Gold Standard test scores?

[millepora]

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I was warned that my ego would get shot with these tests, but I am taking all the practice I can get. Just curious how others scored compared to the real thing or other CBT's.

I have heard though, the science sections are harder. To me, they have been pretty straight forward (at least compared to Kaplan).

My average Kaplan test score was a 24-25, out of 12 tests.

I just started taking these tests.

GS1 (7,8,7) 22

GS2 (8,7,8) 23

 

[SN2ed]

They are a little harder, but your score is really in the mid 20 range. In other words, don't think, "GS tests are harder, so my score should be +30." Hopefully I'm wrong and your AAMC averages turn out well.

 

[Ricegrad05]

I'm getting 4 or 5 points less on the GS tests than the AAMC tests. Generally, I've found the GS verbal to be easier than AAMC and the GS PS harder than AAMC with BS about the same.

 

[ksmi117]

Haha. I only took one GS test way back before I started content review just to see how I'd do. I scored like low 20's. That thing was hella hard. This was about the same time as when I had taken AAMC 3 and gotten a 30.

 

[rocketbooster]

Yea, they're supposed to be a lot harder.

While I love SN2's advice, I think in this case he underestimated the difference in the tests.

Go to the GS forums on their website and you'll see a stickied thread on this topic. Ppl were easily getting 5+ pts lower on GS tests. It wasn't the verbal that they were scoring less on as much as the sciences. Seemed like 8s on the GS was easily at least 10s on the AAMCs. I think the reason there is a big difference in the scoring is because GS curves are much harder.

Anyways, I'm going to be taking GS tests now. So i'll let you know how I do, although I won't be able to compare to AAMC because I used up all those last year haha

 

[BloodySurgeon]

*WARNING* This is only speculation and only my personal OPINION. Do not take any of the following as facts, but one persons experience with the GoldStandard Practice tests.

It is hard to compare. I don't think the tests are necessarily much harder than what you would expect on an exam but many of the questions have poorly written and confusing wordings that could easily cause you to lose a couple of questions and since there is a smaller sample population, the curve is not distributed well. However, the questions on the GS are good practice for the most part. The PS and BS have short and simple to understand passages accompanied by tricky but important questions. The MCAT, however, will have a mixture of long simple passage with tricky difficult questions followed by long convoluted passages with simple concept or straight forward questions sprinkled with a few verbal reasoning questions.

The GS Verbal section is essentially a smaller reading comprehension test. The curve for the verbal is much harsher but since the passages AND questions are easier, your score is close to your real score.

Overall

Difficulty
PS- GS > MCAT
VR- GS < MCAT
BS- GS < MCAT

Curve
PS- GS < MCAT
VR- GS < MCAT
BS- GS < MCAT

Score
PS- GS < MCAT (around 2 points)
VR- GS = MCAT
BS- GS < MCAT (around 1 point)

So the scoring is close but not identical and what SN2ed was trying to do is to keep the OP realistic and not falsely optimistic. It is again hard to compare/convert your scores to the AAMC or MCAT since GS has less verbal reasoning and incorporation. Depending on the strengths and weakness are for the OP, your score can range on average anywhere from 2-6 point more points. Of course, the higher your score is the less discrepency you will get (e.g. if you are scoring 30 dont think you will be at 36, whereas if you are at 20 you can potentially be at 26.)

 

[0Complications]

*WARNING* This is only speculation and only my personal OPINION. Do not take any of the following as facts, but one persons experience with the GoldStandard Practice tests.

It is hard to compare. I don't think the tests are necessarily much harder than what you would expect on an exam but many of the questions have poorly written and confusing wordings that could easily cause you to lose a couple of questions and since there is a smaller sample population, the curve is not distributed well. However, the questions on the GS are good practice for the most part. The PS and BS have short and simple to understand passages accompanied by tricky but important questions. The MCAT, however, will have a mixture of long simple passage with tricky difficult questions followed by long convoluted passages with simple concept or straight forward questions sprinkled with a few verbal reasoning questions.

The GS Verbal section is essentially a smaller reading comprehension test. The curve for the verbal is much harsher but since the passages AND questions are easier, which would balance your score out.

