MCAT Day questions - Scratch paper, snacks, etc.

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robrobbberts

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I was wondering, do you get scratch paper on the exam? If so, is it a lot? What happens if you run out?

Do they have lockers for you personal items (bags, etc.)?

Do they allow you to bring snacks (food, drinks) into the testing facility?


Anything else I should be aware of?

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I was wondering, do you get scratch paper on the exam? If so, is it a lot? What happens if you run out?

Do they have lockers for you personal items (bags, etc.)?

Do they allow you to bring snacks (food, drinks) into the testing facility?


Anything else I should be aware of?

They give you scratch paper. I thought it was an ample amount but I didn't write down much. If you run out, they will give you more.

Yes, there are lockers for your stuff.

You can bring snacks but you must leave them in your locker. You can eat during the breaks.

Other stuff, you must give a fingerprint to check in and out each time you leave the computer room (during breaks and before and after). If you wear a jacket into the computer room, you cannot take it off until you fingerprint out during your break. You cannot look at study material between sections. Um... that's about all I can think of now.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. :)

So if i wear a sweater, and I get hot, they won't let me take it off until I leave the computer room for a break? That doesn't seem quite fair.

:/
 
Thanks for the quick reply. :)

So if i wear a sweater, and I get hot, they won't let me take it off until I leave the computer room for a break? That doesn't seem quite fair.

:/

yeah. I guess they think it will disrupt the others, or your may be hiding notes on your arms or something haha. Oh and, don't leave breath mints, candy, or anything else like that in your pocket, forget it's there, and without realizing it, eat it during the exam....they yell at you for that too :(
 
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You are allowed to take your sweater off during the actual testing if you're too hot, but you probably won't be

also be warned about snacks... when I wanted to eat a fruit, they told me that I can only do so in the hallway, not in the break room... kind of weird...

oh, and the tests don't start on their own after 10 minutes, you're just clocked in and out when your finger prints are registered every time you walk back in the exam room after a break, that's how the timing is recorded... but say you went into the break room for 5 min, and then walked back into the exam room... you can sit there and stare at your monitor as long as you want before beginning the next section...

so your break could be longer (tecnically)... you just wouldn't be able to eat or study during that break, you'd just be sitting there
 
You are allowed to take your sweater off during the actual testing if you're too hot, but you probably won't be

also be warned about snacks... when I wanted to eat a fruit, they told me that I can only do so in the hallway, not in the break room... kind of weird...

Maybe it's dependent on the testing center, but when I took it, you were not allowed to take off a sweater or jacket during the exam. Also, they didn't care if we ate fruit in the break room.
 
So I guess the sweater thing depends on the testing center..

oh, and the tests don't start on their own after 10 minutes, you're just clocked in and out when your finger prints are registered every time you walk back in the exam room after a break, that's how the timing is recorded... but say you went into the break room for 5 min, and then walked back into the exam room... you can sit there and stare at your monitor as long as you want before beginning the next section...

so your break could be longer (technically)... you just wouldn't be able to eat or study during that break, you'd just be sitting there

That seems so strange. So the 10 minute break is actually just for time outside the computer room? If you are late, does the test start on it's own, or do they not let you back in?
 
future scares me- def not arguing with you, those little protocols seem like they can differ by center, by the way... great name :)

as for what happens if you're not back in the exam room after 10 minutes, I'm really not sure,
I was pretty paranoid about getting back on time
 
The ten minute break is recorded with your sign-in/sign-out times. If you take a longer break, they'll know. If you take your 10 minutes, then go back and sit in front of your monitor for another 10 minutes without starting the next section, they'll also know because when you sign out for your next break, it'll be 10 minutes longer than the time you should have signed out. I don't know if they check these things and cross-reference times, but why risk it?

You weren't allowed to take things off between breaks at my testing center either. Each cubicle also had cameras directly above.
 
