ExamKracker VERBAL 101 SCORES

[Futuredoctr]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I was curious if there was anyone else using these? I took the first one last night at a busy starbucks (to begin to aclimate myself to the "be prepared for anything" test climate) and I got rocked. I scored a 5!! . Its okay though because I knew verbal was going to be the hardest. I was curious if anyone else using these tests could post their scores and or advice (I know there was a thread a while back, but that was for the April exam and I'm in need of encouragment and advice from the august takers. Thanks

 

[wahoo2010]

EK #1: 6
EK #2: 8
EK #3: 10

Hope this upward trend continues...

 

[Art8718]

EK1 - 8
EK2 - 7
EK3 - 8
EK4 - 11
EK5 - 11

I'm in Princeton Review's Hyperlearning class, and after trying Examkrackers for verbal, I abandoned Princeton's strategy and stuck with EK. The most important thing with EK is to get your timing right, you should be finishing with 2-5 minutes left, and if you're not finishing, then you're doing something wrong. If you get the timing down, it helps you understand what you need to get from each passage and how long to spend on the questions because it forces you to spend the right amount of time doing each activity. You MUST force yourself to follow EK's strategy completely. It can be hard and it won't feel natural, but you'll do better after a few tests. I would always find myself wanting to go back to the passage on questions I wasn't sure on, but I forced myself not to and made my best guess. While reading for the main idea, not going back to the passage too frequently, and finishing with 5-10 mins left (I'll slow down on the last passage though because I have more time) I have gotten two 11's in a row. Stick with this program and it will click eventually once you practice and get really good with reading for the main idea and answering the questions with it.

 

[OrthoErik]

Hey Guys,
After browsing SDN for months looking for hope...I've made my first post!

I took Kaplan's class last year and found the teachers hit or miss and the verbal and FL's unrealistic- I have heavily invested in EK Verbal and EK101--as well as EK's other 1001 books and review materials--finding that review all my missed questions in AAMC exams really has helped me!

Only taken a few--but I'm posting trying not to be ashamed...Any insight would be helpful to accelerating my verbal score improvement. I've read EK's verbal cover to cover twice and keep referring back to it--I sit up straight, try to get "amped" for each passage-- take my 5 second breaks- 20 second thinking of the main idea--I find I do have enough time to finish my AAMC verbal exams- Any advice on making a drastic verbal improvement?!

Drum roll please.......

EK Verbal in Strategy Book- 5
EK 1: 5😱
AAMC3: 5😱
AAMC4: 5

I swear EK's verbal strategy is 10 times better than Kaplan's. Definitely more intuitive! Is reviewing the passage questions without looking at the passage really useful to improving your score? (EK SAYS IT IS) I'm looking for any advice! I will keep you posted on my improvement--from I am taking the real thing May 2nd--so...1 month 17 days and 16 hours!


I just want to go to medical school and will do anything to do it!!!

 

[Bernoull]

Hey Guys,
After browsing SDN for months looking for hope...I've made my first post!

I took Kaplan's class last year and found the teachers hit or miss and the verbal and FL's unrealistic- I have heavily invested in EK Verbal and EK101--as well as EK's other 1001 books and review materials--finding that review all my missed questions in AAMC exams really has helped me!

Only taken a few--but I'm posting trying not to be ashamed...Any insight would be helpful to accelerating my verbal score improvement. I've read EK's verbal cover to cover twice and keep referring back to it--I sit up straight, try to get "amped" for each passage-- take my 5 second breaks- 20 second thinking of the main idea--I find I do have enough time to finish my AAMC verbal exams- Any advice on making a drastic verbal improvement?!

Drum roll please.......

EK Verbal in Strategy Book- 5
EK 1: 5😱
AAMC3: 5😱
AAMC4: 5

I swear EK's verbal strategy is 10 times better than Kaplan's. Definitely more intuitive! Is reviewing the passage questions without looking at the passage really useful to improving your score? (EK SAYS IT IS) I'm looking for any advice! I will keep you posted on my improvement--from I am taking the real thing May 2nd--so...1 month 17 days and 16 hours!


I just want to go to medical school and will do anything to do it!!!

EK 1: 5😱
AAMC3: 5😱
AAMC4: 5

Are these the VR portion of FL tests or are they total scores for everything (BS,PS,VR). If these scores are the total scores, DEFINITELY postpone ur 5/2/09 date and shore up ur weaknesses.

If these score represent just the VR, and ur strong on the other sections then work very hard to improve VR b4 ur test date.

