MCAT version difficulty

[MA20007]

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How does the difficulty of a given MCAT version affect your score? I took the MCAT on 9/1/12, and from what others are saying, the BS section was significantly harder than what people had on other dates. Is it better to have a harder or easier test? Some people say that they did not have time to answer some of the discrete Qs at the end of the exam...will this be taken into consideration for the curve, or is it pre-curved? Thanks.

 

[Wakadaka]

i took on the same date, and i have been wondering the same thing.

i have read mixed things thus far. i have heard that they are pre-curved a few times, so i think thats true. i have also heard that all exams are curved the same, that they curve based on the individual passages (thus won't take into account several longer harder passages costing you time), and i have heard other things i can't remember.

accurate answers would be appreciated if anybody knows

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

It's pre-curved based off of how people performed on those questions when they were still experimental questions/passages. In other words, it's exactly like the practice AAMCs where the scale changes slightly based on the difficulty of the exam, but the scale is still set in stone before you ever take it. The performance of other people during your administration does make any difference.

 

[naye3m]

It's pre-curved based off of how people performed on those questions when they were still experimental questions/passages. In other words, it's exactly like the practice AAMCs where the scale changes slightly based on the difficulty of the exam, but the scale is still set in stone before you ever take it. The performance of other people during your administration does make any difference.

hey can u please post the source for this comment. ive been confused abt it for the longest time and ppl are always asking me. id like to be able to give concrete proof.

 

[MA20007]

It's pre-curved based off of how people performed on those questions when they were still experimental questions/passages. In other words, it's exactly like the practice AAMCs where the scale changes slightly based on the difficulty of the exam, but the scale is still set in stone before you ever take it. The performance of other people during your administration does make any difference.

Here is my main concern--they precurve individual passages, but do the take into consideration the compound effect of multiple difficult passages? Like someone said above, you may lose time towards the end and not get to answer easy Qs. What if everyone scores low on the test? Will they slide the scale or just give out scores with a low grade distribution? Do they make sure a certain percentage gets a 30, 31, 32, etc.?

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

hey can u please post the source for this comment. ive been confused abt it for the longest time and ppl are always asking me. id like to be able to give concrete proof.

I believe I read it in the Official Guide. That or it was somewhere on AAMC's website.