Official Kaplan Aug 2004 Thread

PRIVATE MCAT LESSONS. Click to learn more!
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
W

willthatsall

Unretired
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2004
Messages
2,011
Reaction score
8
Just so Kaplan people have a place to discuss their practice tests and progress. How's everyone doing?
Members don't see this ad.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Hi, what's your opinion on Kaplan's verbal practice tests? Do the question types and distribution closely resemble the real MCAT? I am sorry if you have answered this before, since this is probably a frequently asked question.

Thanks
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Scubadoc said:
Hey Flash, for those students who went up so dramatically, and also for you, what did they/you do? I guess I am asking what you think is the best way to study for this. I am doing all the online workshops/quizzes and a lot of the topical tests but find I am not having enough time to read the books which I think I should be doing. I'm worried I may not be studying effectively. What worked for you/for your students? (and I know it is individual but just some examples would really be great!) Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Yeah, everyone's style of study is different, so I can at least tell you what worked for me. I didn't have as much time to devote to Kaplan as some of y'all probably do, since I was taking 16 credit hours last spring in conjunction with studying for the MCAT.

I started out mostly with content review, as most of you guys probably are doing/have done. I would read the review books ahead of time before each Kaplan class so I knew what the heck was going on during the classroom instruction. Then later I'd do all the topical tests for the past two classes of that week sometime during the following few days or on the weekend. The topicals are a goldmine, IMO. After the classes had finished, I still had a month and a half before the MCAT, so I started doing the full-length section tests when I could, and I also took some of the later Kaplan full-lengths. After taking each test, I would take an hour or so and go over all my wrong answers and why they were wrong using the Kaplan answer keys. I also used the online workshops intermittently. However, I didn't really put an emphasis on finishing those.

About three weeks out, I started doing the AAMC tests and extra passages I'd been saving. I only used IV, V and VI. I probably should've done I, II and III, but I just didn't have the time and those were "too easy" according to what I had seen of the later MCAT administrations. Meanwhile, I was also in the midst of doing section tests, other Kaplan full-lengths and the Kaplan simulated MCAT every Saturday. So I had quite a few tests to be reviewing at this point.

In the last week, I didn't really do any full lengths, just a few VR passages now and then to keep my brain wired. I focused more on skimming science facts I hadn't seen in a while from the review books. I also used the Kaplan flashcards in the week before the test. I found those to be very helpful.

Good luck with everything. I hope I helped you out somewhat. :)

silkworm said:
Hi, what's your opinion on Kaplan's verbal practice tests? Do the question types and distribution closely resemble the real MCAT? I am sorry if you have answered this before, since this is probably a frequently asked question.

Thanks
Click to expand...

IMO, Kaplan VR isn't the best predictor of MCAT VR passages. The best predictors are, of course, the AAMC tests and passages. A lot of students find Kaplan VR to be easier than the MCAT. However, they're still a really good way to practice your VR critical thinking skills, your ability to read and annotate long, dry passages, and your ability to translate new information to answer questions.

If you're looking for some extra passages to supplement all this, I recommend EK's 101 passages. Those are similarly challenging.

With VR, more than any other section, practice makes perfect. :thumbup:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
Abe said:
so no one knows if their are solutions for these full lengths somewhere? Are they online or at the center?
Click to expand...

They are available online. Click on the 'go' link on your online syllubus on the test you are interested in and you should see a link for the solutions/explanations.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Kaplan got me a decent score i am very happy with, however, the test material on the real thing is so different than kaplan. (kaplan is much harder, which i like because hard tests are much more forgiving of stupid mistakes) Just take the kaplan scores with a grain of salt. Its a good program, but look to others for a more realistic test experiance.


