how to jump into studying

[AtomicLuv]

hi everyone!

I have recently purchased a pcat review book, and I'm hoping to take the exam this January. I have been dreading studying, and I am wondering if anyone can share their stories of how they began to review? I don't know if I should read over all the bio and chem chapters, plus there is so much information and when I glanced at the questions, they use so little of the actual material! For english and math I am going to simply practise, but for chem and bio..did you all just memorize as much info as you could to take the exam? There's so much I dont remember..and I took chem this past year and bio only a year ago...

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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[Benzoic Acid]

I just supplement with my issued texts that I used in college. So if you want you could learn out of the kaplan for say chemistry and then do problems in your issued chem book for more practice. Never tell your self 'ah this won't be on the test' because then you'll get lazy and only learn the easy stuff. As for bio, I just make questions as I go through the chapter, I'll have about 100+ and then go through those over and over.

 

[Utterdevotion]

ha! You're dreading studying? I'm dreading how I have to study AGAIN, since I'm retaking the PCATs in October to get ONE percent higher. -__-

I did about the same thing as Benzoic Acid did. I used the Kaplan book mostly, especially for the anatomy section on biology. As for chemistry I used my own textbook since they are not helpful on teaching Gen Chem questions and barely covered organic. I did a lot of practice problems from my calc book to refresh my memory as well.

good luck!

 

[Benzoic Acid]

ha! You're dreading studying? I'm dreading how I have to study AGAIN, since I'm retaking the PCATs in October to get ONE percent higher. -__-

I did about the same thing as Benzoic Acid did. I used the Kaplan book mostly, especially for the anatomy section on biology. As for chemistry I used my own textbook since they are not helpful on teaching Gen Chem questions and barely covered organic. I did a lot of practice problems from my calc book to refresh my memory as well.

good luck!

Was studying the bio strictly from Kaplan sufficient for the test?

 

[Utterdevotion]

Was studying the bio strictly from Kaplan sufficient for the test?

I would say yes...but it is also based on luck that the questions asked on your PCAT covers that sort of material. Of the two online practice tests, I had only 2 questions wrong total in the biology section. But...for the June PCAT there were questions on type of diseases, and a lot more evolution/bio I type questions which I didn't know/remember.

 

[savvysearch]

I would say yes...but it is also based on luck that the questions asked on your PCAT covers that sort of material. Of the two online practice tests, I had only 2 questions wrong total in the biology section. But...for the June PCAT there were questions on type of diseases, and a lot more evolution/bio I type questions which I didn't know/remember.

I got an 87 composite. This is the quick and dirty version to studying if you aren't the most motivated person, as the PCAT is just optional in many schools:

What I did was read 2 to 3 chapters a day starting from the beginning. (you'll get lazy and skip days. Just get through the book once by the end of the month). Do the review questions after each chapter. Skip verbal, writing, and reading chapters. After getting through the whole book once, do the exams in front of and back of the book. Know how to do them all. Then repeat the previous steps again from the beginning.

By the way, the Kaplan PCAT book is completely ridden with mistakes and omissions. It's a terrible edition.

 

[foroneaudience]

Studying in the summer would have been really hard for me because I wouldn't be as motivated as I am when school's in. Knowing this, I went ahead and did the Kaplan course to raise my score. It really worked! 53 to a 91 I really needed someone pushing me and making me do the work because if not I would have been laying around the pool. LOL

 

[Utterdevotion]

I got an 87 composite. This is the quick and dirty version to studying if you aren't the most motivated person, as the PCAT is just optional in many schools:

What I did was read 2 to 3 chapters a day starting from the beginning. (you'll get lazy and skip days. Just get through the book once by the end of the month). Do the review questions after each chapter. Skip verbal, writing, and reading chapters. After getting through the whole book once, do the exams in front of and back of the book. Know how to do them all. Then repeat the previous steps again from the beginning.

By the way, the Kaplan PCAT book is completely ridden with mistakes and omissions. It's a terrible edition.

I COMPLETELY agree w/ the Kaplan book mistakes. I love how they taught the photosynthesis section wrong.... But it was still helpful on anatomy for me.

