How am I doing? MCAT 1 month out.

[drdreyman]

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Hey everyone, I just wanted to see what people think about my progress so far with regards to my goal.

I've been taking a TPR online course, and i've taken 3 TPR FL's so far

TPR FL 1: 504 (125/125/128/126)
TPR FL 2: 503 (125/125/127/126)
TPR FL 3: 507 (125/127/128/127)

I was pretty excited about this last FL, and i'm hoping it wasn't just a fluke or something. My goal is 520 at least, hopefully even higher. I'm writing 9/18, and my plan for the next month is to take about 8 more FL's, ending with AAMC FL's 1-3, mixing in the section banks during that time as well.

How realistic is my goal? Is there anything else I should be doing if not? I'm pretty much only using TPR books/materials.

thanks so much!

 

[deleted931910]

Seems like you’re making really good progress! A 520+ is a pretty high score that’s definitely achieveable, but might be tough if you’re only a month out and scoring a 507. The AAMC FLs will be the best predictors. Once you take those, you’ll have a pretty good idea of where you stand. And don’t be disappointed if it’s sub 520!

Also, I’d be wary of cramming 8 FLs into a month, especially if you have school. Burn out right before your real exam happens to a lot of students.

Best of luck!

 

[Black Mamba Gene]

I'm doing 7 exams in a month, but I have no other commitments, so I can study whole day. So the burn out depends on if you have any other commitments at this time

this is a schedule I have which can give you sufficient time to review your fl and strengthen your weaknesses:

Day 1: FL #1 + review exam
Day 2: re-review fl c/p section + do c/p questions (focus on weaknesses)
Day 3: re review fl bis section + do bis questions (focus on weaknesses)
Day 4: re-review fl psych section + do psych questions (focus on weaknesses)
Day 5: Fl #2

keep on repeating this until your test date. This will give you enough time for 7 fl exams + ample review of exams + practice questions focused on weaknesses in between.

 

[drdreyman]

I'm doing 7 exams in a month, but I have no other commitments, so I can study whole day. So the burn out depends on if you have any other commitments at this time

this is a schedule I have which can give you sufficient time to review your fl and strengthen your weaknesses:

Day 1: FL #1 + review exam
Day 2: re-review fl c/p section + do c/p questions (focus on weaknesses)
Day 3: re review fl bis section + do bis questions (focus on weaknesses)
Day 4: re-review fl psych section + do psych questions (focus on weaknesses)
Day 5: Fl #2

keep on repeating this until your test date. This will give you enough time for 7 fl exams + ample review of exams + practice questions focused on weaknesses in between.

My plan was to do a 3 day cycle, Day 1: FL, Day 2: Review full exam + practice passages, Day 3: content review/practice. I'm also studying full time.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I think you’re in good shape to do well. Not sure about a 520+, but you don’t need to hit 520 to have a great score. Definitely know the KA p/s document (either the 100 or 300 page version). Also get into uworld now. You only have a month, but a month is better than nothing. Really pay attention to the explanations.

 

[drdreyman]

I think you’re in good shape to do well. Not sure about a 520+, but you don’t need to hit 520 to have a great score. Definitely know the KA p/s document (either the 100 or 300 page version). Also get into uworld now. You only have a month, but a month is better than nothing. Really pay attention to the explanations.

I can't really afford to buy any more materials, I do have the entire TPR Set + AAMC FL's, Section Bank, Q Pack, etc. Of those, which do you recommend using the most?

 

[drdreyman]

I think you’re in good shape to do well. Not sure about a 520+, but you don’t need to hit 520 to have a great score. Definitely know the KA p/s document (either the 100 or 300 page version). Also get into uworld now. You only have a month, but a month is better than nothing. Really pay attention to the explanations.

Also, 520+ is not my solid goal, although my ideal minimum would be 515...is that more realistic?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Also, 520+ is not my solid goal, although my ideal minimum would be 515...is that more realistic?

I'm not sure how TPR scores. I never got above a 507 on Kaplan and got a 519 on the real thing. It's hard to really predict without AAMC FL scores.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I can't really afford to buy any more materials, I do have the entire TPR Set + AAMC FL's, Section Bank, Q Pack, etc. Of those, which do you recommend using the most?

The KA document is free on reddit, and UWorld has a free trial. There's no reason why you can't or shouldn't be doing these things.

The AAMC FLs are crucial and you absolutely need to do all 3.
The SB is more representative of the real deal than the qbanks, but if you get through the SBs and need more stuff to do, the qbanks are decent.
As I said, UWorld has a free trial. You need to spend lots of time in this over the next month.
The KA p/s doc can be found by Googling. Try to learn as much of the 100 pager as you can.

 

[deleted931910]

Also, 520+ is not my solid goal, although my ideal minimum would be 515...is that more realistic?

