GRE Vs. MCAT

[happydays]

Have any of you taken both of them? If so, what were your scores? Did you score in the same percentiles?

How difficult is the GRE compared to the MCAT? (study time and stress level wise)

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[Ludwig]

MCAT: 34 O (~92nd, ~50th percentiles)
Physics GRE: 930 (94th percentile)
General GRE:
- verbal 560 (~75th %le)
- quantitative 800 (92nd-100th %le)
- writing 5.5 (~86th %le)
I found the GRE verbal and analytical parts to be very easy compared to the corresponding parts on MCAT. My time spent ratio for just these parts is probably 1:50 (GRE:MCAT). Overall, I spent 3-4 weeks on studying for GRE (moderate studying, nothing hardcore) and about 3 months for MCAT (5-8 hours pretty much every day). To me, MCAT was much more stressful than the GRE. Maybe, it's because I wrote the GRE a year after the MCAT...

 

[xanthines]

A better comparison is GRE vs SAT since they are pretty much identical (especially now). I spent a week of half-assed "studying" for the GRE and got 630V/720Q/5.5WS. Just do some practice tests to get used to the geometry in the math section and maybe look over some vocabulary words. If you have time, I would suggest reading actual literature or at the very least something like "The Economist."

Basically, don't worry about the GRE too much.

The subject tests are a little different however.

-X

Have any of you taken both of them? If so, what were your scores? Did you score in the same percentiles?

How difficult is the GRE compared to the MCAT? (study time and stress level wise)

 

[dave613]

A better comparison is GRE vs SAT since they are pretty much identical (especially now). I spent a week of half-assed "studying" for the GRE and got 630V/720Q/5.5WS. Just do some practice tests to get used to the geometry in the math section and maybe look over some vocabulary words. If you have time, I would suggest reading actual literature or at the very least something like "The Economist."

Basically, don't worry about the GRE too much.

The subject tests are a little different however.

-X

Hey Xanthines,

do you think taking the GRE in biology, in addition to MCAT, would help me for applying to MD/PhD programs?(on a side note, i want to do a PhD in the traditional biomedical sciences)

thanks

 

[happydays]

Thanks everyone!

Most people have told me that the GRE is cake compared to the MCAT, but I wanted to get the truth.

I guess it's not so easy to get 1600 on the GRE. Studying is still necessary.

 

[xanthines]

Well, this just my opinion so take it with a grain of salt...

Unless your program specifically requires the subjects, I probably wouldn't take them. They are nice to have if you do well, but are a liability if you don't. You could try taking a practice test to see how you do, I suppose. I looked at the material and some of the sample questions and it looks pretty hard (I wasn't a bio major).

I'm not aware of any MSTP's that require the GRE and I only know of a few non-MSTP MD/PhD programs that do you require them. I took the GRE so I could apply to graduate schools. I avoided the ones that required the subject tests.

-X

Hey Xanthines,

do you think taking the GRE in biology, in addition to MCAT, would help me for applying to MD/PhD programs?(on a side note, i want to do a PhD in the traditional biomedical sciences)

thanks

 

[KilluaZoldyck]

MCAT: 34 O (~92nd, ~50th percentiles)
Physics GRE: 930 (94th percentile)
General GRE:
- verbal 560 (~75th %le)
- quantitative 800 (92nd-100th %le)
- writing 5.5 (~86th %le)
I found the GRE verbal and analytical parts to be very easy compared to the corresponding parts on MCAT. My time spent ratio for just these parts is probably 1:50 (GRE:MCAT). Overall, I spent 3-4 weeks on studying for GRE (moderate studying, nothing hardcore) and about 3 months for MCAT (5-8 hours pretty much every day). To me, MCAT was much more stressful than the GRE. Maybe, it's because I wrote the GRE a year after the MCAT...

That is bull****. I know one of my friends has taken both the GRE and MCAT and he told me both tests are equally hard. You are way exaggerating this issue and should not be taken seriously. "1:50" ratio? what a joke!

