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I 've been studying for 2 years and I still can't break a 24?!
- Thread starter reese07
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Sounds like you need to work on test-taking skills rather than content deficiencies, though I would think you still have some of those as well.
Do you have your own way of taking tests that you are comfortable with? How'd you do on other standardized tests?
Do you have your own way of taking tests that you are comfortable with? How'd you do on other standardized tests?
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The only way to improve test taking skills is lots and lots of practice questions. You might also be at the point where a tutor may be able to elicit where you are going wrong. Certainly you have put the effort in, it just sounds like you need to redirect it to the proper areas at this point.
Survivor DO
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I got the same score on the SATs and ended up with a 35 on the MCAT; most of my practice exam scores were >36.
You need to identify what exactly your problem is before anyone can help you.
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So... what couldn't it be?
Either you're a poor test taker, or you simply haven't learned the material well enough. Although it sounds like you've done an insane amount of problems. Do you diagnose and learn from your mistakes when you do problems? Honestly I think PS is very straightforward, so if you're not scoring well on that then you either don't know the material, or something is messing with your brain while taking the test.
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I believe that even though you do not want to, you have to postpone your test date. I also believe there is a different between studying for two years and really "studying." Meaning, how focus are you during those study period? Is it a case were you do some work today, then skip several days then do some work next week and before you know it a whole month has pass? I really believe that both your content knowledge (understanding of the concepts) is weak and your test taking ability also. Are you finishing on time? How much work are you putting in improving your verbal? I believe improvement in verbal will give you improvement in your BS also. Can you drop everything for say 4-6 months (the girlfriend too 🙂 LOL) and just focus on getting ready for January MCAT? That is, 4-6 months of really focus studying, taking and most of all reviewing a ton of practice exams (even those AAMCs that you have already taken)? You definitely can do very well on this test you just need some changes in your current approach.
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PS is going to be my weakness to because my inability to do math without a calculator. Can this be your problem?
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The ability to do math without a calculator isn't genetically inherited. Practice. Don't expect to just be able to do it without putting forth the effort.
Quite honestly, it's a joke if not being able to do math without a calculator impacts your MCAT score. That's second grade stuff compared to the other things you have to be able to do.
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Unfortunately my mathematical abilities diminished with the introduction of the calculator. I've been using for every mathematical situation I encountered since the 8th grade. Though rumor has it the mcat's physics and gen chem problems test conseps rather than solving actual problems like the ones encountered in a gen physics and chem class
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If you go look in any 8th grade - 10th grade math book (algebra, pre-cal, trig, etc..) they will have some cute tricks to solving various math type problems quickly in your head... ALSO EK and BR has some really good math tricks that you may want to look into as well. They help immensely with estimations and coming as close to the exact answer as possible... If you cant get it by just reading it, try to visit one of your local jr. high schools or high schools and asking one of the math teachers if they can give you a quick tutorial on some stuff.. also, prob the most efficient way is to YOUTUBE whatever concept you are trying to get solved in your head quickly and albeit you could find someone that has had the same problem and are able to show you step by step how they solved it! good luck
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There are very specific reasons for your mediocre performance (btw. many people would kill to get a 24 on the MCAT, it's average for DO schools so don't loose hope but DON'T go carribean).
Are you learning the techniques behind the questions? Many people think just because they read the right answer after getting something wrong, their brain will automatically do it right the next time. You have to go to the core and learn the technique behind it. You need to master the math that is required. A 24 is not bad, but to get a better score you have to identify your weaknesses, which given you have studied for 2 years you should know by now.
Good luck!
Are you learning the techniques behind the questions? Many people think just because they read the right answer after getting something wrong, their brain will automatically do it right the next time. You have to go to the core and learn the technique behind it. You need to master the math that is required. A 24 is not bad, but to get a better score you have to identify your weaknesses, which given you have studied for 2 years you should know by now.
Good luck!
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So has everyone else.
Learn how not to use it. Multiplication isn't rocket science..
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Average mcat for DO in 2012 was almost 27... However, OP should be able to get in somewhere with a 24-25 if GPAs are 3.4+...
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i just took the june 20th mcat (2pm)... some of the PS calculations were like SAT math, def not "second grade stuff"
the ability to do quick math, especially with exponents, will help a lot on PS in practice AAMC's and the real thing.. and it gives you more time for other questions if you become quick with it.
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finish reading that sentence you quoted me from..
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it's a lot easier than the other stuff you are supposed to know/be able to do.
hence it's second grade level in comparison
which was my post..
regardless, it's math. learn the rules. do the rules. there's very little critical thinking involved.