First suggestion is that you REALLY need to carefully review your answers to see why you are missing so many. Are you missing most questions because u misread the question/answers? Or did you misunderstand the passage? This is really important because if u keep doing the same thing, u'll get the same results and that's seems to be true here. You are REPEATING the same mistakes on all 3 exams therefore ur score is flat @ 5. If you understand what's wrong with how ur read, understand and answer the passage n questions and then correct your approach accordingly,then ur scores will surely improve.

Is reviewing the passage questions without looking at the passage really useful to improving your score? (EK SAYS IT IS)

This is important bcos it forces you to critically read the questions/answers for critical clues that (even w/o a passage) can help you answer the question. This is an important skill bcos answers to a lots of question can hinge on a single word like (If, but, weaken, strengthen, therefore etc)

Lastly don't be discouraged!! U are capable of scoring >10s I believe everyone is!!!

 

[OrthoErik]

No those are just my verbal scores, my PS and BS are higher--and have improved a lot more than my verbal <= nothing to laugh about still!

I understand- I have to force myself to look back at the questions and answers and try to figure them out without the passage-

thanks for the response and the hope 😀

I want and NEED a 10! I put a post it above my desktop today that said 30!30! 30! WORK WORK WORK!

Thanks for support! Any EK verbal advice is appreciated!

 

[premed21]

I just took test 7 and got a 7. This is so frikkin depressing omg. -_-

 

[MD2BEEE]

I'm stuck...

VR1: 9
VR2: 9
VR3: 9
AAMC 3VR: 9

I'm using the newer CBT version. I felt really good after taking VR3 and thought I had finally broken into double digits. From my post-game I'm making too many assumptions in some places and not assuming enough in others. Especially when the question asks to examine conclusions, statements, or inferences.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[almighty]

So I took the Ek 1 tonight and scored a 9, but for the past month, i've been taking princeton review's verbal section and been scoring 5-7.

I am confused. The difference is major, I have never been able to crack anything above a 7 on PR.

Should I stick with studying of EK? I just don't understand most of the questions on PR verbal passages.

 

[LeftyUM]

Ive been using PR verbal too, yea theres definitely a difference in difficulty. I'm not too worried about it, I'm only using PR to practice reading those crazy passages. I still think EK is a much better source. Good job on the 9!

 

[Obi184]

I'm stuck...

VR1: 9
VR2: 9
VR3: 9
AAMC 3VR: 9

Like you, I was stuck in the verbal funk too. I just could not break into the double digits. My scores were:
EK1: 6
EK2: 8
EK3: 8
EK4: 7(*sigh*)
EK5: 9(GAAH!)
EK6: 6(W-T-F?!)
EK7: 8

AAMC3: 7
AAMC4: 9
AAMC5: 7
AAMC6: 8
AAMC8: 8

I finally hit 10 today on EK 8.
Hope you and everyone else can get there with some measure of predictability before the actual.

 

[MD2BEEE]

I finally hit 10 today on EK 8.

Congrats on hitting 10! Keep crawling your way up there.

Took EK4 today... 9
Haha, wish there were bonus points for consistency. 🙄

 

[medready]

test 1 8
test 2 7 😱
test 3 9
test 4 8
test 5 9 (one point from a 10)
test 6 8
test 7 9 (again one point from a 10)

It seems I cant break a 10 oh well if I score a 9 on the real thing I wont be too upset 🙂

 

[Marjan Islam]

Just took test 13: 10

Yeah, I've given up on thinking I can break a 10, cause I'm always 1 point shy from a 9. Also, I get 9's on the AAMCs usually, and a few 10's... 1 8 thought 😕

 

[Caesar]

Wow wish I had seen this thread earlier.

EK 1: 9
EK 2: 10
EK 3: 11

I am using the older one (60? 85 mins) and I have just been scoring for 40? and 60? There has been no significant differences. (on 1 and 2 there were only 39questions without starting a new passage, so I just assumed I got them wrong). Hope this trend continues.

 

[Caesar]

also my MCAT is the 28th so I am doing one EK VR / day except days I take AAMC full lengths.

 

[Obi184]

also my MCAT is the 28th so I am doing one EK VR / day except days I take AAMC full lengths.

Yeah, that's what I'm doing as well.

T-minus one week. I hope it goes smoothly for everyone.

 

[Bernoull]

Congrats on hitting 10! Keep crawling your way up there.

