jesskiss312 said:
Hey guys,
I was just wondering how some people felt the kaplan exams were to the real thing? Did they seem harder, easier, or right on point? Thanks
Jess
I can't say anything yet since I take it tomorrow (ack!), but I took all the Kaplan full-length exams and the TopScore exams, and yesterday I took the released sample test from 1993 (I also did a few of the changed problems from the test online). These are in order of how recent they are (the first one being the oldest):
Diagnostic:
TS: 400
Bio: 400
GChem: 360
Ochem: 400
Physics: 400
RC: 400
QR: 390
I don't know why I even bothered listing that because I took it 4 times and those are my last scores from about 2.5 months ago. =P
Midterm:
TS: 330
Bio: 320
Gchem: 340
Ochem: 350
Physics: 280 (see what I mean? =P)
RC: 380
QR: 330 (this is the one I never finished...they said "5 minutes!" and I was on #28/50!!! ugh)
Final:
TS: 340
Bio: 350
Gchem: 330
Ochem: 360
Physics: 290 (*cry*)
RC: 370
QR: 380
TopScore 1: (mostly June 23, although I did some of the sections before school ended)
Bio: 340
Chem: 330
Ochem: 310
Physics: 290
QR: 370
RC: 370
Kaplan OAT 1 (June 24, full-length on the computer):
AA: 362
TS: 360
Bio: 360
Gchem: 330
Ochem: 370
Physics: 340 (gasp)
RC: 380
QR: 390
TopScore 2: (June 29)
AA: 363
TS: 370
Bio: 360
GChem: 360
Ochem: 370
Physics: 330
QR: 380
RC: 380
TopScore 3 (June 30):
AA: 360
TS: 350
Bio: 340
GChem: 340
Ochem: 370
Physics: 310
QR: 400
RC: 400
Kaplan OAT 2 (July 1):
AA: 362
TS: 350
Bio: 360
GChem: 380
Ochem: 380
Physics: 270 (I *thought* I suspended it and I went to go eat dinner, but when I came back the session had expired and I hadn't done like 7 problems...I probably would've gotten a 300, which isn't much better =\)
RC: 380
QR: 400 (I've definitely improved my speed since the midterm!)
Kaplan OAT 3 (July 2):
AA: 347
TS: 340
Bio: 400 (quite a surprise)
GChem: 340
Ochem: 300 (also quite a surprise, ochem has usually been one of my best sections)
Physics: 300
RC: 370
QR: 370
REAL Sample Test from ASCO (yesterday, July 3):
AA: 390 (if I could repeat this again, I'd be VERY happy)
TS: 400
Bio: 400
GChem: 370
OChem: 400
Physics: 380 (especially this!!! omg the sample test was WAY easier than Kaplan/TopScore/Princeton Review!!!)
QR: 390
RC: 400
**One thing I'd like to note about this test is that I actually didn't feel beat up and exhausted after finishing it. Kaplan and TopScore...after I took their full-lengths, I had to go and unwind for a LONG time, because they really beat me up. =P But with the real sample test, I could actually just take a 5 minute break and come back straight into reviewing the wrong answers. I really hope the real test will be most similar to this one. However, I found that some of the bio questions and possibly some other subjects, Kaplan stole from them and modified, haha. So in that case, Kaplan WAS good review.**
Speaking of Princeton Review...I've found their OAT Physics chapter pretty helpful in terms of explaining things. They explained some concepts better than Kaplan's OAT Physics chapter did. I didn't read any of the other Princeton Review chapters because I don't have time, but they seem pretty good too. I wish I had more time. No, I don't. =P I can't wait to get this over with!
I'll post my real scores tomorrow, I'm optimistically hoping they'll be like my sample test scores, but sometimes I don't do as well on real tests as on sample tests (SAT, for example), so we'll see. But at least you'll feel better if you haven't been doing as well on Kaplan...especially in physics...I predict your score will jump at least 30, if not more.
