]

I would always read the passage. I would not do it the same as VR, but just understanding what they are doing. So many questions are based on the passage that not reading it would be stupid.

 

[Jengreef]

I read all passages, but try not to get too hung up if it spouts out a concept I'm unfamiliar with. I'll reason with those once I get to a question that asks for them. But it's always nice to have a soft map in your mind on where to look for specific items when a question does ask for it.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

I read all the passages. That said, when I read passages on the science sections I ignore any tables, graphs, equations, and reactions. I only refer to the figures when a question refers back to them. In practice materials I've found that 90% of a figure is never used so this strategy has been working well.

 

[ridethecliche]

Read the questions, skim the passage, highlight relevant info, answer questions, profit.

Works for ps, bs, and vr.

 

[V5RED]

edit: nvm I noticed that this is for people who have taken the actual MCAT, not those of us who have just done the practice exams lol