Took EK4 today... 9
Haha, wish there were bonus points for consistency. 🙄

I can relater to this. I took:
Ek 1= 44/60 = 9
Ek 2= 44/60 = 9

I'm gettin da same freakin raw score, n its I point shy of a 10. I'm modifying my ek strategy a little bit. I realized I'm not retaining the main idea by da time I finish da passage. So going forward, I'll paused after each paragraph n paraphrase da main idea in writing. I did this for da last passage in ek 2 n I had a perfect score 4 that one. I know I know 1 data point doesn't constitute trend but I think this will help but it eats extra time tho. Hopefully b4 long I can paraphrase da main ideas mentally n retain them!!!

 

[JasoniusUW]

AAMC5 = 6
EK1 = 6
EK2 = 9
EK3 = 11
EK4 = 11
EK5 = 9
AAMC4 = 6

I'm so f'ed.

 

[JasoniusUW]

Should I be worried? lol

 

[Caesar]

thats quite the range...

Mine have been steadily increasing day to day.


EK 1: 9
EK 2: 10
EK 3: 11
AAMC 4: 13

Are you doing something differently on the bad days?
Is there a particular type of passage you are struggling with?
Are there question formats you consistently miss?

 

[JasoniusUW]

Good list of questions. I think it was mostly a biological thing today (starving when I took the verbal). Ugh, that feminist passage man, that murdered me. Thanks! The first AAMC I had 15 minutes to spare, this one I finished at the endpoint. Might be the time pressure as well.

 

[Caesar]

yeah that fem. passage was terrible. VR is really hard to explain how to improve upon. It is really a mental thing. I try to memorize parts of the passage as I read, just small bits so that I can reference back easier and know I have the main idea.

 

[JasoniusUW]

I think it's just ADD. Once the topic fails to be interesting I just zone out and end up having to re-read, that's probably why I ran out of time. I think verbal is just an interest thing for me. Give me arts or useless and verbose theory from pretentious academics then I'm gone. I just go for main idea. Heh, it's all mindset sadly (how confident you are, your blood sugar levels, sleep levels, interest in articles etc). It's probably the most sensitive section. I'm wondering if EK passages are easier? If EK asks you to refer to points in a passage it gives you lie numbers, AAMC doesn't do that. I think I'm going to scratch out those line numbers in that book.

 

[Brigade4Radiant]

EK1=6
EK2=7
EK3=8
EK4=9
1 month later
EK5=6


DAMN IT ALL!!! I really need to go over what I missed and I'm thinking about retaking EK1-4 before I go onwards to 6. Is that a good Idea?

 

[JasoniusUW]

EK1=6
EK2=7
EK3=8
EK4=9
1 month later
EK5=6


DAMN IT ALL!!! I really need to go over what I missed and I'm thinking about retaking EK1-4 before I go onwards to 6. Is that a good Idea?

Just do that main idea exercise they have. Read the article, sum it up in 3 sentences (write it down) then go after the questions. The previous passages have been expended so you won't get an increase in skill I don't think. Even after 8 months I can still do the questions on some articles. I was never a fan of their question stem strategy though.

 

[drmiami]

EK 1 8
AAMC 3 9
EK 2 10
EK3 7
AAMC 4 9
EK4 10
ek5 10
aamc 7 7
aamc 5 9
ek 6 8
ek 7 11
aamc 8 10
ek 8 8
aamc 9 9
AAMC 10 9
ek 9 9

ughh! icant get the double digits? ADVICE PLEASE! I HAVE IT THIS SATURDAY!

 

[OneMCATAway]

hey guys,
I have a question, I recently bought the EK 101 verbal with the 14 passages/etc and I am taking the mcat in less than 6 weeks for the second time.. verbal is my weakest area and I was hoping that EK would help I am just not sure if i have enought time.. their method is so far helping me finish VR on time but my score is not really improving very much.. i only took the first test and i took it with lots of distractions and ended up with a 5 i dont know if i should finish it all since now i am very stressed about finishing everything/content review/FL twice a week and all that.. i want to know do you all see huge improvement using EK passages or using their method and focusing on the FL's would be better?!

 

[JokerMD]

EK 1 8
EK 2 10
EK3 7
EK4 10
ek5 10
ek 6 8
ek 7 11
ek 8 8
ek 9 9

ughh! icant get the double digits? ADVICE PLEASE! I HAVE IT THIS SATURDAY!

wow your scores are not necessarily bad, they just fluctuate. mmm, i would take the rest of the EK tests and really try to reflect what is different when you get an 10/11 and when you get a 8/9. Is it that there is one passage that just throws you off for the rest of the exam? Or is it certain question types? If you're getting 10's and 11's on EK tests, you clearly know what you're doing. I think there's just something that throws you off and gets you out of synch for your lower scores.

