How much did you study?

[pharmy84]

Just wondering how much you studied for the PCAT and also how well you did.

I haven't taken it yet, but am taking it in January. I am going to try to study about 6 or 7 hours a week until then, mostly on science and math.

What about you?

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[FLPharm2Be]

Just wondering how much you studied for the PCAT and also how well you did.

I haven't taken it yet, but am taking it in January. I am going to try to study about 6 or 7 hours a week until then, mostly on science and math.

What about you?

If you have retained the information and course material from your prereqs and you really focus during that 6-7 hours each week, you can do very well on the PCAT. The amount of studying you need depends on how much information you remember from your courses and how well you take standardized tests. The first time I took the PCAT I studied very little (but I worked very hard in the prereqs) and received an 80+ and the second time I took it (with more prereqs under my belt) and I studied about 6-7 hours/week for a month and received a 90+.

 

[AngelaCL]

The first time I took it, I studied mostly biology and chemistry for a couple hours a week all summer. The second time, I didn't really start studying until I got my results back 3 weeks before the next test, but I studied harder - maybe 14-18 hours a week, and I focused entirely on chem.

 

[labrat024]

I studied at least a few hours every day and sometimes 6-8 hours on my days off from work. I did this for about a month and a half before the exam. I also did not study at all the day before the exam. I tried to just relax so I could be in a good state of mind for the test. I did find that I did study ALOT of stuff that was not on the exam, but anything is fair game on the PCAT. So study and study hard and you should only have to take it once. I got a 91 composite my first and only time, and I can't complain with that!

 

[AngelaCL]

I think that's a good idea. I skimmed through my notes a bit and ran through my orgo reaction notecards, but didn't do any hardcore studying the day before the exam - I figured anything I didn't know by then, wouldn't stick. I've heard of some people pulling all-nighters the night before the exam - seems like a bad idea to me! I watched Project Runway or something and got a good night's sleep, then had a decent breakfast and brought a snack. I was refreshed and focused and not entirely burned out.

 

[WhiteSnows]

Just wondering how much you studied for the PCAT and also how well you did.

I haven't taken it yet, but am taking it in January. I am going to try to study about 6 or 7 hours a week until then, mostly on science and math.

What about you?

I study the Pcat for 1 month.

 

[Phlame217]

i studied for 3 hours a day for three days, i got an 80

 

[Milk Man]

0 studying; 70 composite.

 

[steveysmith54]

20 hrs total.

Here is what i did

Here is what I did.
1.Skim thru Kaplan and looks at major concepts. Skip thru detailed crap. Go back to text book to read up on concepts forgotten.

2. Pull out Ochem book. Review nomeclature and RXNS, functional groups.

3. Skim thru anatomy/physio/microbio notes/cliffs review books and skim thru Kaplan's bio review.

4. I didn't study for english and i reviewed some major calc formulas

5. Buy pcat practice tests, they are slightly easier but for bio and math it's very good. Chem and english, it's easier.

6. DO as many practice test from Barrons and Cliffnotes.... Then read up concepts u missed.

There is just so much info, you got to just do the best u can.

Good luck.

 

[labrat024]

0 studying; 70 composite.

Are you proud of that?

 

[legaia]

It is sad that everything you are studying for for the PCATs will never be needed as a pharmacist.

 

[labrat024]

It is sad that everything you are studying for for the PCATs will never be needed as a pharmacist.

I disagree, some of the bio and chemistry stuff will be needed for base knowledge. I doubt you will ever have to bust out derivatives or integrals though.

 

[Pharmbabe]

I disagree, some of the bio and chemistry stuff will be needed for base knowledge. I doubt you will ever have to bust out derivatives or integrals though.

I agree in fact most of your first year is spent discussing biochemistry concepts and A&P is tossed in there too....... integrals *wince*

 

[mysticrider]

First timer, 3 hours of cramming on the night before, and I got 86 composite.

I don't recommend this though.

 

[AngelaCL]

I'm really surprised at all the people saying they didn't study for their PCATs. Why bother to take them if you aren't prepared? Even if you can get a decent score without studying, I'm sure you could do better if you made an effort. I don't see anyone who made 95+ who didn't study, after all.

My friend didn't study at all for his (he's in a 0+6 school so he didn't really need a good score) and he got all 90+s... except a 25 in chem. There's really no way to predict how well you'll do unless you at least take a practice exam or something.

 

[pharmpilot]

I'm really surprised at all the people saying they didn't study for their PCATs. Why bother to take them if you aren't prepared? Even if you can get a decent score without studying, I'm sure you could do better if you made an effort. I don't see anyone who made 95+ who didn't study, after all.

My friend didn't study at all for his (he's in a 0+6 school so he didn't really need a good score) and he got all 90+s... except a 25 in chem. There's really no way to predict how well you'll do unless you at least take a practice exam or something.

Saying you are not prepared because you didn't study for the PCAT is not entirely accurate. The classes you take just to be able to apply for school should be preparing you for the test.

My composite and reading scores were over 95 (without studying). My lowest was an 87 in biology. I don't think studying would have improved my scores at all.

I didn't have time to study. I figured I would take it cold the first time and if I had to I would take it again. Fortunately I don't have to.

 

[omnione]

I probably put in about 100 hours of studying from the summer of 2006 to the October 2006 exam. Like the others have said, the time needed is greatly shortened if you paid attention in your classes and didn't simply memorize the material. I barely studied for the math and got a 96. I didn't study for the verbal and got a 94. Biology wasn't retained as much and I got an unsurprising 71.

The more you have forgotten/rusty, then the more that you need to study.

 

[grimacingpeon]

I didn't sign up to take the PCAT until last minute... because I wasn't even planning on applying to pharmacy school until next summer. I got the Kaplan book 5 days before the exam. I had been really busy this summer with a job and a girlfriend, so I ended up studying for two days, probably 10 hours total. I only got through the biology section and some of the math. Pretty much just walked in and winged the whole PCAT.

I think a lot of people vest way too much importance in studying for the exam, as a lot of the questions were very intuitive (particularly for biology). Your best bet is to to take a practice exam, figure out your weakest areas, and then study as much or as little for that section as you think will be necessary. Remember that your grade on the PCAT is largely relative to others... And if you don't do well your first time - remember that you can always take it again... and again.

 

[Gwalla]

how bad do you want this??? if you really want this you'll study how long you need to, to get the score your targeting......