making sure history doesn't repeat itself

[epsilonprodigy]

Hoping for some insight from others who may have done worse on the real MCAT than the practice exams.

I took the MCAT last summer. After taking Kaplan, I was scoring 32-35 on all exams I completed after content review (used Kaplan and AAMC.) I was perfectly happy with this but did terribly on the real MCAT, scoring a 25. During practice, I was least confident in PS, varying from 10-12, always got 11 in verbal (almost without exception, got a 12 once) and usually 12-13 in BS. On the real thing, I got 8/8/9. While I did feel terrible after the real thing, I generally always felt terrible after practice exams and found that, like most SDNer's will tell you, it generally didn't correlate with my actual performance. So, even though I had a very calculation-heavy PS and an orgo-heavy BS section, I went ahead and scored instead of voided.

Part of me wants to say that I got nervous and choked, but I'm really not sure that's what was going on. It's not that I wasn't nervous, it's just that I took the practice exams very seriously and felt just as nervous before each of those as the real thing. My pre-med advisor says that it is very possible to just get an obscure exam, and you have to respond by working on any remaining weaknesses so that even the most obscure exam won't throw you.

I am now most of the way through SN2ed's schedule, and have supplemented my weaker topics with material from the TPRH series. Although I'm not quite ready to start FL's yet, I do feel like I've learned a lot more this time around, and a lot more in-depth. I also think that my practice the first time around was very deficient in passage-based practice. For instance, I usually got 60-something % on the quizzes and assignments from the Kaplan syllabus, and now my practice material scores are generally in the high 70% to high 80% ranges using BR, TPRH and EK as stated in SN2ed's schedule.

The one no-brainer mistake that I can cite with certainty, is that I didn't do a great job of emulating test-taking conditions during practice the first time around. I'd take FL's in the computer lab or library at school but wouldn't adhere extremely strictly to the ten-minute breaks (for example, maybe I'd run downstairs to get a snack and a coffee and run to the bathroom, taking 15 minutes or a little more.) Stupid, yes, and of course I know not to do that this time, but is that really enough to entirely explain such a huge discrepancy? Would love some insight since it's a little hard to be objective!

This is encouraging, BUT, this does not explain the inconsistency between my practice scores and actual scores.

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[flodhi1]

Hoping for some insight from others who may have done worse on the real MCAT than the practice exams.

I took the MCAT last summer. After taking Kaplan, I was scoring 32-35 on all exams I completed after content review (used Kaplan and AAMC.) I was perfectly happy with this but did terribly on the real MCAT, scoring a 25. During practice, I was least confident in PS, varying from 10-12, always got 11 in verbal (almost without exception, got a 12 once) and usually 12-13 in BS. On the real thing, I got 8/8/9. While I did feel terrible after the real thing, I generally always felt terrible after practice exams and found that, like most SDNer's will tell you, it generally didn't correlate with my actual performance. So, even though I had a very calculation-heavy PS and an orgo-heavy BS section, I went ahead and scored instead of voided.

Part of me wants to say that I got nervous and choked, but I'm really not sure that's what was going on. It's not that I wasn't nervous, it's just that I took the practice exams very seriously and felt just as nervous before each of those as the real thing. My pre-med advisor says that it is very possible to just get an obscure exam, and you have to respond by working on any remaining weaknesses so that even the most obscure exam won't throw you.

I am now most of the way through SN2ed's schedule, and have supplemented my weaker topics with material from the TPRH series. Although I'm not quite ready to start FL's yet, I do feel like I've learned a lot more this time around, and a lot more in-depth. I also think that my practice the first time around was very deficient in passage-based practice. For instance, I usually got 60-something % on the quizzes and assignments from the Kaplan syllabus, and now my practice material scores are generally in the high 70% to high 80% ranges using BR, TPRH and EK as stated in SN2ed's schedule.

The one no-brainer mistake that I can cite with certainty, is that I didn't do a great job of emulating test-taking conditions during practice the first time around. I'd take FL's in the computer lab or library at school but wouldn't adhere extremely strictly to the ten-minute breaks (for example, maybe I'd run downstairs to get a snack and a coffee and run to the bathroom, taking 15 minutes or a little more.) Stupid, yes, and of course I know not to do that this time, but is that really enough to entirely explain such a huge discrepancy? Would love some insight since it's a little hard to be objective!

This is encouraging, BUT, this does not explain the inconsistency between my practice scores and actual scores.

In my VERY honest opinion and don't take this wrong. It feels like you have your content and knowledge down. You just ended up choking due to nervousness and can NOT control your emotions. Just by the way you're posting it seems like you're very upset about your previous performance and obviously are some what an emotional individual. In my opinion when you take the MCAT you have to be as cold as a killer and have ABSOLUTELY NO FEELINGS "metaphorically speaking". Your emotions is what most likely explains your discrepancies. What's the point of knowing everything in the world, outperforming on these "laid back" practice exams but choking when the real deal comes. I'm not a huge fan of Kaplan but I recall you complaining about their inadequate prep a couple weeks ago and I really don't think thats the case. If anything Kaplan is pretty over kill which is annoying (especially compared to the Examkracker home study I completed). Initially i was running out of time or wouldn't understand a question/passage In a couple exams I panicked and did not do too well. That's how I figured out that having any feelings during this exam can be detrimental extremely nervousness that leads to an an unbalanced system. However now when I take the exams I don't care at all i sit there with the most I don't give a F attitude, if I don't know anything I don't care and just move on. I keep telling myself ok so what if I do bad on this? LIFE will not end. I think if you're able to keep that not caring attitude when you take the real deal you will definitely score just as well as your practice exam scores good luck

 

[tttgo]

hey flodhi. just curious, have you taken your mcat yet?