Overall

Difficulty
PS- GS > MCAT
VR- GS < MCAT
BS- GS << MCAT

Curve
PS- GS < MCAT
VR- GS < MCAT
BS- GS < MCAT

Score
PS- GS < MCAT (around 2 points)
VR- GS = MCAT
BS- GS < MCAT (around 1 point)

So the scoring is close but not identical and what SN2ed was trying to do is to keep the OP realistic and not falsely optimistic. It is again hard to compare/convert your scores to the AAMC or MCAT since GS has less verbal reasoning and incorporation. Depending on the strengths and weakness are for the OP, your score can range on average anywhere from 2-6 point more points. Of course, the higher your score is the less discrepency you will get (e.g. if you are scoring 30 dont think you will be at 36, whereas if you are at 20 you can potentially be at 26.)

I'm having a hard time with your logic here:


"Difficulty
BS- GS << MCAT

Curve
BS- GS < MCAT

Score
BS- GS < MCAT (around 1 point)"

So the GS BS is much much less difficult than the actual MCAT, the curve is just less than the actual MCAT and the score is LESS THAN the real MCAT?

Am I missing something in the logic here?

 

[BloodySurgeon]

I'm having a hard time with your logic here:


"Difficulty
BS- GS << MCAT

Curve
BS- GS < MCAT

Score
BS- GS < MCAT (around 1 point)"

So the GS BS is much much less difficult than the actual MCAT, the curve is just less than the actual MCAT and the score is LESS THAN the real MCAT?

Am I missing something in the logic here?

The difficulty and curve is not linearly related to your score. Also this is just how I felt aftering taking the MCAT. My BS section was MUCH harder, yet the curve was more generous than normal and my score came out better than I would predict with a GS scaling.

 

[rocketbooster]

yeah, that confuses me, too, bloodysurgeon.

I just took GS1 PS...ehh first full PS section i've taken this year and ran out of time haha. missed the last 5 questions automatically and ended up with a 9. so you say this should be like an 11? if I got an 11 by running out of time and missing the last 5 ?s automatically, I think all this TBR review did its job. 👍 my timing is a bit off because this was my first test, but honestly, this test seemed very, very easy. IDK, i was confident on almost all of my answers. is this the work of TBR or an easy GS test?

the GS tests annoy me. you can't strike out answers in the same way as on the real one. you have to hit their stupid X. their periodic table is terrible, as well. it makes it appear above the passage and you have to scroll up to see it. thus, you lose your spot in the passage by scrolling. on the real test the periodic table comes up in a seperate box.

also, the GS PS barely relied on the passages at all. I know the real test's PS doesn't rely to the same extent on the passages as the BS, but it does rely on it more than GS's does.

finally, so you think GS is bad practice for BS? don't do them?

 

[BloodySurgeon]

No, the GS BS is good practice as well. If you want to not do one of the sections, I would recommend the VR. My experience with GS could be different with others. At the time I took the MCAT, I was proficient with the content but was struggling with the verbal reasoning both in the sciences and in VR. I also knew most of the topics in the science passages and could have easily skipped the reading and answered the questions which allowed me to have a lot of time left. On the MCAT, there were many new situations (i.e. tuning fork and roller coasters) that I did not know too much info about and I was forced to use a lot of critical thinking during the exam.

P.S. I edited the BS- GS << MCAT to avoid confusion.

 

[JJMrK]

I've taken a bunch of GS, AAMC, and Kaplan practice tests. My best GS was ~31, best AAMC was a 35, best Kaplan was a 37.

I routinely get 8s on GS PS, but 11s or 12s on AAMC practice tests. GS tests are significantly harder IMO.