Just my 2 cents,
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
im sooo sad
i dropped 6 pts from my diagnostic
whats going on
my verbal went from 12 to a 8
god..evilsssss :(
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
DieselPetrolGrl said:
im sooo sad
i dropped 6 pts from my diagnostic
whats going on
my verbal went from 12 to a 8
god..evilsssss :(
Click to expand...
lol me too actually me a 13 to an 8. I looked at my mistakes some pretty dumbs ones some i still think im right on =p. I finished way too early with like 10 min left. I was really worried i wasnt gonna finish so from now on im taking my time.
Some of the physics crap was insane, i dont think the mcat will ask you to do that much work for some of their problems, my teacher agreed. All i know is im gonna memorize the equations on the sheet, i could have scored a a pt or two higher if i remembered any of them.

I havent done any of the subject tests, are they helpful?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Abe said:
lol me too actually me a 13 to an 8. I looked at my mistakes some pretty dumbs ones some i still think im right on =p. I finished way too early with like 10 min left. I was really worried i wasnt gonna finish so from now on im taking my time.
Some of the physics crap was insane, i dont think the mcat will ask you to do that much work for some of their problems, my teacher agreed. All i know is im gonna memorize the equations on the sheet, i could have scored a a pt or two higher if i remembered any of them.

I havent done any of the subject tests, are they helpful?
Click to expand...


Here's what I thought about it. The verbal didn't seem any harder when I was doing it, but I ended up scoring 1 point lower. I think the diagnostic was kind of crazy because it was such a small sample for verbal. Even on the full-length verbal, once you get over 10, just a few questions make the difference between 3 or 4 points. I'm not sure about BS because I was much more prepared for the first full-length than I was for the diagnostic, but I think it was pretty close. The PS really got me, and I think next time I will score at least 2 points higher than last time if the test is similar. You only had to get 44 right to have a 10 last time. That means you could miss 33 problems. I was too worried about getting each problem right and I spent too much time on problems that I didn't know how to do or that were taking me too long. Looking at the problems I ended up having to skip, I could have easily answered 10 more questions correctly if I wouldn't have wasted so much time on questions (I missed most of the ones I spent so long on anyway). I'm not sure if that strategy pays off on the real MCAT, because I think it is easier to finish the PS on the real thing, but you can't miss as many to get a good score. But I think the PS section on Kaplan will definitely force me to work on my pacing. Is anyone doing all the discretes first? What about skipping around passages that they don't feel confident with? I haven't done it yet, because I figured that I plan on finishing everything anyway, so why skip stuff? But with my problem last test, that might have been a good strategy.

Oh, and for the subject tests, I started out doing some of them but I have stopped doing them. I find it more helpful to do the topicals and section tests. The subject tests aren't even really meant for the MCAT, they are shared with the DAT and maybe the PCAT too. If you have extra time they are alright, but they don't seem tremendously useful to me.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Abe said:
lol me too actually me a 13 to an 8. I looked at my mistakes some pretty dumbs ones some i still think im right on =p. I finished way too early with like 10 min left. I was really worried i wasnt gonna finish so from now on im taking my time.
Some of the physics crap was insane, i dont think the mcat will ask you to do that much work for some of their problems, my teacher agreed. All i know is im gonna memorize the equations on the sheet, i could have scored a a pt or two higher if i remembered any of them.

I havent done any of the subject tests, are they helpful?
Click to expand...
dude the test Q on states and indians and ghosts ...i was doing the "50 states song" and i still got it wrong - i mad mad mad ..or sad :(
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ps the ONLY formula they seemed to care for is E=hf ...go figure ..and c=fw( so u can get f and solve for E) that sucked!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
DieselPetrolGrl said:
dude the test Q on states and indians and ghosts ...i was doing the "50 states song" and i still got it wrong - i mad mad mad ..or sad :(
Click to expand...

