New MCAT Scoring

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adriano710

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So I hear the 2015 MCAT will be scored out of 60, opposed to 45, because of the added sections. How will this translate to the average MCAT scores that schools put out now? For example, CCOM average MCAT is around a 29/30. What would you need on the new MCAT in order to be competitive MCAT-wise for CCOM?
 
adriano710 said:
So I hear the 2015 MCAT will be scored out of 60, opposed to 45, because of the added sections. How will this translate to the average MCAT scores that schools put out now? For example, CCOM average MCAT is around a 29/30. What would you need on the new MCAT in order to be competitive MCAT-wise for CCOM?
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We don't yet but I would assume a 40 is the new 30. Ofcourse it all depends how it is scored. These scores really mean nothing it will always be the percentile. A 29/30 is 75 percentile so whatever 75 percentile is on the new mcat would be the score most likely.
 
Yea and @Goro is better suited to answer your other question

Edit: My favorite thing about the new MCAT, even though I don't plan on taking it is the confidence intervals it offers
 
chizledfrmstone said:
In ten years pre-meds will think I'm an idiot for scoring high 20's when the midpoint is 500.
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The min score will be 472 so that actually won't even be possible. Basically they are scoring this from 0-56 but adding 472 because why the frick not.
 
DoctorSynthesis said:
I doubt goro would even know as this hasn't happened yet. Its all really guesswork at this point.
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True, and if you ever visit the MD forums, rumor has it they are trying to come up with like a score conversion scale to relate the two scores.
 
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As long as you score above a 509, you can pretty much apply anywhere you'd like and hope for the best. I think one of the advantages of having an new test/scoring system is that you can pretty much apply anywhere, because Adcom won't know what to do with them...assuming your other credentials are competitive 😉 (at least for the first few admission cycles).
 
They could use percentiles more readily
 
Chillywilly said:
As long as you score above a 509, you can pretty much apply anywhere you'd like and hope for the best. I think one of the advantages of having an new test/scoring system is that you can pretty much apply anywhere, because Adcom won't know what to do with them...assuming your other credentials are competitive 😉 (at least for the first few admission cycles).
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When I interviewed at a school in the midwest one of the admissions staff said for the first 2-3 years it's hectic because they have to evaluate a whole different set of numbers.

She looked quite young so I'm assuming she meant the paper to CBT change and not the 1992 change.

rbolt25 said:
They could use percentiles more readily
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It's a different test. I guess it would work to a certain degree.

Can you really compare percentiles from the PCAT to DAT to MCAT?
 
I don't know really but you could say you typically have a average class with MCAT = 28 which is x percentile.

Basically either MCAT just tiers people into percentiles compared to each other. This is why scoring above 38 (or whatever the 99.9%ile is) doesn't make much of a difference.
 
Why do they do this? Why not just use normal numbers like 0 to 10 or something? 472 to 528 sounds so annoying.
 
AlbinoHawk DO said:
Why do they do this? Why not just use normal numbers like 0 to 10 or something? 472 to 528 sounds so annoying.
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Per the website listed above "The numbers used in the score scale were selected to ensure the scales do not overlap with the current scale, percentiles, or other commonly understood and used scoring systems." I thought the same thing as you. I think the actual numbers and range are arbitrary to prevent focusing on the numbers themselves and more where someone falls on the bell curve.
 
AlbinoHawk DO said:
Why do they do this? Why not just use normal numbers like 0 to 10 or something? 472 to 528 sounds so annoying.
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How else am I supposed to feel superior to my peers? A wider scale allows me to make more people feel bad.

Chad: I got a 557.
Maria: Yeah, well I got a 620.
Me: A 620? I got a 625! Sigh... I guess they will let any riff raff into medical school these days.
 
tripl3s3v3n said:
Per the website listed above "The numbers used in the score scale were selected to ensure the scales do not overlap with the current scale, percentiles, or other commonly understood and used scoring systems." I thought the same thing as you. I think the actual numbers and range are arbitrary to prevent focusing on the numbers themselves and more where someone falls on the bell curve.
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Now it just sounds like bad credit scores lol
 
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Quick question: Does the new MCAT begin January 1st or after January of 2015?
 
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