How'd you guys improve from your kaplan diagnostic to first full length practice

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Team Zissou

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So on my diagnostic i scored a 22 and on my first full length practice test i scored a 26.. seem to be goin in a good direction.. how has everyone else improved??
 
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Diag. 6 7 9 - 22
1st FL 10 5 8 - 23

Glad my PS went up, not sure if it was just a fluke or what, but my VR is my worst section i think.. or at least the hardest to bring up.

I have been hammering the VR section tests and Qbank, but kind of neglecting really reviewing the material as much for BS and PS, so i need to revamp my studying schedule a little to incorporate more content review and not just practice quizes/qbank/section tests, although these are very helpful
 
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axp107 said:
what did you think of the subject tests
Click to expand...

They are okay. They are composed of discretes, which are random questions on the MCAT that you either know or don't know. They are good for practicing some of the concepts. However, some of the physics problems consist of derivations that take long. If I ran into this type of question on the MCAT I would either skip or guess/mark and move on. Every question is worth the same, it is not worth wasting time on one time-consuming question.

The topical quizzes/tests are great because they make you practice passage reading and give you a chance to practice the kaplan method if you like it (and I am starting to like it).
 
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Diag: 25
1st Full-length: 34
2nd Full-length: 36
Average of Kaplan and AAMC practice full-lengths: ~36
Actual MCAT score: 36
 
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diagnostic: 24
kaplan/aamc test averages: ~30
real one: 24

i had a bad day that day
 
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Diagnostic 16 --> 22 on real thing (with only 1 prereq before the test)

practice scores were much higher, especially in VR

retaking in Aug and looking at my 22 as this time's "diagnostic". (I'll have had 1/2 the prereqs this time)

Hopefully I'll have a big bump up this time 🙂🙂
 
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Diagnostic: 25
FL1: 30
FL2: 33
FL3: 34
FL4: 34
These are the only FL's I took. I took the real MCAT on June 15 and am crossing my fingers for scores like FL 3 and 4 (or higher🙂)
 
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Diag: 21
FL6: 23 (no review)
FL10: 24 (1/4 through organic, no bio or py review, all of EK verbal)

eh, improving... long way to go content-wise, hoping the trend continues...

Since there are so many Kaplan FL's, I just decided to waste a few tests just for the sake of timing and getting a feel for the test... my scores are kind of depressing tho. Back to the books...
 
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Glad to see everyone jump 10 points from the diag to FL1 :laugh:...I went from a 20 on the diag, to a 22 on FL1...I then took a bunch of AAMC's and then hit a 31 on FL2...but it took a long time to move my score up...I love how everyone here just jumped 10 points between the diag and FL1..must have studied a lot😛.
 
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Diagnostic - 19
FL #1 - 26 (10-PS/8-VR/8-BS)..which is surprising because I am typically very good at the bio stuff..although it was orgo that killed me..: \
 
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Diagnostic - 22
Kaplan FL1 - 22
Then anywhere between 28-32 for the rest of the Kaplans and AAMC that I took. Took the real thing on May 31st, hopefully that score will be around my highest practice:scared:
 
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just took FL1

diag 27 (12,6,9)
FL 1 30 (12, 7, 11)

how i hate verbal...ive gotten 65% on the first 2 verbal practice exams online, and what a surprise, a 65% on verbal for FL 1
 
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Richter915 said:
I love my practice scores...

diag 27
FL 1 31
FL 2 36
FL 3 32
FL 4 35
FL 5 32
(haha get ready for this)
FL 10 27
FL 11 24 (4 on verbal, hahahaha...sigh...)

aamc 8 - 30
aamc 3 - 28
aamc 7 - 32
aamc 9 - 33

lemme get some honest opinions...how do you guys think I'll fare on the real deal?
Click to expand...

Interesting trend...

In sequential order, I got
diagnostic: 30
#10: 26
#9: 34
#8: 36

I'm in a Kaplan class and have taken 3 FL tests since my diagnostic (3 weeks ago). Honestly I cannot say I have too much exp, but here's my cynical view of the program... I've read way too many Kaplan teachers claim their 1st FL test score went down from their diagnostic but then their score got so much better. There's apparently a lot of fluctuation in scores and I think its due to Kaplan's desire to make you feel like you're getting a lot out of the class. I think they intentionally skew their conversion charts in sequential order to make students think their scores are getting better.
Here's proof:

FL #1's verbal section will allow 2 mistakes for a 13,
FL #2's verbal section will allow 8 mistakes for a 13.
FL #8's verbal section will allow 13 mistakes for a 13.

There's definitely a general trend that the conversion charts allow for more mistakes in sequential order (especially harsh is FL test #1, which has the toughest conversion of all 11 FL tests for both Verbal section and the BS section). As an aside, Kaplan folks will argue against this trend by stating that FL #10, and 11 are just as unforgiving (true if you look at their chart), but who really gets around to taking 11 FL tests??? Tests #1, 10, and 11 stand out from the rest of the FL as ridiculously hard, not content wise, but conversion wise. In the 3 FL exams that I took (#8, 9, 10), my percentage correct was consistent for each test, being around 65% for every section, for every test, yet my scores fluctuated wildly: (36, 34, 26) respectively. I have yet to take FL#1, but if 65% correct were converted to raw score for FL#1, I would fare a pathetic 26, a 30 for FL#2, and a modest 32 for FL#3.

