MCAT Retake. Is 7-8 months overkill?

[Kimmerfredette]

Hello! I am planning on retaking my MCAT. My plan is to do content review from now until about end of September. Then I was planning on doing practice passages and FL's until January when I plan on taking the test. I will be taking classes, volunteering, and hopefully in a research lab during the semester. Does this seem like too much time? Will I forget all of my content review by then? Also any suggestions for practice problems are more than welcome! Thanks!

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[rrahman1]

Hello! I am planning on retaking my MCAT. My plan is to do content review from now until about end of September. Then I was planning on doing practice passages and FL's until January when I plan on taking the test. I will be taking classes, volunteering, and hopefully in a research lab during the semester. Does this seem like too much time? Will I forget all of my content review by then? Also any suggestions for practice problems are more than welcome! Thanks!

Hi! I would definitely say that is overkill. Without going into detail, I scored in the 100th percentile with a similar schedule. I honestly believe that although I started in June, most of what I did from June - August or even September was useless because I was working full-time and did not use Anki. The end of November - January was reserved solely for the MCAT and it was rough but it worked. I would say that if you have more time now to content review, use it but make sure to use Anki EVERY SINGLE DAY until you take your test. That is the only way to avoid forgetting your stuff. Also, use ReMemorize frequently and ensure that you know how to reset the algorithm.

My resource suggestions: Kaplan or Princeton review (books only for content), KA for P/S, UWorld for a month of intensive section practice, various Reddit resources (see May's video on YouTube for best ones), and everything AAMC. As far as a timeline goes, I would say be able to read and make Anki for one chapter a day for about two months, do all of Uworld in one month with Blueprint practice exams every weekend, then all AAMC for the final one month stretch. I think 3.5 - 4 months is more than enough IF you can do all of that.

 

[Kimmerfredette]

Hi! I would definitely say that is overkill. Without going into detail, I scored in the 100th percentile with a similar schedule. I honestly believe that although I started in June, most of what I did from June - August or even September was useless because I was working full-time and did not use Anki. The end of November - January was reserved solely for the MCAT and it was rough but it worked. I would say that if you have more time now to content review, use it but make sure to use Anki EVERY SINGLE DAY until you take your test. That is the only way to avoid forgetting your stuff. Also, use ReMemorize frequently and ensure that you know how to reset the algorithm.

My resource suggestions: Kaplan or Princeton review (books only for content), KA for P/S, UWorld for a month of intensive section practice, various Reddit resources (see May's video on YouTube for best ones), and everything AAMC. As far as a timeline goes, I would say be able to read and make Anki for one chapter a day for about two months, do all of Uworld in one month with Blueprint practice exams every weekend, then all AAMC for the final one month stretch. I think 3.5 - 4 months is more than enough IF you can do all of that.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

 

[Ellatha]

Hi! I would definitely say that is overkill. Without going into detail, I scored in the 100th percentile with a similar schedule. I honestly believe that although I started in June, most of what I did from June - August or even September was useless because I was working full-time and did not use Anki. The end of November - January was reserved solely for the MCAT and it was rough but it worked. I would say that if you have more time now to content review, use it but make sure to use Anki EVERY SINGLE DAY until you take your test. That is the only way to avoid forgetting your stuff. Also, use ReMemorize frequently and ensure that you know how to reset the algorithm.

My resource suggestions: Kaplan or Princeton review (books only for content), KA for P/S, UWorld for a month of intensive section practice, various Reddit resources (see May's video on YouTube for best ones), and everything AAMC. As far as a timeline goes, I would say be able to read and make Anki for one chapter a day for about two months, do all of Uworld in one month with Blueprint practice exams every weekend, then all AAMC for the final one month stretch. I think 3.5 - 4 months is more than enough IF you can do all of that.

It’s impossible to score in the 100th percentile

 

[KnightDoc]

It’s impossible to score in the 100th percentile

Why do you say that? After all, there IS a top score, with nothing higher (528), and some people absolutely hit it every cycle, so surely that is 100%-ile!

Moreover, since AAMC reports in whole numbers, it appears as though everything >=99.5%-ile is reported as 100%-ile by AAMC, since 524-528 are all reported as 100%-ile. While you can argue that anything less than 528 is not truly 100%-ile, most of us go by what AAMC publishes, and therefore consider 524 and up 100%-ile. In any event, I'm sure that's what @rrahman1 meant, and it's absolutely not impossible.

 

[Ellatha]

Why do you say that? After all, there IS a top score, with nothing higher (528), and some people absolutely hit it every cycle, so surely that is 100%-ile!

Moreover, since AAMC reports in whole numbers, it appears as though everything >=99.5%-ile is reported as 100%-ile by AAMC, since 524-528 are all reported as 100%-ile. While you can argue that anything less than 528 is not truly 100%-ile, most of us go by what AAMC publishes, and therefore consider 524 and up 100%-ile. In any event, I'm sure that's what @rrahman1 meant, and it's absolutely not impossible.

You are mistaken

 

[zorcandpals]

If 5 people out of 100 all get perfect scores, the percentile of a perfect score is 94.

But the answer is rounding

 

[KnightDoc]

If 5 people out of 100 all get perfect scores, the percentile of a perfect score is 94.

But the answer is rounding

According to the dictionary, a percentile is "a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it." It doesn't matter how many people receive the top score, they are all in the 100%-ile! In your example, if 5 people receive a perfect score, the people who get one answer wrong would be in the 95%-ile, but all 5 people with perfect scores would still be in the 100%-ile.

Just Google it. ALL of the standardized tests have scores that place people in the 100%-ile, and not all of them round like AAMC does. It comes down to the definition of percentile. which, quite frankly, you are misunderstanding. It's percent at or below, not at or above. Everyone is at or below the top score, no matter how many people actually have the top score. As a result, they are always all at 100%-ile, no matter how many of them exist!

 

[KnightDoc]

You are mistaken

Am I though? About what? 528s existing? AAMC rounding 99.5%-ile up? AAMC publishing a table that shows all scores of 524 and above being at the 100%-ile? Or the fact that more than one person could have a 528 and still be in the 100%-ile? Please see my response immediately above.

 

[zorcandpals]

After more digging apparently there are multiple definitions of percentile which is kind of wild given how common of a term it is.

The two most common definitions are the equal or below definition KnightDoc is using and one that is strictly below which is the one I (and probably Ellatha) have been more accustomed to. The AAMC seems to use the equal OR below definition where there is a 100th percentile while the latter definition makes the 100th percentile impossible.


OP: I was also in your shoes of trying to balance full time work and test prep. Fortunately I didnt have to take any classes on top of that though. I ended up spending about 6-7 months for a score in the low 520s but speaking truthfully, probably could have shaved off 2 months and been fine. I was studying for about 2 hrs a day every day after work; spent about 2-3 months reading through the Kaplan books before moving on to doing practice uworld/blueprint tests and then rounding out the last month with AAMC. If you have some flexibility in your job, try to take Wednesdays off during the last 2 months so you can really do full lengths with enough time to go over them before doing the next one. Its not a great use of time, although if you have to do it you have to do it, to take two full lengths back to back Saturday/Sunday.

I wouldn't worry about forgetting content review since after content review and until your test date I assume you would be constantly doing practice questions which will make sure you stay on top of things. That said the main downside of studying the full 7-8 months is really the fact that you have an extra 2 months or whatever of no lifeing it on the MCAT. Its not the end of the world and if it makes you feel more confident than it might be worth it in the end.