ExamKracker VERBAL 101 SCORES

[Futuredoctr]

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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

 

[Snowbeavers]

Here's a dumb question. How do I convert my raw score here to a scaled score??

I got 28/40 on VR#5 and have no idea what the scaled score would be. Probably not very good...

 

[sully677]

Here's a dumb question. How do I convert my raw score here to a scaled score??

I got 28/40 on VR#5 and have no idea what the scaled score would be. Probably not very good...

Towards the end of the book...I think it is right before the answer sheets, there is a scale. A 28 is about an 8 I believe.

 

[sully677]

Really? I can't believe there is a thread on EK Verbal 101 scores.

Paranoid much?

Do you ever post positive comments?

 

[bluebeard]

Here's a dumb question. How do I convert my raw score here to a scaled score??

I got 28/40 on VR#5 and have no idea what the scaled score would be. Probably not very good...

I generally got around 30 right on those. I'd say 32-34. I never once got more than say 36 correct and got a 15 on the real deal.

 

[Snowbeavers]

I generally got around 30 right on those. I'd say 32-34. I never once got more than say 36 correct and got a 15 on the real deal.

Wow...that is encouraging! So would you say the EK passages are harder than the real deal?

I was actually very happy with a 28. My highest score so far😳 and I finished with 6 minutes left. I have just started (writing in April) and was really disheartened when I first started as I wasn't finishing in time and scoring 18/40 on the first couple.

Hopefully, my scores keep improving. VR is definitely my hardest section which is why I am starting early.

Thanks for the tip about the scaled scores.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

On the EK 101 verbal I've been hitting 10 consistently... but on kaplan FL's my verbal is around 7/8... What gives? Should I just ignore it?

 

[bluebeard]

Wow...that is encouraging! So would you say the EK passages are harder than the real deal?

I was actually very happy with a 28. My highest score so far😳 and I finished with 6 minutes left. I have just started (writing in April) and was really disheartened when I first started as I wasn't finishing in time and scoring 18/40 on the first couple.

Hopefully, my scores keep improving. VR is definitely my hardest section which is why I am starting early.

Thanks for the tip about the scaled scores.

Okay, here is the deal with the materials:
EK 101- appropriate difficulty in material, scale too hard. Good practice, but don't take the scores so much to heart. You really should be finishing these.
Kaplan- some passages are completely insane and you will never see them. Scale is way too easy. You can guess the last passage and break a 10 on Kaplan. NEVER happens on the real deal.
AAMC tests are the best predictor of your score, but the material is a bit easier than the real thing. Passages are shorter etc.
So I think you should use AAMC as barometer for score, and EK 101 for practice. Kaplan is dangerous as strategies that work on their scales will really wreck your actual score.

 

[puravida85]

VR1-7
VR2-7
VR3-8
VR4-8
VR5-8
VR6-6
VR7-11
VR8-8
VR9-8
VR10-8
VR11-9
VR12-4.....did anyone else find this as tricky as I did? I don't know, maybe it because I am taking these at midnight...

OMG, VR12 was a JOKE! I got a 6 without timing. I was averaging between 8-10. I tried so hard to understand the logic behind their answers and it makes NO F'N sense. The inferences are bogus and out of this world. Shame shame.. going back to TPR because apparently after VR11, it's all down hill.

 

[Scarletblack]

I redid #12 with a friend. (By redid, I mean I haven't taken the tests for a year >_<)

Got an 11!!!! =D YAY!!!!

 

[MedicineForLife]

Hey guys,
You know how in the EK Verbal strategies they say to "Read every word of the passage" as one of their tactics? Do you guys really read each word?

My scores so far:
EK1: 10
EK3: 10 (accidentally did this before 2)
EK2: 8
EK4: 7

After I started using the "Read every word" my score started dropping (as you can see how I went to a 7...though I did find EK4 very hard)
How do you guys read the passages?

