Doing practice tests effective for content review?

[virtuoso735]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I was wondering if doing practice tests is more effective than content review? I spent the last few months doing content review/practice passages from TBR/TPR, but I find that it's hard to keep all of it in my head, especially considering that it was spread over a few months time. Should I go back to do content review (and maybe just forget a lot of it again), or should I do practice tests? I find almost all of the practice test material is familiar and doable, but I just haven't really memorized all the formulas, or don't know which ones to use in which context. Your thoughts on this?

 

[Amba]

I was wondering if doing practice tests is more effective than content review? I spent the last few months doing content review/practice passages from TBR/TPR, but I find that it's hard to keep all of it in my head, especially considering that it was spread over a few months time. Should I go back to do content review (and maybe just forget a lot of it again), or should I do practice tests? I find almost all of the practice test material is familiar and doable, but I just haven't really memorized all the formulas, or don't know which ones to use in which context. Your thoughts on this?

If you don't have content down, don't waste practice tests. You have TBR books? Do a crapload of those passages. I was pretty much done with content once I started FLs. The only major things I've had to learn/memorize since I started practice tests are the endocrine system and some embryology.

There are just a lot of random facts and questions in the AAMCs and, while you might learn from guessing and reviewing your mistakes, the AAMCs don't cover everything and you'll inevitably miss some important facts. Just my two cents.

 

[stolen_biscuit]

Agreed. The content base is huge, but each practice test only hits only on a limited amount of material. It's best to hammer in formulas too. You will need them to see relationships in variables.

I think it's very important to know what to use in each context. You will be expected to tie together related concepts. Since you mentioned this as a weak area, it would be wise to get some more practice there. I found the TPR Science Workbook did well in that area.

Good luck!

 

[johnisles2011]

I think taking tests is very helpful for content review and learning... to a point. It tests you in the content and you can learn new things from going over tests, BUT nothing can replace normal, strict, boring content review from your textbooks.
Besides, the best thing you get from tests is learning how to specifically apply content you know in an MCAT style way.

 

[notbobtrustme]

FLs should really be used to get used to the timing and format of the test because that's half the battle. There are much better ways to do content reviews than grinding FLs.

 

[nuance]

I was wondering if doing practice tests is more effective than content review? I spent the last few months doing content review/practice passages from TBR/TPR, but I find that it's hard to keep all of it in my head, especially considering that it was spread over a few months time. Should I go back to do content review (and maybe just forget a lot of it again), or should I do practice tests? I find almost all of the practice test material is familiar and doable, but I just haven't really memorized all the formulas, or don't know which ones to use in which context. Your thoughts on this?

First do a little more content review to completely memorize the formulas. Then, do practice tests to get used to using them in the correct context.

When I took full length practice tests and came across a question/passage that I wasn't COMPLETELY confident about, I would make a note of it on a scratch piece of paper and be sure to go over it after the test. That way, even if I happened to get the correct answer, I would still remember to study the concept.

Taking practice tests helps a lot. I took one per week for the whole summer until about 2 weeks before my test. Then I did ~5 over the span of those two weeks.