Being as it is that I took FL #8 today, my score was an impressive 36. And only after 3 weeks of class?!? But don't get overexcited, I am supposed to take FL #1 in 2 weeks for my Kaplan class. Surely, I am expecting my score to plummet below a 30, if it does not, I will regain some respect for Kaplan.

Lesson: Kaplan's conversion scores are carefully designed to give you, the valued customer, a feeling of improvement over the length of its course. If its of any value to you, don't take FL #1 first, take FL #8 first and go from there.
 
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Not saying they are inaccurate, just saying don't get too comfortable if you improve your composite scores but not your percentages correct. Yes, I know tests can range in varying degrees of difficulty, but Kaplan's conversions are arbitrary (not based on real test taker's performances) and thus are designed to "help" you improve in from FL #1 -> FL #8. Just look at the chart for verbal what constitutes a 13? 2 wrong? 13 wrong? its all over the place, the only real indicator of improvement in getting a higher PERCENTAGE correct over the course of your studying with Kaplan.
 
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angli524 said:
Not saying they are inaccurate, just saying don't get too comfortable if you improve your composite scores but not your percentages correct. Yes, I know tests can range in varying degrees of difficulty, but Kaplan's conversions are arbitrary (not based on real test taker's performances) and thus are designed to "help" you improve in from FL #1 -> FL #8. Just look at the chart for verbal what constitutes a 13? 2 wrong? 13 wrong? its all over the place, the only real indicator of improvement in getting a higher PERCENTAGE correct over the course of your studying with Kaplan.
Click to expand...

I do think that Kaplan curves their tests based on how past people do.
 
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Yeah it is really odd that people are jumping a couple of points from FL 1 to FL 2.

Do you guys feel the FLs are inflated? How're you doing on the AAMCs
 
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I think I'm officially through with K@plan VR. It's all over the map. Did FL8 VR this morning. I don't know what's worse, scoring 50% on it, or having that 50% equate to a 9. 😕
 
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Diagnostic - 19
FL #1 - 26 (10-PS/8-VR/8-BS).
FL #2 - 26 (7-PS/9-VR-9-VR)
AAMC #3 - 26 (8/8/9)

🙁
 
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Diagnostic: 24 (P9, V7, B8)
Kaplan FL 1: 27 (P8, V10, B9)

I did very little review between the diag and my FL, so I was pleased with the jump in VR and not too surprised by the relative consistency of the science scores, although the diag. said that gen. chem. and physics were my two best subjects so I was shocked that PS was my lowest on FL1. However I did run out of time and had to skim/guess on 3 passages. I'm hitting the books hard now. My goal is at least double digits in each section, and what I missed on PS and BS was mostly due to gaps in content knowledge. Hopefully I'll be up to 30+ by test day.
 
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I also wanted to add what my Kaplan teacher told us tonight:

When the switch was made to CBT, Kaplan went through and re-scaled all of their scores based on previous test-takers' performances on specific questions, while AAMC simply took the percentages and transferred them over when they dropped 1/3 of the questions. I don't really know if that makes sense to you guys, but she basically told us that Kaplan's conversion charts were re-scaled and AAMC's were not.
 
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Kaplan Diagnostic --> 6P 7V 7V=20
FL #1--> 9P 11V 8B=28

I am most happy with verbal because I felt pretty solid on it and was not guessing at all. The sciences I had to guess on a lot b/c I don't have all the material down yet...so I feel like they were a little less accurate.
 
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Doc Henry said:
Kaplan Diagnostic --> 6P 7V 7V=20
FL #1--> 9P 11V 8B=28

I am most happy with verbal because I felt pretty solid on it and was not guessing at all. The sciences I had to guess on a lot b/c I don't have all the material down yet...so I feel like they were a little less accurate.
Click to expand...

I'm in like the same boat as you as far as the FL 1 science sections. I'm still not too good with formulas in Physics and with small details in organ systems in Biology - but I've got over a month still so I should be good with the details by then. Good luck!
 
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Diag: 20
FL: 25 10PS 5VR 10BS

I am happy with where my PS and BS scores are standing. I reviewed the online answers and realized that I miss-bubbled 2-3 questions and and omitted 1 question on accident on the PS section. I think if these mistakes were corrected, I would've received an 11.

However, I am awfully surprised at my verbal score. I've been doing Kaplan passages and EK 101 passages and have been getting 68-73% consistency, which correlates to a 8-9 on the EK conversion chart. I don't know what's going on. I suppose this was my first real test and I freaked out--I did have pee real bad during the VR section, lol. Did anyone encounter a circumstance similiar to mine? Sigh, the VR score just ruined my other scores. :meanie:

In need of encouragement and advice,
Kyle
 
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sushichopstickz: Don't worry about it. The first full length has a STEEP verbal curve. I got 80% right which is scaled to a 13 on the Kap scale in the lesson book, but only a 10 on the FL.

Also, do any of you guys know how to print up your score report for a FL after you've taken it?
 
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I was going through old threads and came across this, thought I'd bring it back up to see how people did on later practice tests - or even the real thing - compared to their diagnostic.

My progress so far:
Diagnostic: 23
FL 1: 26
FL 2: 27
FL 3: 29

Anyone else?
 
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