In desperate need of MCAT advice :)

[sdc52]

Alright everyone I need advice. I took my MCAT on 6/5 at 6:30 am and got the results recently.

My last 2 FL’s (AAMC 3 and AAMC 4) were a 513 (129/126/128/130) and 516 (129/128/130/129) respectively. I took AAMC 1 and 2 too early on while studying so I don’t think they’re reflective of what my score could have been.

My score on the real thing: 505 (128/125/126/126)

Any tips going forward? I’m retaking August 7th because I know I won’t be competitive for the schools I want with a 505. I don’t know if it was just nerves on test day or if I just didn’t know my stuff, but I’m feeling discouraged. Any advice is appreciated

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[JimKimSlim]

All your sub sections except CARS were 128+ on your FL so I don’t think content gap was the problem. In that case I do think you were either too stressed out or lost focus towards the last two sections. Is that also how you felt immediately after the test? If so, Try improving your endurance with 3rd party FL’s.

 

[sdc52]

All your sub sections except CARS were 128+ on your FL so I don’t think content gap was the problem. In that case I do think you were either too stressed out or lost focus towards the last two sections. Is that also how you felt immediately after the test? If so, Try improving your endurance with 3rd party FL’s.

Yeah I walked out and didn't feel too confident about it, but I didn't feel the best about either of my FL's either. I struggle a lot with confidence honestly and I'm not sure how to work on that. Do you have any recommendations for 3rd party FL's? I have Kaplans but those are deflated so I'm not sure that will help with the confidence issue.

 

[JimKimSlim]

None of the 3rd party FL's are even close to replicating AAMC materials. Since endurance could be an issue, you should just use whatever the cheapest option is for you without paying too much attention on their logic/explanations. In my case, I used 10 Altius FL's to build my endurance. Around FL 8 or 9, I didnt feel tired at all after finishing the test. However, on the actual test, whether it was due to pressure or the anxiety about Corona, I felt extremely exhausted after the test, although I did feel pretty good about my performance overall.

 

[sdc52]

Hi! Here's an article about how to properly prepare for the MCAT in a time crunch. It goes over how to review your practice tests properly so that you can get the most out of them to increase your MCAT Score. ( It also includes where to find free MCAT practice tests and how to make your own tests).

How to Study for the Shortened MCAT in a Time Crunch - PugMed

In this article, I cover how to adjust your study methods to the new shortened Summer 2020 MCAT format and increase your score in less than a month.

gillianmathews.com

I would also recommend doing CARS practice everyday and at least one practice test per week until your next MCAT. The more practice you get better your CARS score will be and closer you'll be to your target scores. Also retake the AAMC 2 and AAMC 1 practice tests the last two weekends before your test.

Thank you so much! Do you think it'll be an issue if I remember the material from AAMC 1 and 2 still? I was skimming over them recently and saw that I recognized lots of the questions still.

 

[PugMed]

Thank you so much! Do you think it'll be an issue if I remember the material from AAMC 1 and 2 still? I was skimming over them recently and saw that I recognized lots of the questions still.

It shouldn't effect your score too much because so much of the test is reasoning. It might add a point to two but just take that into account when gauging where you are.