MCAT computer based testing

[njshibby]

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Has anyone out there taken the computer based tests and have any opinions on it? I signed up but am thinking of backing out just because I've been practicing and I figure I'm used to the warm friendliness of pen and a paper now. Plus I heard they do the verbal section differently. I'm not sure these changes outweigh the benefits of getting to type the written which is why i took it. Thankssss

 

[gluon999]

I also had some doubts before taking the CBT and even thought of backing out, but test day went by very smoothly. In fact, I was done before 3:00 pm. Even if you are doing practice tests on pen and paper, it will still only help you. If possible, do 3R and other tests available online.

 

[_ian]

Well, I'd say if you've practiced with pen and paper, you'd be better off taking it with pen and paper, but I am very biased, because I am certainly not looking forward to having to take the CBT. If all goes according to AAMC's master plan, I'll be taking the MCAT the first year they require it. Joy.

I have no specific knowledge of the planned MCAT format (aside from computer-based and non-adaptive), just other computer-based tests, so if someone can ease my fears I would be quite happy to hear it. Furthermore, I've never actually taken a CBT or CAT. As a foreword, that means what follows is somewhat unfounded ranting based on intuition.

One of my qualms with computer-based testing is that the interfaces tend to severly limit your ability to flip between questions; there is no CBT equivalent of dogearing a page in a test booklet. My massive oh-god-my-head-is-exploding qualm is the inability to cross out answers, underline passages, and scribble notes in the margins. I am a very active test taker, and it's this method that has gotten me near-perfect scores on the verbal sections of standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, and English AP tests. Unlearning this will undoubtedly drive me up the wall.

And even though I can certainly type faster than I can write, under the duress of an important testing situation, I have a feeling I'd be fairly likely to start making typos when I'm trying to pump out an impromptu essay at 120 wpm. In contrast, I've had plenty of pen and paper writing experience with the AP tests, two years of upper level high school English that tested with impromptu essays, and two terms of university honors English that also tested with impromptu essays.

 

[daviddamoore]

Don't drop it! It is great. You get a big area to yourself, headphones to drown out other peoples groans, are more on your own time schedule, and can type your essay much faster. They lay out the test pretty well so there is very little chance of missing questions.
Our chairs were pretty comfortable too! (San Francisco site)

 

[priyanka]

I have a set of questions, I'd like to ask:

Do they give you scratch paper to do rought work on?

Can you change your answers once you selected them?

Is the level of difficuilty same as the paper based test?

What do they give you the headphones for? Elminating the sound?

Thanks

-pri

 

[gluon999]

I have a set of questions, I'd like to ask:

Do they give you scratch paper to do rought work on?

Can you change your answers once you selected them?

Is the level of difficuilty same as the paper based test?

What do they give you the headphones for? Elminating the sound?

Thanks

-pri

First, I just want to say that you are not allowed to bring in any objects in the computer room. You are given lockers to put all your belongings in.

To answer your questions, yes they give you plenty of scratch paper and pencils.

You can change your answer as many times as you want. If you are not sure about an answer, you can 'mark' that question, or skip it alltogether and the computer will let you know which ones you left unaswered, at the end of every section.

As far as the level of difficulty is concerned, there are several different paper versions and probably one computer version (at least at my center). There was a lot of orgo on mine though. It doesn't really matter what the level of difficulty is because the scores are normalized to a standard curve (that is what AAMC told me). I thought I was going to do terrible on the BS section because I am pretty terrible with orgo, but I ended up getting a 12 on that.

Headphones are provided just in case you would like to use them. I found them very effective in blocking out most of the sound, although the room wasn't loud to begin with.

 

[Noway]

so the format was similar to the 3R?

 

[njshibby]

wait is the timing different one the test?

 

[gluon999]

The format is the same as for the paper version. The timing for each section is also the same. But breaks are optional and every time you leave the room and re-enter, you have to get finger printed. But overall, it took about 1-2 hours less than the paper version.

 

[hnbui]

how did you guys practice for the computer based tests? Did you guys just use examkracker,tpr, kaplan,the usual stuff?

 

[DrBowtie]

Best practice would be to take all of the AAMC test online.

 

[boogzaiyo]

First, I just want to say that you are not allowed to bring in any objects in the computer room. You are given lockers to put all your belongings in.

To answer your questions, yes they give you plenty of scratch paper and pencils.

You can change your answer as many times as you want. If you are not sure about an answer, you can 'mark' that question, or skip it alltogether and the computer will let you know which ones you left unaswered, at the end of every section.

so other than the computer, scratch paper (i'm assuming it's blank), and pencils, are you given anything else? i was hoping we'd get a hard copy of the test so that we'll have something to annotate on directly ... i mean if the test only appear on the screen, i know it'd be much harder for me because i'm always circling, underlining, crossing out, etc. directly on the printed passages and questions.

so just to double check, it's totally computerized, right? its not like an electronic fill-in-the-correct-bubbles page replaces a paper scantron and typing replaces handwriting?

