funny VR score drop

[vikuandot]

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so hey guys, my first post.

I dropped from a 7 in VR from sept 6, 2012 date
to a 3 in VR on Sept 12, 2013.

First time I went in to write mcat, I only did EK 101 book without much knowing about the type of questions being asked like new info or support/weaken kinds and somehow scored 7 as a ESL VR mcat taker. What I did was just read the passage and answer the questions, come back to read paragraphs if required. I scored a 7 when I really thought I screwed up the section.

2nd time, Went through whole EK verbal strategy book and TPR verbal book, took notes and tried to see what others know before doing passages for VR.
Did about 300 passages from EK101 (used before), TPR, Kaplan FLs R ones, and lastly AAMC. Was hoping to score 9-10 but got a stupid 3.
my scores came out like 9-3-9 on this 2nd attempt.

I did change my strategy for the 2nd time I wrote mcat, went in read Q-stems before reading passage before jumping into dense passage so that I can see what is going on before I lost my self into useless details which are never asked in Q/As.


My science sections are in 9 and 10 range because I have been out of my pre-reqs classes since 4-5 years. e.g. my G-Chem 1 was 2008 fall. I have no genetics or physiology, But I did take cell and molecular biology back in 2009 summer. First year biology at my school is like some cell biology in part 1 and ecology and evolution in part 2 so it is not that helpful for mcat since I pretty much learned all the physio from TPR books and got myself a 9 from bare minimum compared to all bio majors who write the same exam as me. Orgo was 2009 fall and winter for me.
It is just verbal which is disabling me from scoring in high 20s or 30s.
What should I do now?

P.S English is my second language but I scored an R on writing, I dont know if it has anything to do with VR but it is a non-science section of mcat.

 

[daleader]

so hey guys, my first post.

I dropped from a 7 in VR from sept 6, 2012 date
to a 3 in VR on Sept 12, 2013.

First time I went in to write mcat, I only did EK 101 book without much knowing about the type of questions being asked like new info or support/weaken kinds and somehow scored 7 as a ESL VR mcat taker. What I did was just read the passage and answer the questions, come back to read paragraphs if required. I scored a 7 when I really thought I screwed up the section.

2nd time, Went through whole EK verbal strategy book and TPR verbal book, took notes and tried to see what others know before doing passages for VR.
Did about 300 passages from EK101 (used before), TPR, Kaplan FLs R ones, and lastly AAMC. Was hoping to score 9-10 but got a stupid 3.
my scores came out like 9-3-9 on this 2nd attempt.

I did change my stragegy for the 2nd time I wrote mcat, went in read Q-stems before reading passage before jumping into dense passage so that I can see what is going on before I lost my self into useless details which are never asked in Q/As.

My science sections are in 9 and 10 range because I have been out of my pre-reqs classes since 4-5 years. e.g. my G-Chem 1 was 2008 fall. I have no genetics or physiology, But I did take cell and molecular biology back in 2009 summer. First year biology at my school is like some cell biology in part 1 and ecology and evolution in part 2 so it is not that helpful for mcat since I pretty much learned all the physio from TPR books and got myself a 9 from bare minimum compared to all bio majors who write the same exam as me. Orgo was 2009 fall and winter for me.
It is just verbal which is disabling me from scoring in high 20s or 30s.
What should I do now?

P.S English is my second language but I scored an R on writing, I dont know if it has anything to do with VR but it is a non-science section of mcat.

Just a question, when doing the AAMcs, what was your average VR score on those? did you practice AAMC full lengths under timed condition? What was your prediction?

You would definitely have to retake, obviously you will do much better than a 3, I'm just trying to see how you did with AAMC materials

 

[vikuandot]

I was around 8-9, sometimes 10. yup fully timed, one sitting and went through the solutions same day.
but I did do better than a 3 in last sept.

I find myself pretty strong on most question types but new information are the ones that I get wrong most of the time.

 

[daleader]

I was around 8-9, sometimes 10. yup fully timed, one sitting and went through the solutions same day.
but I did do better than a 3 in last sept.

I find myself pretty strong on most question types but new information are the ones that I get wrong most of the time.

so clearly something went wrong in that one single case that you ended up with a 3.. there should not be anything wrong with your 'new' strategy or anything, it was just a 'bad luck'? Re-write january and keep practicing

 

[daleader]

by the way, I'm not strong in verbal either so I should be giving anyone any advice

 

[vikuandot]

I guess practice does help improve, like I got myself 9 in BS after by just taking notes from TPR BS book and doing their passages in SW just bio not orgo when I was out of my bio 1 and 2 classes for 4-5 years. But I dont think same applies to verbal.
For VR, not alot of ESL writers (I have read a 11 pages topic on some other premed forum discussing how ESL test takers have hard trouble with VR, even those ones who finish their 4 years HS and 4 years university) see a double digit in their multiple attempts of mcat. I can't sit around and take tests so many times to just improve my verbal score.

A score of 7 in VR at first attempt doesnt cut at Queens or UWO medical school in Canada because they have hard cut-offs at 10 and 11 respectively. I'm not saying I have trouble in communicating in english but those arts and history passages are end of world for me.

I spent 90% of my time doing VR doing countless passages and 10% to go over my PS and BS notes and still maintain a slightly above avg. score on them but saw a 4 points drop in VR that means something is wrong. May be the test is designed against ESL writers.

so is it worth re-writing the mcat or no?

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Maybe you input some of your answers wrong in the CBT?

 

[vikuandot]

Maybe you input some of your answers wrong in the CBT?

may be I did, plus I have dry eyes and the test is cbt which required me to pour eyes drops in between sections and keep a tissue on my table while writing the test.
on avg. it is a month of studying to keep same science scores while focusing on VR, I dont think it is wise to waste a month just to improve a subsection of this test when I applying to Saba and MUA as a Canadian applicant.