pcat scores question

[glagic]

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i know theres been like a thousand of these posts regarding the pcat, but i was just curious, i took mine in january for the first time and did well overall considering i didnt study, but my bio score was pretty low. it was actually the lowest out of any of my scores (a 64%). will schools that take the pcat into consideration look down on my bio score since its low? i havent taken physio yet and it ended up that a lot of the test was physio related. my scores for math, reading comprehension and chemistry were high enough to balance out my bio score. should i take the pcat over again in hopes to raise my bio score?

oh and btw i got a 89 composite score somehow even with the poor bio score. thats one thing thats keeping me from retaking the test. that and the increase in price of the test and the addition of the essay

i guess what im trying to say in simpler terms, is the bio section that vital to the pcat score? and if i did not so great (i got a 64) should i retake it?

 

[UTPharmDoc]

i know theres been like a thousand of these posts regarding the pcat, but i was just curious, i took mine in january for the first time and did well overall considering i didnt study, but my bio score was pretty low. it was actually the lowest out of any of my scores (a 64%). will schools that take the pcat into consideration look down on my bio score since its low? i havent taken physio yet and it ended up that a lot of the test was physio related. my scores for math, reading comprehension and chemistry were high enough to balance out my bio score. should i take the pcat over again in hopes to raise my bio score?

oh and btw i got a 89 composite score somehow even with the poor bio score. thats one thing thats keeping me from retaking the test. that and the increase in price of the test and the addition of the essay

i guess what im trying to say in simpler terms, is the bio section that vital to the pcat score? and if i did not so great (i got a 64) should i retake it?

Take it again if you think you will definitely better, they want to see improvement. 64% isn't bad really. I am sure if you did well in the other areas and got As in the bio classes you take, you should be fine.

 

[jemc2000]

I know that a 99 is obviously "good enough", but for those of us who did not score that high, is there any other imaginary line, at which point retaking the PCAT is just a waste of time and money? I want to make myself a more attractive candidate, but at which point would I say that my PCAT score is good enough and to just devote the time to gpa?

 

[vafcarrot]

I would find out the average scores for those that got into the schools that you are applying to and make that your imaginary line... best of luck!

 

[DownonthePharm]

I think my imaginary line would be a 90%. You are still doing better than a vast majority of test takers, most schools average stats are in the 70s or so. If your GPA is high, you can lower that a bit more. Depending on where you are going your 89% is probably good enough. Do you feel that you can repeat your performance on the rest of the sections? If so it should be fairly easy to make your score a lot better by working on improving your bio score.

 

[chloejane]

I don't know how much weight each individual score carries. I *bombed* the quant. part. I haven't taken a math class (except for stats... which was a joke and I didn't learn a thing) since 2000. I didn't really study that at all, except to quickly review- which my score obviously reflects. However, I got in and got interviews at all of the schools I applied to. None of the interviewers even brought up how low that score was. I agree with the poster that said if your grades in the bio classes are high, I'm not sure I would worry about it. But, I also think you should check to see how your composite compares with the accepted applicants from previous years at the schools you are interested in. I don't know if you can get the breakdown of scores though. Good luck- your composite really is competative for most schools!

 

[exliontamer]

I don't know how much weight each individual score carries. I *bombed* the quant. part. I haven't taken a math class (except for stats... which was a joke and I didn't learn a thing) since 2000. I didn't really study that at all, except to quickly review- which my score obviously reflects. However, I got in and got interviews at all of the schools I applied to. None of the interviewers even brought up how low that score was. I agree with the poster that said if your grades in the bio classes are high, I'm not sure I would worry about it. But, I also think you should check to see how your composite compares with the accepted applicants from previous years at the schools you are interested in. I don't know if you can get the breakdown of scores though. Good luck- your composite really is competative for most schools!