Well a 507 is around the 73rd percentile, while a 515 is around the 93rd. That's at least a 20 percentile jump you're trying to make in a few weeks! It's not impossible by any means, but it will certainly be difficult. Again, only the AAMC FLs will tell.

 

[drdreyman]

got it. Will update when I take my AAMC FL's, would love some feedback if possible 🙂 My plan as of now is to take FL 1 9/3, FL 2 9/7, and FL 3 9/14. Will be sprinkling in other TPR FL's between those dates, as well as AAMC SB/QB questions. I have downloaded the KA doc, and signed up for UWorld!

 

[Black Mamba Gene]

The KA document is free on reddit, and UWorld has a free trial. There's no reason why you can't or shouldn't be doing these things.

The AAMC FLs are crucial and you absolutely need to do all 3.
The SB is more representative of the real deal than the qbanks, but if you get through the SBs and need more stuff to do, the qbanks are decent.
As I said, UWorld has a free trial. You need to spend lots of time in this over the next month.
The KA p/s doc can be found by Googling. Try to learn as much of the 100 pager as you can.

i completed ~700 uworld questions in one week + review. easily doable to complete all 1500 in two weeks by just doing 100 questions a day

And i have learned so much from them. filled in content gaps. Also take them timed!

 

[drdreyman]

Well a 507 is around the 73rd percentile, while a 515 is around the 93rd. That's at least a 20 percentile jump you're trying to make in a few weeks! It's not impossible by any means, but it will certainly be difficult. Again, only the AAMC FLs will tell.

Right, I was under the impression that TPR was pretty deflated/more difficult than the real thing. Of course I don't want to rely on that, but just thought it is a factor to take into consideration.

 

[drdreyman]

i completed ~700 uworld questions in one week + review. easily doable to complete all 1500 in two weeks by just doing 100 questions a day

And i have learned so much from them. filled in content gaps. Also take them timed!

Got it, i'll work them into my practice. Should I just focus less on the actual TPR passages/materials? considering i'm 29 days out. (studying full time, no school/other responsibilities)

 

[Black Mamba Gene]

Got it, i'll work them into my practice. Should I just focus less on the actual TPR passages/materials? considering i'm 29 days out. (studying full time, no school/other responsibilities)

this is what i do:
day 1: fl + review
day 2: c/p fl 1 re-review + 100+ uworld
day 3 bis fl 1 re-review + 100+ uworld
day 4 psych fl #1 re-review + 100+ uworld
day 5: repeat

idk i havent used tpr, but i def recommend uworld

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

i completed ~700 uworld questions in one week + review. easily doable to complete all 1500 in two weeks by just doing 100 questions a day

And i have learned so much from them. filled in content gaps. Also take them timed!

Agreed. I did almost all the questions in two weeks. It's totally doable over the course of a month.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Right, I was under the impression that TPR was pretty deflated/more difficult than the real thing. Of course I don't want to rely on that, but just thought it is a factor to take into consideration.

Definitely don't rely on it. I know multiple people who did much worse than their third-party FLs for various reasons. Your AAMC FLs are the best predictors.

 

[drdreyman]

this is what i do:
day 1: fl + review
day 2: c/p fl 1 re-review + 100+ uworld
day 3 bis fl 1 re-review + 100+ uworld
day 4 psych fl #1 re-review + 100+ uworld
day 5: repeat

idk i havent used tpr, but i def recommend uworld

Why re-review?

 

[drdreyman]

Definitely don't rely on it. I know multiple people who did much worse than their third-party FLs for various reasons. Your AAMC FLs are the best predictors.

will update once AAMC FL 1 is done!

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Got it, i'll work them into my practice. Should I just focus less on the actual TPR passages/materials? considering i'm 29 days out. (studying full time, no school/other responsibilities)

I'd focus on AAMC material at this point and UWorld. Also go through the KA p/s. You can do a few pages a day and crank it out. It is really worth it. I wish I had bothered to go through it before my test.

Also, I really recommend taking the last week off from learning anything new and from doing any FLs or intense practice if you can. I spent the last week reviewing stuff I had already learned but either learned a while ago or was still a little iffy on. I picked 3-4 topics from each of the major sections (gen chem, ochem, physics, bio, biochem--definitely add in p/s as well; I was stubborn and didn't study p/s at all).

Then, I reviewed those topics over the last week before the exam. It was all stuff I had seen, so I was just doing some last minute solidifying of high yield stuff. The day before the exam, try not to do anything MCAT related. I got myself settled into my hotel, ate dinner, did a dry run of the drive to the testing center, and then went back to my room and watched a few movies and shows to chill out. Doing nothing the day before gave my brain a much needed break, and I woke up the day of the test totally refreshed and ready to rock.

 

[Black Mamba Gene]

Why re-review?

the day i took the full length i mainly will only review what i got wrong

on each section days i look at what i got right as well as what i got wrong and my thought process.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

will update once AAMC FL 1 is done!

