Good SAT/ACT Verbal scores = good MCAT Verbal?

[Az1698]

I was excellent in the verbal sections on the SAT/ACT (near perfect, 1 or 2 questions off). Will this translate to the MCAT? is the difficult similar or different?

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[sully677]

I was excellent in the verbal sections on the SAT/ACT (near perfect, 1 or 2 questions off). Will this translate to the MCAT? is the difficult similar or different?

No

 

[BlueElmo]

Maybe, maybe not. MCAT Verbal is a lot harder than SAT critical reading.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I'm gonna go with probably not. The same goes for the science sections. For obvious reasons, the difficulty of the MCAT is substantially higher.

 

[metallica81788]

Probably not, but it could give you an advantage in preparing and studying for it. You might be ahead the game to start out, but don't assume it's a given you'll score a 12 or higher on verbal, not many do.

 

[zempa]

i think it will, I actually found MCAT verbal easier then SAT verbal. At the same time I feel that they are different so maybe I'm just better suited to the type of questions MCAT verbal tested.

 

[extremophile]

like everyone else has been saying, they are different. I was pretty much as good as you on SAT critical reading, and I ended up with an 11 on VR, which is still respectable, but by no means dominant. I found the MCAT verbal a bit weirder and less straightforward than the SAT. Some people still end up doing really well though, but the point is, make sure to put in plenty of practice.

 

[sustentacular]

I was excellent in the verbal sections on the SAT/ACT (near perfect, 1 or 2 questions off). Will this translate to the MCAT? is the difficult similar or different?

The MCAT verbal section, as well as the GRE verbal section, will be harder than the SAT verbal. A high school student who does well on the SAT verbal should not expect to then take a verbal section from the GRE or MCAT and do just as well. However, these tests are harder because they are designed for students who have taken college coursework and presumably have a more advanced verbal capacity.
So, yes, MCAT verbal will be harder, but your ability ability to interpret the reading comprehension type questions should be better than when you took the SAT. Definitely don't skimp on your verbal prep when studying and you should be fine.

 

[wanderer]

The thing with SAT Verbal is that if you know all the meanings of all the words and have good reading comprehension you can consistently get every question right (or maybe miss 1 or 2). On the MCAT, you can have good reading speed, comprehension etc. and still get a couple of questions wrong, because there's always a couple of questions at least, that have 2 answers that are equally reasonable. With the MCAT, you sort of have think like the test makers (assuming their consistent in they're thinking), whereas with the SAT Verbal you just have to "know how to read" really well.

Not to mention the fact that there are all sorts of non comprehension questions on the SAT, which further complicate things. I'm sure there is a correlation but it's probably not much stronger than that of other standardized tests. On the other hand performance on the passages on the SAT is probably a decent indicator for performance on the LSAT Verbal since they have more in common.

 

[littlealex]

You will do well, although getting near perfect is going to take work. I had a near perfect SAT score but I only got 36 on the MCAT - with a 10 on verbal.

Not easy.

 

[red10]

I got near perfect on the reading section of the ACT but got a 10 on the verbal for the MCAT. I thought I would dominate the verbal because I've always been really good with reading comprehension stuff and I got dang near perfect on the Kaplan verbal prep stuff. After taking the MCAT I realized the Kaplan verbal prep stuff was much easier than the real tests.

It probably helped in that I already felt confident about the verbal section and I wasn't freaking out about it like some people do, but doing well on the ACT reading is not a guarunteed 15 on the MCATverbal

 

[BBender716]

I've always wanted to do this...