 

[hnbui]

isn't this how all the mcats will be like in 2007?

 

[gluon999]

so other than the computer, scratch paper (i'm assuming it's blank), and pencils, are you given anything else? i was hoping we'd get a hard copy of the test so that we'll have something to annotate on directly ... i mean if the test only appear on the screen, i know it'd be much harder for me because i'm always circling, underlining, crossing out, etc. directly on the printed passages and questions.

so just to double check, it's totally computerized, right? its not like an electronic fill-in-the-correct-bubbles page replaces a paper scantron and typing replaces handwriting?

yeah, all you are given are the pencils and paper. everything else is done on the computer.

 

[jon stewart]

so other than the computer, scratch paper (i'm assuming it's blank), and pencils, are you given anything else? i was hoping we'd get a hard copy of the test so that we'll have something to annotate on directly ... i mean if the test only appear on the screen, i know it'd be much harder for me because i'm always circling, underlining, crossing out, etc. directly on the printed passages and questions.

so just to double check, it's totally computerized, right? its not like an electronic fill-in-the-correct-bubbles page replaces a paper scantron and typing replaces handwriting?

this is complete BS!!!!

i cant take a test on a computer, i need to scribble over the test booklet..... shoooot!!! will they even offer the paper version in the future? or is it all computerized?
I geuss i better start taking tests on comps, hehe...arnt the boards all computerized?

But seriously? im not sure how i will start taking practice tests if there are computerized, i know there are some online, but most are paper based?
oh and is montiter crystal clear? is it a lcd scren? are the headphones noise cancelling?

 

[gluon999]

this is complete BS!!!!

i cant take a test on a computer, i need to scribble over the test booklet..... shoooot!!! will they even offer the paper version in the future? or is it all computerized?
I geuss i better start taking tests on comps, hehe...arnt the boards all computerized?

But seriously? im not sure how i will start taking practice tests if there are computerized, i know there are some online, but most are paper based?
oh and is montiter crystal clear? is it a lcd scren? are the headphones noise cancelling?

it will be fully computerized by 2007. You can buy practice tests (the computer version) from AAMC. I only did ~ 150 questions on the computer to get some practice and about 11 full length tests on paper. The point is that you need to build stamina to get through those 8 hours, whether on paper or on the computer.

 

[jon stewart]

it will be fully computerized by 2007. You can buy practice tests (the computer version) from AAMC. I only did ~ 150 questions on the computer to get some practice and about 11 full length tests on paper. The point is that you need to build stamina to get through those 8 hours, whether on paper or on the computer.

awww damn thats when i should be taking em, is it goona start in april 07 or augest 07?

Im considering taking the mcat earlier now, im freaked about this whole computer thing

im geussing that i can still use the paper practice tests to practive right? and all the other paper materials?

In the computer practice test from aamc a program like thing or is it some pdf file?

 

[Lindyhopper]

I took the computer based GREs. It was totally superior to a pencil & paper test. The adjustment of the difficulty of questions to performance also allows for more accurate scoring.

 

[Noway]

whats the big deal here? I would think that most people would prefer a computer based test. I guess not though. I dont understand why it would make that much of a difference

 

[hnbui]

i guess it's mainly because there aren't alot of prep stuff out there for comp based testing.

 

[gluon999]

I took the computer based GREs. It was totally superior to a pencil & paper test. The adjustment of the difficulty of questions to performance also allows for more accurate scoring.

actually, the CBT MCAT is not adaptive. So unlike the CBT GRE, the CBT MCAT does not adjust the difficulty of questions to performance.

 

[Lindyhopper]

actually, the CBT MCAT is not adaptive. So unlike the CBT GRE, the CBT MCAT does not adjust the difficulty of questions to performance.

Oh! Has it been decided if & when the computer based testing becomes the standard method will the test be adaptive?

 

[boogzaiyo]

whats the big deal here? I would think that most people would prefer a computer based test. I guess not though. I dont understand why it would make that much of a difference

well i follow the commonly-advised approach to reading passages and questions by constantly annotating, underlining, circling key words, etc., so that by the time i'm finished, there's so many markes that it looks like a high school english teacher has just graded a 10-year-old's essay. not being able to do so would mean that i would have to TOTALLY change my approach to test-taking, and i'm sure that's the case with a LOT of other people.

but if the only thing you mark is the final answer sheet/scantron... well then feel lucky that it's becoming completely computerized.