General Questions (PCAT/Dr. Collins SSG)

[dhk70]

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Hello. I'm currently a freshman in college and I'm thinking about taking the PCAT in January of 2016.
By the end of my freshman year, I will have completed:

• General Chemistry I/II
• General Biology I/II
• Calculus I

I will be taking Organic Chemistry I during the fall semester of my sophomore year but Systems Physiology (A&P, I assume) will not be taken until after the PCAT. After going through several threads, I've decided on a general study plan consisting of:

• Pearson Practice Tests (M/C, Writing, Study Guide)
• Dr. Collins Self-Study Guide
• YouTube videos (BozenmanScience for A&P/KhanAcademy for Calculus)

I am planning to study during the summer (paired with either volunteer work or an internship at CVS), learn Orgo I in the fall, and then review during winter break.

QUESTIONS:
1) Does A&P take up a huge chunk of the Bio section? Will I be fine with learning through YT videos?
2) Are the Chem/Bio passages always experimental? I can just choose any answer?
3) I don't really understand how the Dr. Collins Self-Study Guide works. Someone mentioned there are updates for the version you have after each PCAT. If the study guide is not digital (?), how does that work out? I would be buying it during the beginning of summer to study with.
4) Does the Dr. Collins Self-Study Guide contain introductory information about the PCAT such as the # of questions, amount of time for each section, etc. just like an SAT/ACT prep book would? Or do you have to read all of the 150 page Pearson Study Guide that comes with the 3 tests (preconception that it is not exactly study material and you gloss over it)?
5) I don't plan on using Kaplan Bio although I noticed many people recommended it because they said Dr. Collins was only good for Chem. That should be okay?
6) There were changes to the PCAT recently. They took off the experimental Writing and reduced the time for VA, I think. Is it 48 minutes for 6 passages (around 6 paragraphs each)? People have said you can't prepare for this other than looking at passages from the MCAT. And then there are experimental ones?
7) How are calculations for Chem/Calc? Calc classes at my college don't use calculators so I found Calc to be MUCH easier compared to AP Calc in HS. I feel like I did so much more in AP Calc than college Calc and went more in depth but maybe that was because we could use calculators. So, is it safe to assume that calculations are quite easy? Since HS, I've become way too dependent on a calculator imo.
8) I might study Dr. Collins first rather than look at one of the Pearson tests. Would you advise against that? Some have said it helps to do one first because you get an idea of where to start. Maybe I could look at a few questions. Also, could you tell me in what order you studied the sections? I know it'll be different from person to person depending on strengths/weaknesses but I'll be studying with the idea that I'm a blank slate because I'm the type to forget information after I study it for an exam. I'm trying not to be like that nowadays.


I'm so sorry about the wall of text here. Thank you for reading and any response/advice would be super helpful. Again, thank you so much!

 

[Simon_Riley]

couldn't get through the wall of text, but I can tell you that I only used Collins and only got through about 70% of the material and it was enough to give me a 95+ in every section. It's straight up the best, if not an inside track...
1) Idk what A&P is, but I assume you mean anatomy and physiology. it's not a major player, anatomy is barely tested but physiology is more important
2) It should be experimental (and easy), idk what you mean by choosing any answer as it's multiple choice still so you choose the urg.. correct one. the answer is mostly found in the actual passage/experiment description. some deduction is needed based on a foundation of necessary knowledge.
3) it's like some reading material, lean and condensed, pretty much need to know everything that made it on there. lots of practice questions that you must do, those questions resemble the PCAT more than it should be allowed to....
4) It does but you can just read the official one.
5) Collins biology notes were notably thin (not sure if I got ripped off cuz I bought bootlegs). However, it wasn`t a problem for me because molecular biology was my major and I took physiology classes so I didn`t even need Collin`s condensed ones. However, for you, I'd recommend you grab some other biology book. Collins kinda assume you know first year biology or something (but hey I didn't take first year bio at all since I had AP so I dont even know what first year bio is), generally speaking you need more stuff. BUT the few pages of bio information that you DO get, no matter how mundane or miniscule, tends to creep onto the PCAT....
6) "The Verbal Ability subtest will be reduced in length and there will be no experimental Writing subtest. These reductions will allow additional time for the Biology, Chemistry, and Quantitative Ability subtests." this is from PCAT website.
To expand on this as there are misunderstandings it seems. On the PCAT, there is Verbal REAsoning and REading Comprehension. The latter resembles MCAT's verbal reasoning where you read a passage and answer deductive questions. The Verbal reasoning section is more of a vocabulary game of reasoning. Collins prepare you on the Verbal very well, even includes vocab list. as for reading comprehension, just read more and "read critically". compared to the MCAT, it's MUCH easier, i got 11/15 (~82%percentile?) on the MCAT for verbal and 99 on reading comprehension for PCAT (taken months apart).
7) Math is tough. there isn't much math in the chem section but for the the actual math in quantitative is quite difficult given the amount of time. it's only first year first semester calc, I don't remember seeing integrations or at least difficult ones. Problem is the sheer volume of Questions. you need to be very very fast and like not go to the bathroom ever.

