our friend kaplan--please help

[latrala2300]

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My exam's on August 20. I got the "New MCAT Practice Tests, 5e" from Kaplan today, and took the verbal section. I got 9 wrong (though the questions seemed simple), which according to them, is a 8.

I have heard on SDN time and time again that Kaplan's scale is "too lenient"--is that true? So i should be expecting a 7 or less on the real VS?!

Also, I finished with 20 minutes to spare. I have read Bloody Surgeon, Vishadas (sp?), and Cole's guides to the verbal, but if you have any specific thoughts on my situation (since i can't really change much in 3 weeks), please let me know. Is Kaplan generally easy to finish early with?

Thanks guys, and cheers.

EDIT: I should add that this is the first time I've done any prep for verbal. So i haven't taken any EK, TPRH, or AAMC material that would perhaps serve as a more reliable metric.

 

[EgyptianDoc]

Kaplan verbal is not that great so I wouldn't worry too much about the scaled score. Instead, try to understand why you got those 9 wrong and why you got the other 31 right. I'd work with EK 101 if you have it or can afford to buy it. I think you'll score higher on the real thing... at the end of the day, its just practice. Just a warning though, you won't finish verbal with 20 minutes to spare on the real test. You'll be lucky to finish with 10... or 5.

Also, here are some general tips courtesy of SN2ed:

Some things to go over when reviewing:

1. Why did you get the question wrong? Why did you get the question right?
2. What question and passage types get you?
3. How is your mindset when facing a particular passage?
4. Are you stressed for time?
5. Where are your mistakes happening the most? Are they front loaded? Are they at the end? All over?
6. What was your thought process for both the questions you got right and the ones you got wrong?
7. For verbal, what was the author's mindset and main idea?
8. Did you eliminate all of the answer choices you could from first glance?
ex. You know an answer should be a positive number so you cross out all of the negative number answer choices.
9. What content areas are you weak in?
10. How can you improve so you don't make the same mistake again?

Edit: If you haven't already, take AAMC 3-10. If you're short on time, at least do 7-10. Whatever you score on the verbal section on those will probably be your actual score (+/- 2 pts).

 

[latrala2300]

thanks for the advice. this 8/20 mcat is a serious 'dry run' of sorts. i'm applying next cycle, and plan to take the test 'for real' in january. so i dont want to exhaust all the AAMC tests quite yet...but i will take 3 per your suggestion.

 

[EgyptianDoc]

No problem. I will say this - always keep this in mind: no test prep company's verbal section will give you an accurate feel of the real verbal... some are too hard, others too easy. The key is to just build your endurance and understand the logic behind each question. Knowing the question type can help you out a lot. Maybe you'll see a trend in the types you are getting wrong. Go with EK 101 for your practice. That's probably the closest thing available to the real thing (that's not AAMC).

 

[EgyptianDoc]

Lol, one more thing - I don't recommend studying this far in advance. Maybe for verbal only (light studying). Enjoy your summer and start 3-4 months from your intended test date.

 

[latrala2300]

hm i wasn't clear--im gonna take the 8/20, void only if i truly feel horrendous about it (not finishing...), and regardless of my score (unless it's >36 lolz) retake in january. but realistically i'd be surprised if i get above a 30. so i guess i've already planned to take it twice

 

[EgyptianDoc]

Well, it's not a feel good test. You WILL feel horrendous, even if you scored a 42. So, if you're going into the test with the mindset that you'll void, then you've already made the decision. I honestly believe a HUGE part of passing this test is being confident in what you've studied. If you did your part, go into it confident, and trust your intuition, it will turn out ok. Whatever you decide, good luck to you.

 

[latrala2300]

lol i realize i won't walk out feeling good, or even neutral, about it, but i'll void only if i dont finish a section