Is the MCAT "straightforward"?

[allre]

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[derrick rose]

I too would like to know this

 

[GoBlue20141]

From my experience, I would say that the MCAT neither utilizes what you call "trick" questions, nor do they give questions with straightforward answers. They love giving multiple "true" answers. That is, answers that are technically true but want you to choose the "most" correct answer, or the answer most applicable to that particular question. You must know the content, but in the context of the particular passage (or, in the case of discretes, the question) you are reading. Please let me know if this doesn't make sense.

Having said all that, if you do plenty of practice questions and the FL's, you will be very familiar with the MCAT style. Like anything in life, if you've prepared to the best of your abilities, you will get the score you want.

 

[radkat101]

I was pretty surprised by how straightforward most of the questions are for the two science sections. After taking all the practice tests and my actual, there really is nothing there to trick you with the exception of maybe 2 questions per section that tend to be totally counterintuitive. These are less trick questions than they are questions you're just pretty much meant to miss. I also don't agree with the previous poster about questions having a "most correct" answer (with the exception of verbal reasoning). Many of the questions are very straightforward and you either know the answer or you don't. For all the other questions there will be a clear answer even if you need an explanation for why.

 

[brood910]

Yes. They are very straightforward, compared to questions made by other companies (especially TBR).

 

[Czarcasm]

This is a great thread that could use more attention. I too had the same vibe while doing some of the questions in AAMC's student guide, that the questions were straightforward (atleast for the sciences). I feel like there's this misconception that they're out to trick you and that scares people into over analyzing a situation. It did me atleast when I took it back in 2011. This time around I'm tackling things differently, with a more simple minded approach. So far, so good.

 

[Czarcasm]

But then you get the occasional question like this and shake your head when you realized you made a careless mistake. Typical MCAT trap questions.

Calculate the deltaH of rxn given that Hf standard for HBr(g) is -36 kJ/mol:

H2(g) + Br2(g) --> 2 HBr (g)

A. -36kJ/mol
B. -72 kJ/mol
C. +72 kJ/mol
D. cannot be determined without more information

 

[swolebrah]

But then you get the occasional question like this and shake your head when you realized you made a careless mistake. Typical MCAT trap questions.

Calculate the deltaH of rxn given that Hf standard for HBr(g) is -36 kJ/mol:

H2(g) + Br2(g) --> 2 HBr (g)

A. -36kJ/mol
B. -72 kJ/mol
C. +72 kJ/mol
D. cannot be determined without more information

I'm going to say B. since H2/Br2 in their standard state is 0.

 

[Czarcasm]

I'm going to say B. since H2/Br2 in their standard state is 0.

The standard state of Br2 is liquid not gas. The correct answer was D since the formation value for Br2(g) was not provided.

 

[swolebrah]

The standard state of Br2 is liquid not gas. The correct answer was D since the formation value for Br2(g) was not provided.

Damn, you got me.