Kaplan "Diagnostic"

[peterockduke]

I would just like to say this test is a piece of ****. Did anyone else get an awful score but did fine on the aamc practice tests or the real one?

My friend got a 20 on his diagnostic and got a 34 on the real thing. I got a 21 and my last practice test was a 33-34. I mean I read the kap books and went over problems, but I think kaplan is simply a scam (except the supplemental tests).

Thoughts?

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[TTSD]

Kaplan makes their tests a lot harder than the MCAT, plus I think their diagnostics are tailored through the course to show improvement and such. Kaplan's real gem though are its review books. I think those were pretty well written. Except goddamn optics. I mean really, WTF?

 

[Bad Mojo]

I'll try to gve my opinion without too much bias. I took the Kaplan course and have taught MCAT for them too. The diagnostic is definitely not the best indicator of how someone will do on the actual test. I went up 11 or 12 points (didn't care enough to remember my diag score). People definitely don't go into the diag the same way as the real thing. I showed up to class without realizing we had to take practice tests. Hopefully, any self-respecting pre-med wouldn't go into the MCAT so unprepared. Its major purpose, though, is just to be the starting spot and to give an idea of what areas should be focused on. The main thing about Kaplan (and Princeton, I would guess) is that they provide excellent opportunities for practice. People have mixed opinions about the class-room reviews, but the practice full-lengths and sections are the best part in my opinion. The MCAT isn't just about what you know, but how well you can apply it.

 

[PianoGirl04]

I agree with all of this. It depends on a lot of things...your attitude, studying, the short length of the diagnostic, and probably being rigged by Kaplan to make their program look good (heck, I'm teaching for them next spring, and I don't have any problem admitting this). Also, I hadn't taken physics when I took the diagnostic, so my PS score was a joke. The diagnostic just serves to guide your studying and show where your strong and weak points are. The score itself doesn't matter as much as the differences between the sections and the topics of the questions you get wrong.