ExamKracker VERBAL 101 SCORES

[Futuredoctr]

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

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[Sillyshoes]

I take it back. I'm not making progress, I'm just all over the freaking place! OMFG!

EK1 9
EK2 7
EK3 11
EK4 8 <--- "thought this was the result of a 'bad day' until..."
EK5 10
EK6 7 <--- "I got this."

Notice the strong upward trend until about 30. Yeah... that didn't last.

Hey at least you broke over a 10. I have yet to do that. I get freaking straight 9's
It extremely annoying when you are one question off from the next scaled score! ahhh! when is your test?

 

[tncekm]

Two weeks.

My AAMCs: #3 = 9, #5 = 11
My Gold Standard: 9, 12, 12, 11, 10
My TPR: Average about 8.5

I have no idea what to think... I seem to do consistently better on CBT's, maybe I'm just "in the zone", or maybe I can read off of monitors better, maybe its just dumb luck. I keep making excuses for myself as to why I'll have bad performances, because I thought I was making progress! But I just don't know if that's legit. The last 8 I got (on EK#4) I accidentally undertimed myself on the last half of the passages and lost almost 10 mins, and the current 7 I got I'm hoping its just from "mental stress" from losing my favorite pet on sat and having to take her to the crematorium today, and then sucking down a monster (which I never do) before the test.

I hope to God those are legit reasons for my piss poor scores. I just can't get over how my last few passages have been either very good, or very bad, with very little in between--it makes no sense!

 

[tourniquet1963]

so i just finished EK test 9.. wow.. i did horrible.. worse than ever!!!

there was a passage on Knots!.. who the hell cares.. i got all but one wrong.. unbelievable.. there was also another passage in which i got all but one wrong.. its ridiculous.. i guess i wasnt paying attention b/c the entire time i was like " I DONT CARE!!!"

two weeks before the real deal.. we'll see how this turns out.

 

[Reno]

What is everyone's approach to taking the EK test since they are in the old format? Do you take it as is and thus condition your self for a longer format or do you take it with the CBT format and convert your scores?

 

[tourniquet1963]

i do one passage at a time, 8 minutes a passage, sometimes ill do a pair.

 

[scottyT]

I'm finding that the best way for me to do these passages is to read smoothly and grok the author. My problem is simply that my mind wanders while I read these things and I have to "snap" myself back to reality. I rarely miss a question on passages that are genuinely interesting to me (like the battle of Midway or cold weather clothing passages from EK4). I think my score would be higher if I could just pay attention for the duration.

EK1 - 8
EK2 - 10
EK3 - 11
EK4 - 10 (missed 6 problems on the gender identity passage!)

AAMC3 - 10
AAMC5 - 10

 

[scottyT]

What is everyone's approach to taking the EK test since they are in the old format? Do you take it as is and thus condition your self for a longer format or do you take it with the CBT format and convert your scores?

I time myself on the first 40 (or 38 or whatever the cutoff is) at 1.5 min/question and multiply my score so I can use their chart in the back. Then I take a short break and do the remainder under timed conditions again (1.5 min/question) and compare my scores. On one of them I had a 13 on the first 40 and wound up with a 10 overall because I missed 6 questions on 1 passage.

 

[tncekm]

I did something similar on EK5. The first 20+ questions I only missed 1. I finished on a different day and got destroyed--thought I'd make it better by doing more passages and proving it was a fluke (the same day--I was irritated), but I kept getting destroyed all the way through EK6.

 

[tncekm]

Just finished 27 questions, 4 passages from EK #7, timed, and I got 25/27 correct with time to spare. I have no flipping idea what goes on with me any my huge fluctuations in EK verbal. It just has to be my state of mind, because the fluctuations are just too huge. I went in today feeling fresh, feeling good, missed 1 question b/c of a misread, and 1 question b/c I just didn't get it. Out of 27, that's not bad! Yet, I sometimes manage to do hideous! Arrggghhh!

 

[Fp02c]

we are on the same boat... I do awesome on ek.. but aamc is another story. Any ek passage i can focus on and atleast get have a reason for picking an answer. I just did aamc 8 and my verbal was a 9, one point away from an 8.My ek;s are all 10 and 11 mostly 11's.. I just dont know what to make of this.

 

[QMeister]

I didn't realize this when I bought it, but the person who sold me the Examkrackers Verbal 101 has the last few pages of the book missing. This includes the Raw Score conversion Chart. Is there anyone out there that may have this available and would so kindly type it in or PM me (just the score conversion). Thank you so much in advance!!!!