 

[penguin24]

I routinely got the same score on my Kaplan tests, but then I took an AAMC test and got a higher score one week before the test, then I was surprised when I took the real thing and got an even higher score. Same thing happened when I used Kaplan Step 1 prep & then took the real Step 1 exam. For some reason, Kaplan just has hard questions, but when you ask a Kaplan representative, they adamantely deny it, "our products are an accurate reflexion of the test"

 

[rocketbooster]

ummm, is it just me or are the GS bio sections terrible?

the questions seem off and the answer explanations are terrible.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

Yea that's the thing. They are not hard questions per se, but horribly written and horribly explained. I sadly found 1 or 2 wrong answers from them as well (answers that they say are correct but obviously are not or incorrectly asked). 😡

P.S. I think there is at least one incorrect answer in the Kaplan and EK tests (I cant remember for the other companies though). One of the AAMC test, I forget which and dont have it to find out, that explains the correct answer but will mark you incorrect for the right answer. 🙁

 

[rocketbooster]

Yea that's the thing. They are not hard questions per se, but horribly written and horribly explained. I sadly found 1 or 2 wrong answers from them as well (answers that they say are correct but obviously are not or incorrectly asked). 😡

P.S. I think there is at least one incorrect answer in the Kaplan and EK tests (I cant remember for the other companies though). One of the AAMC test, I forget which and dont have it to find out, that explains the correct answer but will mark you incorrect for the right answer. 🙁

Okay, I want to supplement these GS CBTs with something else. I don't want GS to be my ONLY practice.

Arghh, I wish I had some AAMCs left...

should I get BR? what about TPR? can you buy their tests separate from the course?

 

[ilubse7en]

Okay, I want to supplement these GS CBTs with something else. I don't want GS to be my ONLY practice.

Arghh, I wish I had some AAMCs left...

should I get BR? what about TPR? can you buy their tests separate from the course?

i was going to get gold standard just because they are less expensive
but i guess i gotta buy Berkeley review
i was also hoping if i could buy the practice tests from the tpr but if not, well we always have berkeley review...

 

[whitefang21]

i am taking GS 1 on friday, i midway through my content review, then next week i will be taking 2 and 3 wish me luck

 

[MegaProjectile]

Yea that's the thing. They are not hard questions per se, but horribly written and horribly explained. I sadly found 1 or 2 wrong answers from them as well (answers that they say are correct but obviously are not or incorrectly asked). 😡

P.S. I think there is at least one incorrect answer in the Kaplan and EK tests (I cant remember for the other companies though). One of the AAMC test, I forget which and dont have it to find out, that explains the correct answer but will mark you incorrect for the right answer. 🙁

Yea, if you're taking any EK full-length VR be sure to go to their website for the correct answers because quite a few answers they have at the back of the booklet are incorrect.

 

[rocketbooster]

i am taking GS 1 on friday, i midway through my content review, then next week i will be taking 2 and 3 wish me luck

....don't waste your tests. you are wasting them 100% by doing them during your content review. do not do not do not.

also, GS will rape you if you take them without completing your content room. you might get lucky and get one test that only covers the content you've finished so far, then the next one will destroy you.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

my GS average was 22-23. My real MCAT following them was 29.

 

[rocketbooster]

haha these tests are hard...I took the first 2...

PS, VR, BS:

GS1: 9, 8, 8 = 25
GS2, 8, 9, 10 = 27

Based on as many threads as I could find on GS vs AAMC tests, that's like getting low 30s on AAMCs. I don't have fresh AAMCs to test it on, though. 🙁

 

[0Complications]

haha these tests are hard...I took the first 2...

PS, VR, BS:

GS1: 9, 8, 8 = 25
GS2, 8, 9, 10 = 27

Based on as many threads as I could find on GS vs AAMC tests, that's like getting low 30s on AAMCs. I don't have fresh AAMCs to test it on, though. 🙁

I still don't see why you don't go back and retake them. They are a goldmine of information. You might see things in a new light now that you're prepared.

 

[rocketbooster]

I still don't see why you don't go back and retake them. They are a goldmine of information. You might see things in a new light now that you're prepared.

yeah, well...they all expired now except AAMC6. i'm going to retake the PS on that today just to get a general idea of how different the 2 tests are.

 

[0Complications]

yeah, well...they all expired now except AAMC6. i'm going to retake the PS on that today just to get a general idea of how different the 2 tests are.

Ouch... That sucks, man.

