I voided the exam I took today -- was this a bad idea?

[MochaLatte]

So I took my exam today, and I don't know if it was because of nerves or just how the exam was, but I felt it was much harder than the practice tests I took from the AAMC. I'm sure I did not do well so I voided the exam at the end.

Will this voided exam show up on my records in any way, shape, or form? Will the schools I apply to know that I took an exam and then voided it?

Also, does this voided exam count as one of my three exams I'm allowed to take per cycle?

Thanks in advance. I'm feeling kind of awful about this. x(

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[MShopes]

So I took my exam today, and I don't know if it was because of nerves or just how the exam was, but I felt it was much harder than the practice tests I took from the AAMC. I'm sure I did not do well so I voided the exam at the end.

Will this voided exam show up on my records in any way, shape, or form? Will the schools I apply to know that I took an exam and then voided it?

Also, does this voided exam count as one of my three exams I'm allowed to take per cycle?

Thanks in advance. I'm feeling kind of awful about this. x(

No to both questions.

 

[iceman132]

From TPR

The only way you can keep your MCAT scores hidden is to VOID the test at the end of the exam. You must complete the testing session before you have the opportunity to void your scores. If you void your test, it will not be scored at all, and your participation in that administration of the MCAT will not be reported to AMCAS or to non-AMCAS schools

 

[stsa84]

The info above is correct.

What were your practice scores like? Keep in mind that, at least for the past few administrations that I've followed, everybody thought the exam was killer but most ended up with scores similar to their practice average. I expected to score 4-5 points below my average, based on how I felt walking out of the exam, but scored right in the middle of it.

Anyway, perhaps you made the best decision for yourself at this time. Just wanted to say if you wait till you take the MCAT and feel like you knocked it out of the park before you allow it to be scored, you'll be here in the "Pre-Med" forums for quite a long time. Good luck with your continued studying and retake.

 

[mitchlucker]

So I took my exam today, and I don't know if it was because of nerves or just how the exam was, but I felt it was much harder than the practice tests I took from the AAMC. I'm sure I did not do well so I voided the exam at the end.

Will this voided exam show up on my records in any way, shape, or form? Will the schools I apply to know that I took an exam and then voided it?

Also, does this voided exam count as one of my three exams I'm allowed to take per cycle?

Thanks in advance. I'm feeling kind of awful about this. x(

No it wouldn't show up, but yes I think it counts as one of your 3 exams.

 

[MShopes]

No it wouldn't show up, but yes I think it counts as one of your 3 exams.

Yes you are right.

I confused things up, sorry OP. I meant that a voided exam will count toward the three times while no show up won't count toward the three times. So if you voided, it will count as one of the three times but no medical schools will ever know you voided.

 

[MochaLatte]

Thank you for the answers guys. I don't plan on having to take it more than once again anyways.

And I was getting 33-35 on the practice exams right before I went in for the real thing. I had high hopes for test day, based on these results...but I don't think it was simply my imagination that the actual exam was harder than what the practice exams represented.

 

[NCMED101]

I voided as well. This test was definitely harder than the AAMC practice tests. I was averaging 34ish on the AAMCs 8-11 and this one I felt was no where near that. What threw me off was the PS. I felt so discouraged after that section that it carried over into verbal and I ran out of time and had to guess on pretty much 6 questions. Right there and then I decided to void this test. The Bio was ironically incredibly easy and felt I aced. However I am sure I got <7 on verbal so I decided to void

 

[stsa84]

I don't think it was simply my imagination that the actual exam was harder than what the practice exams represented.

I believe you, but that is also how it seems everyone has felt regarding the recent MCAT administrations. Scores are still coming in close to practice exam averages though. The test I took was radically different from any practice test I had taken, and much harder overall than anything I had seen before, yet I still scored in the middle of my practice average.

 

[Missorleans]

I've always heard that you shouldn't void your score unless you're unable to complete a section. And not if you had to guess on the last few questions, but became extremely ill or your computer malfunctioned. If you were scoring between 33 and 35 on your practice tests, you probably would have been fine. I was getting 33s on my tests and came out thinking I did horrible, ended up with a 34. I thought PS was going to kill me because I spent too much time on some discreets, and then was playing catch-up the rest of the time, ended up blindly answering the last 3 questions, still got a 12. If you thought the questions were hard, the people that took it in the past that you're being scored against probably thought it was hard too.
In any case, you can't un-void your score. Just don't be so hasty about voiding your next test.

