MCAT Question

Cerberus · Feb 24, 2004

Does anyone know what was dropped from the MCAT when they changed its form? Or how exactly it changed? I ask because I have the old MCAT test versions (not the 3R, 4R, etc) and am wondering how they differ from the real thing and whether or not i should buy the R versions.

Cerberus · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by Cerberus
whether or not i should buy the R versions.

Further, is an NC-17 version available? :laugh:

gschl1234 · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by Cerberus
Does anyone know what was dropped from the MCAT when they changed its form? Or how exactly it changed? I ask because I have the old MCAT test versions (not the 3R, 4R, etc) and am wondering how they differ from the real thing and whether or not i should buy the R versions.

I thought you already took the MCAT but maybe I'm getting you mixed up with someone. Anyhow, the changes as far as I know are:

1. You take it in a different order than before with PS, VR, WS, BS.
2. BS now includes genetics
3. VR has 60 questions (5 fewer than before)

I'm not sure exactly about no. 3 but I definitely know the VR has fewer questions now than it used to have. There may be more changes but I am not sure. I was really happy because although I never practiced on an unrevised version, I think these changes made it easier for me. I think they used to have BS first and that is my worst section so it's nice to start things off on a good note. I dind't take any bio so genetics was a great add because it is one of the easiest things to learn quickly. It's a pretty logical process so you don't get bogged down in too many strange details. The VR one probably didn't make a difference beucase I think you still ahve the same number of passages.

ATPase · Feb 24, 2004

BS also dropped some of the orgo topics (alkenes and some others) to accommodate the genetics questions.

gschl1234 · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by ATPase
BS also dropped some of the orgo topics (alkenes and some others) to accommodate the genetics questions.

I didn't realize that! Hm. I wish they dropped bio stuff in place of genetics (which is bio) rather than orgo stuff.

Cerberus · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by ATPase
BS also dropped some of the orgo topics (alkenes and some others) to accommodate the genetics questions.

I was really hoping to hear "spectroscopy", since I never learned it and the practice exams i've taken seem to like it.

gschl1234 · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by Chrisobean
they just switched verbal and PS around, so PS is first. and they dropped i think 5 q's from verbal, but the time limit is the same.
i think that's it. those old versions should be fine, you can just do it out of order.
i personally hated having PS first, not my favorite thing at 8am.

I guess I recall incorrectly cause I thought someone who took it before April 2004 said that BS used to be first.

Cerberus · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by gschl1234
I didn't realize that! Hm. I wish they dropped bio stuff in place of genetics (which is bio) rather than orgo stuff.

true dat

gschl1234 · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by Cerberus
I was really hoping to hear "spectroscopy", since I never learned it and the practice exams i've taken seem to like it.

Just memorize where fxnal groups occur on IR's and for proton NMRs you can use the splitting rules to deduce what's going on without really memorizing the shifts. I don't think they have C-13 NMRs on there at all. Just look in any orgo book and it'll explain. Just take a few minutes to memorize them.

rgporter · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by Cerberus
Does anyone know what was dropped from the MCAT when they changed its form? Or how exactly it changed? I ask because I have the old MCAT test versions (not the 3R, 4R, etc) and am wondering how they differ from the real thing and whether or not i should buy the R versions.

I bought the AAMC online tests right before they switched over so I actually took some of both before and after the change. There was little difference between the two, other than the order of the questions. Actually I wouldn't have even noticed the difference if I hadn't tried to grade one of the old tests using the R answer forms. Both the old tests and the R tests are the closest thing I have encountered to the real thing. The physical and biological science sections predicted the actual score I got in those sections right on every time I took a practice test. I did 2 points better on the VR, probably because I was more careful and double checked my answers on the real thing.
I had thought the questions would be different because the online tests are old, but they are not only a good predictor of your score but very representative of the questions on the real MCAT.

Cerberus · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by gschl1234
Just memorize where fxnal groups occur on IR's and for proton NMRs you can use the splitting rules to deduce what's going on without really memorizing the shifts. I don't think they have C-13 NMRs on there at all. Just look in any orgo book and it'll explain. Just take a few minutes to memorize them.

Guess thats what i'll do. It's probably pretty easy stuff too, its just that I hate learning new information (hah, that sounds bad).

Heal&Teach · Feb 24, 2004

Cerb, here are specific topics on the MCAT. I know that this does nothing to narrow things down much at all (sorry). It essentially tells us to know everything, but don't expect everything to be on the exam.

http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/topics.pdf

In addition, the essentials document breaks down everything pretty well as far as the changes from the old to the new exam.

http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/essentials04.pdf

I think that it mght be best to invest $80 to access the rated R series online. They're definitely worth it, and even if the materials haven't changed too much, at least with online access you'd be able to get instant feedback tools that you wouldn't have with the paper exams you've got now.

Best of luck in your studies,
H&T

jlee9531 · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by Cerberus
I was really hoping to hear "spectroscopy", since I never learned it and the practice exams i've taken seem to like it.

spec is fun man. if you like puzzles then you will like spec. and once you get it...it gets to be easy.

Cerberus · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by jlee9531
spec is fun man. if you like puzzles then you will like spec. and once you get it...it gets to be easy.

bah! lab monkey work I say! Lab monkey work!

jlee9531 · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by Cerberus
bah! lab monkey work I say! Lab monkey work!

by the way...family guy rules man haha!

brats800 · Feb 24, 2004

my kaplan class told us that the bio section is now ~ 35% orgo / 65% bio (switched from 50/50ish, due to the addition of a genetics passage)

Pinkertinkle · Feb 24, 2004

The one spectro question i had on the mcat could be solved by matching the number of peaks on an H nmr with the number of hydrogens on a number of compounds, quite easy.

gschl1234 · Feb 25, 2004

Originally posted by brats800
my kaplan class told us that the bio section is now ~ 35% orgo / 65% bio (switched from 50/50ish, due to the addition of a genetics passage)

That's very odd because although I didn't pay particular attention (didn't keep track of how many passages and what they were about) when I took it in April 2003, I remember thinking "thank God there's a lot of orgo on here." Maybe I was happy that there weren't that many discrete bio questions which made it seem like there was more orgo.

UCLAstudent · Feb 25, 2004

They also dropped electrophilic aromatic substitution from the bio section.

exgatr · Feb 25, 2004

Originally posted by UCLAstudent
They also dropped electrophilic aromatic substitution from the bio section.

There's still EAS on the test, so make sure to know ur activating and deactivating groups well.

(Trust me, I teach the class)

confewshz · Feb 25, 2004

Hey Cerb,

The MCAT 2003 changes are posted hear:

http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/advisors/mcat2003changes.pdf

Cerberus · Feb 25, 2004

thanks guys :clap:

Too bad they didnt drop bio, i am good at the orgo shiz

snapdad · Feb 25, 2004

Originally posted by Cerberus
I was really hoping to hear "spectroscopy", since I never learned it and the practice exams i've taken seem to like it.

If you can, look at the Examkrackers orgo study book. They point out the functional groups that are most likely to be in an MCAT NMR or IR, and if you don't know spectroscopy, at least you can memorize what they look like. It's not infallible and it doesn't beat truly knowing spectroscopy, but it would help.

docmemi · Feb 26, 2004

PS first, then VR. break. Writing, BS last.

On the R versions...VR has 60 q's, not 65. PS unchanged. BS replaced some orgo with genetic stuff. they have the same exact questions except for some taken off in verbal and maybe a few changed on bio to genetics.

its worth buying the aamc online package! good luck.

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