Low MCAT score , How to improve. I know I can better.

[Javier210]

Hello, I am new to SDN and had a couple of questions/need some guidance.

So I just got my MCAT score for April 1st, 2016 and it is a HORRENDOUS 485. I thought I wouldve atleast cracked the 500 but NO.

I studied for a solid 6 months, did extensive content review cause I needed it. I was scoring like 68-75% on AAMC material. I worked full time nights and studied throughout the day.

Mistakes I made: I underestimated time, started doing practice questions and FL 2 months before the exam.

Stressors: Apartment got broken in to 2 weeks before my exam , they trashed my apartment and took all my stuff and had to move to my abuelas. This whole thing threw off my daily rhythm.

I feel like I lost balance of life the last 3 months because I was so concerned with achieving a good score. I totally overlooked the fact that I burnt my self out studying 10-12hrs/ day. I only slept 4 hours the night before the exam which I definitely felt impaired my ability to focus on the test day.

I am planning to retake it on July 22nd,2016. I know what I need to do to have a balance in my life , not burnt myself out and reach my potential.

I really need some kind of guidance on how what can I do to improve this score. Whether is incorporating new things or eliminating things from my study curriculum. PLEASE HELP. ANY ADVICE IS APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU>

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[CastleG8]

Hello, I am new to SDN and had a couple of questions/need some guidance.

So I just got my MCAT score for April 1st, 2016 and it is a HORRENDOUS 485. I thought I wouldve atleast cracked the 500 but NO.

I studied for a solid 6 months, did extensive content review cause I needed it. I was scoring like 68-75% on AAMC material. I worked full time nights and studied throughout the day.

Mistakes I made: I underestimated time, started doing practice questions and FL 2 months before the exam.

Stressors: Apartment got broken in to 2 weeks before my exam , they trashed my apartment and took all my stuff and had to move to my abuelas. This whole thing threw off my daily rhythm.

I feel like I lost balance of life the last 3 months because I was so concerned with achieving a good score. I totally overlooked the fact that I burnt my self out studying 10-12hrs/ day. I only slept 4 hours the night before the exam which I definitely felt impaired my ability to focus on the test day.

I am planning to retake it on July 22nd,2016. I know what I need to do to have a balance in my life , not burnt myself out and reach my potential.

I really need some kind of guidance on how what can I do to improve this score. Whether is incorporating new things or eliminating things from my study curriculum. PLEASE HELP. ANY ADVICE IS APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU>

You need to practice more. Do you completely review each FL practice test and see why you miss each question? This alone can take up an entire day. Look up the topics you are clueless about and avoid making the same mistakes over and over. Identify your weak topics and prioritize those sections. Going over the FL practice exams is your key to knowing what you need to work on.
Because you scored well below a 500, you are going to want a big improvement this time.
Do more FL exams under test conditions. Timed, with earplugs, 10 minute breaks, no later than 1-2 hrs after you first wake up and only after 6+ hours of sleep. Mentally prepare for the MCAT by planning your sleep more than a day before your exam. If you do more studying, make it quality studying and perhaps try flashcards to keep the topics fresh. Memorize the amino acids. Know acids and bases very well. Review all of the psychology terms until you are familiar with them all.
Read the thread from 509+ test taker strategies and don't assume you can put in less effort/prep and be okay.
Do the AAMC Section bank.
This is just my suggestions. Some people can get by with less prep than you. Take this exam very serious. It can make or break your career. 485 is around 15 percentile. I don't want to sound rude, but what AAMC materials are you scoring 68-75% with? AAMC Sample FL unscored, AAMC practice (scored) AAMC Q-packs? Always do them timed to get an accurate measure of your performance.

 

[Javier210]

You need to practice more. Do you completely review each FL practice test and see why you miss each question? This alone can take up an entire day. Look up the topics you are clueless about and avoid making the same mistakes over and over. Identify your weak topics and prioritize those sections. Going over the FL practice exams is your key to knowing what you need to work on.
Because you scored well below a 500, you are going to want a big improvement this time.
Do more FL exams under test conditions. Timed, with earplugs, 10 minute breaks, no later than 1-2 hrs after you first wake up and only after 6+ hours of sleep. Mentally prepare for the MCAT by planning your sleep more than a day before your exam. If you do more studying, make it quality studying and perhaps try flashcards to keep the topics fresh. Memorize the amino acids. Know acids and bases very well. Review all of the psychology terms until you are familiar with them all.
Read the thread from 509+ test taker strategies and don't assume you can put in less effort/prep and be okay.
Do the AAMC Section bank.
This is just my suggestions. Some people can get by with less prep than you. Take this exam very serious. It can make or break your career. 485 is around 15 percentile. I don't want to sound rude, but what AAMC materials are you scoring 68-75% with?

Thank you for the advice , I will most definitely utilize these tips.

 

[Marine2MD]

6 months may have been too long and have lead to you forgetting the topics at the early stages of studying. Then again, only you know how you need to study. To expand on CastleG8, review the entire FL, not just what you got wrong. Look at what you got right, did you get it right because you knew it or was it a guess. Was it a narrowed down to 2 answers and this one is what you just happened to choose. As you have already seen with the MCAT, there is a good answer and the perfect answer, make sure you are always selecting the perfect/best answer.

Most importantly, DO NOT RETAKE UNLESS YOU ARE READY!!! That includes sleep and food. A single bad score in a year can be overmatched by a great score the 2nd time. Two bad scores in a single cycle shows bad judgment or bad studying skills.

 

[Premed_girl]

Hey! I came across your thread because I as well got my scoresback and did not do as well as I hoped, and right now I feel pretty hopeless
I was wondering how you did the second time/ what you did differently (if anything) and whether you have any advice from your experience that I can use. Thanks!

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Hey! I came across your thread because I as well got my scoresback and did not do as well as I hoped, and right now I feel pretty hopeless
I was wondering how you did the second time/ what you did differently (if anything) and whether you have any advice from your experience that I can use. Thanks!

I would HIGHLY recommend you start by reading THIS POST! It is a good starting points in terms of getting mentally ready for a second attack.