math questions on quantitative (Dr collins/ general question)

[laddoo12]

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Hey there guys, on a scale of one to 10 how similar is dr collins to the actually PCAT,
and also, about the questions has anyone ever experiences a a**hole question, like a question that pertains to taking the derivative of 8x^3(sqrtx+4)^5(sqrt1/2x-x^2)....
just kind of iffy about the questions they ask because I'm reviewing dr collins and questions from my calc I class and the difficulties between collins and in class is HUGE! (in class being harder the collins) 😕

 

[sodiumd]

I don't have dr. collins, but I can say the pcat problems are nowhere near as tedious as the class problems. The pcat doesn't care if you can solve a long and tedious problem. I find the test to be more of your ability to recall information from a broad range of knowledge and apply it fast. And if you do see a problems that you know will be tedious, you can't let your ego get in the way. Randomly choose an answer and move on. You are there to rack up points.
If you got the hard stuff down from your class, you will be more than prepared for the calculus questions.

 

[serene tan]

I would like to know this answer as well. How similar in difficulty is Dr.Collins to the actual PCAT exam?
Someone please answer.
Thank you.

Hey there guys, on a scale of one to 10 how similar is dr collins to the actually PCAT,
and also, about the questions has anyone ever experiences a a**hole question, like a question that pertains to taking the derivative of 8x^3(sqrtx+4)^5(sqrt1/2x-x^2)....
just kind of iffy about the questions they ask because I'm reviewing dr collins and questions from my calc I class and the difficulties between collins and in class is HUGE! (in class being harder the collins) 😕

 

[Bows]

Hey there guys, on a scale of one to 10 how similar is dr collins to the actually PCAT,
and also, about the questions has anyone ever experiences a a**hole question, like a question that pertains to taking the derivative of 8x^3(sqrtx+4)^5(sqrt1/2x-x^2)....
just kind of iffy about the questions they ask because I'm reviewing dr collins and questions from my calc I class and the difficulties between collins and in class is HUGE! (in class being harder the collins) 😕

Verbal = 8/10
Bio = 6/10
Quant = 8/10 but you must work fast
Chem = 6/10
Reading = 2/10

Remember that the PCAT is a SIMPLISTIC exam that tests your ability to do well in Pharmacy school. It's like a projection. All the questions are very simple, but they limit your time and give you more questions than one can typically handle. Be calm, work fast. Don't second guess yourself, and skip the ones you aren't 100% of, and can't do in less than a minute. My advice would be to train yourself to finish the Collins exams in 3/4ths of the required time. So you will be ready for the time constraints on the PCAT.

 

[PocketAces5]

Took the july 18 pcat and got an 89 composite, with a 93 percentile in quantitative. After not having math since 10th grade, i took calculus three years ago and have had no other math experience besides that. I studied Dr. Collins for 3 months. While the material isn't exactly the same, many questions were relevant on the actual exam that I specifically took. I would say it's more of a time constraint if anything. I barely finished and guessed on the last five questions. Even the questions I did answer, were extremely difficult and I thought math was going to be my worst section. So even if you think you did bad when taking the exam you might be surprised at your percentile rank. I think they make it much harder than you would expect but most people do horribly on it so if you do decent, you will get a high grade

 

[PocketAces5]

Oh, and five days before the July Pcat I purchased the three practice exams directly from the pearson pcat website. I took all three full length pcat exams and went over each individual problem even if I got it right. I believe that helped immensely, not only to get used to the conditions for timing but also they are real pcat questions which were on previous pcat exams as stated on the website.

 

[laddoo12]

Thanks guys! i've gone through hall of collins, and if the verbal is is that similar to collins I'm going to get on that because i've been studying a lot of flashcards of never before seen vocab words!

 

[PocketAces5]

Thanks guys! i've gone through hall of collins, and if the verbal is is that similar to collins I'm going to get on that because i've been studying a lot of flashcards of never before seen vocab words!

Personally, verbal didn't help at all from Collins, but i had a book from when i took the GRE's to get into grad school and that helped. Most of the collins verbal questions are straightforward and i didn't see one word on the exam. Knowing how to do analogies are good though. Also, reading comprehension on collins was extremely easy and not even close to what was on the exam. If you purchase any of the practice PCAT tests from pearson pcat online, that is 100% reflective of what you will see regarding reading comprehension as well as verbal. collins was way too easy in these sections and extremely lacking.

 

[laddoo12]

Personally, verbal didn't help at all from Collins, but i had a book from when i took the GRE's to get into grad school and that helped. Most of the collins verbal questions are straightforward and i didn't see one word on the exam. Knowing how to do analogies are good though. Also, reading comprehension on collins was extremely easy and not even close to what was on the exam. If you purchase any of the practice PCAT tests from pearson pcat online, that is 100% reflective of what you will see regarding reading comprehension as well as verbal. collins was way too easy in these sections and extremely lacking.

i had a feeling, yea my reading comp and verbal scores suck ass, and I'm glad you told me that about collings, ill go back to reviewing Barrons and Kaplans vocab flashcards! thanks man! 😀

 

[serene tan]

Can someone please suggest me which company's vocab flashcards are helpful for the verbal section??
Also, how do I improve on reading comprehension? Do you guys know any good prep books??

 

[PocketAces5]

Can someone please suggest me which company's vocab flashcards are helpful for the verbal section??
Also, how do I improve on reading comprehension? Do you guys know any good prep books??

I'm not sure specifically about reading comprehension as I didn't study specifically for it and it was my lowest percentile (75). but i do know that the "Verbal For GRE" book heped me alot and I actually saw a lot of vocab words from the list in there...the book consists of a lot of words though, but if you take your time going through about 10 words per day you can finish it in like 3 weeks. It also provides analogies and sentence completion too, which is what you'll find on the pcat

 

[serene tan]

Hello PocketAces5,
Thank you so much for your reply. Can you please specify the book title and the author for "Verbal for GRE" book? I googled the book and couldn't find the specific one.
Thanks so much!

I'm not sure specifically about reading comprehension as I didn't study specifically for it and it was my lowest percentile (75). but i do know that the "Verbal For GRE" book heped me alot and I actually saw a lot of vocab words from the list in there...the book consists of a lot of words though, but if you take your time going through about 10 words per day you can finish it in like 3 weeks. It also provides analogies and sentence completion too, which is what you'll find on the pcat

 

[PocketAces5]

Hello PocketAces5,
Thank you so much for your reply. Can you please specify the book title and the author for "Verbal for GRE" book? I googled the book and couldn't find the specific one.
Thanks so much!

Sure no problem.. i'm sorry, the exact title is called "Word Smart for the GRE 2nd edition" by Princeton Review, Anne Curtis. ISBN # is 978-0-375-76577-3. It has a retail listing like $10

It really is a great book to increase your score for the verbal section. It also contains a lot of drills and examples and mini quizes which test exactly what is on the PCAT, including analogies and a heavy focus on sentence completion which will come in handy.