 

[apumic]

It is naive to assume no correlation.
There is a correlation that has been shown in several studies but it is nowhere near perfect (r<<1.0... more like 0.3). More data can be found in the med school spreadsheet. The correlative studies are the basis upon which the MCAT Estimator works. Nevertheless, there are many, many factors that go into this and a good SAT and ACT verbal score have weak correlations at best. The GRE Verbal and UG cGPA are the two strongest predictors at around r=0.5. When all scores are used together and all are consistent (e.g., your UG cGPA, UG sGPA, GRE, SAT, and ACT all suggest 90th-95th percentile scores), this suggests a strong possibility of a good MCAT verbal. Nevertheless, this cannot be assumed and actual performance relies heavily upon preparation (studying, practice problems, diet, physical and mental state while studying and practicing compared to while testing, etc.) as well as other unpredictable factors (e.g., uncomfortable or noisy testing area, mood of candidate, social factors, etc.).

 

[jm192]

My advisor said she'd always seen a strong correlation between ACT cumulative and MCAT cumulative. For me, ACT cumulative=MCAT cumulative.

Killing the verbal section doesn't tell you you'll just automatically kill this. You still need to work at it. But it does tell you can do good on these standardized tests, and that you can do good on a verbal section. That should be a great confidence booster for you. But on't overlook the verbal section when studying, make sure you give it plenty of study time

You can do this!
Best of luck!

 

[sportsfreak]

i did bad on sat verbal but pretty decent on the MCATS (11)

 

[Marengo]

I did well on the SAT W and CR (800s) and well on the MCAT verbal (13), but I thought the MCAT verbal was much harder. I really had to work at it, just like the science sections.

 

[DRMRL]

I made a 21 on ACT verbal and 11 on MCAT. No, they're not comparable.

 

[whimsical]

I did well on SAT verbal, and did pretty decently on MCAT verbal, and like the others I found the MCAT verbal to be far less straightforward.

 

[MaryLennox]

Probably not, but it could give you an advantage in preparing and studying for it. You might be ahead the game to start out, but don't assume it's a given you'll score a 12 or higher on verbal, not many do.

this is pretty close to what i was gonna say.

no, you can't take any part of the MCAT cold. but i have to say, if you have a history of being strong in verbal tests, there's no reason that you shouldn't do well on mcat verbal. yes it is different- but if you already have the tools, you can adapt.

i did by far the least preparation for the VR section because after doing a few practice tests, i felt very confident in it. you'll know- after taking practice tests- whether or not you need to keep practicing. you may not really need to. but don't simply assume you'll do well!!

edited to add more clarification:
i think the key to doing well on mcat verbal is simply figuring out the structure of the exam and recognizing what they are looking for. if you can internalize this quickly, and are generally strong in verbal, you can do really well. but it is crucial to take enough practice exams to do just that- figure out the structure of the exam and what they are looking for! but i do think this skill comes more easily to people who have a strong reading/verbal background.

edited one last time to add:
someone should make a poll correlating high verbal scores with general reading habits. i spent my entire life reading for fun, especially from about the ages of 4 to 13 pretty much all i did for fun was read. i absolutely think this habit is what gave me the edge later in life, even though i wasn't reading anything particularly educational. (no, i was addicted to sweet valley twins books.) but i am definitely going to make weekly library visits a habit if/when i have kids.

 

[mybubbles14]

I think it's different...and harder imo. That being said, I did better on the MCAT verbal than the SAT.

 

[dokein]

There is a correlation, but you are only one data point: it's impossible to know if you fall above or below or on the line until you take the practice test yourself. I was on the line: good/excellent at SAT verbal, and from 12 (low) -15 (high) on my practice MCATs.

However, on the actual test I got a 12 so it's clear that I should have studied more to try to reduce the variation in my performance on the verbal section. It was the lowest section on my MCAT.

In summary:

1) You cannot know where you are in verbal unless you take the practice MCATs. Try to establish a consistent performance before the actual MCAT.

2) Even if you score well on your practice MCATs it is wise to study as if you did not.

 

[metallica81788]

I have a sneaking suspicion this thread will turn into e-wanking about SAT/ACT/MCAT verbal scores... 😎

 

[Beren]

this is pretty close to what i was gonna say.

no, you can't take any part of the MCAT cold. but i have to say, if you have a history of being strong in verbal tests, there's no reason that you shouldn't do well on mcat verbal. yes it is different- but if you already have the tools, you can adapt.