 

[Vanguard23]

I scored pretty consistent 9's-10's when I used the older version of EK101 and made a 10 on the real thing. I have the newer one now that I'm retaking it.
So far: Test 1- 9(one point shy of a 10).
I actually went through the question explanations and disagree with a few. I think I found one that was patently absurd. I think I'll get better over time. Hey,it's been a year since I've touched this stuff and takes a while to get back up to speed.

 

[Palaver87]

Hey guys,

I got a 13 on verbal on the real deal. I was scoring very low when I first started (around 6). I personally did not find the EK101 verbal questions useful. I stopped after about two tests because... well after the tests, I looked over why exactly I got those questions wrong, and most of the time I was just like WTF. The answers did not make sense, and it was very unlikely such a question would be on the real MCAT.



I would recommend sticking with AAMC practice questions for verbal.



Remember, you can take your time on verbal passages. Read them thoroughly. The questions go by much quicker if you know the passages well.

Next, I logged every wrong question I got. I copied and pasted the question on word and analyzed them. For example, what did the question really mean when it said "evidence." Most of the time, it turns out, "evidence" refers to something specific mentioned directly in the passage rather than anything implied. Like this, I started noticing patterns after a few tests, and they were corrected. The only questions I got wrong after that were just those ones that come up rarely that you cant really prepare for. If you use this strategy in EK101 books and then move over to AAMC tests, you will probably get confused by conflicting results because the tests are not that similar.

Wish you all much luck!

 

[JFK90787]

Really verbal section is just a scavenger hunt, 80% of stuff can be found explicitly in the passages. You just need to be a fast reader and hope you can find the passage evidence fast enough. Verbal is lame

 

[LetsGo352]

Has anyone found the last couple passages on each exam to be toughest?

For example, on exam 4, I missed only one total in the middle 3 passages. Then on the last two, I missed half the questions.

 

[WorldChanger36]

EK verb 1 - 7

EK verb 2 -8

EK verb 3 - 10
EK VERB4 -10
EK verb 5 - 10
Ek verb 6 - 11

I am seeing slow but consistent improvements on verbal but when it comes to AAMC practice tests or GS practice tests and I hit an art passage I just bomb it. I will have a pattern of -1 on each passage but the Art passages which are often -5. I have noted that these passages tend to be first. Any body have any advice on how to handle this issue? It sucks to be doing so well just to have one single art passage kill me.🙁

 

[millee3]

EK 1: 6
EK 2: 5
EK 3: 9
EK 4: 9

First two were before my Kaplan course, and so 3 and 4 i've used passage mapping...I think it's helpful as long as you can read fast enough to get through all the passages in time.

 

[WorldChanger36]

I am going to try and change up my tactics with the 3 next tests . I am going to try and do Humanities/Art passages last and when I get to them I will read the questions first and then read the passage. I just hope this doesn't slow me down. I will post results. If I see a score improvement I will try reading the questions first on every passage and still do Humanities/art passages last.

Anybody have results they like by reading the questions first?

 

[bigballer27]

I am going to try and change up my tactics with the 3 next tests . I am going to try and do Humanities/Art passages last and when I get to them I will read the questions first and then read the passage. I just hope this doesn't slow me down. I will post results. If I see a score improvement I will try reading the questions first on every passage and still do Humanities/art passages last.

Anybody have results they like by reading the questions first?

under UNtimed situations, yes. lol additional 30 seconds-1 min+ refocusing on the passage=not worth it....but definitely good to try it out maybe its more worth it for you and it actually works in your favor

let us know how ti goes

 

[Vanguard23]

oi! Crapped out on EK 14 today with like a 6! It wasn't particularly hard, I just lost focus twice on two passages. The first one, about some ropes/cables, the Fedex guy knocked at my door(it was my TBR Bio books) and I came back and just lost my focus. I barely had but 1-2 minutes to go back and check the questions I was iffy on.

Shame really, because I made a nice 10 on the AAMC 3 practice test a couple days ago.
Oh well, focus, focus, focus.

