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Pcat v Mcat
Started by Adaggiote
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It depends on what you prefer! I have taken the MCAT in the past and took the PCAT today. I like the PCAT a lot more because it's just so straightforward whereas the MCAT is a lot of reading, analyzing, and nothing at all is straightforward. The only thing about the PCAT is it's very fast. You really need to answer everything quickly because time is definitely not on your side. We'll see what I actually get on the PCAT 😉 but I think the PCAT is a test where if you studied long and hard for, you would actually get a high score, and you know with the MCAT you could still bomb it regardless of how much you studied.
^^ agree with that.
Hate to say it but PCAT is laughable compared to MCAT. Took the MCAT and did decent (75th percentile) after studying for 2 weeks. Took the PCAT on october 16th and only studied for 3 days and would not be surprised if I don't exceed a 75 by quite a bit.
The Bio, chem and reading are simple after studying for the MCAT. It's all fact based, no real integration involved. So basically if you know how to recognize the right answer, or close to the right answer you'll be alright, whereas MCAT you have to be able to integrate that with other facts and pick out an answer that's the best of 4 that look correct. Whereas PCAT will blatantly put answers that are false so if you know most of the material you'll be alright.
However, the timing is much harder for the PCAT I think. And what I said above is exactly why. If you don't know an answer right when you look at it, good luck effectively managing your time.
Chem and Math will purposely leave easy questions to the end so that who can manage their time best will do better even though they may be just as smart. Bio you can finish with time left, I had ~15-20 minutes left after all my bio practices getting only 1 or 2 wrong. However, the real thing was a little harder but I still think I did well.
I think the PCAT is a little too easy (don't flame me) because it doesn't ask you to integrate information quickly at all. It will just say things like The purpose of the glomerulus is: and you select the answer. The chem and math too are simple if you know what to do. I only studied for 3 days for this exam so I could easily come back with a 10% overall and just be ignorant at this point to how hard it is but I feel like it's a lot easier than the MCAT because you can study for it and have it pay off.
MCAT I think is a little too difficult, the verbal is too wishy-washy and some of the physical sciences passages come out of nowhere and it will come down to more luck than the PCAT.
Somewhere in the middle would be best for both schools, but I think the PCAT is a lot easier than the MCAT and easier to study for so it's definitely possible to do well.
Hate to say it but PCAT is laughable compared to MCAT. Took the MCAT and did decent (75th percentile) after studying for 2 weeks. Took the PCAT on october 16th and only studied for 3 days and would not be surprised if I don't exceed a 75 by quite a bit.
The Bio, chem and reading are simple after studying for the MCAT. It's all fact based, no real integration involved. So basically if you know how to recognize the right answer, or close to the right answer you'll be alright, whereas MCAT you have to be able to integrate that with other facts and pick out an answer that's the best of 4 that look correct. Whereas PCAT will blatantly put answers that are false so if you know most of the material you'll be alright.
However, the timing is much harder for the PCAT I think. And what I said above is exactly why. If you don't know an answer right when you look at it, good luck effectively managing your time.
Chem and Math will purposely leave easy questions to the end so that who can manage their time best will do better even though they may be just as smart. Bio you can finish with time left, I had ~15-20 minutes left after all my bio practices getting only 1 or 2 wrong. However, the real thing was a little harder but I still think I did well.
I think the PCAT is a little too easy (don't flame me) because it doesn't ask you to integrate information quickly at all. It will just say things like The purpose of the glomerulus is: and you select the answer. The chem and math too are simple if you know what to do. I only studied for 3 days for this exam so I could easily come back with a 10% overall and just be ignorant at this point to how hard it is but I feel like it's a lot easier than the MCAT because you can study for it and have it pay off.
MCAT I think is a little too difficult, the verbal is too wishy-washy and some of the physical sciences passages come out of nowhere and it will come down to more luck than the PCAT.
Somewhere in the middle would be best for both schools, but I think the PCAT is a lot easier than the MCAT and easier to study for so it's definitely possible to do well.
In simple term all the MCAT questions, except the math, are exactly like the reading passage section in the PCAT. Almost all the questions both in the physical and biological science refers to a scientific research (prompt) that you have to read before answering the question.