8) like I said, Collins is skimpier on prep material in term of paper amterial. Idk if it's different if you actually get the whole class. However, I must say, the practice questions on Collins worth its weight in GOLD. Like the MCAT, the PCAT is a game of strategy and preparation, meaning practice is key. PM for more detail if you'd like

 

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[dhk70]

couldn't get through the wall of text, but I can tell you that I only used Collins and only got through about 70% of the material and it was enough to give me a 95+ in every section. It's straight up the best, if not an inside track...
1) Idk what A&P is, but I assume you mean anatomy and physiology. it's not a major player, anatomy is barely tested but physiology is more important
2) It should be experimental (and easy), idk what you mean by choosing any answer as it's multiple choice still so you choose the urg.. correct one. the answer is mostly found in the actual passage/experiment description. some deduction is needed based on a foundation of necessary knowledge.
3) it's like some reading material, lean and condensed, pretty much need to know everything that made it on there. lots of practice questions that you must do, those questions resemble the PCAT more than it should be allowed to....
4) It does but you can just read the official one.
5) Collins biology notes were notably thin (not sure if I got ripped off cuz I bought bootlegs). However, it wasn`t a problem for me because molecular biology was my major and I took physiology classes so I didn`t even need Collin`s condensed ones. However, for you, I'd recommend you grab some other biology book. Collins kinda assume you know first year biology or something (but hey I didn't take first year bio at all since I had AP so I dont even know what first year bio is), generally speaking you need more stuff. BUT the few pages of bio information that you DO get, no matter how mundane or miniscule, tends to creep onto the PCAT....
6) "The Verbal Ability subtest will be reduced in length and there will be no experimental Writing subtest. These reductions will allow additional time for the Biology, Chemistry, and Quantitative Ability subtests." this is from PCAT website.
To expand on this as there are misunderstandings it seems. On the PCAT, there is Verbal REAsoning and REading Comprehension. The latter resembles MCAT's verbal reasoning where you read a passage and answer deductive questions. The Verbal reasoning section is more of a vocabulary game of reasoning. Collins prepare you on the Verbal very well, even includes vocab list. as for reading comprehension, just read more and "read critically". compared to the MCAT, it's MUCH easier, i got 11/15 (~82%percentile?) on the MCAT for verbal and 99 on reading comprehension for PCAT (taken months apart).
7) Math is tough. there isn't much math in the chem section but for the the actual math in quantitative is quite difficult given the amount of time. it's only first year first semester calc, I don't remember seeing integrations or at least difficult ones. Problem is the sheer volume of Questions. you need to be very very fast and like not go to the bathroom ever.

8) like I said, Collins is skimpier on prep material in term of paper amterial. Idk if it's different if you actually get the whole class. However, I must say, the practice questions on Collins worth its weight in GOLD. Like the MCAT, the PCAT is a game of strategy and preparation, meaning practice is key. PM for more detail if you'd like

Thank you for your response, and congratulations on your score! That's amazing!

2) I figured, by experimental, it meant that those questions weren't graded (like the experimental sections on the SAT) and so you could choose a random answer.
3) Would you happen to know what the "updates to the SSG after each PCAT" that some have mentioned are and how they work?
5) Maybe not. I read a lot of comments that said Collins Bio wasn't enough. It seems like everyone who has taken the PCAT (and reported their experiences here) had a background in the sciences (BA or major) and that made the PCAT easier for him/her >_< I have my Campbell Biology book that my Gen Bio II class uses...
6) Oops. Yes, I was talking about Reading Comprehension for the second part. I shouldn't have bunched it all together in one question. It's crazy how they expect people to read 6 passages and answer 48 questions in 48 minutes. I would want some additional time for this. As for the Verbal, I'm glad it worked out for you! There have been two sides to the Collins SSG on this as some people have said it was too easy or different from the PCAT, and others have said it was enough.
7) Time management has never liked me 🙁

 

[Simon_Riley]

2) xperimental questions that arn't graded arn't labeled by a specific section. You have no idea (well you can guess) which ones are graded or not, if I remember correctly.

