Experimental

[MCATBUSTER]

Hi
I know that if you missed 5 questions on PS for example and 3 of those questions were experimental then you basically missed two questions. But what if you got the experimental questions right, would they offset any real questions you got wrong? Just wondering
Btw I have been following this forum for so long but never got the time to join. Now I did!!!

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[Altair89]

Hi
I know that if you missed 5 questions on PS for example and 3 of those questions were experimental then you basically missed two questions. But what if you got the experimental questions right, would they offset any real questions you got wrong? Just wondering
Btw I have been following this forum for so long but never got the time to join. Now I did!!!

I'd like to know the answer to this question too

 

[PingPongPro]

Those questions are simply not counted. Any correct/incorrect answers for those questions are disregarded, so you actual raw score is out of 52 - (# of experimental Qs).

 

[Altair89]

Those questions are simply not counted. Any correct/incorrect answers for those questions are disregarded, so you actual raw score is out of 52 - (# of experimental Qs).

In other words, are you saying that the time and effort you put into experimental questions is completely wasted.

 

[MCATBUSTER]

Those questions are simply not counted. Any correct/incorrect answers for those questions are disregarded, so you actual raw score is out of 52 - (# of experimental Qs).

So those experimental questions are a lose/lose situation. I mean its nice that if you get them wrong they won't affect your score, but you wasted time trying to answer them. I sure hope there is less than 3 experimental questions per section. Otherwise, its too much work for nothing.

 

[PingPongPro]

Its not really "for nothing" because this is how they get data on the difficulty of a question so they can more accurately assess the curve. The fact that they put in experimental questions is a good thing for test takers in the long run.

The "time and effort" that you "waste" is not going to really have any impact. Every test taker will encounter the same number of experimental questions, so there is no advantage or disadvantage. Yeah true you might be unlucky and have an experimental that uses up more of your time than someone else, but the chances of you getting that "hard experimental" question is the same for everyone. There is also the reverse scenario where your experimental question can be extremely easy. In the end there is no impact since everyone takes the test under the same conditions.

I don't understand the negative attitude towards experimental questions. They are a good thing for test-takers. Without experimental questions, it would be pretty much impossible for the test makers to set a scale for each test. Since each scale is based off the difficulty of each test. Also, if they didn't have experimental questions and instead used a curve based on how you compared to others who took the same test as you, this would make certain test dates better/worse than others.

 

[paul411]

Its not really "for nothing" because this is how they get data on the difficulty of a question so they can more accurately assess the curve. The fact that they put in experimental questions is a good thing for test takers in the long run.

The "time and effort" that you "waste" is not going to really have any impact. Every test taker will encounter the same number of experimental questions, so there is no advantage or disadvantage. Yeah true you might be unlucky and have an experimental that uses up more of your time than someone else, but the chances of you getting that "hard experimental" question is the same for everyone. There is also the reverse scenario where your experimental question can be extremely easy. In the end there is no impact since everyone takes the test under the same conditions.

I don't understand the negative attitude towards experimental questions. They are a good thing for test-takers. Without experimental questions, it would be pretty much impossible for the test makers to set a scale for each test. Since each scale is based off the difficulty of each test. Also, if they didn't have experimental questions and instead used a curve based on how you compared to others who took the same test as you, this would make certain test dates better/worse than others.