I know that the Kaplan diagnostics are supposed to be hard, but I took it last Saturday and I got a 15 (5PS, 6VR, 4BS). How much harder than the real thing are these tests supposed to be? I haven't taken Organic or Physics yet, so does it sound like I'm right on track?
Kaplan Diagnostic
- Thread starter ncguy2005
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Get your money back now and don't waste your time with Kaplan!!! Okay, their books and online materials are decent, but their practice tests and classroom instruction are garbage. If I were you, I'd focus on the tests released by the AAMC and use some commercial prep book EC, Kaplan, or PR to brush up on things you haven't studied for awhile. You'll save a lot of money (which you'll need when applying) and will do better on the test. That's my money back higher score guarantee.
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Uh - there's your answer right there.
Why did you take a diagnostic without knowing all the material?
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Kaplan has some good instruction and test taking stratgies such as the timing thing and bubbling strategy. But if you want to get over that 30 hump I would recommend heavily using Exam Crackers and purchase the AAMC practice tests from AAMC.
Uh - there's your answer right there.
Why did you take a diagnostic without knowing all the material?
Primarily my taking the test was to see if I could handle the time constraints that the MCAT puts on the different sections. But I was still curious about what I scored...which lead me to wonder: "Where am I at, at this point?"
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I thought the classroom instruction was decent, not amazing, but it was good to have someone tell me what to study and when. My diagnostic was a 23
and practices went up to 36 (32 on the real one though). Of course I had taken all the courses at some point (although in a few cases 8 years prior).
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if you havent taken organic or physics yet, well uh, why are you taking the diagnostic?
15 is very very very low.
after all your courses i think a diagnostic score of 18-22 is expected (given that the courses may be rusty).... and yes the diag is harder than practice tests you take later since PR or Kaplan can then claim vast improvement.
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your ps score is excusable since you havent had physics, but i might be a little worried about verbal and bs. buckle down. i found the kaplan classes to be very helpful in getting you to study and they have a great online question bank. good luck, i went up nine pnts. from diagnostic to real thing, and found kaplan's practice tests to be an accurate gauge.
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Ahhhh, you guys make me feel better, I've been catching some grief for not signing up for a review class from my peers. Why can't I do well studying on my own?????
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Don't succumb to peer pressure! My case was the opposite, everyone told me NOT to take Kaplan because it was a waste of time and money. I didn't listen and didn't do as well as I would have hoped (my Kaplan practice test scores were in the 32-33 range, my MCAT score was not). I retook the MCAT just focusing on the AAMC tests and on my weaker subjects and scored in the 30s.
The BS section was very unexpected, I assumed that it would be an even mix of biology and organic chem, but it turned out to be majority organic. I guess that shows what happens when you assume.
Yes, I was a little ashamed of the 6 on the verbal, I think that was just a screw up on my part, and I would do better if I did it again.
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I got a 15 on the diagnostic and a 31 on the actual MCAT. I didn't go to the classes bc I thought they were a waste. I just did tons of practice tests (all the Kaplan ones, all the AAMC ones, all the Princeton Review ones). I also went over my answers to all of the full lengths and shorter tests.
Good luck!
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Could not agree more. The first time I took the MCAT, I took the Kaplan class (26R) and I too got a 15 on the diagnostic. The second time, I used a mix of Exam Krackers and NOVA, ~8 hours independent study/per day/two months, and used the AAMC tests for practice (33R). I have tons of advice to dish out on this topic, so PM me if you like.
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i got a 17 on the diagnostic and scored a lot higher on the real deal. i agree that the actual classroom portion of kaplan isn't great, but it got me going somewhere every saturday to study for the mcat - if you need the discipline, it's good. also, i liked the subject/topical tests that i could access/get graded from home - it allowed me to study for like a quick 30 min while i was waiting for the simpsons to come on or something. i purposely did not take a single aamc test, because i heard they were easier than kaplan, so i wanted to condition myself to think the test was as hard as kaplan's. when i took the real test, it was noticably easier than kaplan (although it was still hard), so i was more confident while taking the test.
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wtf? Don't bash Kaplan dude...