 

[FML]

I think the fact that the most recent mcat tests (from jan onward) have been, under a general consensus, much harder than any of the AAMC practice tests as well should not be ignored...

so maybe the fact that the GS tests seemsto be harder than the practice AAMCs is a good thing if they are more indicative of the real mcat

just my $0.02... I'm pretty glad i had bought all 10 of them after looking at this thread for that reason (also validated my low scores a little bti lol)

 

[rocketbooster]

I think the fact that the most recent mcat tests (from jan onward) have been, under a general consensus, much harder than any of the AAMC practice tests as well should not be ignored...

so maybe the fact that the GS tests seemsto be harder than the practice AAMCs is a good thing if they are more indicative of the real mcat

just my $0.02... I'm pretty glad i had bought all 10 of them after looking at this thread for that reason (also validated my low scores a little bti lol)

right. the general consensus is that the tests feel much harder, but if you look at those MCAT threads after they get their scores back, most ppl get a real score of about their AAMC average. so, while the AAMC tests are easier, they are still very indicative of your real score. i'm not sure how that works out haha, but stats don't lie.

 

[rocketbooster]

meh, I got an 11 on AAMC6 PS.

that's pretty depressing because I got the samething last year, then ended with an 8 on the real thing. AAMC6 only had my stronger topics, though, whereas my real MCAT hit my weak topics and killed me.

Now this time around, I got the samething on this AAMC test, but the thing is I was already strong on these topics last year. So, realistically, there's no reason I should have done better on this retake of AAMC6. The difference between last year and now is last year I had weak areas and this year I don't. TBR filled in those gaps. So theoretically, now when my real test comes up, my PS score should be consistent irrelevant of what what topics appear on the test. Last year, I could only hit a 11 on the real thing if they asked my strong topics, while this year I should be able to hit an 11 no matter what?

IDK

 

[rocketbooster]

meh, I got an 11 on AAMC6 PS.

that's pretty depressing because I got the samething last year, then ended with an 8 on the real thing. AAMC6 only had my stronger topics, though, whereas my real MCAT hit my weak topics and killed me.

Now this time around, I got the samething on this AAMC test, but the thing is I was already strong on these topics last year. So, realistically, there's no reason I should have done better on this retake of AAMC6. The difference between last year and now is last year I had weak areas and this year I don't. TBR filled in those gaps. So theoretically, now when my real test comes up, my PS score should be consistent irrelevant of what what topics appear on the test. Last year, I could only hit a 11 on the real thing if they asked my strong topics, while this year I should be able to hit an 11 no matter what?

IDK

okay, just took AAMC3 PS and got a 12. I don't feel AS depressed anymore hehe 🙄

 

[millepora]

just took the 3rd test...

9 PS 6 VR 10 BS

The verbal seems to be very close to the real thing now. They did curve it a little bit upwards still. I made a 25 out of 40, and still ended up with a 6.

 

[rocketbooster]

just took the 3rd test...

9 PS 6 VR 10 BS

The verbal seems to be very close to the real thing now. They did curve it a little bit upwards still. I made a 25 out of 40, and still ended up with a 6.

Yeah, I just took GS3 today, too.

I got 11s on the sciences! I was getting really frustrated with the verbal for some reason and hit "end" when I was on question #26 hahaha. Whatever, the GS VR is terrible. You should use EK VR 101 practice.

So, improvement so far!:

GS1: 9, 8, 8
GS2: 8, 9, 10
GS3: 11, NA, 11

😀

 

[millepora]

Yep, I have done 1 test in there so far. I am waiting until the test date comes closer to advance further in the book. I do agree though, that book seems to hold the best reputation.

Good job on the score improvements.

 

[rocketbooster]

Yeah, I just took GS3 today, too.

I got 11s on the sciences! I was getting really frustrated with the verbal for some reason and hit "end" when I was on question #26 hahaha. Whatever, the GS VR is terrible. You should use EK VR 101 practice.

So, improvement so far!:

GS1: 9, 8, 8
GS2: 8, 9, 10
GS3: 11, NA, 11

😀

Just took GS4. I'm starting to get really frustrated with the poor phrasing all over these tests. The terrible wording makes me miss SO MANY questions.

Anyways.

GS4: 10, 8, 8

GS Average = 27 as of now

 

[rprasan1985]

I've purchased GS 1-10, and have taken GS 1 so far. I was about 40% done with content review when I took this.