Yeah I got to that question and I was like WTF? Everything we need to know is supposed to be in the passage. Well geography of the midwest was not in the passage, so piss off, Kaplan.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
willthatsall said:
Yeah I got to that question and I was like WTF? Everything we need to know is supposed to be in the passage. Well geography of the midwest was not in the passage, so piss off, Kaplan.
Click to expand...

wow what in the world are you two talking about? I haven't had that question but I am intrigued!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
omg when i had that question it put me bk in 5th grade..by the US map..and i was counting off from cali eastwards :(
did u also see the Q about psychs-analysts and humanists that disagree and its saying ou should pick they diagree on the effect of int conflic on childshood thinking - but the first being freudian and the second self-centered i picked "significance of concious experience bc "they diagree on the effect of int conflic on childshood thinking" should be stated : the effect of internal conflicts through childhood on latter behavior" to be correct - i dont know anyymoreeee :(

who am i to slice their verbal - i dropped hella lot so i'll be quiet and review my states map..kaplan WILL feel my wrath !
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
DieselPetrolGrl said:
omg when i had that question it put me bk in 5th grade..by the US map..and i was counting off from cali eastwards :(
did u also see the Q about psychs-analysts and humanists that disagree and its saying ou should pick they diagree on the effect of int conflic on childshood thinking - but the first being freudian and the second self-centered i picked "significance of concious experience bc "they diagree on the effect of int conflic on childshood thinking" should be stated : the effect of internal conflicts through childhood on latter behavior" to be correct - i dont know anyymoreeee :(

who am i to slice their verbal - i dropped hella lot so i'll be quiet and review my states map..kaplan WILL feel my wrath !
Click to expand...

Absolutely, the indian question I thought was just kind of unfair, but the question about psychoanalysis I was like 80% sure that Kaplan's answer is wrong. I figured out all the other stuff on my own as to why I was wrong, but I just don't see anyway to derive their answer from the passage on that question.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ours is next weekend as well. but i think i'll take it sometime during the week.

eh. it's just one full length. no biggie.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I took my first full length and scored much better in physcial sciencs from 6 to 10. I still suck in the verbal and bio though. I have discovered however that there are important logistical considerations concerning time and qustion answering strategy. I totally miscalculated my questions in verbal and thought I had finished early and there were to passages left which I had to guess on which killed my score I had only missed 11 up till that point and 22 afterward so be careful.
On physical sciences they put the easy questions in the back and the harder stuff up front so pacing yourself really pays off in the end literally sometimes. I think a 30 is very possible now though.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hey everybody

Can somebody please tell me what these scores correspond to for Kaplan test #3?

This is what I got...

PS 46 out of 77
BS 64 out of 77
VR 40 out of 60

I need the corresponding 1-15 scores , thank you all
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I can help...

Your scores are about a 10, a 12 and a 6 respectively!
Nice job in bio you need to work on verbal a little though.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
SleepPsych72 said:
I can help...

Your scores are about a 10, a 12 and a 6 respectively!
Nice job in bio you need to work on verbal a little though.
Click to expand...

Hey, where did you find that? Are you in the course now? I can't find the score conversion charts until after I take the test.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have about a 3.16 undergrad gpa, but about a 3.4-ish TOTAL gpa when you combine all of my post bacc in there too. i have also taken the mcat, 30 P, but after having taken those post bacc classes and practice tests on the mcat, i think i could reasonablly do around 33-35 level. i have also been out of undergrad college for about 3 years.

question is, will my post bacc (was done on my own, not a formal program) be added into the gpa that they will look at? or will my undergrad gpa kill me in the admissions process? I am planning on taking more classes to prep more for the mcat and possible help my gpa get to about a 3.5 if possible. will that be in vain???

i have taken a large number of post bacc classes, that i think might be able to add up to another undergrad degree. if i were to do that, would they still be considered post bacc??

can anyone offer advice on what to do? what will the adcoms think?? if i could get a 35 or so mcat, are top tier schools possible or still completely out of the question??

thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ZZZZebra cakes...my workbooks already fallen apart from being left in my car under the hot florida sun..
i have given up on tropicals
the qbank isnt printable - or so i understand from prior navigations
and the kaplan way is kicking my arse...i need this long weekend to relax, calm down, and refuel so i get bk into it..anyone else having a energy slump and a lesson book full of scotch-tape ?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Not really Kaplan related but amusing.