3) I have no idea that Collins did that. But it is updated frequently by the people who make it. I don't have the digital version of things since I just bought a set of photocopies fro the most recent SSG, which interestingly was more than enough

5) I reviewed the bio content a little more, I feel that you will be under-prepared from just freshman biology + Collins, can't really comment about those books. I don't remember Collins putting down a weight on things and I dont think PCAT officially release weighting. But, Kaplan says it's about 50% general bio, 20% microbio 30% A&P. While I've seen other prep that says 60% general bio, 20% micriobio and 20% A&P. The bio section is 48 questions (40 graded). so that's like at least 10+ questions for A&P but as for strictly anatomy, there will probably be like 2 or 3.

6) compared to the MCAT verbal reasoning, which is 60 minutes 7 passages, you have a somewhat less time per passage on average, less than a minute difference. To Note, I find the passage on PCAT to be ~10-20% LONGER than the MCAT in general, BUT significantly easier to read, the language wont get too abstract ever. As for questions, they are pretty easy, not much reasoning or deduction. (ergo reading COMPREHENSION) read fast and remember what you just read, you wont have any problem.

For Collins Verbal, it's broken down like this: you get a general strategy guide + vocab list (VERY helpful, not only you learn new words, but less-known meaning of everyday word that you need to know for the specific context of the question) + practice sets + a few pages of additional recently updated practice sets/vocabs. The updated ones are really good, a lot of the Q's resemble the real ones. I think... there were more than 10 Verbal reasoning Question from Collin practice that made it to the real thing (like I said, inside track) . If you do ALL the practice and memorize all the vocabs, and have a solid strategy + basic reasoning skills, Collins will give you 95+. If I can get 99 with a bootleg collins while english is not even my first language, I think anyone should be able to.

7) if you spend more than 10 seconds to think about it, skip skip.

 

[dhk70]

2) xperimental questions that arn't graded arn't labeled by a specific section. You have no idea (well you can guess) which ones are graded or not, if I remember correctly.

3) I have no idea that Collins did that. But it is updated frequently by the people who make it. I don't have the digital version of things since I just bought a set of photocopies fro the most recent SSG, which interestingly was more than enough

5) I reviewed the bio content a little more, I feel that you will be under-prepared from just freshman biology + Collins, can't really comment about those books. I don't remember Collins putting down a weight on things and I dont think PCAT officially release weighting. But, Kaplan says it's about 50% general bio, 20% microbio 30% A&P. While I've seen other prep that says 60% general bio, 20% micriobio and 20% A&P. The bio section is 48 questions (40 graded). so that's like at least 10+ questions for A&P but as for strictly anatomy, there will probably be like 2 or 3.

6) compared to the MCAT verbal reasoning, which is 60 minutes 7 passages, you have a somewhat less time per passage on average, less than a minute difference. To Note, I find the passage on PCAT to be ~10-20% LONGER than the MCAT in general, BUT significantly easier to read, the language wont get too abstract ever. As for questions, they are pretty easy, not much reasoning or deduction. (ergo reading COMPREHENSION) read fast and remember what you just read, you wont have any problem.

For Collins Verbal, it's broken down like this: you get a general strategy guide + vocab list (VERY helpful, not only you learn new words, but less-known meaning of everyday word that you need to know for the specific context of the question) + practice sets + a few pages of additional recently updated practice sets/vocabs. The updated ones are really good, a lot of the Q's resemble the real ones. I think... there were more than 10 Verbal reasoning Question from Collin practice that made it to the real thing (like I said, inside track) . If you do ALL the practice and memorize all the vocabs, and have a solid strategy + basic reasoning skills, Collins will give you 95+. If I can get 99 with a bootleg collins while english is not even my first language, I think anyone should be able to.

7) if you spend more than 10 seconds to think about it, skip skip.

Thank you again for your reply. I'm sure it must take a lot of time to write back so I'm very grateful.

5) I see. I hope the Microbiology and Physiology sections are only as in depth as the information I had/have to learn in Gen Bio I/II. Fortunately, there are no plants and animals on the PCAT now haha. I might check out other sources for Bio if you say so. I just don't want to put so much money into yet another standardized test (even though I know it's the make-or-break test).
6) English isn't your first language? Wow, I would have never known if you hadn't told me. You write so fluently! I think I should be okay with Verbal but I'll try to do all the practice. I want to try to complete all of Dr. Collins and the tests and other studying materials within the summer.
7) 10 seconds... I'll do my best to practice, practice, practice, and time myself...

 

[tmn6199]

Hi Simon_Riley,

Did you take the PCAT in 2014 and used the 2013 Dr. Collins SSG? I'm still trying to figure out if I should purchase the 2015 or the 2014 because I'm planning to take it this year (2015)?

 

[Simon_Riley]

Hi Simon_Riley,

Did you take the PCAT in 2014 and used the 2013 Dr. Collins SSG? I'm still trying to figure out if I should purchase the 2015 or the 2014 because I'm planning to take it this year (2015)?

I took PCAT in november 2014 and bought w/e was the most recent collins at the time (or a photocopy of it)