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MCAT Verbal section
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Many test prep courses encourage reading magazines or journals that are a little more scholarly - The New Yorker, The Economist - that one sciency one I can't think of the name - oh man it's so on the tip of my tongue -
Anyway, I think more important than what you read is how you read - make sure you are always paraphrasing to yourself as you go, try to figure out the point of the article, whose point of view it is, is it an argument about something, or just something explicative. I have taught strategies for the Verbal section, and it's really a matter of being very aware of what you're reading. You want to make sure you "get" what you just read, no matter what it was. And do a lot of practice tests!
Scientific America! Thank you.
Anyway, I think more important than what you read is how you read - make sure you are always paraphrasing to yourself as you go, try to figure out the point of the article, whose point of view it is, is it an argument about something, or just something explicative. I have taught strategies for the Verbal section, and it's really a matter of being very aware of what you're reading. You want to make sure you "get" what you just read, no matter what it was. And do a lot of practice tests!
Scientific America! Thank you.
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If English is not your first language, it could be tough (it was tough for this native speaker). I'd recommend taking a prep course. It would be difficult to massively expand one's vocabulary or reading skills in such short time. A prep course might help you learn some "tricks" for infering meaning and making logical answer selections.
On the other hand, I didn't pay much attention to the VR section of the course I took. I thought I didn't need it (an incorrect assumption). Maybe another SDN poster can elaborate further or give you better advice.
Good luck!
On the other hand, I didn't pay much attention to the VR section of the course I took. I thought I didn't need it (an incorrect assumption). Maybe another SDN poster can elaborate further or give you better advice.
Good luck!
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As an afterthought, I'd recommend reading some modern fiction. Steinbeck's probably a great place to start.
Alot of newspapers and scientific magazines are pretty dry and make few leaps and bounds, in terms of literary ground. I feel like, with fiction, it's easier to get a feel for theme and even the details (which are often pretty cryptic in MCAT passages); therefore expanding one's reading comprehension.
Alot of newspapers and scientific magazines are pretty dry and make few leaps and bounds, in terms of literary ground. I feel like, with fiction, it's easier to get a feel for theme and even the details (which are often pretty cryptic in MCAT passages); therefore expanding one's reading comprehension.
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I think reading The Economist, Foreign Affairs, or the Wall Street Journal on a regular basis would help increase reading comprehension and would also keep you on your toes in terms of vocabulary. I also recommend using the Exam Krackers 101 MCAT Verbal Passages book. I heard good reviews about it and I'm ordering it pretty soon even though I won't be taking the MCAT for a very long time. I just want to see what my verbal score would look like at this point in the game. I'm also very curious just as to the format of the exam because I did very well on the SAT 1 verbal section as well as the AP English Language exam and the AP English Literature exam. So I'm wondering if the passages are structured similarly and if the questions asked are similar....
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Starting Jan 1 of last year, I spent 10 minutes nearly every day reading the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. I read MCAT style - actively paraphrasing to get the main idea. I did this all the way up to the April MCAT.
I found that the editorial page of the Journal was a lot like the MCAT. Rich vocabulary, long sentences, etc. Plus in the editorial section, you always have to figure out the author's opinion and attitude, which is a common question on the MCAT.
The other bonus is that being up to date on current events can really help you in the WS. There is nothing better than a real life current example to put in your essay.
I found that the editorial page of the Journal was a lot like the MCAT. Rich vocabulary, long sentences, etc. Plus in the editorial section, you always have to figure out the author's opinion and attitude, which is a common question on the MCAT.
The other bonus is that being up to date on current events can really help you in the WS. There is nothing better than a real life current example to put in your essay.
As others have said, beef up on your reading, but also go ahead and start practicing the verbal section. You can purchase old exams from AMCAS at:
http://www.e-mcat.com/mcat2/login.asp
Or, buy an ExamKrakers Verbal book and practice that. On top of good reading, you also need to understand the kinds of questions that the MCAT asks for and get used to their thinking. Personally I had a difficult time answering some questions from the point of view of the author as opposed to my own point of view.
Hope this helps!
http://www.e-mcat.com/mcat2/login.asp
Or, buy an ExamKrakers Verbal book and practice that. On top of good reading, you also need to understand the kinds of questions that the MCAT asks for and get used to their thinking. Personally I had a difficult time answering some questions from the point of view of the author as opposed to my own point of view.
Hope this helps!
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PRACTICE actively reading MCAT style passages, and lots of it.
I went from a mildly retarted 4 to a much better than average 11.
I used Kaplan but not exactly their method. The reason is, I read slowly (reading disability, perhaps). I actually failed to complete the last two passages. To receive an 11, I probably answered nearly all the questions correct (at least those that I did not guess).
I went from a mildly retarted 4 to a much better than average 11.
I used Kaplan but not exactly their method. The reason is, I read slowly (reading disability, perhaps). I actually failed to complete the last two passages. To receive an 11, I probably answered nearly all the questions correct (at least those that I did not guess).