I was eating and studying at the Vietnamnese restaurant downstairs from Kaplan center. After finishing up some problems, I broke open the fortune cookie, the slip of paper predict: "You have the ability to solve all problems."

That brought a smile.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I just tried the O-chem subject test #3 and got a 33 percent. That thing was a nightmare. Lots of aromatic, EAS stuff on there. I have been reviewing genetics and have made a lot of headway though. I figured I would put a good emphasis on genetics since everybody raved about how much genetics was on the thing. They made it sound like there was genetics questions on the application or something!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ive switched over to reading Ek's chapters, kaplans are dull I like color :D and I like how they tell you what you need to know. Ill see how Ek studying with kaplan materials pans out.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
i like cookies
are there any review books made of cookies..with commin-mcat-formula filling ofcourse
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Abe said:
ive switched over to reading Ek's chapters, kaplans are dull I like color :D and I like how they tell you what you need to know. Ill see how Ek studying with kaplan materials pans out.
Click to expand...

I've been doing the same. EK's material is alot more interesting.. I can barely keep my eyes open when reading kaplans stuff.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
How many FL Kaplan tests are proctored at the center and how many on our own? I mean which of the 9 ones specifically?

Our first FL is next weekend, I feel that it's kinda late we started our class on June 5th. Those of you with the same schedule, how are you able to measure your progress? Have you done any FL tests on your own?

Good Luck!
Scout
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
raom_dtpi said:
How many FL Kaplan tests are proctored at the center and how many on our own? I mean which of the 9 ones specifically?

Our first FL is next weekend, I feel that it's kinda late we started our class on June 5th. Those of you with the same schedule, how are you able to measure your progress? Have you done any FL tests on your own?

Good Luck!
Scout
Click to expand...

I think there are actually 11. 1-5 are proctored, the other ones are available online or in the center and the AAMC exams are available in the center only. I take my 2nd one next weekend and we started May 9, so you aren't that far behind.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I started on June 5th too. I believe there are 4 proctored full-lengths. As for keeping track of progress, I took two AAMC 5R and 3R. But those tests can spoil a person, so I will probably take a EK test soon to get a kick in the pants.

My question: if you take a AAMC test in the Kaplan center, would they provide the same detailed performance analysis you get from AAMC website? Thanks.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ok- so once again this website has been a source for stress. i am about halfway done with content review (i'll be done in another two weeks). it seems like a lot of people have gone through everything in half the time as i have (i started mid-june). i'm going through each kaplan chapter in detail, taking notes, and doing all of the homework. should i not spend as much time on the content review as i have been?
i feel like kaplan includes all this stuff for a reason- so i don't want to short change it. still, i'm a little concerned that i'm going to be way behind. my first full length is this weekend.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
oh, and with all the kaplan material, does anyone feel the need for extra questions, like ExamKrackers 1001 questions books?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
dukejen04 said:
oh, and with all the kaplan material, does anyone feel the need for extra questions, like ExamKrackers 1001 questions books?
Click to expand...
i only have time for kaplan and that too barely :(
it better be inclusive so i will have a fit..yes a fit
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
DieselPetrolGrl said:
i only have time for kaplan and that too barely :(
it better be inclusive so i will have a fit..yes a fit
Click to expand...