 

[jessicaholland1]

I COMPLETELY agree w/ the Kaplan book mistakes. I love how they taught the photosynthesis section wrong.... But it was still helpful on anatomy for me.

They taught photosynthesis wrong? oops i didnt notice haha. what was wrong about it?

I studied w/ the Kaplan book and did pretty good (85). For the bio section, I thought the kaplan book was wayyyyy more in depth than the exam. The math section missed a lot of stuff though. Overall I guess it wasnt a bad review though.

 

[ageldred]

I got an 87 composite. This is the quick and dirty version to studying if you aren't the most motivated person, as the PCAT is just optional in many schools:

What I did was read 2 to 3 chapters a day starting from the beginning. (you'll get lazy and skip days. Just get through the book once by the end of the month). Do the review questions after each chapter. Skip verbal, writing, and reading chapters. After getting through the whole book once, do the exams in front of and back of the book. Know how to do them all. Then repeat the previous steps again from the beginning.

By the way, the Kaplan PCAT book is completely ridden with mistakes and omissions. It's a terrible edition.

Your method sounds like a good idea. I am going to take it again as I got a 78 on the June one, and I already started on my Kaplan book today. (We will see how long my motivation lasts!) Why did you skip verbal, writing and reading? Did you already take the test once and do really good on those?

 

[savvysearch]

Your method sounds like a good idea. I am going to take it again as I got a 78 on the June one, and I already started on my Kaplan book today. (We will see how long my motivation lasts!) Why did you skip verbal, writing and reading? Did you already take the test once and do really good on those?

You can't really study for reading or writing. Your level of reading and writing isn't going to change much as it is pretty much a life-long learning skill. You can take their tips about how to time yourself, but there really isn't anything to study in those sections. For the verbal section, I knew most of the words. The ones I don't know was memorized, but again, it's pretty much a life-long learning skill. You can't improve it anymore than the level you are at right now. The only thing you can do is build your vocabulary, which I thought was a waste of energy resources that you could be spending on the rest of the sections. It's much easier to raise the scores in the other sections.

 

[JBellRx]

I used the Kaplan book and audi-learn cds to study. If your and auditory learner then I would recommend the cds. They were really great in helping me with general bio. and anatomy. The Kaplan book was also helpful but it goes into way more detail than you will see on the pcat.

 

[ageldred]

You can't really study for reading or writing. Your level of reading and writing isn't going to change much as it is pretty much a life-long learning skill. You can take their tips about how to time yourself, but there really isn't anything to study in those sections. For the verbal section, I knew most of the words. The ones I don't know was memorized, but again, it's pretty much a life-long learning skill. You can't improve it anymore than the level you are at right now. The only thing you can do is build your vocabulary, which I thought was a waste of energy resources that you could be spending on the rest of the sections. It's much easier to raise the scores in the other sections.

I do agree with you. I am going to try to boost my vocabulary before the next test. I am an avid reader, so I am disappointed that I got a 63 in verbal, but now I am writing down every unknown word and I hope that helps. I am going to look over the root words in the kaplan book, but not kill myself on that.

 

[Utterdevotion]

They taught photosynthesis wrong? oops i didnt notice haha. what was wrong about it?

I studied w/ the Kaplan book and did pretty good (85). For the bio section, I thought the kaplan book was wayyyyy more in depth than the exam. The math section missed a lot of stuff though. Overall I guess it wasnt a bad review though.

Well - at least in my book they told you that you go through Photosystem I and then Photosystem II, when it's the other way around. I also think they had the 700 and 680 mixed up too - can't remember. They made it very unclear anyway. There is cyclic and that is only w/ Photosystem I; and then there is noncyclic which goes through both.

 

[AtomicLuv]

wow thanks for all the hints!

I have heard that the kaplan pcat is wrong, but I really don't have anything else to go by..plus I will never even notice what is wrong about it LOL

I am a little sad to hear that there is so much studying ahead of me...
however I do feel better that I am not the only one that considered skipping verbal, (or rather leaving it to the end to practice)

okay so I think I will definately read a few chapters a day.

I am applying next summer, so the ideal pcat for me to take would be this january?