Experimental passages??

[bobby_chamo]

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Are there really experimental passages on the MCAT that don't count against you? Perhaps one of those organic passages ........ . . . .. . . . . . . .

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Are there really experimental passages on the MCAT that don't count against you? Perhaps one of those organic passages ........ . . . .. . . . . . . .

Yes. I think most standardized tests put these in to determine which questions are good and which are bad.

 

[derf]

do you mean experimental questions within "different" passages or 1 "single" passage that is experimental?

 

[Andrew_Doan]

do you mean experimental questions within "different" passages or 1 "single" passage that is experimental?

The specifics I do not know, but they would have to have experimental passages too in order to test the validity of the passage.

 

[Cerberus]

I dont understand though. The MCAT does not recycle passages right? So what use would an experimental passage be since it could never be used again?

 

[Andrew_Doan]

I dont understand though. The MCAT does not recycle passages right? So what use would an experimental passage be since it could never be used again?

They have to validate if it's an appropriate question. For instance, if a passage doesn't produce a nice distribution of responses, then it may not be used.

Are you sure they don't recycle passages? When I took the exam, there were many questions that were similar to other questions I studied from.

 

[An Yong]

How does the MCAT get test questions?

A large pool of content experts writes the items. New items are included in each administration of the MCAT as "field test" questions. Field test questions are not scored, but they are assessed for their performance and, if they are approved, are used on a future MCAT.


Taken from MCAT FAQ:
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/about/faqs.htm#questions

 

[fun8stuff]

They have to validate if it's an appropriate question. For instance, if a passage doesn't produce a nice distribution of responses, then it may not be used.

Are you sure they don't recycle passages? When I took the exam, there were many questions that were similar to other questions I studied from.

On one of my past threads I posted a link to AAMC's website that state's that they do in fact do what Andrew Doan is saying. I will see if I can find it...

edit: looks like An Young beat me to the punch...