highest PCAT scores?

[korincs]

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I'm going to take the next PCAT, and am wondering. . .What are the highest scores that people have heard of? I took three of the cliffs practice PCATs, and missed only 5 questions total in the three biology sections. On this site I've never seen a score over 500 reported in any category. Isn't the highest a 600? For the verbal I can understand. Even as an english major, I didn't do as well as I did in biology. Is it weird there aren't more 500+ biology scores?

 

[LowGPAHighPCAT]

I'm going to take the next PCAT, and am wondering. . .What are the highest scores that people have heard of? I took three of the cliffs practice PCATs, and missed only 5 questions total in the three biology sections. On this site I've never seen a score over 500 reported in any category. Isn't the highest a 600? For the verbal I can understand. Even as an english major, I didn't do as well as I did in biology. Is it weird there aren't more 500+ biology scores?

The numerical scoring system that they have is not only based upon scores from this testing cycle, but from previous ones as well. When I took the PCAT last October, I missed ONE question in the verbal section and still did not break 500. I scored in the 99th percentile for that section but my numerical score was not anywhere close to 600 (even though I missed just the one question).

Don't worry about the 3-digit score that you receive. The important number is your percentile score. And don't develop a false sense of security based on how you are doing on the practice tests. Harcourt has a funny way of making the actual test much more difficult than the majority of practice tests out there - even their own practice tests.

Good luck!

 

[GogoRX]

How should i study for the pcat exam, i enrolled for the 2007 june and i'm uaing the kaplan books. Also i wanted to know if the questions on the pcat are very specific or are they out of this world???

 

[HarcourtMonopol]

The numerical scoring system that they have is not only based upon scores from this testing cycle, but from previous ones as well. When I took the PCAT last October, I missed ONE question in the verbal section and still did not break 500. I scored in the 99th percentile for that section but my numerical score was not anywhere close to 600 (even though I missed just the one question).

How did you find out how many questions you missed? I didn't know this was possible.

 

[korincs]

I thought I an idea about how the thing is graded, but I didn't think current test takers' scores were a factor. Just the group of 'first time test takers' from 98-03 or so. Is that right?
It just seems that a lot of people are smarter than me in biology and that there should be at least a few who miss 0 or 1 questions. I guess the same thing for the math section. You just never see scaled scores over 500 in any section. Is the PCAT math so tough that no one will miss less than a couple?? If you miss none, are you guaranteed a 600?

 

[penguins429]

i dont think that getting every answer right guarantees you a 600 --
but then again, i don't grade the test, so my opinion isn't worth much ...

 

[LowGPAHighPCAT]

How did you find out how many questions you missed? I didn't know this was possible.

To be honest, there is no way to find out how many you actually missed. But I found the verbal test to be extremely easy. I was 100% sure on every question, save 3. I memorized those questions, the possible answers and my answers, and then checked them after the test. Of the 3 that I was not sure on, I only missed 1. There is a bit of assumption there - for instance, I'm assuming that I made no transcribing errors. However, I went back and checked every question before the end of the test to ensure that the answer I intended matched the little oval....

 

[LowGPAHighPCAT]

I thought I an idea about how the thing is graded, but I didn't think current test takers' scores were a factor. Just the group of 'first time test takers' from 98-03 or so. Is that right?
It just seems that a lot of people are smarter than me in biology and that there should be at least a few who miss 0 or 1 questions. I guess the same thing for the math section. You just never see scaled scores over 500 in any section. Is the PCAT math so tough that no one will miss less than a couple?? If you miss none, are you guaranteed a 600?

I believe that the scaled scores take into account how many questions the average person got right on this test and compare it to how many questions the average person got right on previous tests. If a test given today resulted in the average person getting 20 out of 30 on a section, but in the past, the average was 18 out of 30, Harcourt would assume that this test was slightly easier, and the scaled scores would be lower (and vice versa). Don't ask me what equation they use to determine all this - I got a 55% in the math section. 😳

 

[LowGPAHighPCAT]

i dont think that getting every answer right guarantees you a 600 --
but then again, i don't grade the test, so my opinion isn't worth much ...

No it doesn't. In order to get a 600, this test would have to have the lowest average scores compared to tests in the past and you would have to get every answer correct - or at least tie for the most correct answers.

 

[korincs]

No it doesn't. In order to get a 600, this test would have to have the lowest average scores compared to tests in the past and you would have to get every answer correct - or at least tie for the most correct answers.

That makes sense. . .I still have to take statistics, so maybe it'll make even more sense then.