Agreed

(no, i was addicted to sweet valley twins books.)

I also liked Sweet Valley Twins, I borrowed them from a female cousin.

I have a sneaking suspicion this thread will turn into e-wanking about SAT/ACT/MCAT verbal scores... 😎

Agreed. I'll start, 780 on SAT verbal and 15 on MCAT verbal. But... I started with a 6-7V when I began studying. Time is a much bigger deal with the MCAT and a large vocab hardly helps; they just don't waste the time asking "what does this word mean?"

Aside from indicating better test-taking skills, I don't think SATs mean much for MCATs.

 

[extremophile]

wow...a 15 on verbal, Beren? Not bad for someone from Middle Earth.

 

[DRMRL]

i also know a guy who increased his score from 2 to 8 which is incredible haah

 

[Beren]

wow...a 15 on verbal, Beren? Not bad for someone from Middle Earth.

Seriously right? If only everything was in Elvish.

 

[apumic]

i also know a guy who increased his score from 2 to 8 which is incredible haah

Maybe he put in his contacts the second time around. Or was sober.

 

[futuredoctor10]

No. As reiterated by many posters, definitely not the same / not comparable. I feel that the MCAT verbal is much more challenging.

 

[randombetch]

Agreed

I also liked Sweet Valley Twins, I borrowed them from a female cousin.


Agreed. I'll start, 780 on SAT verbal and 15 on MCAT verbal. But... I started with a 6-7V when I began studying. Time is a much bigger deal with the MCAT and a large vocab hardly helps; they just don't waste the time asking "what does this word mean?"

Aside from indicating better test-taking skills, I don't think SATs mean much for MCATs.

Holy s*** - what did you use to study for verbal?

 

[FloatOn]

I wish the MCAT had sentence completions. That stuff was actually fun!

So anyway, like everyone else said, they're totally different. However, if you had what it took to kick ass on the SAT, I'm sure you can figure out a way to tweak your approach for the MCAT and apply the same kick ass-ness for the verbal section. You just have to have a different mindset in general with the MCAT for any section. Wow, that was a lot of prepositional phrases.

 

[Raziela]

I would agree with the above posters, if you did well on the SAT/ACTs, it means you can study for and take standardized tests.
SATs
720 Verbal
690 Math
670 Writing (97% on the grammar component, 5 in writing)

MCAT
12 PS
13 VR
13 BS
Q

I would say I did much better on the MCAT then the SAT, for me, it was simply the amount I studied. I spent 3 months on the MCAT, and much less on the SAT.

 

[NickNaylor]

No.

 

[Compass]

Totally different difficulty level.

 

[vickpick]

probably so

 

[alibai3ah]

I agree with some of the posts above. There is for sure a correlation. I know A LOT of people who never touched the MCAT verbal b/c they had a guaranteed 11 or so. In my case....

580 Sat Verbal 9- MCAT Verbal (both sucked)

740 Sat MATH 11's- MCAT Sciences

710 SAT Writing R- MCAT Writing

I would say there is to a certain degree.....

 

[kavorca]

At my school, MCAT verbal correlates well with Step I. I don't know if that is universal or even common.

 

[alibai3ah]

I also have to say, despite what you may hear from other people, I do think that verbal is the least important of the three sections. When I was applying everyone said that it was SOO important; however, it was my worst section and I did perfectly fine. No one even brought up my verbal score.

On the other hand, a low Bio score I think would be a red flag....

 

[learnmdabc]

No. Period.

SAT:

Writing: 790
Verbal: 780

MCAT:

Verbal: 9

Completely different beast. I would SAT is a nice furry animal, like a hamster.

