Kaplan

[randallB]

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Hey all...
Just want to see if those of you who took Kaplan thought that the practice tests from the classroom course were more difficult than the MCAT last Saturday?

 

[PhatGtDmB]

randall,

i just took kaplan here is the breakdown:

Actual MCAT PS << Kaplan PS
Actual MCAT VR >> Kaplan VR
Actual MCAT BS = Kaplan BS

i hope that helps

 

[uthopeful]

I would have to agree with the above post. Although I did have a much harder bio section. Most people in my kaplan said there bio was about the same as kaplan, I think i just ended up with a real hard bio form.

If you do take kaplan, the most useful part is the practice exams, and more importantly the explanations to the questions. Make sure you go over the explanations, they are great overview of the topics.

 

[randallB]

Thanks for your opinions to those of you who replied. I definitely agree with your assessment of the exam. I'm not sure if it was entirely worth the $ to take the course, but I felt reasonably prepared to attack each section after taking 8 full lengths and a ton of subject tests...although I'm not sure how Kaplan expects one to finish all of the materials that they provide. Good luck to you all!

 

[StanSteel]

I think Kaplan gave me all I needed in terms of raw knowledge (as opposed to critical thinking, which really you can't teach but to yourself).
Kaplan's PS is much harder than the real test.

Kaplan Bio and verbal do not feel the same as the real test.
Kaplan's bio is much more focused on discrete knowledge even on the passage-based questions. There is always a way around the passage IF you know your stuff. On the real test however, you are dropped out into the ocean of paragraphs, with a life saver in the shape of a pencil. They will throw unknown things at you on purpose. To see if you are able to understand knew stuff in the blink of an eye. That's the essence of the MCAT.

Kaplan needs to learn how to write verbal questions. Their questions do not match the test-maker's. Well, in a way I don't blame them. It must take some perverted minds to manage to write such mind-bogglers.

 

[PakFistInYoMouf]

kaplan practice tests 1-5 were pretty easy. Tests 6-9 were really difficult--i remember getting halfway through the verbal reasoning in practice test 8 and throwing the exam against the wall in disgust. The passages were way to long--it was as if kaplan felt they could only make the test harder by increasing the length of every passage. AAMC revised tests 3r-6r were pretty good...I saved those for the last 2 weeks of studying so i could get my timing down. Just dont do any of kaplan 6 through 9 the week before the mcat as it will kill your confidence.

 

[uclakid]

anyone have kaplan tests?

 

[abbeacon]

I agree with stansteel, the kaplan full lengths seemed too fact-based instead of critically-thinking based. I consistenly scored very well on the kaplan ones, but my score dropped a few points on the final two aamc tests. I did feel prepared for the aug03 test, so to all who are taking kaplan (or any test prep for that matter), take all the practice tests and section tests you can!

regarding kaplan tests 6-11, I was told by my kaplan center director that the scores might not be as reliable as 1-5, as kaplan adjusts the raw score conversions based on how everyone does on the particular test. Because 1-5 have been around longer, those scores are more reflective of what you'll actually get on the mcat. I think for this reason, plus the inception of Qbank, they got rid of tests 10-11.

 

[juicebox]

Kaplan does a great job preparing student for Physics. Their practice exams are harder than the real thing and they provide review for all possible test-day material.

With that said, I think they do a poor job on bio. My advice to anyone preparing the April exam would be to primarily review your notes and texts from university bio courses (particularly microbiology and genetics), and then hit the Kaplan bio topical tests, etc.

I was getting BS 11-12's all summer in Kaplan and would feel lucky to escape with a 9 from Aug 16....