I don't understand why just a straight percentage wouldn't be better -- you compared to everyone else who took the same test. A 75% means something 😛

 

[Me+PharmD]

The numerical scoring system that they have is not only based upon scores from this testing cycle, but from previous ones as well. When I took the PCAT last October, I missed ONE question in the verbal section and still did not break 500. I scored in the 99th percentile for that section but my numerical score was not anywhere close to 600 (even though I missed just the one question).

Don't worry about the 3-digit score that you receive. The important number is your percentile score. And don't develop a false sense of security based on how you are doing on the practice tests. Harcourt has a funny way of making the actual test much more difficult than the majority of practice tests out there - even their own practice tests.

Good luck!

How did you find this information out...that you missed only one question?

 

[overhillpharmer]

I feel the most realistic of all the study materials I used was the Gourley's ARCO guide to the PCAT. I felt its relative content and timing was very similar to the test that I took in October 2006. I got a 95 composite. The Kaplan guide scared me to death so I hardly touched it. That being said, if you can master the Kaplan book you will probably get a 99 composite with 85+ on each subsection. Also the Arco is less thatn 1/3 the size of the Kaplan.

hope I was helpful,
Over

 

[HarcourtMonopol]

To be honest, there is no way to find out how many you actually missed. But I found the verbal test to be extremely easy. I was 100% sure on every question, save 3. I memorized those questions, the possible answers and my answers, and then checked them after the test. Of the 3 that I was not sure on, I only missed 1. There is a bit of assumption there - for instance, I'm assuming that I made no transcribing errors. However, I went back and checked every question before the end of the test to ensure that the answer I intended matched the little oval....

Oh come on. I don't doubt your verbal ability but to say you were 100% sure on every question except for three is ludicrous.

I got 99% overall and 99% (480 and 481) in two sections but I would never be so bold as to say I was 100% sure on every question except for a couple. Obviously, I was pretty dang sure about most of them, but 100% sure? No way. I leave open the possibility that I may have arrived at an answer through fallacious reasoning (this is especially true for analogies) and consequently I realize the answers I was really certain of could have been incorrect. I estimate that I missed anywhere from two to four questions on the 99% sections, but again, that's just my guess. Similarly, your misleading statement of "I missed ONE question in the verbal section" is also a guess, not a statement of fact as you would have us believe.

How did you find this information out...that you missed only one question?

He/She is obviously just guessing. I highly doubt that their guess is correct, but that's just my opinion though.

 

[HarcourtMonopol]

I'm going to take the next PCAT, and am wondering. . .What are the highest scores that people have heard of? I took three of the cliffs practice PCATs, and missed only 5 questions total in the three biology sections. On this site I've never seen a score over 500 reported in any category. Isn't the highest a 600? For the verbal I can understand. Even as an english major, I didn't do as well as I did in biology. Is it weird there aren't more 500+ biology scores?

If you search in past threads where people have posted their scores you will see at least one score of over 500 in one of the sections (I think it was chemistry but I can't remember and I'm pretty sure the person got 95%+ in every category - it was the highest score I had ever seen). Also, I know someone personally who scored over 500 in the chemistry section, so it does happen, just not very often.

 

[LowGPAHighPCAT]

Oh come on. I don't doubt your verbal ability but to say you were 100% sure on every question except for three is ludicrous.

I got 99% overall and 99% (480 and 481) in two sections but I would never be so bold as to say I was 100% sure on every question except for a couple. Obviously, I was pretty dang sure about most of them, but 100% sure? No way. I leave open the possibility that I may have arrived at an answer through fallacious reasoning (this is especially true for analogies) and consequently I realize the answers I was really certain of could have been incorrect. I estimate that I missed anywhere from two to four questions on the 99% sections, but again, that's just my guess. Similarly, your misleading statement of "I missed ONE question in the verbal section" is also a guess, not a statement of fact as you would have us believe.


He/She is obviously just guessing. I highly doubt that their guess is correct, but that's just my opinion though.

You really need to open your eyes and shut your mouth. I said that it was an assumption. However, you can be fairly sure about all answers on a test - as I said, I rechecked every single question and answer on that particular section and I was 100% sure that I got the ones right that I said that I did.

 

[LowGPAHighPCAT]

That makes sense. . .I still have to take statistics, so maybe it'll make even more sense then.

I don't understand why just a straight percentage wouldn't be better -- you compared to everyone else who took the same test. A 75% means something 😛

That's why schools generally only look at the percentile scores of applicants and not their scaled scores.