Tag me in it when you post your update just in case it doesn't send me a notification.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Why re-review?

the day i took the full length i mainly will only review what i got wrong

on each section days i look at what i got right as well as what i got wrong and my thought process.

Yeah, you need to go through every single question and really understand why the right answer is right and why you either got it right or wrong. It's not enough to just go through the wrong answers.

 

[drdreyman]

Tag me in it when you post your update just in case it doesn't send me a notification.

Well... I am pretty ecstatic right now, and i'm hoping it's not a fluke. AAMC FL 1: 518 (130/128/131/129).
I knew I did better on C/P than i normally do on TPR, and I also definitely felt like CARS was a challenge for me. I felt like I destroyed B/B, and that P/S was also pretty challenging. Should I be worried?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Well... I am pretty ecstatic right now, and i'm hoping it's not a fluke. AAMC FL 1: 518 (130/128/131/129).
I knew I did better on C/P than i normally do on TPR, and I also definitely felt like CARS was a challenge for me. I felt like I destroyed B/B, and that P/S was also pretty challenging. Should I be worried?

FL 1 is the least representative, but I wouldn’t be worried. That’s a great start. You are in a good place to do really, really well. Keep it up!

 

[drdreyman]

FL 1 is the least representative, but I wouldn’t be worried. That’s a great start. You are in a good place to do really, really well. Keep it up!

Would you say people generally score higher on FL1 than the real thing or vice versa? I'm really just aiming for 515+, but if I can do 520+ that would be a godsend considering my GPA isn't amazing (3.69) and i'm shooting for MD/PhD..

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Would you say people generally score higher on FL1 than the real thing or vice versa? I'm really just aiming for 515+, but if I can do 520+ that would be a godsend considering my GPA isn't amazing (3.69) and i'm shooting for MD/PhD..

Your aamc FL average is more useful than a single score. I scored 3 points higher than my FL 1 score. I know people who scored lower. Generally you can expect to score within a few points above or below your average. This is excluding a really bad test or getting one that’s perfect for you.

 

[esob]

Take your avg of the 3, subtract 3 pts and ask yourself if you can live with that score. If so, green light, shuffle to the door.

 

[drdreyman]

Take your avg of the 3, subtract 3 pts and ask yourself if you can live with that score. If so, green light, shuffle to the door.

I'm not going to be taking AAMC FL 2/3 until the week before test day (9/18). I was being eaten alive by anxiety so I needed to know even a general idea of how I would do, since my TPR scores were pretty low.

 

[faerie62]

I think you have a very good shot at making 520+ especially with another month of studying, but keep in mind that luck/how the actual test fits your strengths is a factor that you can't control as well. 518 is already a great score and competitive for MD PhD.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I'm not going to be taking AAMC FL 2/3 until the week before test day (9/18). I was being eaten alive by anxiety so I needed to know even a general idea of how I would do, since my TPR scores were pretty low.

You’re going to take two full lengths the week before your test?

 

[drdreyman]

You’re going to take two full lengths the week before your test?

Yeah. The plan is to take AAMC FL 2 6 days before, reviewing the day after, followed AAMC FL3 4 days before real thing.

 

[drdreyman]

I think you have a very good shot at making 520+ especially with another month of studying, but keep in mind that luck/how the actual test fits your strengths is a factor that you can't control as well. 518 is already a great score and competitive for MD PhD.

Definitely, my game plan for the next 3.5 weeks is to drill UWorld/Qpacks/Section Bank, as well as go through the KA 100pg PS doc. Also probably solidify CARS/Physics with the TPR materials.
Gonna take 3 more TPR tests, finishing up with AAMC FL's 2/3 week before test day.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Yeah. The plan is to take AAMC FL 2 6 days before, reviewing the day after, followed AAMC FL3 4 days before real thing.

Eh I don’t think that’s a great plan, but to each their own.

 

[drdreyman]

Eh I don’t think that’s a great plan, but to each their own.

Due to burnout?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Due to burnout?

Yeah. Also the possibility of having a fluke on FL 2 or 3 the week of the exam and getting super stressed. You’ve got 3.5 weeks (less actually) but you’re planning on taking 5 FLs in that time plus uworld and the rest of the aamc material. You’re asking to burn out.

 

[drdreyman]

Yeah. Also the possibility of having a fluke on FL 2 or 3 the week of the exam and getting super stressed. You’ve got 3.5 weeks (less actually) but you’re planning on taking 5 FLs in that time plus uworld and the rest of the aamc material. You’re asking to burn out.

recommendations? stuff i should cut out/replace?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

recommendations? stuff i should cut out/replace?