Physical Sciences: 36/52; 8
Verbal Reasoning: 36/40; 12
Biological Sciences: 41/52; 10
TOTAL: 113/144; 30

As my title cries, I hated the way some of the questions were worded. That being said, I still didn't do as well I could have. Lots more studying for me!

 

[rocketbooster]

I've purchased GS 1-10, and have taken GS 1 so far. I was about 40% done with content review when I took this.

Physical Sciences: 36/52; 8
Verbal Reasoning: 36/40; 12
Biological Sciences: 41/52; 10
TOTAL: 113/144; 30

As my title cries, I hated the way some of the questions were worded. That being said, I still didn't do as well I could have. Lots more studying for me!

these tests are becoming worse and worse.

btw, don't look too much into your VR score. GS VR is way too easy. however, some ppl said while it's easier you still end up getting the same score on your real MCAT since the real one has a more generous curve. take AAMCs above all else for VR, then EK 101 passages after that.

 

[rprasan1985]

btw, don't look too much into your VR score. GS VR is way too easy.

i agree that the VR is easier in the GS tests. But the scale seems to take this into account, at least in my case. My other VR scores are: AAMC#3: 12, Kaplan Premier (CD)#1: 12.

 

[millepora]

I've purchased GS 1-10, and have taken GS 1 so far. I was about 40% done with content review when I took this.

Physical Sciences: 36/52; 8
Verbal Reasoning: 36/40; 12
Biological Sciences: 41/52; 10
TOTAL: 113/144; 30

As my title cries, I hated the way some of the questions were worded. That being said, I still didn't do as well I could have. Lots more studying for me!

Wow, that first curve is weird. But, the passages we pretty simple, so I guess that explained it. I got 31/40, and made an 8, so it looks like they were giving a point per question right after that.

 

[millepora]

I thought biology for GS-4 was closer to the real thing, a fair share of reading comprehension, but it kicked my butt.

GS-4 PS8 VR8 BS7

GS-5 PS8 VR6 BS9

 

[rocketbooster]

Just took GS5: 8, 10, 10

So, overall, PS, VR, BS:
GS1: 9, 8, 8
GS2: 8, 9, 10
GS3: 11, NA, 11
GS4: 10, 8, 8
GS5: 8, 10, 10

 

[rocketbooster]

Just took GS5: 8, 10, 10

So, overall, PS, VR, BS:
GS1: 9, 8, 8
GS2: 8, 9, 10
GS3: 11, NA, 11
GS4: 10, 8, 8
GS5: 8, 10, 10

did GS6....haha the VR definitely humbled me. yikes.

GS6: 9, 7, 9

 

[rocketbooster]

oh man, these tests are so horrible!

GS7 is REALLY BAD hahahaha.

I wish I had some representative tests of the real thing. these GS tests get worse and worse quality. 👎

 

[rprasan1985]

oh man, these tests are so horrible!

GS7 is REALLY BAD hahahaha.

I wish I had some representative tests of the real thing. these GS tests get worse and worse quality. 👎

that sucks... i was kinda counting on these tests for most of my FL practice tests too.

Did GS 2 the other day: 27 (9,8,10). My lowest ever score. The next week, I took AAMC 4: 34 (11,12,11)... I attribute several of my mistakes in the GS test to poor wording and incorrect answers. Sure, I did screw up many questions, but it's frustrating that i have to second-guess the questions/answer choices because i'm not sure they're worded correctly.

 

[drillr00]

oh man, these tests are so horrible!

GS7 is REALLY BAD hahahaha.

I wish I had some representative tests of the real thing. these GS tests get worse and worse quality. 👎

Yeah I took GS 7 today and that PS...wow

I have my exam this Friday and I'm wondering if I should just retake some of my AAMC tests instead of doing GS.

 

[JJMrK]

Yeah I took GS 7 today and that PS...wow

I have my exam this Friday and I'm wondering if I should just retake some of my AAMC tests instead of doing GS.

Yes, definitely. No more GS tests for 2 weeks before your exam.

