is CARS just brute practice?

[collegerer]

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As in, is getting good at the CARS section comes with alot of practice and review? I've recently started studying for this section and it is probably my weakest section. Can anyone attest to this? I'm using NS 108 passages, EK 101, and TPRH for my verbal passages and I haven't taken any FLs.

 

[jaf208]

Took the MCAT this time last yr, so it's been a while but figured I'd reply here because I did quite well on CARS (got a 130 on it).

Anyways, YES the only was to get good at CARS is to keep doing passages (make sure they are timed!) and going over answers/explanations. Are you struggling with timing? Or getting wrong answers? If timing is your issue, you'll be shocked how fast you can get CARS done with a month or two's worth of practice (this was my issue and I finished CARS with like 5 minutes left on my test, maybe more). If you just aren't getting the answers right, be sure to read the explanations and note what TYPE of questions you are getting wrong. You'll notice a pattern in the explanations and will eventually develop an instinct on how to automatically mark out wrong answers. Also, you may notice that you can breeze through some times of passages (like natural sciences or political ones) but struggle in others (like philosophy or art). I'd suggest skipping those (once you figure out which ones you are weak in) and saving them for last--you'll have more time this way.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[collegerer]

Took the MCAT this time last yr, so it's been a while but figured I'd reply here because I did quite well on CARS (got a 130 on it).

Anyways, YES the only was to get good at CARS is to keep doing passages (make sure they are timed!) and going over answers/explanations. Are you struggling with timing? Or getting wrong answers? If timing is your issue, you'll be shocked how fast you can get CARS done with a month or two's worth of practice (this was my issue and I finished CARS with like 5 minutes left on my test, maybe more). If you just aren't getting the answers right, be sure to read the explanations and note what TYPE of questions you are getting wrong. You'll notice a pattern in the explanations and will eventually develop an instinct on how to automatically mark out wrong answers. Also, you may notice that you can breeze through some times of passages (like natural sciences or political ones) but struggle in others (like philosophy or art). I'd suggest skipping those (once you figure out which ones you are weak in) and saving them for last--you'll have more time this way.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Hey Jaf thanks alot for the reply and it's good to hear that improvements can be made in this section. Its also good to hear that there are patterns in the explanations and eventually I will be able to have an instinct for the right answer. I know this is the SAT, but in the critical reading section passages were my weakest and after alot of practice i went from a 590 to a 750 because I could "smell" what the answer was. That being said, are the practice materials I'm using okay for this or do you develop this instinct with only the AAMC material. And to your question, timing is not a huge issue, I usually finish the passage with a minute to spare, its mostly getting the questions right.

 

[jaf208]

Hey Jaf thanks alot for the reply and it's good to hear that improvements can be made in this section. Its also good to hear that there are patterns in the explanations and eventually I will be able to have an instinct for the right answer. I know this is the SAT, but in the critical reading section passages were my weakest and after alot of practice i went from a 590 to a 750 because I could "smell" what the answer was. That being said, are the practice materials I'm using okay for this or do you develop this instinct with only the AAMC material. And to your question, timing is not a huge issue, I usually finish the passage with a minute to spare, its mostly getting the questions right.

Nah, all of the ones you mentioned are great. I remember EK and Kaplan being the best practice passages, and Princeton Review was good as well but longer/harder than actual AAMC material so don't get too discouraged with those and I wouldn't recommend starting with PR. All are good to use though. As far as NS, I only used them once and feel like I remember their CARS passages being off the charts difficult, but I could be remembering incorrectly.
Interesting about SAT. Critical reading was by far my best score on that test..I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to say that that sort of skill set comes naturally for some and transfers between tests. Anybody can get better though just keep practicing!

Feel free to ask me any other questions

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

I think all test review companies are bull**** and will just make your CARS get worse... The only good practice material are by the AAMC, Khan Academy and ones from official standardized tests like LSAT and AP English. Reading difficult books and trying to understand them also undoubtedly helps (most perfect scorers apparently read lots of books) but obv not too helpful at this point.

 

[jaf208]

I think all test review companies are bull**** and will just make your CARS get worse... The only good practice material are by the AAMC, Khan Academy and ones from official standardized tests like LSAT and AP English. Reading difficult books and trying to understand them also undoubtedly helps (most perfect scorers apparently read lots of books) but obv not too helpful at this point.

Yeah, I did read a lot (I was actually a political science major) so that'll put you at an advantage. I really don't think all the test review companies are bull**** though. Especially Kaplan. It's worth noting some can be a lot harder than the real thing (Princeton Review esp) but still worth the practice.

 

[Dhooy7]

Where can I find CARs passages with questions? Thanks!

 

[pms_testosterone]

@Dhooy7 https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat?t=practice

But it's really worth it to buy the official ones, too.

 

[Dhooy7]

What official tests should I buy from AAMC? How much are they?

 

[pms_testosterone]

@Dhooy7 You should buy all of them. Here is the list: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/online-practice-mcat-exam/
If you buy the bundle with everything it's $238, or $204 for online materials only.

 

[mc1214]

Practice is highly important. Also, try to outline the passage as you are reading, and start looking for patterns of questions that you miss often (i.e. I was unreliable on inference questions). Knowing your strengths in different styles of questions can help you think through ways to get through it on test day. Make sure when you practice you're also doing some analysis of what you did right/wrong and not just going on to the next question pack.

 

[andelJ94]

As in, is getting good at the CARS section comes with alot of practice and review? I've recently started studying for this section and it is probably my weakest section. Can anyone attest to this? I'm using NS 108 passages, EK 101, and TPRH for my verbal passages and I haven't taken any FLs.

No, not brute at all! You must review your mistakes, analyze them and then change your thinking to better fit the AAMC (annoying I know).