I got a 24 on Kaplan's diagnostic, studied NOTHING but Kaplan materials (and a small set of physics equation flash cards I made FROM KAPLAN STUFF).
I got a 40.
I got a 24 on Kaplan's diagnostic, studied NOTHING but Kaplan materials (and a small set of physics equation flash cards I made FROM KAPLAN STUFF).
I got a 40.
A 15! Thats great, I've never heard of a score that low! Take the pre-reqs first man, you cant expect to do well without them. And as opposed to other people, I like Kaplan...well worth the money. Ps: Im not laughing at you...well yeah I am, but I don't think anyone can break 20 without taking the proper classes first. What were you thinking?
I thought Kaplan helped me out. The classroom lessons were decently helpful. More like a pretty good review. My diag was a 21 I think. My socres went up with each practice until I finally hovered around the 30-33 mark. On my real MCAT I scored a 35. More so than the lessons was the access to all the extra training materials and tests that helped me the most.
I guess it's not for everyone though. As far as your score being low, it's probably like you said due to the fact that you haven't learned all the material yet. Also, i think with diags, you're just going at it cold with no prep work at all (as was my case) so of course it's gonna be low. Well good luck with everything.
I guess it's not for everyone though. As far as your score being low, it's probably like you said due to the fact that you haven't learned all the material yet. Also, i think with diags, you're just going at it cold with no prep work at all (as was my case) so of course it's gonna be low. Well good luck with everything.
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I do believe that Kaplan tests are harder because they are more quantitative and less reading comp. There is a fair amount of reading comp on every section of the real thing. Because Kaplans tests are more difficult, I consequently did poorly on all the practice tests, and my self-confidence was completely squashed by the real thing. A lot of this test is a head game and confidence is important. The AAMC tests were not easier, they were representative. Why would you not study something that is comparable to the real thing? It is obvious that Kaplan works for some and not others, but unfortunately, it costs $1500 to figure out what works for you.
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MANY people score very very low on the diagnostic. They make it hard to ensure their "high score guarantee". A 15 without those courses is good.
The Kaplan classroom course you pay for isn't just the 6 hours/week in the classroom. You pay for the material as well. The volume of material Kaplan has is just enormous. Online workshops, subject tests, practice tests, Kaplan Full-Length MCATs (designed/written by Kaplan), and you have access to the AAMC MCAT's 3-10.
One of my Kaplan teachers has said he has never heard of a single person utilizing ALL of their material. Along with the lesson book for the classroom course, you have books for each section (PS, BS, V), and a High-Yield Problem Solving book.
P.S. I am not a Kaplan salesmen, although I am enrolled in their course right now.
The Kaplan classroom course you pay for isn't just the 6 hours/week in the classroom. You pay for the material as well. The volume of material Kaplan has is just enormous. Online workshops, subject tests, practice tests, Kaplan Full-Length MCATs (designed/written by Kaplan), and you have access to the AAMC MCAT's 3-10.
One of my Kaplan teachers has said he has never heard of a single person utilizing ALL of their material. Along with the lesson book for the classroom course, you have books for each section (PS, BS, V), and a High-Yield Problem Solving book.
P.S. I am not a Kaplan salesmen, although I am enrolled in their course right now.
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Moving to MCAT forum
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If you have the time, I can see how Kaplan can work for people(by 'the time', I mean maybe a few hours a day for the material).
Because, like someone said, their resources are just so damn vast. Practice material and reviews up the ass.
Because, like someone said, their resources are just so damn vast. Practice material and reviews up the ass.
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Kaplan worked very well for me. I had a great instructor, and he was realistic about what studying and work we would be doing. My Diag score was a 28, and my high score on their Full-Lengths (which was definitely one of the best parts of the class) was a 34. I scored a 36 on the MCAT. I did get a 13V and missed 2 out of the 3 verbal days tho...
Decide what works best for you. If it's learning in a classroom, with a syllabus and homework, go Kaplan. If it's studying by yourself, go Exam Crackers.
Decide what works best for you. If it's learning in a classroom, with a syllabus and homework, go Kaplan. If it's studying by yourself, go Exam Crackers.