 

[NCMED101]

Thank you for the answers guys. I don't plan on having to take it more than once again anyways.

And I was getting 33-35 on the practice exams right before I went in for the real thing. I had high hopes for test day, based on these results...but I don't think it was simply my imagination that the actual exam was harder than what the practice exams represented.

when do you plan on retaking? I want to get it done as soon as possible so that I don't have to relearn everything

 

[ak21]

I've always heard that you shouldn't void your score unless you're unable to complete a section. And not if you had to guess on the last few questions, but became extremely ill or your computer malfunctioned. If you were scoring between 33 and 35 on your practice tests, you probably would have been fine. I was getting 33s on my tests and came out thinking I did horrible, ended up with a 34. I thought PS was going to kill me because I spent too much time on some discreets, and then was playing catch-up the rest of the time, ended up blindly answering the last 3 questions, still got a 12. If you thought the questions were hard, the people that took it in the past that you're being scored against probably thought it was hard too.
In any case, you can't un-void your score. Just don't be so hasty about voiding your next test.

great advice . but yeah todays test definitely had its ups and downs in both science sections. verbal i felt pretty positive about throughout

 

[MochaLatte]

I voided as well. This test was definitely harder than the AAMC practice tests. I was averaging 34ish on the AAMCs 8-11 and this one I felt was no where near that. What threw me off was the PS. I felt so discouraged after that section that it carried over into verbal and I ran out of time and had to guess on pretty much 6 questions. Right there and then I decided to void this test. The Bio was ironically incredibly easy and felt I aced. However I am sure I got <7 on verbal so I decided to void

You took the August 5th exam as well?

Yes, I also was discouraged by the PS section and although I tried not to let it get me down (took the 10 min break, tried to relax, get a snack, etc.) it still left me feeling pretty sub-par for the rest of the exam.

I'm planning on retaking August 18 or September 10. I need to figure out what went wrong on test day. Perhaps I simply wasn't as prepared as I thought I was. I know both dates are pretty late but at this point I think I'm looking at delayed matriculation for a year anyways.

 

[NCMED101]

Yea I took the august 5th as well. I definitely panicked during/after the physical sciences. This gravely affected my verbal which was why I voided. I didn't finish a passage and had to guess randomly. I was thinking of retaking on Sept 1st. I feel like I'm ready and had decent practice scores, I just need to remain calm next time.

 

[MCVkid12]

Yea I took the august 5th as well. I definitely panicked during/after the physical sciences. This gravely affected my verbal which was why I voided. I didn't finish a passage and had to guess randomly. I was thinking of retaking on Sept 1st. I feel like I'm ready and had decent practice scores, I just need to remain calm next time.

Yea I panicked after PS too and it got to me during verbal. I just couldn't understand what was going on and felt so confused. But I still didn't void, however I am retaking on sept 2.

 

[ridethecliche]

I had no idea what was going on in my PS and I got an 11. I took the test in May though, but the trend is the same.

 

[Missorleans]

those considering retaking before you get your scores from the previous exam back, might want to check and see if the schools you're applying to take your best score, an average, or your most recent score. If you somehow did above average on the test you thought was hard (happens pretty often it seems), you wouldn't want to get another score a month later that's worse.

 

[andrewsmack05]

So I took my exam today, and I don't know if it was because of nerves or just how the exam was, but I felt it was much harder than the practice tests I took from the AAMC. I'm sure I did not do well so I voided the exam at the end.

Will this voided exam show up on my records in any way, shape, or form? Will the schools I apply to know that I took an exam and then voided it?

Also, does this voided exam count as one of my three exams I'm allowed to take per cycle?

Thanks in advance. I'm feeling kind of awful about this. x(

Well OP, at least you're missing the neuroticism that is about to indwell on the 7/06 thread.

 

[IDFsoldierboy]

Yea I panicked after PS too and it got to me during verbal. I just couldn't understand what was going on and felt so confused. But I still didn't void, however I am retaking on sept 2.

ur gonna retake before u get ur scores? u should be careful with that cuz if u end up doing well on this administration but do worse on the sept 2 adcoms arent going to like it one bit...but thats just my advice...nobody rly steps out of the exam feeling confident but still get a decent score...id still schedule the next administration til after u get ur score