Heavily Fluctuating Scores

[strugstofunc]

Hello! I feel like I'm at my wits end with practice exams. My scores on TPR exams: 503, 500, 498, 498, 500, 503, 499 (today). I feel like I'm going mad.

I've taken one Kaplan and one NS exam and they were both 503's.

Do you suggest I move to other practice exam makers? Reason I'm asking is because I'm started to develop a fear against taking practice exams because I feel like I'm going to do poorly anyways. I know TPR is "deflated", but I'm not sure how to think about consistently getting 498-500's on their exams.

My first AAMC test -- taken prior to all my TPR, Kaplan, and NS tests - was a 500.

If anyone has seen similar trends to their scores, let me know because I truly feel like I'm alone on this front.

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[JimKimSlim]

Well, I was never at the 500 zone, but i got 506 when I took my first FL from Altius. Then, I was able to learn from my mistakes and boosted my scores to 515 on Altius FL’s and 520 on AAMC FL’s. Whatever you’re doing to review your mistakes, I don’t think it’s effective. Try some other methods and test whether they work through practice problems. Also, be patient. Some people take several FL’s until they see improvement, and that’s normal. With diligence, I believe you’ll be able to reach your desired score.

 

[lumya]

The difference between your highest and lowest score is only 5 points so I don't think you're fluctuating a lot. Whatever score you get on your AAMC ones will be most reflective of your actual score. It's definitely possible to improve a lot between your first AAMC FL to the 4th one. Do you see any trends in the ones you're getting wrong?

 

[strugstofunc]

@JimKimSlim @lumya Thank you both for your feedback! I definitely was frustrated when I was looking at my inconsistencies. Since I posted, I scored a 505 on another TPR exam and a 509 on AAMC FL2. Any advice on how to boost scores from here?

I've set a goal for myself -- strive for at least a 510 on TPR. I feel like this may be attainable with the 4 weeks I have left, but would love your input. Also I'm thinking 510 on TPR because I finally see their scoring deflation.

 

[lumya]

What is your section break down?

 

[strugstofunc]

For AAMC FL2: 128/125/129/127

 

[lumya]

It looks like CARS is your weakest area. Are you having issues finishing the passage? CARS is a rough one to improve since you can’t rote memorize it. If you look at the questions you get wrong maybe you’ll fine some trends. For P/S some memorization can improve the score but sometimes they ask weird questions. I was a psych major and there are random things mentioned in that section that makes me roll my eyes.

 

[strugstofunc]

Thank you! Ya, with CARS I'm noticing some trends which have helped me. I think I just need more practice. I don't really take time to practice CARS. Really have been honing in on chem/phys because I don't feel so comfortable on it. Clearly from my performance, I should re-evaluate that method.

Psych is weird too. I feel comfortable with the concepts, but it's heavily research design based so I feel like that section is just practice too.

Thanks again for your help!