Now happydays, to answer your question, i heard my brother and a friend say that the GRE has a harder verbal than the Mcat. I have taken the MCAT in my freshman year in university without the prerequisite courses (Only relied on high school AP courses and my brother's MCAt practice exams) and got a 32Q, but never have i taken the GRE, so i can't make a comparison. All I heard about is that the GRE has a bit harder Verbal compare to the MCAT. I can say with confidence that the Verbal on the Mcat is definitely harder than the SAT, because I got a 9 on the VS of the MCAt which was weird because i did good on the SAT portion of the critical reading. I would say practice hard and you will be fine.

Good luck to all of us who will be taking MCAT 2015/2016

 

[Neuronix]

You are way exaggerating this issue and should not be taken seriously. "1:50" ratio? what a joke!

Maybe things have changed in the 9 years since someone last posted in this thread...

 

[QofQuimica]

Maybe things have changed in the 9 years since someone last posted in this thread...

Maybe so, and that could explain why Killua's friend had a different experience. Or Killua's friend just has a different sense of what's hard compared to the rest of us. But speaking as someone who took both tests 15+ years ago in college, at least in the late 1990s, the GRE was a joke. I took it cold at the last minute and got 790 quant/680 verbal. I actually did some studying for the MCAT (read a book and did some practice questions) and got 11/11/12, which is a good score, but nothing like how I did on the GRE with no prep whatsoever. For me at least, the MCAT was definitely a much harder test. Including the VR section. I think this is the more common perception among people who have taken both tests.

 

[Mad Jack]

You're comparing apples to chihuahuas OP. They aren't the same test in any way, shape or form. The GRE is undoubtedly easier, but there's really no way to compare the two other than that because they're looking for different things and testing different groups of people.

 

[dmblue]

The GRE is a joke in comparison to the MCAT.

GRE verbal is a vocabulary test
MCAT verbal is reading comprehension

I somehow did poorly on the GRE writing but very well on the MCAT one. I'm going to go with that being a fluke.

GRE math is 9th grade math. MCAT bio and physics are college level science.

 

[Trod]

I took the MCAT in the summer of 2012 and GRE summer 2013. I prepared about 2-3 months for the MCAT but only had 1 week to prepare for the GRE. The MCAT was definitely more difficult and stressful overall, although my scores may not reflect that.

MCAT: 32 ( ~88th %ile)
PS 10 (~79th %ile)
BS 11 (~89th %ile)
VR 11 (95th %ile)

GRE Verbal 159 (81st %ile)
GRE Quant 159 (75th %ile)

 

[wholeheartedly]

Took the GRE with almost no studying in '04 and scored roughly 80th % in each area. I'm reviewing for the MCAT now and highly doubt I could hit anywhere near that with the same minimal amount of studying.

OP, I don't think if you do well on the GRE general there's any reason to take the subject test unless it's absolutely required. People can do worse especially since there's a lot of plant biology and other fun stuff on there.😛Don't take the GRE general test unless you have to either.

But yeah they are very very different tests.

 

[JoshSt]

Yes, GRE is a piece of cake on an island paradise compared to the MCAT. I had no incentive to do extraordinarily well on the GRE and my only studying was literally checking out a Princeton review DVD the night before my exam. On the other hand, for the MCAT I spent 4 months of exclusive studying for 6 to 8 hours a day and took 15 to 20 practice tests. Scored about the same percentile on both tests (low to mid 80's)

 

[JoshSt]

I somehow did poorly on the GRE writing but very well on the MCAT one. I'm going to go with that being a fluke.

As did I; I'll share your tossing it up to fluke

 

[dmblue]

As did I; I'll share your tossing it up to fluke

Yeah, I'm convinced that what i wrote was too complicated. I even put a quote in my essay.

 

[cheetoh]

88th percentile MCAT; 91st percentile GRE - but I'd say that there's little to no correlation.

99th percentile writing on both. Apparently standardized test-givers are telling me I chose the wrong field. 🙁