 

[tncekm]

I didn't realize this when I bought it, but the person who sold me the Examkrackers Verbal 101 has the last few pages of the book missing. This includes the Raw Score conversion Chart. Is there anyone out there that may have this available and would so kindly type it in or PM me (just the score conversion). Thank you so much in advance!!!!

Here you go.

 

[QMeister]

Thanks so much!!!

 

[hab818]

hey this has probably been answered, but how accurate is the EK with the real deal (probably more relevant to people who have actually taken the exam). and how good at the TPR diags? I read in some other thread that it's pretty hard and not always representative of the AAMC style?

 

[tncekm]

I think TPR is too hard. I think EK has some very questionable logic at times, and a few "too close" 50/50's. But, EK is a pretty good indicator of AAMC's; probably the best of all of the practice materials.

 

[supafield]

haha I had decided to do 40 questions for EK test 2....

it set up that there were 39 questions over 6 passages.... figured that was good enough and go a 31/39..... so a 10-11 given a bad or good scale....


haha and then with nothing else to do..... I went ahead and did the last 3 passages together..... hahaha scored 10/21 and got a 9, one question away from an 8 if added together.... oh geez...

I'm calling EK and seeing how long that new verbal book is going to be

 

[tncekm]

haha I had decided to do 40 questions for EK test 2....

it set up that there were 39 questions over 6 passages.... figured that was good enough and go a 31/39..... so a 10-11 given a bad or good scale....


haha and then with nothing else to do..... I went ahead and did the last 3 passages together..... hahaha scored 10/21 and got a 9, one question away from an 8 if added together.... oh geez...

I'm calling EK and seeing how long that new verbal book is going to be

Yeah, that's what I've observed with almost every EK test. The first ones start out easy and the last ones are hard. I'll get like 25/27, then 20/33,

EK101 #1 7
EK101 #2 6
EK101 #3 4

EK#1 9
EK#2 7
EK#3 11
EK#4 8 *
EK#5 10
EK#6 7 *
EK#7 10
EK#8 10

* Those two tests, I believe, were the result of me being "very off". Especially #6. Two of my pets died, and I sucked down a 32 oz Monster before and had the jitters. So, I'm crossing my fingers that it was bum luck!

 

[tncekm]

EK #9 10
EK #10 (half way through) 10

 

[lastcall]

EK 101 #1: 4 *omg, I am a native speaker,what the ...?
EK 101 #2: 7
EK 101 #3: 8

Tomorrow's score=?

 

[tncekm]

EK 101 #1: 4 *omg, I am a native speaker,what the ...?
EK 101 #2: 7
EK 101 #3: 8

Tomorrow's score=?

Yeah, I started with an average of about 5 with the three mini exams that are included in the EK VR/Math book.

 

[tourniquet1963]

Yeah, I started with an average of about 5 with the three mini exams that are included in the EK VR/Math book.

i started with a nine, i actually got 9's on all three of those tests, but i cant break an 8 in the EK 101 passages.. ODD

 

[CHOPSTIX]

Hey, How are you guys doing the Verbal Passages and grading them? 7 passages? 40 questions at a time? or all 9 passages? I'm really confused about how to time myself and do the passages according to the CBT.

 

[tncekm]

Hey, How are you guys doing the Verbal Passages and grading them? 7 passages? 40 questions at a time? or all 9 passages? I'm really confused about how to time myself and do the passages according to the CBT.

I usually do 3-5 passages at a time. I've got a formula I use to calculate approximate time, and it mirrors perfectly the timing of the CBT's I've taken (and on paper).

# passages x 3min/passage
# questions x 1min/question
Then subtract 30 sec/passage to get used to having a little extra time.

So, if I was doing 3 passages with 20 questions it'd be 27.5 minutes. Yes, this is a little more time than we'd get in a CBT, but that's b/c in EK you get average of 7-8 questions per passage rather than 5-6 questions per passage.

Note: don't "score" your sections until you complete the whole test. Most of the EK tests I've taken start out very easy and then have a bunch of hard passages toward the end of the test. So, I might get like 25/27 for the first half and then 20/33 on the second! So, its like getting a 12/13 and a 7/8 and then averaging out at a 10 at the end of the day.

 

[IkerUnzalu]

question..... I'm taking my MCAT exam for the 2nd time in mid August or Sept. I'm going to purchase the EK 101 verbal passages for the 2nd time. How often should I be doing the exams? and how far apart? I wana be able to space them out so that come test day the technique is still fresh in my mind. I'm also taking the Kaplan course on june 5th so I should have ample material. Last time I did the 101 passages I didn't time it. I scred a 6 on verbal on the exam

 

[lastcall]

Arggh...verbal is my nemesis. Today, I finally hit a 10 on EK verbal test #4...is it a fluke? I sure hope not. Only time (and more aamc tests) will tell. But, according to SDN lore, EK verbals are supposed to be a good way to gauge your progress? I hope not...that "4" still gives me the chills..