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not trying to be mean, it's just the reality here.
I was shocked day one of my MCAT studying when I found out (embarrassingly late) I couldn't use a calculator (still don't understand that tbh).
So I sat there and got comfortable with scientific notation. Put the time in and problem solved.
They should just use a system like other CBTs where you can use an on-screen calculator.. not like calculators don't exist in a hospital (or like we'll be dealing with this type of mathematics at all).
Putting the trolling posts aside, I believe a lot of the prior people give good advice. What I recommend is this:
When reviewing FLs taken, you really need to cover every aspect of that test. A good way to do this is to go through every question - RIGHT or WRONG. See what the answer has to say. A lot of times, people get answers right by luck and take it for granted. See the MCAT reasoning behind it to make sure you're following along with their process. Also, for VR I would recommend retaking this portion (after a day or two). If you're missing similar questions the second time around, then it's this type of question that is plaguing your score. Really go through every option and reason them out. If an answer brings something into the passage without ever mentioning it, chances are it's a wrong answer and an easy elimination. The only way to know if this is a contender as the right answer is if it is an analogous question (e.g. A passage is discussing fruits and then a question: "If apples are to fruits, then carrots are to____.") I really recommend retaking the EK 101 passages; chances are, even if you have some killer memory, you will forget a lot of the passages. If you're remembering the passages then it's definitely a testing anxiety/test-taking problem. (Why? Because you should be able to remember info on PS and BS.) EK's verbal reasoning lecture book is excellent in giving tips. The question can provide a lot of information to you. Really focus on knowing the main idea. Get a feel for the way the passage is addressing the problem (i.e. is the author angry about this topic? sad? excited?) This is going to help tremendously with the questions like "This passage suggests..." or "The author would most likely..." Really just don't overanalyze. That has been my biggest problem with the MCAT. I tend to overthink things and think answers are too simple. An easy way to prevent this is by going with your instincts/gut. It's really interesting how many times you will get problems wrong that you initially thought was the correct answer.
When reviewing FLs taken, you really need to cover every aspect of that test. A good way to do this is to go through every question - RIGHT or WRONG. See what the answer has to say. A lot of times, people get answers right by luck and take it for granted. See the MCAT reasoning behind it to make sure you're following along with their process. Also, for VR I would recommend retaking this portion (after a day or two). If you're missing similar questions the second time around, then it's this type of question that is plaguing your score. Really go through every option and reason them out. If an answer brings something into the passage without ever mentioning it, chances are it's a wrong answer and an easy elimination. The only way to know if this is a contender as the right answer is if it is an analogous question (e.g. A passage is discussing fruits and then a question: "If apples are to fruits, then carrots are to____.") I really recommend retaking the EK 101 passages; chances are, even if you have some killer memory, you will forget a lot of the passages. If you're remembering the passages then it's definitely a testing anxiety/test-taking problem. (Why? Because you should be able to remember info on PS and BS.) EK's verbal reasoning lecture book is excellent in giving tips. The question can provide a lot of information to you. Really focus on knowing the main idea. Get a feel for the way the passage is addressing the problem (i.e. is the author angry about this topic? sad? excited?) This is going to help tremendously with the questions like "This passage suggests..." or "The author would most likely..." Really just don't overanalyze. That has been my biggest problem with the MCAT. I tend to overthink things and think answers are too simple. An easy way to prevent this is by going with your instincts/gut. It's really interesting how many times you will get problems wrong that you initially thought was the correct answer.
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I wouldn't worry just yet, because there's still some options you can exhaust.
Just because you study for a long time doesn't necessarily mean you're remembering all of the content. I had major issues with starting with one subject and by the next subject, I was already forgetting the old stuff. I recommend using a spaced repetition software program to keep the content fresh in your mind. Doing this properly will remove content from the table as a possible offender. Pretty much memorize all the high yield stuff and you should be good.
Test taking anxiety could be another issue. Figuring out ways to relax during the test and not panicking can help, but that's only if you actually have test anxiety. Knowing relaxing ways to breathe can help deal with panic attacks during test time.
Analyzing questions you got wrong is a big one. I went through every practice exam and used a spreadsheet to analyze every single question as right or wrong, and why right or why wrong. Just because you got it right doesn't mean you knew the answer; you could have guessed on that problem and got lucky. I think I got that whole idea and format for my spreadsheet from one of the Princeton Review books.
If you're messing up with math, I think being able to simplify the math problems and do them quickly is key. You really only want a number that's close enough so you can distinguish the correct answer. I would look up how to do Vedic math with 2 digits.