 

[Marjan Islam]

Well, I ended the EK 101 book with a bang! Scored 9's and 10's the whole way through, and ended up with a ... 8 on Test 14.

It didn't seem very tough, I guess I just made a dumb mistake on one or two questions more than usual.

 

[0Complications]

I think it's just ADD. Once the topic fails to be interesting I just zone out and end up having to re-read, that's probably why I ran out of time. I think verbal is just an interest thing for me. Give me arts or useless and verbose theory from pretentious academics then I'm gone. I just go for main idea. Heh, it's all mindset sadly (how confident you are, your blood sugar levels, sleep levels, interest in articles etc). It's probably the most sensitive section. I'm wondering if EK passages are easier? If EK asks you to refer to points in a passage it gives you lie numbers, AAMC doesn't do that. I think I'm going to scratch out those line numbers in that book.

I'm with you on the ADD think. I actually have ADHD, which I choose not to medicate, and it makes the dull verbal passages sooooo difficult to finish. I have forced myself to take all my practice exercises in areas with a lot of noise, such as coffee shops, etc. Just from doing that, I have noticed a drastic improvement in my concentration during the exams, especially when I take them in a quiet environment. I also try to take some practice exercises when I'm tired or feel mentally drained. The scores leave a little to be desired, but practicing under these variable conditions seems to have led to an improvement in my overall ability to concentrate on verbal under actual testing conditions, with sleep, and feeling refreshed. I don't know if this method would work for everyone, but it certainly helps me out.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that even if conditions don't feel ideal, make yourself focus anyway. You will end up improving your overall concentration under 'normal' conditions. I equate it to playing sports, if you always play against someone or practicing when you feel 100% you can not learn how to attenuate to strain and difficulties of intense long-term practice.

 

[Marjan Islam]

The other day, I suffered an immense gun shot wound, straight to the jugular.

That's when I decided to take AAMC #8, to really test myself under the most drastic of situations.

On another note, are EK verbals harder than AAMCs? I feel that they are, though I score in around the same range... just slightly higher on AAMCs.

 

[0Complications]

The other day, I suffered an immense gun shot wound, straight to the jugular.

That's when I decided to take AAMC #8, to really test myself under the most drastic of situations.

Sweet! You're right on your way.

On another note, are EK verbals harder than AAMCs? I feel that they are, though I score in around the same range... just slightly higher on AAMCs.

I think they are more difficult, for reasons you stated in the 03/28/09 forum. The question stems and the passages on AAMC exams are simply better than the EK 101's. This removes much of the ambiguity from the answer selections and in turn makes the AAMC's seem to be easier. Just my take, but my scores on AAMC's are about 2 points > EK scores on average.

 

[JasoniusUW]

Wow, my EK 101 are 5 higher than my AAMC ... maybe its seeing that timer there that scrambles me. Intra-tester variability is brutal for this section. I'm so glad they put it first, the AAMC's online put it second and I'm pretty bored clicking through physics. Maybe it's reading off a screen as well vs. a book.

 

[0Complications]

Wow, my EK 101 are 5 higher than my AAMC ... maybe its seeing that timer there that scrambles me. Intra-tester variability is brutal for this section. I'm so glad they put it first, the AAMC's online put it second and I'm pretty bored clicking through physics. Maybe it's reading off a screen as well vs. a book.

Who put's VR first?

 

[JasoniusUW]

Oh during the exam. The practice test it is second (at least on 4/5). Both are AAMC hahah, I think I've been studying way too much. I get less coherent as the night goes on.

 

[0Complications]

Oh during the exam. The practice test it is second (at least on 4/5). Both are AAMC hahah, I think I've been studying way too much. I get less coherent as the night goes on.

Unless I've just stepped into the twilight zone, Verbal is second on the actual exam. The AAMC exams are in the order the material will appear on your real deal.

I might be misreading what you're saying, but if not, be ready to take Verbal second not first.

Order:

PS, VR, WS, BS

 

[JasoniusUW]

Crap you're right. I think it's the audio osmosis I'm using (created during the paper period?). That's probably what happened during the paper versions? Thanks for correcting that. I just checked a more reliable source.

 

[vickpick]

I just received my EK complete study package today.. and was wondering where to start.. this is the 5 books + a practice test version.. the seventh edition..where should i start?!?

 

[0Complications]

I just received my EK complete study package today.. and was wondering where to start.. this is the 5 books + a practice test version.. the seventh edition..where should i start?!?

I would use the old ene - mene - mine - mo method. It doesn't matter. Just open them up and get crackin'.