You can wear a sweater or coat, but you can't take it off in the test room (can't hang one on the back of the chair, either). That is standard for all testing centers.
 
sorry about the misleading sweat shirt comment, I really don't remember anyone getting grief about it during examination... but I guess it's best to err on the cautious side, and either keep your sweater on or off the whole time (I'll keep that in mind come my test date again)

as for the timing, an above poster made a good point that if you were to spend more than 10 minutes after entering the computer room, that would show up during the finger print timing...

but I think that nothing will actually happen to you if you took 2 or 3 extra minutes between test sessions... I think the 10 minute warning is used to deter test takers from taking unrealistically long (20+ minute breaks) if you were to take a 13 minute break... it should be fine

but once again, it's best to err on the safe side
 
that sweater thing is ridiculous. guess i better wear something with sleeves i can roll up :rolleyes:

i was just wondering earlier . . . once you're back in the room, can you write on your scratch paper before the test begins? like for physics, i always second-guess myself about formulas once i'm faced with having to think of them in the middle of an actual problem, so before a test i like to write out some of the formulas before i begin. (that way i am sure they are right when i think of them later!) i don't want to do this once the test has actually begun because, well, it seems like a waste of time since who knows what'll even be on there. but if i have five minutes to kill in the room then why not right? or will this get me kicked out and forever banned from MCAT?
 
How about writing on your scratch paper while sitting in front of the computer, but before the exam begins?

Am I allowed to start writing a "things to remember" list on my scratch paper once I sit down?

As I'm sure someone is going to say there are a million "things to remember," it would still be nice to have a few specific ones on tap if it doesn't take any time away from the exam.
 
How about writing on your scratch paper while sitting in front of the computer, but before the exam begins?

Am I allowed to start writing a "things to remember" list on my scratch paper once I sit down?

As I'm sure someone is going to say there are a million "things to remember," it would still be nice to have a few specific ones on tap if it doesn't take any time away from the exam.

Yeah that's ok to do. I would jot down my markers for the verbal section so I'd know where I should be at any given time. I don't see why you couldn't do the same for BS or PS.
 
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that sweater thing is ridiculous. guess i better wear something with sleeves i can roll up :rolleyes:

i was just wondering earlier . . . once you're back in the room, can you write on your scratch paper before the test begins? like for physics, i always second-guess myself about formulas once i'm faced with having to think of them in the middle of an actual problem, so before a test i like to write out some of the formulas before i begin. (that way i am sure they are right when i think of them later!) i don't want to do this once the test has actually begun because, well, it seems like a waste of time since who knows what'll even be on there. but if i have five minutes to kill in the room then why not right? or will this get me kicked out and forever banned from MCAT?

You can jot things down before the test begins. There's a tutorial before PS. Use your tutorial time to jot down formulas off the top off your head, then begin the exam.
 
Oh, I have another question! :)

I just took my first AAMC CBT, and it gave me a 5 minute warning on every section. Does that happen on the real MCAT?
 
Let's say you get thirsty while taking the test, can you bring in a bottle of water? or do you REALLY have to wait till your breaks?
 
Let's say you get thirsty while taking the test, can you bring in a bottle of water? or do you REALLY have to wait till your breaks?

You REALLY have to wait until the breaks. You aren't allowed to bring anything in there with you. They are quite strict about these rules. :(
 
I would suggest during your break going straight to the bathroom before eating more- my center only had 1 restroom and if you got stuck in a line it could take most of your time... Also the lockers were pretty small so I would leave study materials in the car (my center didn't let us read them in waiting room either as they checked us in

Also, I had done several practice exams so I knew what the tutorial said and wrote down all the equations I thought I might use during that time..
 
i wore a T-shirt underneath a zip-up fleece. I got hot during the verbal, so i pulled up the sleeves and zipped it all the way down...that was cool without the whole 'don't take off your jacket' thing.

i also took a break every time it was available - used the bathroom each time, which was weird, but i was just worried about it.

i brought plenty of snacks and only got through maybe 25% of it, but i made sure i wasn't hungry during the test.

here's a thing that did get me though - some girl was having problems with her fingerprints in front of me, and it took her more than 2 mins for it to work. meanwhile, i just had to stand behind her...don't take the full 10 minutes no matter what you do.
 
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