Has anybody ever got a much higher score on the real MCAT than on their AAMC's?

[GomerPyle]

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I took the 5/24 exam yesterday - I freaked out in the beginning because I couldn't believe I was taking the MCAT...calmed down and caught up with my normal pace, but the sections were all hard, including things I have never seen before (and things I never thought we had to know)...

Anyways, I averaged around a 29-30 (didn't really start studying till last month, ugh). I definitely feel horrible after the MCAT (but so did my friend, and so do most of the people here on SDN). Hoping for a generous curve, but has anybody scored significantly higher on the real deal than on AAMC practice tests??

 

[deleted357625]

I'm sure people have i know someone who averaged 19 on AAMC and got a 25 on the real deal so that can tell you something..

I'm sure you did well. 👍

 

[411309]

me and my friend both felt awful about it too. I had to guess a ton and im convinced ill be retaking it..and my aamc range was a 29-32 with a 34 on 6.

I felt like some questions were just plain ridiculous.

 

[GomerPyle]

me and my friend both felt awful about it too. I had to guess a ton and im convinced ill be retaking it..and my aamc range was a 29-32 with a 34 on 6.

I felt like some questions were just plain ridiculous.

And there is nothing worse than knowing you missed 4-5 problems that were the "easy" or the "definition" type questions. Just puts you down even more...ugh. Some of the crap I had never seen! It was ridiculous.

 

[411309]

it really was. usually i make bank of the discretes. this time..wtf? I stared at one of them for like 10 minutes thinking to myself...Wtf are they talking about? and the orgo..what was that? I swear i think we got unlucky, my first exam was not orgo heavy this one was just insane.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

A student I know had been averaging 30's on the AAMC practice exams. They ended up with a 38T on the real thing.

It happens, but it definitely isn't the norm.

Note: The person did not get accepted anywhere this application cycle

 

[railgun]

Yep, I was averaging 34's but got a 38!!

 

[GomerPyle]

Yep, I was averaging 34's but got a 38!!

But how did you feel after the test?

 

[jameschoun]

Yes, I was averaging 30 on my AAMC's... Never scored higher than a 31 on a test.

Ended up getting 33 on the real deal. Felt good initially after the test, then thought I bombed it after a while...

 

[railgun]

But how did you feel after the test?

I felt I got about a 35 after the test, but was almost a 100% sure I got over a 32. (The highest I expected was a 36 because the highest I got on AAMC was 37 so I wasn't sure I did better than that)

Basically my thoughts after test:
Initially (1 hr after): Feeling confident of >34
1st week: Probably got around a 35
2nd week: Why do they take so long to score this??
3rd week: Damn. I need to lower my expectations - telling others I probably got >=32
4th week: Did I click to void?!?
Score released: Hell yes! 😀

 

[MedPR]

Yep, I was averaging 34's but got a 38!!

Nice! Not to take away from your 38, but I think this is more likely than someone averaging a 29 and ending up with a 33 on the real thing. When you're in the mid 30 range you can end up in the high 30 range if you get lucky with the questions. I don't think the same is true when you are in the high 20 range.

 

[railgun]

Nice! Not to take away from your 38, but I think this is more likely than someone averaging a 29 and ending up with a 33 on the real thing. When you're in the mid 30 range you can end up in the high 30 range if you get lucky with the questions. I don't think the same is true when you are in the high 20 range.

Totally agree. I got lucky with the bio section (got a 15, but still not all luck bcuz my avg was ~12 so thats a decently big jump), but avg with the other ones. I was just giving an example of where someone did better than he was averaging or what he expected.