Getting smashed by Berkeley

[KnightofBaldMt]

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I have started studying for the MCAT using the Berkeley Review line and I am getting absolutely smashed by their reviews and passages. I'm using TPRH Verbal with no problem, just on my BR passages I'm having problems.

This is kind of demoralizing for my studying....I thought I was doing just fine in these areas, but perhaps not? Has anyone else had troubles like these???

 

[Twinnering]

You mean from their scoring system? I would just try and get the feel of the passages if you're just starting off. If you're getting too many wrong it just may mean you haven't really learned the topic thoroughly enough, and I would go back and review to make sure you have mastered the material. I would use the AAMC CBTs to gauge more accurately how you're doing as opposed to their scoring system tbh.

 

[KnightofBaldMt]

Not so much, just the questions and passages are difficult...

 

[TCSC13]

I used BR as well and I would consistently get half the questions wrong when I started. Don't worry, you just need time to adjust to the difficulty of the questions. You'll get into the groove of things eventually and your scores will go up.

The biggest thing is to review the answers. I read every single answer explanation, regardless of whether I got it right or wrong. This is the best thing to improve your score because you then begin to understand and think like the MCAT. Good luck!

 

[Twinnering]

Not so much, just the questions and passages are difficult...

Yeah, they're designed to be a little challenging but to be quite honest they really do pay off. BR passages bear the most resemblance to the real thing (except for the CBTs of course).

 

[BecksTriad]

I'm going to echo the same remarks made earlier in this thread. BR is AWESOME bc their passages are so hard! I went from an 8 to an 11 in PS and a 10 to 12 in BS and credit it all to using BR. Stick with it I got my @$$ kicked in the beginning too. btw wrong forum to post this in 🙂

 

[OoohShiny]

BR is definitely of the mindset to over-prepare you so the real thing seems like a piece of cake. I started in the low 20s, and worked to 29-31ish at the end. Was quite demoralizing as after lots ad lots of review it was still kicking my butt. BUT then I started taking AAMC and all my scores were 37-42, with my real thing 39 :O I was so shocked when I took the first practice and so relieved that BR was under-projecting my score the entire time.

So don't get too stressed out! BR is much much much more difficult than the real thing. Hoping to save you from the distress I went through when I did BR 🙂

 

[chillaxbro]

Yes, my scores were **** when I was doing TBR
I was getting only 50-60% correct
Remember to time yourself (I give myself 7 minutes per passage) and go over the answers
Anything you don't quite understand, go find more resources over the internet

 

[thisandthat]

I agree with the above. BR is tough but worth it. I learned most of the material through Exam Krackers books and AO, used their 1001 series to review topics I was weak on, and then saved the BR passages for last after I felt pretty good about the material. Next I reviewed the answers to every question (not just the ones I got wrong) and I think this is where the real improvement came for me.

 

[1stmeds]

I have started studying for the MCAT using the Berkeley Review line and I am getting absolutely smashed by their reviews and passages. I'm using TPRH Verbal with no problem, just on my BR passages I'm having problems.

This is kind of demoralizing for my studying....I thought I was doing just fine in these areas, but perhaps not? Has anyone else had troubles like these???

I was consistently getting only half correct, but would get stoked when I occasionally got 2/3. I did very well on the MCAT. The BR passages are harder, so don't get down on yourself. But definitely check to see WHY you are getting passages/questions wrong, and then learn from that.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

TBR is hard. No doubt about that.

Low percentages are to be expected - their passages can be more convoluted than a typical AAMC passage, which is good for helping you hit multiple concepts. But as 1stmeds said, make sure you see why you're getting things wrong. Is it a lack of knowledge? Or is it because you've never manipulated an equation in the way BR wanted you to?

 

[StephanieZ]

Is it a specific subject or area your having the most trouble with? I remember doing TBR atomic theory, I was getting almost everything right, but then I got owned on stoichiometry. If one area is giving you more trouble than others, just make sure to focus your study more on that. Don't waste time with things you're already doing well on.

 

[pyrrion89]

Don't trust the TBR scale. I was getting 11's and 10's on their p-tests and I got 12's-14's on the real thing.

 

[deleted303591]

If you are getting smashed by the PS section, start with the NOVA physics book. After finishing that book you will probably have a good enough physics foundation to breeze through the BR PS books.