 

[rmadell]

Hey I bought the verbal book about a year ago, so I have the older version. Does anyone have any tips on making those tests into ones more like the real thing now? Also, could someone post the new score conversion chart? Thanks so much

 

[Kouger86]

EK Verbal 1 ... (6)
EK Verbal 2 ... (7)
EK Verbal 3 ... (7)
EK Verbal 4 ... (9) 🙂
EK Verbal 5 ... (7) 😡 man, this one was freaking hard. Very disappointing.

I'm beginning to really worry 🙁 about verbal.

 

[Vanguard23]

Hey I bought the verbal book about a year ago, so I have the older version. Does anyone have any tips on making those tests into ones more like the real thing now? Also, could someone post the new score conversion chart? Thanks so much

I did something to the effect of taking a single test, laying out all the questions in a grid(what like 60 questions?) and selecting 5-6 questions out of every passage presented at random. Do this for 7 passages; 2 having 5 and 5 having 6. This adds up to 40 questions total for a test. Then drop the time down to an hour and you have yourself a CBT version.

 

[RuSkaya]

I started out okay.. and it's kinda been downhill from there.

EK 1 - 10
2 - 10
3 - 8
4 - 11
5 - 8
6 - 9
7 - 8
8 - 8
🙁

There are a good number of questions in Test 8 that I just don't understand.. but I'll take all the practice I can get

 

[Vanguard23]

Made a 10 today on the 7th Verbal Test. I do however agree with what was said earlier that most of the time, the explanations are BS.

 

[JoBe1]

Hey guys,

I thought I would share my view and others on Examkrackers and how it isn't the best study material. There were a few threads on here recently that advise against it. I'm doing the same because you're all better off if you want the most significant increase in your verbal score. I'm currently taking TPR classroom course and their questions mimic real MCAT far better than Examcrackers even though many of their passages are far more difficult. However, Examkrackers passages are easier than the real MCAT so you're better off practicing with harder less interesting passages. My verbal professor is one of the best in the business constantly scoring 15s and a few 14s on actual AAMC tests. Yes, he often takes the ones currently offered now. He has written the author of EK a few times regarding many of the insane and ambiguous questions because he says they do not accurately represent the real MCAT. In fact, TPR and I think Kaplan as well have good mapping strategies but most important provide methods about process of elimination. There are many types of attractors the MCAT tries to use to trick us that are wrong answer choices, and with these methods and knowing the different types of questions, you can learn to avoid the common traps of the MCAT verbal. It's crucial that you learn to identify these because many of the questions have no absolute correct answer but simply one that appears the most correct. My teacher has been teaching for years. He used to teach the LSAT and GRE verbal, scoring perfect scores on those as well but when they wanted him to start teaching MCAT verbal he agreed and took one of the AAMC tests and got an 11. For him that was horrible and then he started discovering the common tricks and traps of the MCAT verbal and then started getting 14s and 15s. This section really does have a lot to do with strategy, and with the many ambiguous questions the EK has and often going beyond the passage, it isn't a good portrayal of the real MCAT at all. I took a test from the book myself recently and just laughed at quite of few of the questions but mostly the answer choices. Also, they don't portray the true breakdown of the composition of each question type. Many students he had in the past who used methods by TPR scored 12s and 13s on the real deal. Many started with 6s and 7s on the diagnostic TPR tests and most increased above 10s on the practice AAMC tests which were saved towards the end of the course. My friends who took TPR also scored 11s and higher in the verbal reasoning section. I think EK can be okay practice but I think more than anything these tests will just piss you off, especially the ones towards the end. I want you all to do well and I don't want you to take these tests that seriously.

 

[GiladJaffe]

How accurate are the examkracker verbal exams. Im doing 7 pssgs in 60 minutes with 46 questions and taking 3 off my entire score and making it out of 40

 

[Techmed07]

Well I thought I talk about some of my progress. I will do ten tommorow.


EK 9- 10

 

[BigBoosting]

Well unless you want to start 20 points in the hole, you better use the updated scale. 😛

http://www.examkrackers.com/announcement.php

I guess the updated scale isn't up anymore and the EK site is useless. Does anyone have the scale out of 40 they can post please?