 

[korincs]

Right, but as I understand it even that percentage is some kind of scaled percentage. . .I mean it would be interesting to get a score that included your "raw" [??straight?] percentage score: Your percentage within the group that took that test at that particular time. So a 75% would mean that you scored higher than 75% of everyone else who tested in June 07. It seems like that would be a meaningful number, or at least one with a clear interpretation. Stats is a mystery to me. 😀

 

[HarcourtMonopol]

I said that it was an assumption.

The only assumption you admitted to was that you made no transcribing errors, an assumption that you quickly refuted in your next sentence.

There is a bit of assumption there - for instance, I'm assuming that I made no transcribing errors. However, I went back and checked every question before the end of the test to ensure that the answer I intended matched the little oval....

I rechecked every single question and answer on that particular section and I was 100% sure that I got the ones right that I said that I did.

So basically you're saying there is absolutely no way you reasoned incorrectly on an analogy and no possible way you misinterpreted a sentence completion because you went back and checked them all. Is there no way you mistakenly interpreted an analogy or sentence completion incorrectly and used the same fallacious reasoning when you went back to check your answers again? Sorry, but I don't buy it.

The fact is you don't know for sure that you missed only one question, yet for some reason, you continue to confuse estimation with absolute 100% certainty.

However, you can be fairly sure about all answers on a test

Wow, that is exactly the point I was trying to help you understand. If you go back and change all your posts from 100% sure to fairly sure, then I have no problem with anything you've written.

You really need to open your eyes and shut your mouth.

My eyes were open and my mouth was shut the entire time I made my post and read all of yours, but thanks for the advice.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

There is no point fighting about something like this. Let's keep the discuss civil and on-topic. Thanks!

 

[LowGPAHighPCAT]

The only assumption you admitted to was that you made no transcribing errors, an assumption that you quickly refuted in your next sentence.





So basically you're saying there is absolutely no way you reasoned incorrectly on an analogy and no possible way you misinterpreted a sentence completion because you went back and checked them all. Is there no way you mistakenly interpreted an analogy or sentence completion incorrectly and used the same fallacious reasoning when you went back to check your answers again? Sorry, but I don't buy it.

The fact is you don't know for sure that you missed only one question, yet for some reason, you continue to confuse estimation with absolute 100% certainty.

Wow, that is exactly the point I was trying to help you understand. If you go back and change all your posts from 100% sure to fairly sure, then I have no problem with anything you've written.


My eyes were open and my mouth was shut the entire time I made my post and read all of yours, but thanks for the advice.

I can argue in semantics with you all day long (and will be happy to do so if you wish) but I think that we've drifted off topic a bit. The whole point of this posting was to address the question of scaled scores and, to this end, I think that we can find agreement. I will admit that my wording was probably not as clear as it could have been, and no, one can never be completely sure that the answer they provide is the correct one. However, I've taken quite a few of these type of tests and my intuition (yes I said intuition) is usually correct, as is my rechecking methodolody. That said, you are correct that I cannot be completely, 100% sure. Only 99.9%......🙄

 

[acetyl]

Ok, a little off topic, but I wanted to see if you guys could provide your 2 cents to this question. I was helping a student with some chemistry questions and stumbled upon this question:

According to the equation
2A + B eq. arrow 2C + D
if there is 1 mol of A and 1 mol of B, which is the limiting reactant?

The answer guide says B should be the limiting reactant, which I think is incorrect. Any thoughts?

 

[Eleen]

Ok, a little off topic, but I wanted to see if you guys could provide your 2 cents to this question. I was helping a student with some chemistry questions and stumbled upon this question:

According to the equation
2A + B eq. arrow 2C + D
if there is 1 mol of A and 1 mol of B, which is the limiting reactant?

The answer guide says B should be the limiting reactant, which I think is incorrect. Any thoughts?

I agree acetyl. If you had 1 mol of A, you'd only need 1/2 mol of B. A is the limiting reactant. B would be in excess.

 

[binghamkid]

Personally, I don't think it really matters how high someone's PCAT score is. If you did well, then good for you. If not, then hopefully if you take it again, you'll do better. There's no sense in showing off how high your score is (the numerical scores are nonsensical) because once you get in, it doesn't matter anymore. And besides, who can even verify your score for you except you and your sheet of paper that Harcourt mailed you?

Some people just aren't good test takers, so let's leave it at that. The fact that they're here asking for help is a step in the right direction. Let's spend our time helping them out so they can get the good scores to get into pharmacy school.


And don't even try saying that I'm saying this because i didn't get a good score =) If you're absolutely dying to know my scores, PM me and I might tell you. But it really doesn't matter.