Horrible PCAT scores???? July 2016

[uncpharm]

I just took the PCAT for the first time today and ended up getting horrible scores for the most part and am so confused as to how this happened. I felt confident during most of the test, especially with biology. I took all 3 PPT online and my lowest score range was 77-95 percent so I was really hoping for an 80 composite-at least.

Biology 48
Chemistry 86
Critical Reading 58
Quantitative 59
Composite 64

I'm just in shock because I felt confident during most of the test and was really expecting and hoping to get above an 80. UNC has been my dream pharmacy school and with a gpa of a 3.33 I figured I would need a very high PCAT score. I wanted to apply to UNC within the next month because they have rolling admissions (earlier you apply, higher the chance of you getting in). Do you guys think it is necessary that I retake the exam ASAP? I just don't know how to study differently since I used Dr. Collins and PPT and felt confident throughout.

Also, how much do you think scores will change in the official score report since this is the first time 40% of chem and bio has been passage based??! I feel that if I'm lucky, my score would bump to a 70 composite, but that's still well below UNC's average :'(

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[BluePill_]

Don't sweat it! I don't think preliminary scores change much, but your scores are not terrible. Your chemistry is very good, which will help a lot. You can always retake the PCAT too, which usually helps people raise their score by as much as 10-20 points, just because they are not as nervous. If you do not retake it you will probably need the other areas of your application to stand out. Make sure you have pharmacy experience and quality community service. The PCAT is not the end-all of the pharmacy application. While it can help, there is much more to the application than just a standardized test score

 

[uncpharm]

Thank so much! That made me feel so so much better I definitely think I'm going to retake because my GPA is a little below their average as well and my bio score is horrrrible. I hope to increase my pcat in Bio and Math by a lot next time around!

 

[BluePill_]

The good news is Bio and math are probably the easiest to study, you should be fine, just make lots of notecards

 

[uncpharm]

I definitely will, thanks! I saw on another post that you used Kaplan the most to study. I actually only used Dr. Collins and Pearson. Do you think solely studying Kaplan for Bio and Math will be helpful this time around?

 

[BluePill_]

I definitely will, thanks! I saw on another post that you used Kaplan the most to study. I actually only used Dr. Collins and Pearson. Do you think solely studying Kaplan for Bio and Math will be helpful this time around?

I only studied Kaplan because it was the cheapest, haha. It helped some on the Biology, didn't help much on the math. I suggest using old notes and text books, those are your best resources.

 

[uncpharm]

Okk thanks for the advice! I think I'll use Kaplan for bio only lol...and use collins again for chem and math

 

[tgbef16]

I got very similar scores as you.

Bio 58
Chem 89
Reading 52
Math 53

Comp 66

I'm really disappointed in myself, I studied so hard. I think I got really nervous and didn't focus or pace myself properly because just like you, I did vert well on the pearson tests. I thought i did very well on bio because I have an undergrad in microbio. Also, I'm surprised at my chemistry mark tbh I thought it was the hardest section. Math I would have gotten 100% of the questions right if I had more time... I need to practice doing questions faster lol... I'm hoping I can improve my scores.

 

[Brwn2011]

I just took the PCAT for the first time today and ended up getting horrible scores for the most part and am so confused as to how this happened. I felt confident during most of the test, especially with biology. I took all 3 PPT online and my lowest score range was 77-95 percent so I was really hoping for an 80 composite-at least.

Biology 48
Chemistry 86
Critical Reading 58
Quantitative 59
Composite 64

I'm just in shock because I felt confident during most of the test and was really expecting and hoping to get above an 80. UNC has been my dream pharmacy school and with a gpa of a 3.33 I figured I would need a very high PCAT score. I wanted to apply to UNC within the next month because they have rolling admissions (earlier you apply, higher the chance of you getting in). Do you guys think it is necessary that I retake the exam ASAP? I just don't know how to study differently since I used Dr. Collins and PPT and felt confident throughout.

Also, how much do you think scores will change in the official score report since this is the first time 40% of chem and bio has been passage based??! I feel that if I'm lucky, my score would bump to a 70 composite, but that's still well below UNC's average :'(

Honestly a 66 isn't horrible considering your gpa. But unc is a very competitive school so if thats where you want to go retake it. But you will be competive at most places with 66 + your gpa

 

[Mao263]

Biology 48
Chemistry 86
Critical Reading 58
Quantitative 59
Composite 64

:'(

It looks like you met the requirements, usually schools ask min 50, no less than 50

 

[OnRouteToPharmD]

Hi all, I'm an incoming first year pharmacy school student at the University of Maryland and I thought I'd share some thoughts. I studied with both Kaplan and Dr. Collins, along with using the Pearson practice exams. I would say in order to be a competitive applicant, especially for a school like UNC, you should have a high score in biology and chemistry. I scored over 90 percentile in both (I took the PCAT two times.) However, I got around a 70 percentile in the math section, so don't give up hope! Remember that pharmacy schools look at your application holistically, though PCAT scores do matter. Practice, practice, and practice problems until you fully understand them. Dr. Collins has many practice problems that are certainly helpful on the real PCAT exam. Aside from your PCAT score, make your application shine- list all of your extracurricular activities, get strong recommendations, and write a strong personal statement. Hope this helps!

 

[Mao263]

Hi all, I'm an incoming first year pharmacy school student at the University of Maryland and I thought I'd share some thoughts. I studied with both Kaplan and Dr. Collins, along with using the Pearson practice exams. I would say in order to be a competitive applicant, especially for a school like UNC, you should have a high score in biology and chemistry. I scored over 90 percentile in both (I took the PCAT two times.) However, I got around a 70 percentile in the math section, so don't give up hope! Remember that pharmacy schools look at your application holistically, though PCAT scores do matter. Practice, practice, and practice problems until you fully understand them. Dr. Collins has many practice problems that are certainly helpful on the real PCAT exam. Aside from your PCAT score, make your application shine- list all of your extracurricular activities, get strong recommendations, and write a strong personal statement. Hope this helps!

Thank you for the advise! Btw, do you recommend any other sources to study? Like extra bio and Chem books?

 

[MM91]

What did you do different this time from the first Pcat?