kaplan discrete, topicals, etc

[mishjtnyu]

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Hi,

I wanted to know the order of difficulty of the kaplan discrete, topicals, subject tests, and section tests.

thanks & good luck to everyone studying!

 

[Nooro]

I have been asking this question for ages. I personally think every topical has a different degree of difficulty (and its a very wide range) and its very difficult to put in an unbiased view. For example:

I did the biology topical: Endocrine systems test 1 and did really really well on it. I know my endocrine pretty well but felt the test was kinda easy (but maybe i just know my stuff?) but I thought it was pretty easy. In contrast I've done Physical sciences tests 1, 2, and 3. I GOT RAPED so hard it still hurts. I thought they were SUPER hard; however, I'm not that good in physics and maybe they just hit the specifics that i'm not the best in resulting in my dismal scores (test 19/31; test 2 14/27; test 3 (sorry cant find but it was around test 2's range).
Some physics topicals are really tough (at least for me) Electric circuits 8/17 =( Though I do need some help in that area and to contrast that translational motion test 1 11/16 (not soooo bad? but was this one really easy that I shouldn't have even gotten 5 wrong?)

Just to give a reference point I am getting 9's across the board when I take Princeton Diag's and AAMC. I'll occasionly get an 8. I also have taken the MCAT last August in which I got a 9 PS 8BS 9V =(.

IF YOU OR ANYONE HAS ANY INSIGHT ON THESE DAMN EXAMS TO KINDA GIVE ME A HEADS UP AS TO WHERE TO CONCENTRATE MY EFFORTS ON PLEASE LET ME KNOW. IF 5 WRONG IN TRANSLATIONAL MOTION IS PATHETIC than please tell me (sorry about the caps, been asking people for this info for a while now) if less than 50% right on electric circuits test 1 is still descent please let me in.

When I take a practice test I'll get between 1 - 4 questions in each area. So if i get 1 or 4 questions wrong, it may not be because I need help in that section the most (I may have gotten lucky in the electric circuits section and got 2 easy questions, both of which I got right) and I got some SUPER hard questions in translational motion which made me miss 4, but if I still need to spend more time on electric circuits, even though I got um all right (because they were easy). Its tough to judge whats easy or not unless you have a reference point (such as someone else) to judge from.

PLEASE anyone and everyone WRITE SOMETHING after you take ANY SORT OF practice questions (even if its from the science workbook) whether you think its hard/easy and if your normall good in that area it will help everyone including yourself. I'm hoping/need to get a 32 to not have to worr, but am realistically thinking I can only reach a 30, which will put me on the borderline of any school I apply to as my grades arent fantastic but they arent dismal either, if thats of any interest to anyone.

GOODLUCK TO ALL and remember, study your A$$ off, cause its worth it in the end. Keep your eyes on the prize. If possible study and do questions 8 - 10 hours a day, cause after the test is over, if you dont have to do it again and you dont have to worry (as much) about your future, you will be happier than any night/weekend/summer out drinking/partying.

Sucks to have to try so hard to do what you wanna do =..(, some say its not worth it, but if its worth it to you, like its worth it to me, you wont give up =T, hopefully.

~Omar

 

[mishjtnyu]

Wow, I am actually just starting to take these tests haven't taken any of them yet. i was originally on EK plan but it doesn't end reviewing until week before mcat and I need more practice. I was actually wondering what the best to start with is? For example should I do the subject tests then topicals then dicretes Or is there some other better order to do it in?

thanks and i'll let you know my scores so you can judge on but as of now i just got a 20 on EK 2 full length good luck


and i totally agree i am about to start doing questions everyday all day, just not sure what order to do them in

take care

I have been asking this question for ages. I personally think every topical has a different degree of difficulty (and its a very wide range) and its very difficult to put in an unbiased view. For example:

I did the biology topical: Endocrine systems test 1 and did really really well on it. I know my endocrine pretty well but felt the test was kinda easy (but maybe i just know my stuff?) but I thought it was pretty easy. In contrast I've done Physical sciences tests 1, 2, and 3. I GOT RAPED so hard it still hurts. I thought they were SUPER hard; however, I'm not that good in physics and maybe they just hit the specifics that i'm not the best in resulting in my dismal scores (test 19/31; test 2 14/27; test 3 (sorry cant find but it was around test 2's range).
Some physics topicals are really tough (at least for me) Electric circuits 8/17 =( Though I do need some help in that area and to contrast that translational motion test 1 11/16 (not soooo bad? but was this one really easy that I shouldn't have even gotten 5 wrong?)

Just to give a reference point I am getting 9's across the board when I take Princeton Diag's and AAMC. I'll occasionly get an 8. I also have taken the MCAT last August in which I got a 9 PS 8BS 9V =(.

