My MCAT score : dont know where I went wrong!

[njdesi]

Hey. I could use some advice about my MCAT score and where I went wrong. I took Kaplan from January to April 2002 of this year. I lived there and used ALL their material. I was soooo thorough in my approach. I was at the center 6-7 hours a day and did atleast 7-8 Full length exams. Did it pay off? Yes, EXCEPT PS. I cant understand how I got a 9BS, 8VR, WS-"Q" but a pitiful 6 in PS!
Every section was strong except for PS. My consolation is that I know my Biology, and I can write! But I cant do Chem and Physics. I am retaking in August and using EXAMKRACKERS. Any advice from the forum would be great. AACOMAS has sent in all my material to the 11 DO schools I applied to. Thanks.

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[Dr JPH]

Try this next time you take a PRACTICE MCAT>

DO NOT read the Physicial Sciences passages.

Go right to the questions.

If you cannot answer the question right off, then SKIM the passage for the necessary information.

Again, just a technique that works for some people. I did 1/2 of this and 1/2 reading the passage. I went from a 5 on my first practice to an 8 on my final practice to a 10 on the real deal.

My story only, may not work for you, but what the hell...give it a shot on a practice test.

Good luck.

 

[yigit]

If you ask me, PS is the easiest section to improve on. Start by memorizing all the equations.

j

 

[WonderBoy]

Try to get your hands on Examkracker Physics or Nova Physics both are suppossed to be great. I am using EK physics and 1001 questions in Physics. Both are pretty good so far, how I haven't taken a test since I started using the books.

 

[Bradleyp]

I came up three in VR and four in PS by simply practicing passages and memorizing more of the key formulas, you have to practice passages and questions over and over and knowing why you missed a question is the key to getting similar questions right on the actual MCAT. Not that many topics are thrown at you on the MCAT, just be ready for the format. I came up seven points, but I studied more and PRACTICED TESTS!!! Good luck, you'll do fine with some effort and test skill. Learn to master eliminating wrong answers.

 

[mj]

I came up 4 points in PS too, and for me memorizing wasn't the key, although that did help with my confidence I'm sure. Most of the questions on my test were conceptual, not factual or formula based. You may try breaking the section down into concepts and then further breaking it into the concepts you know and the ones you don't. Target your studying a concept at a time. Depending on how you learn best, you might want to try different ways of learning the concept. I used a highschool chem and physics lab book and software that illustrated conceptually what the heck the concept was about. Map out how many concepts you need to get through against a calander doing the ones you are most likely to see, like particles in a field, first. I also used flash cards, which were a big help.

I'm also with JP -- read lots of questions, skip passages. The passages are time consuming and not totally necessary to score well.

Good luck!
mj