You know where you're weak, maybe start there. Or start with your strengths to help build your confidence. Either way you will eventually cover it all. But don't avoid your weaknesses. I did this with Physics and it's biting me in the arse right now.

Oh, and here is the EK 10 week home study schedule. Don't get frustrated if it takes you longer than the allotted time to cover each section though.

http://www.examkrackers.com/home-study.php

 

[Zona Pellucida]

EK 1 --- 10
EK 2 --- 11
EK 3 --- 11

#17 Realllllly pissed me off for EK 3. The answer should totally be D. Anyone else get that one wrong by selecting D?

 

[vickpick]

I would use the old ene - mene - mine - mo method. It doesn't matter. Just open them up and get crackin'.

You know where you're weak, maybe start there. Or start with your strengths to help build your confidence. Either way you will eventually cover it all. But don't avoid your weaknesses. I did this with Physics and it's biting me in the arse right now.

Oh, and here is the EK 10 week home study schedule. Don't get frustrated if it takes you longer than the allotted time to cover each section though.

http://www.examkrackers.com/home-study.php

thanks very much for the link and the suggestion... I had been avoiding my weak point thus far but I'll start on that part now...

 

[aphios5]

..anyone else getting that "sinking" feeling like you're about to be pushed off the edge of a cliff in less than 48 hours....?

 

[MD2BEEE]

EK 1 --- 10
EK 2 --- 11
EK 3 --- 11

#17 Realllllly pissed me off for EK 3. The answer should totally be D. Anyone else get that one wrong by selecting D?

I didn't remember the question, but I just checked and yea I definitely put D as well.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

I didn't remember the question, but I just checked and yea I definitely put D as well.

Comforting to know!

All of the other questions that I got wrong, the explanation made at least some sense. This one however did not at all and I missed getting a 12 on EK3 by one point so getting that one correct was kind of a big deal. Oh well, 11 it is.

It was just a bull**** question in my opinion.

 

[0Complications]

EK 1 --- 10
EK 2 --- 11
EK 3 --- 11

#17 Realllllly pissed me off for EK 3. The answer should totally be D. Anyone else get that one wrong by selecting D?

I just looked back at that one. I ended up going with "B". I think the key on that question was realizing that the statement doesn't have an impact on D. Essentially, if the statement is true then it doesn't make "D" false/incorrect, but it does make "B" false/incorrect.

Hope that helps.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

I just looked back at that one. I ended up going with "B". I think the key on that question was realizing that the statement doesn't have an impact on D. Essentially, if the statement is true then it doesn't make "D" false/incorrect, but it does make "B" false/incorrect.

Hope that helps.

C was the correct answer.

But, the question asks "For which of the following conclusions does the passage offer the LEAST support for"

and then their validation for D being incorrect was that "it was never a passage conclusion to begin with".

Ummm... Don't tell me in the question that all of the following answer choices are conclusions and then expect me to pick one that is not a conclusion when you just told me they all were.

And if it is not a conclusion, then obviously the passage would offer the least support for it, considering it is not one at all. Confusing.

 

[0Complications]

C was the correct answer.

But, the question asks "For which of the following conclusions does the passage offer the LEAST support for"

and then their validation for D being incorrect was that "it was never a passage conclusion to begin with".

Ummm... Don't tell me in the question that all of the following answer choices are conclusions and then expect me to pick one that is not a conclusion when you just told me they all were.

And if it is not a conclusion, then obviously the passage would offer the least support for it, considering it is not one at all. Confusing.

Ooops, we are both working from different editions. 😳

I have the old 101, so we are probably looking at two completely different passages.

But as you talk about that question, I do remember one from one of the earlier exams like that and I felt like doing this with my book

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pGvEGFkvNs[/youtube]

 

[Zona Pellucida]

Ooops, we are both working from different editions. 😳

I have the old 101, so we are probably looking at two completely different passages.

But as you talk about that question, I do remember one from one of the earlier exams like that and I felt like doing this with my book

Hahaha I figured we weren't talking about the same question

And that guy in the video is insane.😱

 

[vickpick]

Hahaha I figured we weren't talking about the same question

And that guy in the video is insane.😱

i just tried to copy him with a yellow page directory and i was successful!.. i ripped it in half!!.....lol..

but im not abt to do that with my mcat books..haha.. may be the old SAT books..😛

 

[0Complications]

i just tried to copy him with a yellow page directory and i was successful!.. i ripped it in half!!.....lol..

but im not abt to do that with my mcat books..haha.. may be the old SAT books..😛

👍