Thanks

 

[Kouger86]

EK Verbal 1 ... (6)
EK Verbal 2 ... (7)
EK Verbal 3 ... (7)
EK Verbal 4 ... (9)
EK Verbal 5 ... (7)
EK Verbal 6 ... (7)
EK Verbal 7 ... (7)

 

[Ultimeaciax]

So, I just started taking my first EK Verbal test today... and I got an 8 with a little over time. Hopefully, this will increase over time. However, seeing the posts of this site kinda scare me.

 

[Ultimeaciax]

i guess the updated scale isn't up anymore and the ek site is useless. Does anyone have the scale out of 40 they can post please?

Thanks

40 15
39 14
37-38 13
35-36 12
33-35 11
30-32 10
28-29 9
25-27 8
23-24 7
20-23 6
18-19 5
16-17 4
14-15 3

 

[GiladJaffe]

1) 7
2)7
3)8

 

[DoctaFuture]

Hey guys,

I thought I would share my view and others on Examkrackers and how it isn't the best study material. There were a few threads on here recently that advise against it. I'm doing the same because you're all better off if you want the most significant increase in your verbal score. I'm currently taking TPR classroom course and their questions mimic real MCAT far better than Examcrackers even though many of their passages are far more difficult. However, Examkrackers passages are easier than the real MCAT so you're better off practicing with harder less interesting passages. My verbal professor is one of the best in the business constantly scoring 15s and a few 14s on actual AAMC tests. Yes, he often takes the ones currently offered now. He has written the author of EK a few times regarding many of the insane and ambiguous questions because he says they do not accurately represent the real MCAT. In fact, TPR and I think Kaplan as well have good mapping strategies but most important provide methods about process of elimination. There are many types of attractors the MCAT tries to use to trick us that are wrong answer choices, and with these methods and knowing the different types of questions, you can learn to avoid the common traps of the MCAT verbal. It's crucial that you learn to identify these because many of the questions have no absolute correct answer but simply one that appears the most correct. My teacher has been teaching for years. He used to teach the LSAT and GRE verbal, scoring perfect scores on those as well but when they wanted him to start teaching MCAT verbal he agreed and took one of the AAMC tests and got an 11. For him that was horrible and then he started discovering the common tricks and traps of the MCAT verbal and then started getting 14s and 15s. This section really does have a lot to do with strategy, and with the many ambiguous questions the EK has and often going beyond the passage, it isn't a good portrayal of the real MCAT at all. I took a test from the book myself recently and just laughed at quite of few of the questions but mostly the answer choices. Also, they don't portray the true breakdown of the composition of each question type. Many students he had in the past who used methods by TPR scored 12s and 13s on the real deal. Many started with 6s and 7s on the diagnostic TPR tests and most increased above 10s on the practice AAMC tests which were saved towards the end of the course. My friends who took TPR also scored 11s and higher in the verbal reasoning section. I think EK can be okay practice but I think more than anything these tests will just piss you off, especially the ones towards the end. I want you all to do well and I don't want you to take these tests that seriously.

JoBe what are these strategies/detractors? can you tell me where to look in the TPR course books? Thanks. hopefully i can learn them soon.

 

[sunkissd]

I took a class that my school teaches based off the examcracker books. I came away from it with two extremely good pieces of advice that landed me in the 95th percentile of verbal scores when I took the exam:

1. always take time to recognize the main idea before you start answering questions. most , but not all, really are based on it.

2. practice, practice, practice, and do it consistently (don't cram before the MCAT). unlike the PS and BS sections, this is one that has to come to you intuitively. you'll probably score poorly (I did) for a while and then one day -- *poof* -- you'll understand how the verbal questions are formulated and what answers are preferred by the test writers. once every kid in my class got to this point (it took longer for some than others, but we all got there eventually) we scored 12+ in practice and on the exam. I highly recommend the 101 passages for extra practice.

 

[TFS]

so far...

1: 9
2: 10
3: 11
4: 10


test in 3 weeks! i feel like the closer the test gets, the more my confidence shrivels up.