hahaha, excellent. :) i won't stress about it then. a fit- i love it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
So far I have covered almost all of the content review stuff. I am glad I started studying early because I found out that I was severely lacking in bio and physio. I have spent the last week covering these topics and reading genetics and the different bodily systems in depth. I got a great deal on a 2002 Stuart Ira Fox Human Physio book for 5 bucks. The first half of the book is biochemistry type stuff. The second half coveres each individual system in much detail. After I read the chapter on reproduction I could answer questions on MCAT bio sections with out even having to read the passage in some cases! Huge help! The first half of the course I studied mostly physical sciences. I plan on reading about 2 chapters of microbiology, 6 chapters of physio. and maybe 3 chapters of bio before the real test. The physical sciences I'm relying solely on Kaplan. Which have helped with a four point imporvement so far over the diagnostic. I'll probably end up with some crazy score like 13P-6-V11-B or something. But I'm shooting for a 30 and I don't care if it breaks down to 15-7-8.
Anyone else care to reveal their game plan?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
you are out of control psych!! to go delving into books above and beyond the scope of mcat- wow. i'm just bitter cuz the content review is taking me more time than i would have liked. at the moment i can't make any judgements on how i'm doing though- gonna have to wait until full-length this weekend. if i can manage a 30 on this first exam, i'll feel good that i can progress to my goal over the next six weeks. if not, well, i suppose i should have started sooner (although to my own credit, i was writing a thesis for the last few months, so mcat wasn't an option).
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Helllllo people,
So I thought I'd finally join in after lurking on here for a while...anyway, I started my kaplan class in mid-May. Diagnostic & FL#1 were NOT where I wanted to be (I didn't even improve that much either), so I've been working my butt off ever since. My class hasn't finished going over the content stuff yet, which I felt was pulling me waaay behind (did anyone feel the same way?), so I already went ahead & covered everything & did all the topical tests. I'm about 2 weeks ahead, and now I'm just doing passages, passages, & more passages.

Why? Well, one thing, I suck at verbal & that's all I can really do, hehe. But also, I don't think sticking my head in the books forever would help. I have to be able to see how I can do on the passages without knowing every single little thing b/c you never know...there may be some stuff on the MCAT that is way beyond my head & I'm going to have to tackle it w/what I know somehow. Knowledge is important, but applying it is even more important.

Going over the answers after doing a passage has been a good review, so that takes care of that. I'm also listening to the audio osmosis cd's while working out so that my time is used more efficiently. I still do need to go back to the books now & then, but mainly for bio...I keep forgetting all these hormones & digestive enzymes. waah.

Oh yeah, & I've mainly studied everything from those Kaplan books...I think they're pretty basic. My AP Bio cliff notes has helped too, & that's even more basic! It helps though...

Anyway, hopefully it will all work out...for all you guys too. Realize that everyone's started at a different time for whatever reasons they have, and that everyone has their own strength & weaknesses. So, just do whatever works for you -- you know what you need to do in terms of studying, but imo, I'd try to get to the passages eventually b/c I feel that's what needs the most practice...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
isnt kaplan only proctoring THEIR exams.....but then 1-5 also ONLY
so for 6 -11 can we get paper copies? or are we doomed to the stupid plastic pens and inky fingers method of testing???
thanks
+ dukejen...for 1500$ they better be all i need to know :mad:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
DieselPetrolGrl said:
isnt kaplan only proctoring THEIR exams.....but then 1-5 also ONLY
so for 6 -11 can we get paper copies? or are we doomed to the stupid plastic pens and inky fingers method of testing???
thanks
+ dukejen...for 1500$ they better be all i need to know :mad:
Click to expand...

good question, but i suspect we are stuck with the plastic copies for 6-11.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
the plastics suck
they are so unmotivating because 1/2 the ink slips off the cheap-sheet protectors
e..maybe i need to start brining in my permanent markers...j/k...would be hilarious though :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hi

I am doing great on the humanities passages but I am terrible at the social science passages. Does any body has any idea on how to improve on those. Please let me know.

Thank you
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Has anyone done those verbal practice tests yet? I am on #8 and I find that the tests suddenly gets really hard from #7 on.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

T
Using the Kaplan MCAT Review Books:
Replies
6
Views
554
TS2354
T
cryingpremed
Selling MCAT TPR course books and New Kaplan set
Replies
0
Views
128
cryingpremed
cryingpremed
agentfaithmd
AAMC MCAT Official Prep Complete Bundle Worth It?
Replies
0
Views
409
agentfaithmd
agentfaithmd
S
  • Question
should i take a kaplan course
Replies
2
Views
673
sigh1234
S
H
Advice on (slight) change in study plan - received Boren Scholarship & taking August 24th
Replies
2
Views
115
AJS59
AJS59
Top