Don't rely on your feelings after your MCAT.

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UrshumMurshum

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I wanted to emphasize this point for future MCAT test takers.

My AAMC average was a 30 and my range was 28-31

When I finished the exam I felt like TOTAL crap on the verbal/BS section. The feeling during those sections was something like a kid lost in a gigantic mall, wandering around aimlessly. There were verbal sections where I was just COMPLETELY lost. The Biology section? Forget about it. I know I guessed on so many questions and the passages were so much more difficult than the AAMC practices, I literally felt like I had no idea what I was doing.

But my actual score 11 10 10 31
Which ended being the highest practice score I've gotten.

So seriously, trust your practice AAMCs, the statistics work out.. somehow. Even when you think you just completely bombed the ever loving crap out of that test.. you probably didn't. Trust your averages. Work hard and keep on keeping on!
 
Great post. Everyone should read...every mcat thread I read everyone is freaking out...I think they should start handing out some lexapro at the end of each testing session
 
My plan was to take the MCAT and finish my personal statement and submit for verification while I was waiting for my scores. I left the exam feeling like I had just gotten beaten with a bat for five hours on the 24th. I've been pretty down for the past 30 days feeling like I had thrown 3 months of studying out of the window because I felt I didn't perform on the real thing.

My AAMC averages were around 36. I was praying for a 30 when I left the exam room. I got a 35R

I should have played it cool and forgot about it and submitted my app for verification like I planned instead of dwelling over it in my head for the past 30 days. Live and learn. Totally agree with the OP, don't trust how you feel coming out of the MCAT. Everyone feels like crap. Just move on with life.
 
Not to be a downer but the thing is that, while OP's post is trying to be inspirational, the "post-MCAT feelings -> actual score" tendency he observes with himself and perhaps some other cases here on this forum are

1) not representative due small sample size and

2) biased, as those who felt like crap after their MCAT and got bad results too would most likely not post here, and the cases where they ARE posted here are filtered out from OP's observation.


But of course I support the idea of not tormenting oneself after the test regardless of how negative one feels, just like everything else in life.
 
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Practice exams aside, I absolutely agree that one should ignore post-exam feelings. I felt crushed after my exam, and spent a month thinking about career alternatives. In the end, I got a score that no one could complain about.
 
Not to be a downer but the thing is that, while OP's post is trying to be inspirational, the "post-MCAT feelings -> actual score" tendency he observes with himself and perhaps some other cases here on this forum are

1) not representative due small sample size and

2) biased, as those who felt like crap after their MCAT and got bad results too would most likely not post here, and the cases where they ARE posted here are filtered out from OP's observation.


But of course I support the idea of not tormenting oneself after the test regardless of how negative one feels, just like everything else in life.
If you look at the poll threads asking people how their practice AAMCs corresponded to their real score, you find that it's an extremely normal distribution with most scores falling within +/-2 points of a person's practice test average, and then sharply falling off from there with each additional +/- 1 point. What's especially interesting in those poll threads is that you're apparently just as likely to score 4 points above your average as you are 4 points under it (which is to say it's very unlikely in both cases). You'll also note that in such threads there is a reasonable n (I know one of them has 100+ respondents), and an equal number of people claiming they scored above as the number of people claiming they scored below their averages. It seems very unlikely that you could get such results if response bias was a significant factor.

Apparently AAMC also claims that MCAT scores are accurate within +/- 2 points of a person's scoring capability (meaning that if a person gets a 33 they'd be expected to score within 31-35 if they took the test again). Combine that with their claim that the practice AAMCs are real past tests, and the idea that your practice test averages are a good indicator of what your real score will be seems even more likely.

My point in mentioning all of this is that one's AAMC practice test averages should be a good gauge of what they'll get for real despite what they think they got. People are likely to be nervewracked after taking a test this important and liable to assume they did terribly. There are other reasons your feelings after taking the test probably aren't accurate. While the test might be harder, the curve will be more gentle (look at the AAMC practice tests to see this; the easier the test, the harsher the curve and vice versa), so while you may have gotten a lower % correct on your real MCAT than the practice tests, you'll still end up with the same scaled score. You also have to remember that unlike on practice exams the real MCAT has experimental questions slipped into the test that have no bearing on your actual score and are likely hard as ****. So even if you get all of those wrong, it doesn't matter.

