PCAT

[Ash2021]

Anyone have any good ways to study? I am taking the PCAT this month (October), and I really need a good way to study to get through all of the information. I have barely studied and now I am regretting it because I had plenty of time to study over the summer, but I didn't. I have Dr. Collins and Kaplan.

Also, I have not taken Organic II yet, and I just started Organic I... Do you think that'll affect my score a lot? I really want to get in the 90s but I don't think it's possible

How long does it take to get your scores back? I'm applying to Pharmacy school next semester, so if I had to take the PCAT again, could I do that in enough time?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[PharmDtoB816]

Anyone have any good ways to study? I am taking the PCAT this month (October), and I really need a good way to study to get through all of the information. I have barely studied and now I am regretting it because I had plenty of time to study over the summer, but I didn't. I have Dr. Collins and Kaplan.

Also, I have not taken Organic II yet, and I just started Organic I... Do you think that'll affect my score a lot? I really want to get in the 90s but I don't think it's possible

How long does it take to get your scores back? I'm applying to Pharmacy school next semester, so if I had to take the PCAT again, could I do that in enough time?

Hi, well I studied with Collins and Kaplan prep course and all it really did for me is familiarized me with the pace of the test and the strategies of taking the test (the biggest challenge of the test is time)...I honestly new all the content from my Biochemistry undegrad...its unrealistic to learn all the basic sciences just for the test, so if you did ok in those classes, you shouldn't have problem with content of the test...in regards to orgo, I don't remember seeing to much orgo content, if you look at PCAT guide they give a breakdown of the topics tested in chemistry. You can always take a hit in one area and do better in another, so at the end your composite may still be good. Passage questions are all about critical thinking and working with/interpreting the information given to you (using some basic background knowledge). Reading portion gave me a headache...I didn't study for it, got 63 and still ended up with 95 composite...scores are ready within 5 weeks, but the last two tests were up in exactly 3 weeks...
Also, a lot of schools already accepted early decisions people, and started accepting regular applications, the deadline is March 1st, but a lot of schools may be filling up thwir class as they go, so check with your schools and if that's the case you may be better off taking your PCAT January/July and applying ED in August. Good luck

 

[NextStepTutor_4]

Hey, Ash2021 - good luck on your upcoming PCAT!

The good news is that you'll get your "unofficial score" immediately after your test, without your Writing score. You'll receive your official score within 5 weeks, but it's almost always identical to your unofficial score, so you don't have to wait that long to plan for a retake. If you're applying to pharmacy school in the spring, you'll have the January testing date to retake the PCAT with some time to spare, but many schools using rolling admissions: so the earlier you get your application in, the better!

It is possible do well on the PCAT with Organic I under your belt, even if you haven't taken Organic II as a formal class. That's because the PCAT really tests organic chem fundamentals: what's the difference between SN1 and SN2 reactions? what does a carbonyl group look like, and why does it make that carbon a good electrophile? But you should still take the time to try to learn the most important organic chemistry reactions of Orgo II so you can get as many questions as possible correct. Organic chemistry is pretty important since it comprises about 30% of the Chemical Processes section, or about 14 questions.

Since your test is coming up pretty soon, schedule in a few practice tests in the upcoming weeks and spend some time analyzing your strengths and weaknesses. Figure out what content areas could use a boost, and then spend extra time studying those topics. Make sure to incorporate as many practice questions as you can and make your studying as active as possible. If you find a topic particularly hard, see if you can try to teach that topic to someone else. If you can, then you're sure to be able to handle any question on that topic on the PCAT.

Good luck!!

 

[OD2018]

Hi, well I studied with Collins and Kaplan prep course and all it really did for me is familiarized me with the pace of the test and the strategies of taking the test (the biggest challenge of the test is time)...I honestly new all the content from my Biochemistry undegrad...its unrealistic to learn all the basic sciences just for the test, so if you did ok in those classes, you shouldn't have problem with content of the test...in regards to orgo, I don't remember seeing to much orgo content, if you look at PCAT guide they give a breakdown of the topics tested in chemistry. You can always take a hit in one area and do better in another, so at the end your composite may still be good. Passage questions are all about critical thinking and working with/interpreting the information given to you (using some basic background knowledge). Reading portion gave me a headache...I didn't study for it, got 63 and still ended up with 95 composite...scores are ready within 5 weeks, but the last two tests were up in exactly 3 weeks...
Also, a lot of schools already accepted early decisions people, and started accepting regular applications, the deadline is March 1st, but a lot of schools may be filling up thwir class as they go, so check with your schools and if that's the case you may be better off taking your PCAT January/July and applying ED in August. Good luck

Do you by chance know if you take it the first time if you have to wait 90 days to take it again? I couldnt find anything online.

 

[NextStepTutor_4]

OD2018, when you register for the PCAT, you cannot register for two exams in the same testing window. For example, if you had signed up for a PCAT in the Oct. 23 - Nov. 3 testing window, the next time you can sign up for the PCAT would be the Jan. 3-4 testing window.

 

[Ash2021]

OD2018, when you register for the PCAT, you cannot register for two exams in the same testing window. For example, if you had signed up for a PCAT in the Oct. 23 - Nov. 3 testing window, the next time you can sign up for the PCAT would be the Jan. 3-4 testing window.

Do you know if a calculator can be used during some of the chemistry questions? This is a random question, but I was practicing some questions for that section and some are hard to do without a calculator.

 

[NextStepTutor_4]

Ash2021, you will definitely have access to a standard online calculator on the Chemical Processes section - and on the Biological Processes and Quantitative Reasoning sections. Essentially anywhere you could possibly need to do math, you'll have a calculator on hand. However, the standard calculator is pretty basic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and does not include logarithm, square root, etc. functions, so make sure you've got a good grasp of those going in.

For example, if you're asked to calculate pH, you might need to use the equation pH = -log [H+]. You won't be able to plug in log [H+] into your calculator, but if [H+] is 0.1 M, you could rewrite this expression as 10^-pH = 0.1M. Since 10^-1 = 0.1, then pH = 1. The PCAT won't give you problems that are too complicated to solve, so get some practice using just a standard online calculator during your practice tests!