When you read, read at regular pace and don't do any crazy passage mapping or crazy reading techniques. There is enough time to read your passages from beginning to end. Use the highlight tool to select the single most important line(s) of that individual paragraph to give you the main idea. In science passages, this can also be used for grabbing important numbers, chemicals, or vocabulary words that are mentioned. This is a skill that has to be perfected with a lot of practice tests, but it can be done.
When I first started, I was scoring roughly where you are now. I was able to bump my score up about 10 points on practice exams doing what I described above. If you can bump your score up a few points, you probably have a good shot at DO programs and become a doctor someday. From what I've read, I would avoid Caribbean schools going forward because of residency shortages.
Just because you study for a long time doesn't necessarily mean you're remembering all of the content. I had major issues with starting with one subject and by the next subject, I was already forgetting the old stuff. I recommend using a spaced repetition software program to keep the content fresh in your mind. Doing this properly will remove content from the table as a possible offender. Pretty much memorize all the high yield stuff and you should be good.
Test taking anxiety could be another issue. Figuring out ways to relax during the test and not panicking can help, but that's only if you actually have test anxiety. Knowing relaxing ways to breathe can help deal with panic attacks during test time.
Analyzing questions you got wrong is a big one. I went through every practice exam and used a spreadsheet to analyze every single question as right or wrong, and why right or why wrong. Just because you got it right doesn't mean you knew the answer; you could have guessed on that problem and got lucky. I think I got that whole idea and format for my spreadsheet from one of the Princeton Review books.
If you're messing up with math, I think being able to simplify the math problems and do them quickly is key. You really only want a number that's close enough so you can distinguish the correct answer. I would look up how to do Vedic math with 2 digits.
When you read, read at regular pace and don't do any crazy passage mapping or crazy reading techniques. There is enough time to read your passages from beginning to end. Use the highlight tool to select the single most important line(s) of that individual paragraph to give you the main idea. In science passages, this can also be used for grabbing important numbers, chemicals, or vocabulary words that are mentioned. This is a skill that has to be perfected with a lot of practice tests, but it can be done.
When I first started, I was scoring roughly where you are now. I was able to bump my score up about 10 points on practice exams doing what I described above. If you can bump your score up a few points, you probably have a good shot at DO programs and become a doctor someday. From what I've read, I would avoid Caribbean schools going forward because of residency shortages.
Why don't you get tested? Do an internet search or ask your doctor for the name of a good "neuropsychologist" in your area. They can screen you for learning disabilities. Reading disabilities can ruin an MCAT score regardless of how much you know.
For the sake of completeness, you might also consider getting a quick screening by a counselor for any psychological issues relevant to test taking. Anxiety and having your mind wonder or getting distracted for any reason (if that happens) could buy you extra time in the form of disability accommodations if you qualify. They can also other potentially applicable things like figuring out the problem, fear of success...
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I seriously doubt the OP got a 3.65 GPA if he or she had an undiagnosed learning disability, but even if the OP did have a learning disability, there won't be any accommodations by AAMC.
OP, maybe it's not in your cards to get into MD schools. If you can get a 23/24, an acceptance to a newer Osteopathic program is well within the possibilities. As of now, I'd reschedule for august. I'd try to find a tutor. Get that MCAT to >23 and accept your losses/gains and move on with your life. It's not worth it to waste your time anymore with this test.
D
deleted393595
I think you probably have a weak content base. Go back to the textbooks instead of TBR or TPR and review them.
Do you think scoring in the 27-30 range can be easily done with good content knowledge and decent comprehension skills? I've been checking out Chad's Videos and they seem to make everything make so much more sense than all the reading I've done for TBR
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Do you think you have a weak grasp of the contents? Because I find it hard to believe you'd get a 3.65 and read those books for 2 years and still be clueless. It's much more likely that the MCAT simply tests a set of skills that you're not naturally good at. If content review got anyone to a 30, there would be a ton of more people with that score.
Glad to hear you've made some progress in finding out what's going on. Now, check for other learning disabilities if you haven't. It sounds like you have the psychological part covered. Try to come up with anything and everything that's been contributing to bad scores. Then make a list of all the ways you've coped and ways to explain away the good grades - tutors, nice professors, etc. Use all of that to request an extra time accommodation on MCAT. If AAMC says, "no" to extra time the first time you apply, contact an expert to help you reapply. For example, a good disability attorneys can tell you where your application is weak and what to do about it. You can google the Martindale database to look up disability and education attorneys. Good luck!
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