Is this representative of recent MCAT verbal?

[Ari1584]

So i have been reading that the most recent mcat verbal passages are longer than the EK passages and have more difficult questions. My test is next week and i was wondering if those of you that have taken the MCAT recently think the passage content/wording is similar to EK 101. I have been doing EK 101 and have been doing well in their sections, but i have also been doing some TBR full lengths and their verbal is insane. I mean literally their passages are so freaking wordy and convoluted that by the time im done reading them i am thinking "wtf?!". The passages in EK seem easier to grasp, although there are def tricky questions. Would you all say the passage topics/content in VR on the mcat is very wordy/difficult to grasp? Or is it similiar to EK and the aamc exams, except longer?

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[rocketbooster]

So i have been reading that the most recent mcat verbal passages are longer than the EK passages and have more difficult questions. My test is next week and i was wondering if those of you that have taken the MCAT recently think the passage content/wording is similar to EK 101. I have been doing EK 101 and have been doing well in their sections, but i have also been doing some TBR full lengths and their verbal is insane. I mean literally their passages are so freaking wordy and convoluted that by the time im done reading them i am thinking "wtf?!". The passages in EK seem easier to grasp, although there are def tricky questions. Would you all say the passage topics/content in VR on the mcat is very wordy/difficult to grasp? Or is it similiar to EK and the aamc exams, except longer?

No, the real MCAT passages are easy to read and understand. they MAY be one more paragraph or something, but the passages are easier to read that it doesn't matter. basically what i'm trying to say is...the real passages aren't nearly as convoluted.

the questions, on the other hand, may be a little bit harder. it really all balances out, though, since the passages are easier reads.

personally, I think the EK 101 questions are harder than the real MCAT's. EK's passages are without doubt more convoluted and harder to read.

just keep watching the clock and make sure not to go over 8 minutes/passage and you're good.

have you taken any AAMC VR's? the AAMC are almost identical to the real one. you'll score almost dead on to your AAMCs, too. some ppl claim that EK scores are dead on as well, but I've seen some disagreement there. I haven't seen any disagreement on AAMC VR being dead on, except that the real one may have 1 more paragraph/passage but that could just be all in your mind, too.

 

[Ari1584]

No, the real MCAT passages are easy to read and understand. they MAY be one more paragraph or something, but the passages are easier to read that it doesn't matter. basically what i'm trying to say is...the real passages aren't nearly as convoluted.

the questions, on the other hand, may be a little bit harder. it really all balances out, though, since the passages are easier reads.

personally, I think the EK 101 questions are harder than the real MCAT's. EK's passages are without doubt more convoluted and harder to read.

just keep watching the clock and make sure not to go over 8 minutes/passage and you're good.

have you taken any AAMC VR's? the AAMC are almost identical to the real one. you'll score almost dead on to your AAMCs, too. some ppl claim that EK scores are dead on as well, but I've seen some disagreement there. I haven't seen any disagreement on AAMC VR being dead on, except that the real one may have 1 more paragraph/passage but that could just be all in your mind, too.

i actually am retaking the mcat so my aamc verbals have already been used up. the last time i took it, it was dead on with my aamc exams. 8 on EVERY SINGLE ONE and 8 on the real thing. This time, i have been doing the EK passages and have been getting 9 and 10's, so i definitely feel like i improved from my constant 8's. But as soon as i take a TBR exam, i literally get 50% wrong and it really knocks my confidence down.

 

[JJMrK]

I took the 4/18 MCAT. IMO, EK verbal is harder than what was on the test.

 

[rocketbooster]

i actually am retaking the mcat so my aamc verbals have already been used up. the last time i took it, it was dead on with my aamc exams. 8 on EVERY SINGLE ONE and 8 on the real thing. This time, i have been doing the EK passages and have been getting 9 and 10's, so i definitely feel like i improved from my constant 8's. But as soon as i take a TBR exam, i literally get 50% wrong and it really knocks my confidence down.

I heard TBR VR is terrible. I always skipped their VR when I did their tests.

If you've been getting 9 and 10s on EK, I think you're good on getting a 10 on the real thing, at least.

I've seen 2 comparisons between EK and the real test: 1) EK scores are dead on and 2) EK scores may be 1-2 points lower than your real score

 

[Protactinium]

I get MURDERED on AAMC but I kill EK, we're talking about a 6 point difference. Wish it were the other way around .

 

[therethere]

yea I feel your pain, Ari. I'm in a very similar situation too, but don't worry about the TBR verbal score too much. I, too, got ridiculously low VR scores on two of the BR full lengths but got a 10 on a AAMC test. BTW, I've been getting 10s the EK as well. so, you're in a good shape! and GL next week, you'll do GREAT

 

[MegaProjectile]

So i have been reading that the most recent mcat verbal passages are longer than the EK passages and have more difficult questions. My test is next week and i was wondering if those of you that have taken the MCAT recently think the passage content/wording is similar to EK 101. I have been doing EK 101 and have been doing well in their sections, but i have also been doing some TBR full lengths and their verbal is insane. I mean literally their passages are so freaking wordy and convoluted that by the time im done reading them i am thinking "wtf?!". The passages in EK seem easier to grasp, although there are def tricky questions. Would you all say the passage topics/content in VR on the mcat is very wordy/difficult to grasp? Or is it similiar to EK and the aamc exams, except longer?

The real mcat verbal is a combination of hard and easy-to-read passages. There are like 5 easy/moderate passages content wise and two hard-to-read passages. These hard passages are usually in the arts or literature. These passages are wordy,long and difficult to decipher on first read . The author tends not to have one main theme. Instead multiply ideas, logical viewpoints and thematic proses are presented. Weaving through such web of discontinuity can send one into a tailspin. The questions, though, are adequate and not overtly overbearing.

In terms of questions, EK's questions are far dissimilar to the real mcat. On EK's tests you have asked to use the main idea, implicitly or explicitly, to answer most of the questions. In fact, if you read the passage well, you rarely have to even refer back to the passage to answer the preceding questions. The real mcat is closer to kaplan, IMO. Kaplan asks few main idea questions and more inference(least likely, more likely...etc) and detail questions.

 

[Protactinium]

The real mcat verbal is a combination of hard and easy-to-read passages. There are like 5 easy/moderate passages content wise and two hard-to-read passages. These hard passages are usually in the arts or literature. These passages are wordy,long and difficult to decipher on first read . The author tends not to have one main theme. Instead multiply ideas, logical viewpoints and thematic proses are presented. Weaving through such web of discontinuity can send one into a tailspin. The questions, though, are adequate and not overtly overbearing.

In terms of questions, EK's questions are far dissimilar to the real mcat. On EK's tests you have asked to use the main idea, implicitly or explicitly, to answer most of the questions. In fact, if you read the passage well, you rarely have to even refer back to the passage to answer the preceding questions. The real mcat is closer to kaplan, IMO. Kaplan asks few main idea questions and more inference(least likely, more likely...etc) and detail questions.

Great post, exactly how I feel. I better start hitting up them Kaplan FL's then. People always say Kaplan sucks. EK I find is way too easy vs. AAMC. It's those arts and literature passages that destroy me. Last AAMC I had like 91% Soc Sci, 84% Nat Sci and 35% humanities!!! 17 of 40 questions being humanities!