Expected Progression

[LabDoc33]

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Hey friends,

So I just took my first practice MCAT today, I am not even relatively close to being done content review as I am taking physics 2 and orgo 2 this semester, as well as being done about 1 month out of 4 months into a TPR course.

So I got a 22 today (8/7/7), which I'm pretty content with as a starting point. I'm gunning for anything north of 28, since I wish to apply to DO schools.

My test date is January 23rd, I work full time so its very hard to study anything > 3 hours a day right now, however come December my school semester ends, and I have it worked out with my employer that I will only be working part time, so I can focus on nothing but the MCAT for the last 5 weeks of prep.

My question is, for those experienced MCAT'ers, how can I be expected to progress?/ how rapidly have you progressed? I have access to all AAMC practice tests and all TPR practice tests.

 

[neekzg]

I would wait to take all of your practice tests until those last 5 weeks, or at least until you're done with content review. You'll be able to gauge your progression more accurately only after you've finished those last pre-reqs and all of your content review. Was the test that you took from TPR or AAMC? Your science scores will likely go up naturally as you re-familiarize yourself with all the material/learn the rest of the material and get used to the testing format. Your verbal seems to need some work; I'm not sure how great the TPR Verbal course you're taking is (some of my friends that have taken the Westwood/LA TPR course hated their verbal instructors) so make sure to practice with any resources you can get your hands on.

 

[LabDoc33]

My practice test was AAMC 10. I now have 18 practice tests at my disposal (8 AAMC? and the rest TPR) , I plan on taking one every 2 weeks just to build my endurance and keep reassessing with a grain of salt. I plan on saving the AAMC's until those 5 weeks.

I know I fell apart on verbal at the end of it, the last two passages I missed 7 questions total, so that's an issue with endurance I would like to believe.

I don't love my verbal instructor, I think I will benefit much more from practice, which I truly have done none of yet. I have the TPR VWB and EK 101 verbal to work with.

I am TOTALLY lacking in content knowledge, the questions that require analysis of an experiment I find I do relatively well, its the background knowledge I'm weak on.

 

[ciestar]

My one major criticism of the TPR course.
They want you to burn a majorly important AAMC at the very beginning, which you shouldn't.

 

[LabDoc33]

I absolutely agree @ciestar I refuse to use any other AAMC's besides 3 (which isn't totally indicative of the most recent test form) between now and December when its grind time. I plan on using TPR tests, I'm also thinking about getting Gold Standard tests but I honestly don't know if I will have enough time to do all these FL's.

I honestly thought AAMC was easier relatively compared to TPR passages online, but this certain test may have just played to my strengths of what I definitely know thus far.