How do I study after AAMC FL1 score?

[TennisWalk]

Hello everyone,
I will take my exam in April and I am studying full time until then. My goal is a 510+

Before the exam I had done content review and another Kaplan FL (498 i think, similar breakdown.)

How would you suggest I study? I'm starting fresh with content review again, but how should I approach it? When should I stop content review?
Thanks in advance.

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[PapaGuava]

It really depends how comfortable you are with the various content because if you are less familiar with certain core topics then I would definitely go back and review them. This will only help strengthen your confidence when beginning to answer MCAT style questions again. However, you have to be careful not to focus too much on content review because it is paramount to understand how to go about taking the MCAT and answering the questions effectively. If I were to go back, I would have cut down a little bit on content review and practiced more questions. This will help increase your score more so as long as you have a working knowledge of the content.

@TennisWalk

 

[TennisWalk]

Thanks for the advice

 

[TheRealCookieMonster]

When should I stop content review?

Right now.
The questions you practice open the door to what you need to review. Reading books and watching videos is a waste of time imo. With a low P/S you might consider flash cards for the equations and MAYBE A FEW important definitions. But if I were you I would focus only on the questions and understanding them if I were you. I started with a <500 score and every minute I spent on content review should have been spent on questions and getting them right.

 

[TennisWalk]

Right now.
The questions you practice open the door to what you need to review. Reading books and watching videos is a waste of time imo. With a low P/S you might consider flash cards for the equations and MAYBE A FEW important definitions. But if I were you I would focus only on the questions and understanding them if I were you. I started with a <500 score and every minute I spent on content review should have been spent on questions and getting them right.

Do you have any specific practice passages you think I should use? I have the EK 101 passages for psych, bio, and biochem. Would you recommend using these for practice? Or are there other sources you recommend? Also when should I start moving on from passages to FL practice exams?

Also a specific question in terms of physics. Before I took FL1 i never looked at anything related to physics at all. I looked at the kaplan textbook and it really looks like a waste of time. Do you know a quick way to study physics topics? I was thinking of maybe just going over the high yield kaplan topics as well as memorizing some equations, do you think that a good idea?

 

[Ad2b]

I disagree with Cookie. 100%

Your content is weak and depending on how long you've been out of school, or lack of understanding when in it, you need to keep improving your content knowledge.

How? EK 1001 books + EK 101 or Uworld + EK or Anki decks + Uworld... do those for a week, then take another FL. Make sure if you get a question wrong, you retrace, even with pencil on paper, why.

It's not that content by sheer sake is bad, it's just that it's too easy to say to yourself, "I won't miss that next time" but you will (I did!!).

 

[Swagster]

I agree with Cookie. 100%

Content review is overrated and a poor use of time. It makes you feel good, like you're doing something. But you're wasting time on low yield methods. To do well on the MCAT, you need to practice exactly what you get points for, and that is the questions. Learn by a thorough postgame analysis of your passages.

As for materials, use the 100-day materials. Use the Koala T materials. Use the SNed materials. There is a reason they have been recommending them since when I first was here: THEY WORK! I have taken the exam twice now, and score quite well following their plan. If it calls for TBR science books, then use TBR science books. If it calls for the TPR CARS book, then use the TPR CARS book. Don't be cheap. I resold my TBR and TPR books for about what I paid for them. Use what is proven to work.

You already have AAMC exams, which are the best. Save any you haven't done until you feel ready.

Buckle in and make it happen!

 

[Lawpy]

I think the approach should be a targeted content review. Since your lowest scores are C/P and P/S, you should do a lot of practice in these areas to increase your score. Find out which specific subjects are you weakest in and do content review in these topics. Targeted content review gives direction in your prep by forcing you to address your weaknesses as quickly and thoroughly as possible. It's an active learning strategy that's better than simply passively reading the material.

If for example, your weakness is on electrochemistry, read the chapter on it, watch videos and do a lot of practice on this subject for few days to really master this concept. Do this for subjects you're weak on and once you're better prepared, do another practice test in timed conditions.

 

[Swagster]

Sound advice from Lawper.

Do passages and if you are getting manhandled, then look back at content as needed. But you should find that the answer explanations will provide a good amount of content review and strategies.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Lawper’s advice is solid here. You definitely need some content review if your AAMC FL is a 503. But don’t stop doing practice because of that. You need to identify your areas of weakness NOW and do focused review while continuing to practice questions and passages.

And for the love of God, invest in uworld.

 

[TennisWalk]

Thanks everyone, I think i'm going to use Uworld for practice and just use all the answer explanations to the questions as "content review." Hopefully I finish that and have the last month before my exam (April 13) to just focus on FLs. Does this sound like a solid plan?

 

[Amyloid_Beemer]

Anki + uworld then AAMC

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

Thanks everyone, I think i'm going to use Uworld for practice and just use all the answer explanations to the questions as "content review." Hopefully I finish that and have the last month before my exam (April 13) to just focus on FLs. Does this sound like a solid plan?

You are going to need WAY more passages than what they offer.

 

[TennisWalk]

You are going to need WAY more passages than what they offer.

Yea i forgot to mention 1 kaplan FL, I might buy NS FLs, and I have the AAMC material. But I would do all this after uworld.

 

[965978]

FWIW I think there’s something wrong with the scoring of the P/S section of AAMC Practice FL1

My two friends and I had MUCH higher scores on that section on the real exam compared to PFL1.