Really I'd say you're only in real trouble if you were weak on concepts that, as luck would have it, your MCAT was all about, or if you had an anxiety attack during the test and screwed yourself over with nerves. Also, if you were sick, extremely sleep deprived, drunk, or high you also probably have a legit reason to be worried.
 
I remember freaking out during the Bio section. The thing was harder than anything I ever imagined. I guessed on like 1.5 entire passages and felt like crap after the test. Expected to have to retake.

1 month later....

I got a 14 on BS. True story.
 
Probably for people not on sdn:

1)Takes said test

2)feels like bombed it after said test

3)checks score a month later

4)gets a 23
 
As a victim of the 5/24 monster of an exam, I have to agree with the OP. My FL average was disappointing and I was absolutely crushed after my MCAT. After worrying for the past month about how horribly I did, my actual score blew me away.

Not only that, but I beat my average by almost 4 points. Yes, it is very subjective and my experience is only representative of my preparation and exam, however I know that feeling of anxiety after the exam. All I can say is forget about it and have some faith in yourself. :xf:
 
It's definitely all about confidence. I scored 4 points higher than my AAMC average as well. I used the tutorial to write down how much time I had per passage so I could pace myself. I also wrote down about 40 equations and only used two of them. I guessed on tons of PS questions but was able to eliminate answers from just looking at the units. Just keep a clear mind and stay confident. Save the doubting yourself for after you take the exam.
 
I don't think there's any profound rule of thumb we can establish. What we could say, perhaps, is that one's score on the MCAT is usually within 2-3 points of one's practice test average. But that should be obvious.

Some people think they bombed it and actually bombed it.
Some people think they bombed it and actually did okay.
*Some people think they bombed it and actually crushed it.

Some people think they did okay and actually bombed it.
Some people think they did okay and actually did okay.
*Some people think they did okay and actually crushed it.

Some people think they crushed it and actually bombed it.
Some people think they crushed it and actually did okay.
*Some people think they crushed it and actually crushed it.

*From what we know about the difficulty of attaining a high (33+) score, all we can say for sure is that these groups are relatively small.
 
I don't think there's any profound rule of thumb we can establish. What we could say, perhaps, is that one's score on the MCAT is usually within 2-3 points of one's practice test average. But that should be obvious.

Some people think they bombed it and actually bombed it.
Some people think they bombed it and actually did okay.
*Some people think they bombed it and actually crushed it.

Some people think they did okay and actually bombed it.
Some people think they did okay and actually did okay.
*Some people think they did okay and actually crushed it.

Some people think they crushed it and actually bombed it.
Some people think they crushed it and actually did okay.
*Some people think they crushed it and actually crushed it.

*From what we know about the difficulty of attaining a high (33+) score, all we can say for sure is that these groups are relatively small.
What is considered "doing well" on the MCAT is entirely subjective. To a DO applicant a 33 may seem like a phenomenal score. To an MD/PhD applicant a 33 is low.

A lot of people on SDN would consider anything less than a 30 to be bombing the MCAT. "Okay" would be anything up to 34. "Crushing" would be 35+.
 
What is considered "doing well" on the MCAT is entirely subjective. To a DO applicant a 33 may seem like a phenomenal score. To an MD/PhD applicant a 33 is low.

A lot of people on SDN would consider anything less than a 30 to be bombing the MCAT. "Okay" would be anything up to 34. "Crushing" would be 35+.

I knew someone would get hung up on whatever number I put there. 😎
 
I wanted to emphasize this point for future MCAT test takers.

My AAMC average was a 30 and my range was 28-31

When I finished the exam I felt like TOTAL crap on the verbal/BS section. The feeling during those sections was something like a kid lost in a gigantic mall, wandering around aimlessly. There were verbal sections where I was just COMPLETELY lost. The Biology section? Forget about it. I know I guessed on so many questions and the passages were so much more difficult than the AAMC practices, I literally felt like I had no idea what I was doing.

But my actual score 11 10 10 31
Which ended being the highest practice score I've gotten.

So seriously, trust your practice AAMCs, the statistics work out.. somehow. Even when you think you just completely bombed the ever loving crap out of that test.. you probably didn't. Trust your averages. Work hard and keep on keeping on!
I needed this today. Thank you.
 
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