 

[lastcall]

question..... I'm taking my MCAT exam for the 2nd time in mid August or Sept. I'm going to purchase the EK 101 verbal passages for the 2nd time. How often should I be doing the exams? and how far apart? I wana be able to space them out so that come test day the technique is still fresh in my mind. I'm also taking the Kaplan course on june 5th so I should have ample material. Last time I did the 101 passages I didn't time it. I scred a 6 on verbal on the exam

One of the moderators on this forum ("Bloodysurgeon") has a really good post ("Bloodysurgeon's Verbal Guide..") It's on one of the MCAT forum stickies, I believe. Hope this helps.

 

[tncekm]

EK101#1 7
EK101#2 6
EK101#3 4

EK#1 9
EK#2 7
EK#3 11
EK#4 8 *
EK#5 10
EK#6 7 *
EK#7 10
EK#8 10
EK#9 10
EK#10 11 <---- SOOO HAPPY!

* Those two tests, I believe, were the result of me being "very off". Especially #6. Two of my pets died, and I sucked down a 32 oz Monster before and had the jitters. So, I'm crossing my fingers that it was bum luck!

 

[lastcall]

Tncekm,
Those scores are looking good! No, definitely not a bad day! I'm sorry to hear about your pets.

 

[lastcall]

Tncekm,
Those scores are looking good! No, definitely not a bad day! I'm sorry to hear about your pets.

I meant *today* is definitely not a bad day for you...congrats on 11!

 

[tncekm]

I meant *today* is definitely not a bad day for you...congrats on 11!

Thanks, I appreciate it! VR is the one section I'm scared of. If I can get a 10 in VR on the MCAT, I'll be very happy

 

[lastcall]

Yeah, verbal has been the most difficult area to gauge whether I'm truly improving or not. At least with physics or chemistry, I know where my weaknesses are and can plan accordingly.

The verbal is just..a wild card, I guess. *sigh*I have no idea how I'm going to do on my next practice verbal test..another 4? Or maybe a consistent 10? I too, am praying for a 10 on the actual MCAT.

 

[tncekm]

Yeah, verbal has been the most difficult area to gauge whether I'm truly improving or not. At least with physics or chemistry, I know where my weaknesses are and can plan accordingly.

The verbal is just..a wild card, I guess. *sigh*I have no idea how I'm going to do on my next practice verbal test..another 4? Or maybe a consistent 10? I too, am praying for a 10 on the actual MCAT.

Well, I'm crossing my fingers for both of us

 

[JA Prufrock]

Is it just me, or do you guys find some of the logic in the answer explanations to be somewhat dubious? Perhaps it's just the nature of this section, but I still disagree with some of EK's answer choices. Is the AAMC verbal similar in this regard?

 

[iA-MD2013]

Is it just me, or do you guys find some of the logic in the answer explanations to be somewhat dubious? Perhaps it's just the nature of this section, but I still disagree with some of EK's answer choices.

I know exactly what you mean!

Is the AAMC verbal similar in this regard?

Unfortunately, I've found a couple questions to be like that.

 

[supafield]

So far....

EK # 1 - 11 (took it 3 passages at a time)
EK # 2 - 10/11 after doing 40 questions..... went back about an hour later to finish the section off got annihilated and scored a 9 total.
EK # 3 - 12

Very happy with the last result, although # 3 seems to be a little more tester friendly than some others.....
One very stupid mistake but other than that felt good... realizing how much of a difference it makes to take the verbal section in an alert state of mind...

Also finished with 8 minutes to spare at a comfortable pace.... A lot of people worry about the conversion for minutes per/passage.... the fact that their are less questions per passage really has to be taken into consideration... The AAMC didn't just decide to make the timing harder.... however for me who like to do a thorough read (~4 minutes) and go quicker on the questions it may have more of an effect.

 

[tncekm]

So far....

EK # 1 - 11 (took it 3 passages at a time)
EK # 2 - 10/11 after doing 40 questions..... went back about an hour later to finish the section off got annihilated and scored a 9 total.
EK # 3 - 12

Very happy with the last result, although # 3 seems to be a little more tester friendly than some others.....
One very stupid mistake but other than that felt good... realizing how much of a difference it makes to take the verbal section in an alert state of mind...