IF YOU OR ANYONE HAS ANY INSIGHT ON THESE DAMN EXAMS TO KINDA GIVE ME A HEADS UP AS TO WHERE TO CONCENTRATE MY EFFORTS ON PLEASE LET ME KNOW. IF 5 WRONG IN TRANSLATIONAL MOTION IS PATHETIC than please tell me (sorry about the caps, been asking people for this info for a while now) if less than 50% right on electric circuits test 1 is still descent please let me in.

When I take a practice test I'll get between 1 - 4 questions in each area. So if i get 1 or 4 questions wrong, it may not be because I need help in that section the most (I may have gotten lucky in the electric circuits section and got 2 easy questions, both of which I got right) and I got some SUPER hard questions in translational motion which made me miss 4, but if I still need to spend more time on electric circuits, even though I got um all right (because they were easy). Its tough to judge whats easy or not unless you have a reference point (such as someone else) to judge from.

PLEASE anyone and everyone WRITE SOMETHING after you take ANY SORT OF practice questions (even if its from the science workbook) whether you think its hard/easy and if your normall good in that area it will help everyone including yourself. I'm hoping/need to get a 32 to not have to worr, but am realistically thinking I can only reach a 30, which will put me on the borderline of any school I apply to as my grades arent fantastic but they arent dismal either, if thats of any interest to anyone.

GOODLUCK TO ALL and remember, study your A$$ off, cause its worth it in the end. Keep your eyes on the prize. If possible study and do questions 8 - 10 hours a day, cause after the test is over, if you dont have to do it again and you dont have to worry (as much) about your future, you will be happier than any night/weekend/summer out drinking/partying.

Sucks to have to try so hard to do what you wanna do =..(, some say its not worth it, but if its worth it to you, like its worth it to me, you wont give up =T, hopefully.

~Omar

 

[sweetstuff25]

i started with the physics topicals and the hardcore difficulty just turned me off. i don't know if doing them would actually help or just confuse me with useless garbage.

 

[DoctaJay]

It is pretty much known that the Kaplan Physics topical tests are unnessarily hard. At times I have heard that the MCAT PS section is very similar to the Kaplan topicals and other times I've heard that the PS section is actually easier on the MCAT. Really, I would just use the Kaplan PS Topical tests to test your ability to tackle hard passages and discretes in a certain amount of time.

As for me. I am still getting raped by these Physics topical tests, but I'm trying my hardest not to lose hope. I've pretty much decided that no matter what I do, I'm probably not going to get higher than an 8 or 9 in the PS section. So I'm trying really hard to hone my skills in BS and VR, so that I can do really well in those sections. Plus, I've been told that med schools look at your BS score more in determining how you will do in med school.

Anyway, take heart. Just about everyone is scoring 11/16 or 9/18 on these PHysics topicals. My advice is keep hitting the VR and BS sections, but don't ignore the PS section.

 

[smiley98]

I second the difficulty of the PS topicals. It is crazy hard, and I too am not trying to get discouraged but it is really hard sometimes. But I have been recently taking the physical sciences tests offered and they are not that bad, well compared to the topicals. They are about 30-35 minutes each. Has anyone else done these? What do you think? If you are discouraged by the topicals I suggest just reflect more on your aamc scores and maybe take a phys. sciences test that they offer. But I think we are all in the same boat, just keep on truckin 😎

 

[jules0328]

My kaplan teacher told us not to even bother with the subject tests because they were extremely difficult and they kill your confidence.

I too, have been getting tons wrong. Now, I am not very good in physics so maybe that could be why, but still, the consensus across the board is, the kaplan physics topicals and subject tests are killer for no reason at all.

I bought the EK 1001 questions and I am going to stick with those. I am however, going to keep doing the topicals to get used to reading those damn long science passages that I absolutely adore! NOT.

 

[frany584]

I think the Kaplan topicals are pretty useful because theyre short enough to get a little bit of practice in each section. I'm not sure exactly what is considered "good" on the topicals but either way i feel it gives me practice with reading those passages...bleh! 😛

 

[mishjtnyu]

Thanks everyone! Do you think it is best to start with just the subject tests and then try the topicals and finally the discretes?

I am just awful at physics so I REALLY appreciate the warning about the physics topicals (believe it or not I was actually really struggling with the EK physics so kaplan might really torture me !)

Good luck everyone

I think the Kaplan topicals are pretty useful because theyre short enough to get a little bit of practice in each section. I'm not sure exactly what is considered "good" on the topicals but either way i feel it gives me practice with reading those passages...bleh! 😛