 

[ap594]

1 - 7
2 - 9
3 - 10
4 - 11 (took this morning - so stoked about it! was 1 pt away from a 12)
5 - 10

I don't know how people can say the EK verbal is easier than TPRH. I took practice test 1 out of the verbal workbook and it was a joke. I got a 10 (32/40) and I only got 2/7 correct on the 2nd passage because it seriously seemed like the author wrote it on drugs. I say, do as much as you can and get experience doing passages from multiple sources (as legitimate SDN sources will tell you). Otherwise, EK has been working hella-well for me.

 

[kech611]

passage 3 in verbal test 3 about urinating on fire gave me a laugh

 

[DoctreDrey]

1. 7
2. 8
3. 9
4. 11
5. 7
6. 9
7. 10
8. 10
9. 10
10. 7

Only 2 weeks left till mcat day--why are my scores so inconsistent????

 

[Snowbeavers]

1. 7
2. 8
3. 9
4. 11
5. 7
6. 9
7. 10
8. 10
9. 10
10. 7

Only 2 weeks left till mcat day--why are my scores so inconsistent????

I don't know but I'm struggling with that as well. Got a 9 on VR9 and a 6 on VR 10.

Maybe I should just give up. 10 tests in and I can't get over a 10 on any test with my average hovering around 7-8.

 

[Kouger86]

I don't know but I'm struggling with that as well. Got a 9 on VR9 and a 6 on VR 10.

Maybe I should just give up. 10 tests in and I can't get over a 10 on any test with my average hovering around 7-8.

Same here, I've taken 7, averaging 7s. It's really disappointing. It is what it is.

 

[IH8ColdWeath3r]

Im signed up for the TPR Hyperlearning course in the summer and before that starts, i've bought the EK verbal book and the 101 passages to boost my score before the class. I find that the EK strategy works! I recommend that you first read the strategy, and after reviewing the strategy provided by EK do 2 passages per day. After you do the passages, review them the next day. Read the passage thoroughly during review, and develop a MAIN IDEA that is 2-3 sentences. this has worked for me, as my scores started with 4-5 on practice tests and now im getting 8's & 9's

 

[DoctreDrey]

40 15
39 14
37-38 13
35-36 12
33-35 11
30-32 10
28-29 9
25-27 8
23-24 7
20-23 6
18-19 5
16-17 4
14-15 3

what is this "updated" scale?? this one ups some of my scores!!

 

[UMICHPremed]

Exam 1.........10
Exam 2......... 9
Exam 3.........11

How realistic are the examkracker passages in terms of difficulty in comparison to the actual MCAT?

 

[DoctreDrey]

Exam 1.........10
Exam 2......... 9
Exam 3.........11

How realistic are the examkracker passages in terms of difficulty in comparison to the actual MCAT?

I think the consensus has been that the aamc passages are harder to read + less interesting but the questions are a little more straightforward.

 

[xanman]

I just took the first EK Verbal and was scared with my score of 6 until I saw this thread. Is it just that hard or do I just suck that bad? 😕

 

[azrk]

Im using the old version I guess and I thought the first one was pretty brutal. I was trying some different strategies and they did not work out too well.

First one - 8

Im doing the second one now, Im still timing but timing two passages at a time to work on my speed and time management.

 

[libraryismyhome]

1: 4
2: 5
3: 6
4: 7
5: 7
6: 8
7: 8
8: 8
9: 9
10:8
11:9
12:10

 

[azrk]

1: 4
2: 5
3: 6
4: 7
5: 7
6: 8
7: 8
8: 8
9: 9
10:8
11:9
12:10

Thats a really impressive improvement! 👍

 

[TFS]

I think the consensus has been that the aamc passages are harder to read + less interesting but the questions are a little more straightforward.

yes. longer too.

 

[Ceasar]

I've taken 8 averaging a 10, but for some reason, I cannot crack an 11! I have gotten 32 correct. Once I changed an answer so I did have an 11 but ended up with 32 correct. Ahhh! I want to get over that hump! Come on Test #9!!!