Chloejane
I hope you don't mind me asking, but what was your score on the quantitative section as well as your overall composite? I, too, am in the same boat and waiting to hear from the school of my choice. When I run down the list of reasons that I might not get in my quantitative score (36%) jumps out and screams rejection!!! My composite is 85% and my gpa is really good, but I worry that the adcom will see that pitiful score and think that I won't be able to handle the work. BTW congratulations on your acceptance! 🙂

 

[koby_2004]

I am a freshman applying to a 1-5 program, thus I had to take the PCAT after only a semester of college. I have yet to have a biology class in college and only had Bio I and Anatomy in HS. Thus, I scored a 32 on the Biology section, yeah I know, horrible. I still scored a 73 composite, which I was happy with, being only a freshman. I was invited to interview based on only GPA and PCAT, so it must not have affected their decison toward me. I did have 4.0 last semester which is still not much to brag about since it was my first semester. I really wouldn't worry about a 64 on BIO, because that's not that bad and you got an 89 composite which is well above most CoP's average. Just my two cents, even though I am a lowly freshman.

 

[Laferno]

I have always been told that verbal and writing are the most important catergories. Here is how it was explained to me: The schools can teach you the bio and chem information you need, but they won't go back and teach you to read or write effectively.

 

[kellia]

has anyone heard of schools adjusting the pcat scores? i called south u. this week to check on my app status, and the lady explained to me that the pcat scores had been recalculated due to some crazy method of madness. my 82 became a 66. I figure my "almost good enough" score was replaced by a "don't bother applying" score. had i known this, i would have retested. I wonder what other schools are recalculating. anyone else experience this? anyone know why????? 😕

 

[kayjay]

has anyone heard of schools adjusting the pcat scores? i called south u. this week to check on my app status, and the lady explained to me that the pcat scores had been recalculated due to some crazy method of madness. my 82 became a 66. I figure my "almost good enough" score was replaced by a "don't bother applying" score. had i known this, i would have retested. I wonder what other schools are recalculating. anyone else experience this? anyone know why????? 😕

That's some craziness! I don't think that's possible..or fair. If they adjusted your score, then everyone else's should have been adjusted, so in that case, your score is relative to everyone else's..but I doubt that's the case, so try calling again, maybe talk to someone who really know what's going on..the lady you talked to maybe gave you wrong info or perhaps there was some sort of misunderstanding.

 

[BTB]

has anyone heard of schools adjusting the pcat scores? i called south u. this week to check on my app status, and the lady explained to me that the pcat scores had been recalculated due to some crazy method of madness. my 82 became a 66. I figure my "almost good enough" score was replaced by a "don't bother applying" score. had i known this, i would have retested. I wonder what other schools are recalculating. anyone else experience this? anyone know why????? 😕

Did she say that Harcourt had done the recalc, or that it was a recalc of scores of applicants to South u.?
The way I thought about it when I read your post was:
1) South U. took all the pcat scores from their applicants
2) South U. analyzed them and put them on a "bell curve"
3) Harcourt says: Kellia is in the 82nd %ile for all pcat takers
South U. says: Kellia is in the 66th %ile for the subset of pcat takers that comprises all applicants to our school

Make sense?

 

[kellia]

i am unsure, but i think that south u. recalculated but i don't think on a bell curve. she said something about the 2003 pcats...? the woman in admissions told me that "a lot of students made that mistake" about their scores this year. i politely argued with her for a few minutes, but was so stunned by what i was hearing that i stumbled on my thoughts a little. but, yes, if south u. recalculated all of the pcat scores, then all of the applicants scores would be no more or less competitive when compared to eachother. but i was just wondering if anyone else knew if other schools did this- i believe that some schools have numerical cut-offs for scores. it would have been nice to know this before applying this year. madness...

 

[aubieRx]

I was very fortunate in getting a 99 percentile the first time i took that dang blasted, seemingly 8 hour test because i don't think i could have tolerated taking it again.

If i were you i would have been happy with an 89 too. I originally thought i would get about an 89 (or high eighties low nineties).

If there is one thing i have learned from the particular school i was accepted to it is that pharmacy/hospital experience can count as much or more than the PCAT scores! I was waitlisted until i spent some time shadowing a pharmacist in a hospital so i knew more about pharmacy as a daily profession! Waitlisted with 99 percentile pcat scores while people with lower scores got in right away!

So in summation, it is important to look at the whole picture... perhaps the time it would take to increase your PCAT score into the high 90s would be better spent elsewhere.