How accurate are Pearson's practice tests?

[newtothisPharm]

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Hey just wondering how accurate the Pearson tests are in predicting your PCAT score and a couple of questions about PCAT procedures....

Do we get a periodic table for the exam?

Do we get to use a basic scientific calculator for the QR? (I think not but just checking... )

 

[FarmDeeHI]

Not sure about the Pearson tests but I believe that they do not distribute periodic tables or calculators for PCAT testing unless they recently changed p/p?

 

[sanode]

Hi Welcome to SDN.
No PTable , no calculators.

 

[Maximum404]

As to predicting your score, I'll tell you in a few weeks.

 

[longhornatheart]

The Pearson exams are real PCATs from the past so content-wise they're pretty indicative of how you'll do on the real thing. However, I think it depends on what kind of test taker you are. Personally I get anxious during exams so even though I may do decent on a practice exam, I may not have the same outcome on the real thing.

 

[timeforacleanin]

The Pearson exams are real PCATs from the past so content-wise they're pretty indicative of how you'll do on the real thing. However, I think it depends on what kind of test taker you are. Personally I get anxious during exams so even though I may do decent on a practice exam, I may not have the same outcome on the real thing.

The practice exams are not official tests given in the past. They are partial (about 80% from a real test and 20% created specifically for the practice exam but given enough difficulty as a regular exam).

 

[WW19]

In my case they were very accurate. I took two of the pearson practice tests about a week before I took the actual pcat (in August of this year) and on both scored in the 80-99 range. On the actual pcat I scored in the 88th percentile. It does give you a broad range but it will certainly give you a decent gauge of how prepared you are.

You will not be able to use a calculator or a periodic table. The periodic table is not really necessary though because they will give you any molecular weights that you will need in a problem. Not being able to use a calculator was pretty terrible though. That's what makes the quant section so rough.

 

[chemguy79]

I thought that they were very indicative to the actual exam; To the point that they helped me study certain topics that I was shaky on during the practice exams. You won't see the EXACT questions again, but will surely see the concepts covered frequently on the exam.

 

[ws0013]

Just got my Oct scores and I must say...practice test #2 was pretty accurate in predicting my scores. On practice test #2 I scored in the range of 75-85 (my actual composite score was an 80). Practice test #3 predicted my range to be 80-99 so I would say practice test #2 is more accurate. I didn't bother purchasing practice test #1. There were a few analogies on my exam that were taken directly from the practice exams. The only section I found to be drastically different from the actual exam was the quantitative section...the math on the actual PCAT is MUCH harder than the questions on the practice exams.

Hope that helps!

 

[Maximum404]

I would also have to say that practice tests 2/3 were fairly accurate. My RC and vocab were lower (99/99 to 89/87) on the real test than the practice, but I did better on the chemistry on the real test. Overall the Composite came out to about the same.

EDIT: I will second the Quantitative section being much harder on the actual exam. Very harsh. I have had Calc 1,2,3,4, Prob/Stats, Lin/Alg + Matrices, and Diffeqs as a reference. I did HORRIBLY on math, although I haven't had a math class in 5+ years and didn't prep quant....so I deserved it.