MCAT=verbal test

[drsanders]

On someone's pre-med blog they mentioned that the MCAT is simply a verbal test. I am finding out that they are making a lot of sense as I prepare for the august MCAT 2006. It was hard to imagine that even physics could be considered verbal with all the formulas.. What do you guys think about this?

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[32yoPremed]

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[Kikaku21]

The test is so passage-oriented that I can see some logic to this assertion. It is a test of how well you can apply your basic science knowlege to situations as presented in written passages. In that way it is a thinking test.

It is a verbal test. You will get a certain amount of points just knowing the science, mostly in the non-passage questions. Otherwise, its passages. Reading critically, etc is key.

At least, thats the word. I'm taking it in August.

 

[S_Talos]

In the physics section you don't even really need to read the passages. Some people on here suggest not reading them, I found that is pretty good advice and important for finishing physics on time. I've taken the MCAT twice and can't agree completely with the statement that MCAT is a verbal test. Sure it helps a LOT if you have good reading comprehension skills but without the basic science knowledge you're in for a world of hurt.

 

[Schaden Freud]

On someone's pre-med blog they mentioned that the MCAT is simply a verbal test. I am finding out that they are making a lot of sense as I prepare for the august MCAT 2006. It was hard to imagine that even physics could be considered verbal with all the formulas.. What do you guys think about this?

It's amazing how much of the science questions refer directly back to something mentioned in the passage and require no ability except to know where to look.

 

[neutropenic]

It's all a big reading comp test.

But thing I am discovering having just graduated medical school is how hard science is relatively unimportant compared to soft skills: teamwork, communication skills and gruntwork (for clincial medicine anyway). Organic chem and physics don't seem particularly useful now. F=ma, forget it.

 

[QofQuimica]

On someone's pre-med blog they mentioned that the MCAT is simply a verbal test. I am finding out that they are making a lot of sense as I prepare for the august MCAT 2006. It was hard to imagine that even physics could be considered verbal with all the formulas.. What do you guys think about this?

I would say that the MCAT is primarily a reasoning test. It's necessary but not enough to know your science concepts, and it's necessary but not enough to be able to find information in the passages. The key to doing well on the MCAT is being able to synthesize what you know with what's in the passage to answer altogether new questions. In other words, you're being tested on these concepts from an angle that is not quite like anything you've ever considered before.

 

[lorelei]

I would say that the MCAT is primarily a reasoning test. It's necessary but not enough to know your science concepts, and it's necessary but not enough to be able to find information in the passages. The key to doing well on the MCAT is being able to synthesize what you know with what's in the passage to answer altogether new questions. In other words, you're being tested on these concepts from an angle that is not quite like anything you've ever considered before.

This is true.

To some extent, science knowledge and verbal reasoning ability can make up for each other - if you're really great at the science, you can skip reading some of the passages. And if you only have the basics of the science, you can find almost everything you need in the passages if you know how to look for it and reason your way through what is there. That was my strategy - other than physics, I had taken only the bare minimum requirements (actually, less in some cases) but I knew enough to do well using my verbal skillz.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

In the physics section you don't even really need to read the passages. Some people on here suggest not reading them, I found that is pretty good advice and important for finishing physics on time. I've taken the MCAT twice and can't agree completely with the statement that MCAT is a verbal test. Sure it helps a LOT if you have good reading comprehension skills but without the basic science knowledge you're in for a world of hurt.

coming from someone who actually did well on the mcat, the above is horrible advice. you can gain much information from a single, thorough reading of the passage, most people waste time pondering over the questions rather than reading the passages.