Also finished with 8 minutes to spare at a comfortable pace.... A lot of people worry about the conversion for minutes per/passage.... the fact that their are less questions per passage really has to be taken into consideration... The AAMC didn't just decide to make the timing harder.... however for me who like to do a thorough read (~4 minutes) and go quicker on the questions it may have more of an effect.

Yeah, as for your score on #2, I used to do that. I'd take half a test and get excited! Oh man, I scored a 14! Then I realized that in the majority of their tests the easy questions come first and the hard ones come last.

Anyway, aside from that, your scores are great! Congrats!

 

[supafield]

Yeah, as for your score on #2, I used to do that. I'd take half a test and get excited! Oh man, I scored a 14! Then I realized that in the majority of their tests the easy questions come first and the hard ones come last.

Anyway, aside from that, your scores are great! Congrats!

Thanks a lot.... hopefully it keeps up...! best of luck to you too

 

[Somethingmore]

Do you guys think the EK 101 Verbal book (the old edition) is a legitimate source of practice now that the time and # of passages have been reduced on the actual MCAT? Is it still useful for the sole purpose of just practicing verbal skills? (because the passages are similar in tone to the real MCAT passages? Or wait, has the style of passages even changes since this book was published?)

 

[tncekm]

Its a fine practice source. It feels a little different due to the # of questions, but the timing is pretty much the same. So, use it. Its good stuff.

 

[utjsm08]

I bought the new EK 101 verbal book...but it has the raw score conversion scale from the paper pencil test! Does anyone know the conversion scale for the CBT?

 

[paranoid_eyes]

I bought the new EK 101 verbal book...but it has the raw score conversion scale from the paper pencil test! Does anyone know the conversion scale for the CBT?

is the new 101 book COMPLETELY new (as in the passages are all new and different from the old 101 book) or is it just a trimmed down version of the old EK book??

Thanks

 

[supafield]

Old book, reformatted to simulate the length and timing better....

material is not new....

 

[dwc929]

EK2 - 8
EK3 - 8
EK4 - 8
EK5 - 8
EK6 - 8

=(. B/t 4 and 5, I switched strategies...no change in score though. I feel like they're getting easier though? Every test it's a few dumb mistakes and I get killed on the tough passages. I used to use TPR strategy which was aim for 80% accuracy on 7/9 passages and just guess on the remainder and pre-scan passages and see which to do first. Now I just push through it from the beginning and do my best to give every question a shot. Should I keep going on? I've almost gotten to a point where I feel like I'm wasting these tests if I don't improve or learn something from them.

 

[tco]

I'm using the new book. So far, I've been happy with my improvement. If I keep up this pace, I'll eventually be scoring a 30 in the VR.

Since the book doesn't have an accurate conversion chart, I've been using percentages to calculate my net score.

EK 1 - 6
EK 2 - 8
EK 3 - 13

I'm probably going to take test 4 today.

 

[utjsm08]

The book is the best verbal practice I have used (except for AAMC diags)

EK 1: 9
EK 2: 9
EK 3: 10 (hope this stays an upward trend)

I always have to guess on a whole passage because I run out of time!

 

[minhaj]

Since everyone is charting their progress on this thread, I am going to join in as well

EK stratety book ( the one with three tests):
#1 - 9
#2 - 9
#3 - 9

EK 101:
#1 - 9
#2 - 11
#3 - 11
#4 - 12

I usually have ten minutes left after I am done. I dont know if EK verbal passages are easier and shorter or I am decent at verbal. I am taking the mcat on Aug 5 and I hope to get a 13 on the real thing cuz my physics isnt that great. Good luck to all of you!

 

[SiR99]

Hey guys I was wondering if you guys are using the method EK has given for verbal and if it is working

They say to take an exam wait a day go back and only look at the question stems and answer choices and try to get as much info from then and try to answer the questions,

Then it says to wait another day and go back and write a main idea for each passage.

The whole question stem thing doesnt seem to be that great for every passage. The example they give in their lecture is great, but it does not apply to every passage and every passage does not really give that much info.

Also some of the answers are purely on remembering detail or going back

Anyways, is this the format anyone is using and seeing improvements?

 

[utjsm08]

I actually find that Princeton's method is far superior to EK on the EK material. There are so many questions where by just going back to the passage gets you the right answer.

 

[Like2run]

Why is the raw score conversion chart out of 60 when there are only 40 questions for each test? I am missing something?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[minhaj]

Why is the raw score conversion chart out of 60 when there are only 40 questions for each test? I am missing something?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EK is well-known for having errors in their books and then charging people to have access to the corrections . Its just another way of making money. I effing hate EK for that, but I love their practice tests. As for conversion, just use percent of questions you got right and equate that with the percent on the conversion chart.