 

[bobsmith]

I have a sneaking suspicion this thread will turn into e-wanking about SAT/ACT/MCAT verbal scores... 😎

👍 good call

 

[learnmdabc]

ahhh that felt good...

Interestingly enough, at one interview I was asked about my low MCAT verbal score. Then the interviewers asked how I did on SAT verbal section since I had no explanation. I gave a good wank right on the spot.

 

[FloatOn]

No. Period.

SAT:

Writing: 790
Verbal: 780

MCAT:

Verbal: 9

Completely different beast. I would SAT is a nice furry animal, like a hamster.

Like this?

Actually, that doesn't look like a hamster to me. I don't know what the hell that is.

 

[corpus luteum]

Agreed

I also liked Sweet Valley Twins, I borrowed them from a female cousin.


Agreed. I'll start, 780 on SAT verbal and 15 on MCAT verbal. But... I started with a 6-7V when I began studying. Time is a much bigger deal with the MCAT and a large vocab hardly helps; they just don't waste the time asking "what does this word mean?"

Aside from indicating better test-taking skills, I don't think SATs mean much for MCATs.

I need advice from someone who started off w/ a low MCAT Verbal and worked up to a high score. It just doesn't click for me.. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I did practice passages up the wahzoo and ended up with a 9 on verbal on my MCAT. Planning on taking it again in a couple months. Advice on how to study? I'd really appreciate it.

 

[apumic]

I need advice from someone who started off w/ a low MCAT Verbal and worked up to a high score. It just doesn't click for me.. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I did practice passages up the wahzoo and ended up with a 9 on verbal on my MCAT. Planning on taking it again in a couple months. Advice on how to study? I'd really appreciate it.

You're going to want more than a couple of months to bring VR up. It is, by far, the most resistant to change once you've familiarized yourself w/ the basic format and such of it. Verbal skills are very resistant to improvement. What you can do: read... A LOT... and ask yourself about the material -- read difficult stuff outside your areas of interest; take practice tests (using Number2.com's Reading Comprehension for the GRE test would be one good, free resource for improvement here); and figure out your weaknesses and target them.

 

[rafflecopter]

Got a 780 on the SAT's for English and a 10 in VR on the MCAT. Granted, I was scoring 13s on my practice tests, but I think nerves/long passages brought me down. Don't really see a correlation between the scores, although I would say a person with a high SAT might read more, which would inevitably help the VR in the long run, but this is quite a leap to make.

Getting better at VR requires developing a skill, and skills are much harder to learn than concepts or facts. Skills require constant repetition and honing to perfect, so it will naturally take a long time to improve.

 

[fizzgig]

i'm sure not banking on it... i was hoping it would be fine since i'd already had my one wake up call with the GRE (what ARE all these frickin words?? who uses these day to day!?!) but the MCAT passages seem really hard and nothing like the vocabfest that is the GRE... sad, sad... we'll see how that turns out...

 

[ButImLETired]

A lot of people study for the SAT verbal, cause there are "big words" you can expect to be on there, and there are strategies you can use. There's no vocab to learn for MCAT verbal. To some extent it's how naturally that sort of thinking comes to you, and it's also about how comfortable you are reading literature or scholarly journals that have nothing to do with science. You have to have experience thinking globally, not memorizing information from a textbook. A lot of people just don't have that experience or interest in that.


As for "not being able to take any part of the MCAT cold", that's actually false. I took the verbal cold (did a passage once, understood the point, moved on with my life). I also semi-took the bio cold, as in I spent an obscene amount of time on orgo but read half the bio once. I wouldn't really recommend my system, but it IS possible (though unwise).

 

[Perth Domer]

ACT:

Reading 36, Science 35, Math 33, English 29

MCAT: Verbal 11, PS 14, BS 11.

I hit below where I was practicing on the 2 11's. ACT reading is very different from verbal. ACT science is a little like the natural science verbal minus the graphs.

 

[JustAGuy]

There should be a high correlation between SAT verbal and MCAT verbal.