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OAT Results 08/30/08
Started by Slapshot13
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TS 400? Amazing, and congrats to you! i'm scheduled to take it next week, and i'm having trouble with kaplan general chem questions; but the opted test seems much more simple than kaplan. Did you use kaplan at all? and were there any complicated gas law or solution (molality, normality etc..) problems on the test? Also, what was your RC strategy?
Thank you so much =)
Thank you so much =)
Solid Scores, congradulations!
If you don't mind can you give a general breakdown of each section (ie. Physics was there much optics?). For RC did you have problems with the scrolling? Anything that caught you by surprise? etc. It dosn't have to be too detailed, just want to see how your experience was in general.
Good Luck in your applications!!
If you don't mind can you give a general breakdown of each section (ie. Physics was there much optics?). For RC did you have problems with the scrolling? Anything that caught you by surprise? etc. It dosn't have to be too detailed, just want to see how your experience was in general.
Good Luck in your applications!!
The best way to judge your performance prior to taking the test would be the opted sample test;by far. I did not take the Kaplan course, but the small book with the two full tests asked some pretty ridiculous questions in the fields of gen chem and physics.
As for gen chem, I found this to be the easiest section on the test..it was not tricky at all and a lot easier than kaplan.
RC- Unless they changed the format of the OAT, RC did not appear in a small little box like everyone said it would (and how it is shown on the tutorial off opted). Instead the passage came full screen. I read the hole passage in about 5 minutes (so just a normal read) and built a mental road map- Ultimately though, you have to have some idea what the passage is trying to hint at. The questions were not overly difficult and by building a road map I was finished with about 3-4 minutes left. I think the main thing with RC is to be totally focused..this is usualy everyone weak spot.
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Bio had some very strange questions; no matter how much studying one did, these questions felt totally random (I do believe that they are manageable if you have a bit of a science background)
Chem and O.Chem were great, no surprises, opted will give you a good example where you stand
RC: easier than i though, just be 100% calm and read the passage over..dont switch stratagies ..whatever you usually do, do it on the real test lol.
Physics: Identical layout to the opted sample
QR: Usually score 380-400..maybe i was mentally tired, no excuses though, just wasnt focused enough and working at an efficient pace.
Slapshot13, thank you so much for all the helpful answers.
Bio- Kaplan MCAT review book, and a few helpful websites for phylogeny and photosynthesis. Bio consumed the most amount of my time..for sure, just so much to cover..
Gen Chem- Kaplan MCAT review book- Also took an upper year physical chemistry class the previous year which was fresh in my mind.
Orgo- Never really studied for this..got A+ in both Orgo I and orgo II months before..saved me alot of time (the Kaplan MCAT is a great review..if you just need a refresher)
Physics- Used a university text book..took lots of reading.
QR - GRE /GMAT math review
RC- Topscore
Overall i studied about 3-6 hours a day for 6 weeks..it was a painless experiance. Just review review review..until my brain hurt.
Gen Chem- Kaplan MCAT review book- Also took an upper year physical chemistry class the previous year which was fresh in my mind.
Orgo- Never really studied for this..got A+ in both Orgo I and orgo II months before..saved me alot of time (the Kaplan MCAT is a great review..if you just need a refresher)
Physics- Used a university text book..took lots of reading.
QR - GRE /GMAT math review
RC- Topscore
Overall i studied about 3-6 hours a day for 6 weeks..it was a painless experiance. Just review review review..until my brain hurt.
This is kind of a dumb question but after u took the computerized test do u get ur score immediately or do u have to wait a day/week/month? I plan on taking it at the end of October and apply in mid December so i was wondering if i would have to wait a while to get my scores or the computer would tell me as soon as i finished.
Score pops up immediately
slapshot13, AMAZING job!
i was wondering, going into the exam, during that last week, how confident were you?
for physics, did you have to memorize a lot of formulas?
i've also been having problems with the RC. i hear a lot of people who do well in that section mentally roadmap it without taking any notes (contrary to what kaplan preaches). do you read the passages word for word to really understand them or is it more like scanning to read for what each paragraph is about? then you start tackling questions and refer back to where you had mapped it to be? was there ever a time you were scanning for a specific word yet couldn't find it for a while?
also, how did you calm your nerves? were you nervous at all?
thanks! and GOOD JOB!! 😀
i was wondering, going into the exam, during that last week, how confident were you?
for physics, did you have to memorize a lot of formulas?
i've also been having problems with the RC. i hear a lot of people who do well in that section mentally roadmap it without taking any notes (contrary to what kaplan preaches). do you read the passages word for word to really understand them or is it more like scanning to read for what each paragraph is about? then you start tackling questions and refer back to where you had mapped it to be? was there ever a time you were scanning for a specific word yet couldn't find it for a while?
also, how did you calm your nerves? were you nervous at all?
thanks! and GOOD JOB!! 😀
You are asking the same type of questions I was prior to the test (which may be good). Going into the last week, I was confident I was going to do well, but I did not alter my study habits to accommodate for this extra confidence. I was scoring a little higher on the practice tests in some sections (QR) and had AA in the 390 range. After writing the opted sample test I felt comfortable with the type of questions that were going to be asked and that only helped me further.
RC: I did not write a single word down during this section. I read it like I would read a newspaper article or a textbook. I made sure I was totally focused and made a roadmap while still obtaining the major components of the passage (So yes, I read it word for word). I think this is the best stratagey, because the frantic search for words can become extremely stressful.
To calm my self down I just thought positively throughout the hole study process. I knew if I did my best I was going to do well. How much you put into this test will directly relate to how much you get out of it.
thanks! just a few more questions. sorry!
what did you do the day before the exam? everyone usually says to chill and not study, but i feel like i'm forgetting everything if i don't. what do you recommend?
also, how did you pace yourself throughout the RC? it's hard b/c there's different numbers of questions for each passage, so you can't really establish a time when you should be moving on to the next passage right?
lastly, what tips do you have for the ochem section?
thanks very much again for your helpful words! 😛
what did you do the day before the exam? everyone usually says to chill and not study, but i feel like i'm forgetting everything if i don't. what do you recommend?
also, how did you pace yourself throughout the RC? it's hard b/c there's different numbers of questions for each passage, so you can't really establish a time when you should be moving on to the next passage right?
lastly, what tips do you have for the ochem section?
thanks very much again for your helpful words! 😛
When I wanted to go into dentistry I took the DAT and I remember being extremely nervous the day before. I'm sure many people feel the same way. Because of my nervousness, I felt I needed to cram everything one last time. That usually does you no good.
My best advice is to relax and not stress out (I know it's hard not to) because you might be thinking you don't know something, but you probably know more than you think you do. The nerves might make you feel like you are ill-prepared but don't let it fool you because once you take that test the next day, you will lose all the nerves and be in focus mode. At least I did.
If you have to study something, review the material that was the most challenging to you, NOT everything!!
Just remember to breathe!