I can just tell you what I did. It worked for me. I went crazy on uworld and the SBs and qpacks until the week of the test. I also did one FL per week, with my last one exactly a week before the real thing. The week of the test, I reviewed 3 topics from each subject that I either learned a while back or were a little iffy on. I did 4 for biochem because I hadn’t taken it yet.

I also did a little bit of uworld, but only the first couple days of that last week. The day before the test, I did nothing MCAT related at all. That week was such a nice recharge, and the day before having completely off was awesome. I walked into the exam confident and relaxed.

So I’d do FL 2 2 weeks out and FL 3 a week out, and then pick a tpr to do the week before FL 2. Keep doing everything else.

Just my opinion based on my experience. But I got a good score so it worked for me.

 

[drdreyman]

I can just tell you what I did. It worked for me. I went crazy on uworld and the SBs and qpacks until the week of the test. I also did one FL per week, with my last one exactly a week before the real thing. The week of the test, I reviewed 3 topics from each subject that I either learned a while back or were a little iffy on. I did 4 for biochem because I hadn’t taken it yet.

I also did a little bit of uworld, but only the first couple days of that last week. The day before the test, I did nothing MCAT related at all. That week was such a nice recharge, and the day before having completely off was awesome. I walked into the exam confident and relaxed.

So I’d do FL 2 2 weeks out and FL 3 a week out, and then pick a tpr to do the week before FL 2. Keep doing everything else.

Just my opinion based on my experience. But I got a good score so it worked for me.

Thanks for the advice. Just took AAMC FL 2, and got a 517 (131/128/131/127!) I knew PS was a struggle for me on this one, so much stuff I had no idea about. my plan for the next 12-13 days is to drill QPacks/SBs, taking AAMC FL3 ~4-5 days before the test, sprinkling in PS UWorld which i've heard is crucial. I guess I feel a bit more comfortable considering my scores are so damn similar, but also pretty annoyed about PS.. Oh well.

 

[Shotapp]

Thanks for the advice. Just took AAMC FL 2, and got a 517 (131/128/131/127!) I knew PS was a struggle for me on this one, so much stuff I had no idea about. my plan for the next 12-13 days is to drill QPacks/SBs, taking AAMC FL3 ~4-5 days before the test, sprinkling in PS UWorld which i've heard is crucial. I guess I feel a bit more comfortable considering my scores are so damn similar, but also pretty annoyed about PS.. Oh well.

Congrats on the great score. The question packs are of the old format of the MCAT and thus they will not be representative of the new MCAT. The question packs are good to use during the content review phase. I would focus solely on the Section banks.

 

[drdreyman]

Congrats on the great score. The question packs are of the old format of the MCAT and thus they will not be representative of the new MCAT. The question packs are good to use during the content review phase. I would focus solely on the Section banks.

Got it. should i substitute for UWorld?

Edit: also thanks so much! I was worried that my FL1 was a fluke...and still am a little bit..but this helped calm that down a smidge.

 

[drdreyman]

Update/Bump for anyone who would like to give their 2¢ regarding my progress/predictions on 9/18 (eek so close)
AAMC FL 1 518 (130/128/131/129)
AAMC FL 2 517 (131/128/131/127)

SB's Untimed: C/P: 83%, B/B: 80%, P/S: 71% 🙁

thanks again! 🙂

 

[drdreyman]

Just took FL 3, looking for some feedback?
AAMC FL 1 518 (130/128/131/129)
AAMC FL 2 517 (131/128/131/127)
AAMC FL 3 517 (129/128/130/130) knew I messed up C/P and it didn't help that I had a stomach ache in the beginning...sigh

SB's Untimed: C/P: 83%, B/B: 80%, P/S: 71%

Would it be safe to expect 515+? Testing 9/18, gonna solidify memorization of equations for C/P and go over UWorld P/S. not sure there's much I can do for CARS considering my score hasn't budged throughout my prep and i'm ok with a 128..

thanks!
@Matthew9Thirtyfive ? 🙂

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Just took FL 3, looking for some feedback?
AAMC FL 1 518 (130/128/131/129)
AAMC FL 2 517 (131/128/131/127)
AAMC FL 3 517 (129/128/130/130) knew I messed up C/P and it didn't help that I had a stomach ache in the beginning...sigh

SB's Untimed: C/P: 83%, B/B: 80%, P/S: 71%

Would it be safe to expect 515+? Testing 9/18, gonna solidify memorization of equations for C/P and go over UWorld P/S. not sure there's much I can do for CARS considering my score hasn't budged throughout my prep and i'm ok with a 128..

thanks!
@Matthew9Thirtyfive ? 🙂

It is not safe to expect anything on test day. There are wayyyy too many factors to account for. However, your tests seem to indicate that you will do well. I was scoring around there on the practices. However, everyone is different and their test day experiences are different. Some people do much bttr on the actual thing than their practice. However, many also do much worse. Only thing to do is take the test and wait for the results. Good luck ~