 

[rocketbooster]

Yeah I took GS 7 today and that PS...wow

I have my exam this Friday and I'm wondering if I should just retake some of my AAMC tests instead of doing GS.

yeah, man, GS is bull****. I got a 7 on GS#7's PS hahahaha. after I saw that score, I didn't even finish the test. I was so angry lol. it was like 99% calculations. every single question. the passages weren't even really passages. just had a bunch of bull****. it was 52 questions of straight calculations. I've been getting 12-13s on AAMCs PS, so I know I'm fine. I've been averaging 9s on GS's PS until this one.

my test is next Saturday. i'm going to redo AAMC 10 and 9 tomorrow and Wednesday and call it good.

 

[JJMrK]

yeah, man, GS is bull****. I got a 7 on GS#7's PS hahahaha. after I saw that score, I didn't even finish the test. I was so angry lol. it was like 99% calculations. every single question. the passages weren't even really passages. just had a bunch of bull****. it was 52 questions of straight calculations. I've been getting 12-13s on AAMCs PS, so I know I'm fine. I've been averaging 9s on GS's PS until this one.

my test is next Saturday. i'm going to redo AAMC 10 and 9 tomorrow and Wednesday and call it good.

Yeah, GS is more about timed practice, less about score prediction.

 

[rocketbooster]

Yeah, GS is more about timed practice, less about score prediction.

yeah, I just took AAMC10. I took the PS only and scored a 12. 👍 I made several careless mistakes that would have given me a 14 easily. 👎

I couldn't retake the VR and BS, though. I remembered WAY too much of the passages. Retaking PS is doable and actually still accurate with your score since PS is mainly math and concepts. VR and BS are mostly reading comprehension, which you cannot seriously retake since the passages will be easier to comprehend the 2nd time through. The PS passages may be arguably easier to understand, too, but it's not reading comprehension of PS passages that makes that section hard. The passages are never difficult to comprehend on the PS. That section is like 90% based on your knowledge.

 

[tncekm]

Honestly, i think the GS tests are so bad they're detrimental to your MCAT education. The verbal was way too easy, and the other sections are just stupid with questions that sometimes appeared to be blatantly wrong, or more concerned with tricking you out of the right answer than actually making sure you understood the concepts and could solve problems.

Really, really, really pathetic tests. I think I averaged about 6-7 pts lower on GS than AAMC and my scores were completely backward. VR High, Sciences low on GS. But, in reality I was typically getting VR low (9-10) and Sciences High (~13).

Skip them, IMO. Find some Kaplan practice materials from the course and use those, IMO. I got my hands on some of them about 1.5wks out from the MCAT and I think they were great (difficult, but great).

 

[rocketbooster]

Honestly, i think the GS tests are so bad they're detrimental to your MCAT education. The verbal was way too easy, and the other sections are just stupid with questions that sometimes appeared to be blatantly wrong, or more concerned with tricking you out of the right answer than actually making sure you understood the concepts and could solve problems.

Really, really, really pathetic tests. I think I averaged about 6-7 pts lower on GS than AAMC and my scores were completely backward. VR High, Sciences low on GS. But, in reality I was typically getting VR low (9-10) and Sciences High (~13).

Skip them, IMO. Find some Kaplan practice materials from the course and use those, IMO. I got my hands on some of them about 1.5wks out from the MCAT and I think they were great (difficult, but great).

I wouldn't say the GS sciences are worthless. the VR is pretty ****ty, though. while my scores on GS sciences are way lower and the tests seem way harder, the AAMC tests then seem ridiculously easy because I'm so used to looking for every little way they can trick me. I've been getting 12-13s on the AAMC sciences, and honestly, the only questions I do miss are from careless mistakes.

 

[docbrill]

Can someone post the score conversion for GS 6, 7, 8, 9, sciences? I printed them out before my access expired and now I don't know what my scores are. For example, I got 36 correct out of 52 on PS, GS exam 7 (which I thought was terrible!), and I want to know how much is on a scale. On GS 6, I got 43/52 on PS and 40/52 on BS. I don't have the verbal.

 

[millepora]

I have been comparing the GS scoring chart, and it seems they used the standard AAMC scoring chart.

So, anything 60%+... 8, 70%+....9, 75%+...10, 83%+....11.