For anyone on SDN that wants insight on the MCAT grind

[RiPSTONE]

Hi all,

I've just finished my first official FL (AAMC 3) besides my diagnostic test (AAMC) from January. I got a 23 on the diagnostic and hit a 33, which is nice for me on AAMC 3. I hope I can get at least that on the real thing on August 15. It seems like SN2ed's schedule paid off, and I'll keep updating this thread with future practice test scores. After my test date I'll also update this post with everything I did, my thoughts throughout the grind, what I would've done differently, and answer anything that you guys ask of me because I want to give back to SDN what its members gave me in the form of question help and general guidance.

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[thatfeelwhen79]

pls delete post

 

[csx]

These two on PS(well the last passage was especially convoluted, and I got all of question right, I don't know how that happened). Plus more calculations than AAMC 7 and AAMC 8.

When people say calc heavy...in your opinion, of the total # of questions...how many Q's would you consider a calc heavy test? Other opinions are welcome (obviously there will be a great discrepancy)

 

[IslandStyle808]

When people say calc heavy...in your opinion, of the total # of questions...how many Q's would you consider a calc heavy test? Other opinions are welcome (obviously there will be a great discrepancy)

When the test hits around 15+ questions, this when I consider it calculation heavy. This is excluding questions that were only equation manipulations.

 

[RiPSTONE]

Just took AAMC 7....29...(11/6/12)

Verbal is going to be my death. The test date is so close, and yet I'm still struggling on verbal and have been practicing.

 

[csx]

Just took AAMC 7....29...(11/6/12)

Verbal is going to be my death. The test date is so close, and yet I'm still struggling on verbal and have been practicing.

idk if this will help but TBRsadist posted this in another thread . He apparently scores 13-15 in VR.:

My strategy that im crossposting from another thread, the average person who tries it has a 2-4 pt jump instantly. My average aamc verbal score is a 14 and I have gotten 15s on the last two Ive taken
The following is my MCAT Verbal Reasoning strategy that got me from a 7 average to scoring 13-15 average..

Spend the bulk of your time reading. Up to 3 minutes per passage.

• Read the first and last paragraph thoroughly to begin with. Understand what the authors main point will be because 90% of questions require nothing more than a general idea.
• After this, read the entire passage slowly enough where you dont feel like you need to reread sentences for understanding.

Next is just answer questions, there is a few tricks here that work about 90% of the time

• Unless the passage is asking you about a specific detail, dont look back. READ EVERY ANSWER THOROUGLY AND THEN Answer what makes sense from the general point of the passage. Its very easy to prove a wrong answer to be somewhat correct if you dig hard enough, dont. Answer what your gut says and move onto the next question, dont contemplate to much. With that being said...
• Answer like you were dropped on the head as a child. Alot of times if Im arguing between two answers, there is the answer that is 100% correct, and one that is 90% correct. Be an idoit and choose the one that seems like it is correct. However.....
• "Always" is a word to avoid. If an answer uses this word, or definites like it, it is something to avoid. I would say 80% of the time the wishy washy answer is more correct then the highly affirmative one. This leads to my final point....
• 100% of the time you are not actually looking for the "right" answer in verbal, this isnt PS or BS where 1+1 almost always equals 2 (unless we are talking about the different sedimentation values for Ribosomes). In verbal you are looking for the answer that isnt wrong. Often times an answer will seem very "right" but one aspect of it is clearly wrong, as compared to an answer that isnt wrong, but doesnt seem as right as that answer, these are meant to fool you. Choose the answer that isnt wrong.

I understand that I few of these tips may be at odds with each other. Ultimately you must adjust slightly for each passage, but it comes down to one thing. Read thoroughly. Read every sentence in the passage. Read every question. Read every answer. Then the correct answer will be fairly obvious. This may seem like it takes longer, but it takes much less time than skimming, and then trying to find the correct information later.

Or to summarize in one sentence

Understand what the hell the author is arguing

EDIT:
This thread had some good tips too. Less generalized that is:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ntly-score-10-in-verbal.982585/#post-15521433

 

[RiPSTONE]

Thank you. I'll try this strategy out.

 

[RiPSTONE]

Took AAMC 9 and got a 28 (10/7/11). Verbal didn't feel too bad.. I missed 15, but 8 of them were from 2 passages that I thought were hard.
It seems like it simply comes down to whether or not I understand the passages. I'm definitely going to try ranking the passages and save the two that I feel are the most difficult for last. I have hope.

 

[csx]

Took AAMC 9 and got a 28 (10/7/11). Verbal didn't feel too bad.. I missed 15, but 8 of them were from 2 passages that I thought were hard.
It seems like it simply comes down to whether or not I understand the passages. I'm definitely going to try ranking the passages and save the two that I feel are the most difficult for last. I have hope.

Got any tips/things you learned on how to tackle each of the sections?

 

[RiPSTONE]

It's gotten to the point where it's just POE and use of background knowledge for the sciences. As for verbal, I'm doing the same thing pretty much except spending a little more time understanding the passage. I'm currently working out of the EK 101's in hopes that it can help my verbal score in the next couple of days.

 

[csx]

It's gotten to the point where it's just POE and use of background knowledge for the sciences. As for verbal, I'm doing the same thing pretty much except spending a little more time understanding the passage. I'm currently working out of the EK 101's in hopes that it can help my verbal score in the next couple of days.

How're you doing on EK 101? I ususally average ~10. Do you feel EK101 is like AAMC? I hear TPRH is better. I did a few TPRH passages and got rekt lol

 

[RiPSTONE]

I took FL 4 and 5 today. I missed 16 and 17 on them respectively. I think I'm at about a 9. I've finished all of the TPRH, which is why I'm working through EKs. I'll also be taking AAMC 9 tomorrow, and I hope that I'll be hitting a 8+ on verbal. My test is in 9 days!

 

[MrTaco92]

I'm also worrying about verbal man. Just took aamc 3 yesterday and got a 7 in VR. Have you been doing the last 1/3 passages as well?

 

[RiPSTONE]

Are you talking about TBR? I didn't do the last 1/3. I worked out of the TPR Science WB instead.

 

[RiPSTONE]

AYYYYYYY 30 on AAMC 9 with (11/11/8) .... I'm going to keep making verbal my bitch.

 

[Make Or Break]

AYYYYYYY 30 on AAMC 9 with (11/11/8) .... I'm going to keep making verbal my bitch.

Awesome job! I'm rooting for you. I was scoring around 7-9's on verbal. The first time I took the mcat, I got an 8. I just did a ton ton ton of verbal passages from TPR HL verbal before my exam and I came out with a 10 on my retake. All hope is not lost! Just keep up the great work. You're almost there.

 

[RiPSTONE]

Took AAMC 10 today .... 31 (12/8/11)

I'm psyched by the increase in my scores now despite how marginal it is. I feel so dumb for a lot of the verbal mistakes I made today, and I attribute it to doing something different today.
I will do exactly the same thing I did to achieve the 11 on AAMC 9 on AAMC 11 this Sunday.

 

[ayocaptain628]

gl! i like how u made a blog thread of ur efforts so far

 

[Janus_Kinase]

Way to improve that verbal man! Keep up the good work

 

[Aresus]

Took AAMC 10 today .... 31 (12/8/11)

I'm psyched by the increase in my scores now despite how marginal it is. I feel so dumb for a lot of the verbal mistakes I made today, and I attribute it to doing something different today.
I will do exactly the same thing I did to achieve the 11 on AAMC 9 on AAMC 11 this Sunday.

what did you do to achieve the 11 on AAMC 9 VR?