How should I prepare for CBT MCAT next year?

[jdla]

I voided the exam on 9/11. I felt unprepared even though I had like 3 month to prepare. I want to take it in April or May of next year.

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[BerkReviewTeach]

I voided the exam on 9/11. I felt unprepared even though I had like 3 month to prepare. I want to take it in April or May of next year.

Start first and foremost with an inventory of your entire three-month experience. How exactly did you feel unprepared? Was it a lack of familiarity with the passage style, the passage topics, the question types, or the timing necessary to do well? You have to answer that question completely honestly with yourself before you even consider starting to prepare again.

The next step is to set a gameplan to improve your weaknesses. If timing is your weakness, then you need to practice doing passages in your head, without writing anything on scratch paper.

If careless errors are an issue, you need to repeat those questions at a later date and see if you are making the exact same careless errors. If you make the same ones, then it's a defect in your algorithm, which can be modified. If you make different errors, then it's a case of focus.

There are several aspects of taking the exam you need to evaluate and go to work on fixing those problems. Get exposure to a more diverse set of passages and materials. The MCAT is written by several different people (probably at least 21, if you get 21 passages total), so you should practice with materials from any different authors. This should help reduce the lack of familiarity you may feel.

The bottom line is that the only way you can improve is to identify the problem(s) and make the adjustments in your preparation. Use the first MCAT as a learning tool for how to prepare this time. Decide if you wasted time before (on things like flashcards and pure memorization, etc..) and spend your time more wisely this time around.

Keep in mind that many people repeat the MCAT. You aren't the first and won't be the last. You have an advantage over first-time testers. Use it!

 

[jdla]

Start first and foremost with an inventory of your entire three-month experience. How exactly did you feel unprepared? Was it a lack of familiarity with the passage style, the passage topics, the question types, or the timing necessary to do well? You have to answer that question completely honestly with yourself before you even consider starting to prepare again.

The next step is to set a gameplan to improve your weaknesses. If timing is your weakness, then you need to practice doing passages in your head, without writing anything on scratch paper.

If careless errors are an issue, you need to repeat those questions at a later date and see if you are making the exact same careless errors. If you make the same ones, then it's a defect in your algorithm, which can be modified. If you make different errors, then it's a case of focus.

There are several aspects of taking the exam you need to evaluate and go to work on fixing those problems. Get exposure to a more diverse set of passages and materials. The MCAT is written by several different people (probably at least 21, if you get 21 passages total), so you should practice with materials from any different authors. This should help reduce the lack of familiarity you may feel.

The bottom line is that the only way you can improve is to identify the problem(s) and make the adjustments in your preparation. Use the first MCAT as a learning tool for how to prepare this time. Decide if you wasted time before (on things like flashcards and pure memorization, etc..) and spend your time more wisely this time around.

Keep in mind that many people repeat the MCAT. You aren't the first and won't be the last. You have an advantage over first-time testers. Use it!

Thanks

 

[jon stewart]

holy cow that was some amazing advice....this person must be a pro i thought, then i looked at the username "berkelyreview teach"

great advice!