Pcat

[SPCAT]

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😡 I don't think that that PCAT is a good test to measure what we learned in prepharmacy cources that the required us to take if they want to really see what we learned then put question that relate to what we learned espacially on the bio I don't know from were the got those random questions and the math I think the people who made that test should take it themselves

I have a prefect GPA 4.0 and I calc I thought that test was just weired physics problems on that math section and stastics. (Lets see if the changes they made are any better)

I thinking about writing a letter to them about that test 🙂

 

[penguins429]

i don't really understand how you can have a 4.0 gpa and still feel that the pcat was really that difficult ... i took most of my prereqs over 2 years ago (only getting a 3.3 gpa), and still managed to do well on the pcat this oct ...
if you have a 4.0 gpa and still didn't do well on the pcat, then maybe your undergrad education is not preparing you for pharmacy school as well as you might of thought ... in my opinion, the pcat is a very fair way of comparing applicants, since everyone's undergrad education has a different level difficulty--the pcat is the one standardized part of the application ...

im sure it was a difficult exam, but everyone took the same difficult exam, and it is the best way to compare yourself to the other applicants ...

(... and without punctuation, your post is really hard to read)

 

[Bhavesh]

...😡 I don't think that that PCAT is a good test to measure what we learned in prepharmacy cources...

Doesn't it test for more than that?

Don't standardized tests measure you're ability to think critically and take tests? Plus it also serves as just that: a universal standard of what you SHOULD know (and how to think about it) to do well in pharmacy school.

just out of wonder, where did you go to school?

 

[zohaibab]

I have taken both the DAT (Canadian version) and the PCAT. PCAT is way, way easier. I really don't think it's that difficult if you are prepared well (a week or two of review before the test is good enough). Things like reading comprehension cannot be prepared for, and you need to have efficient reading habits to do well on that section. My GPA is 3.9 on the PharmCAS scale, and I did not find the PCAT too hard except for the math section (which I would have killed had it been all algebra problems, but alas 🙁 ).

 

[penguins429]

-delete-

 

[cycloketocaine]

(1) of all I'm not writing an essay to watch out for my punctuation
(2) if you didn't understand what I wrote then don't repond to the message
(3) I know my material very well thats why I have a prefect GPA and scholarships ok so I don't doubt what I learned at all but some poeple have diffculity more than others with those kind of tests now I wasn't saying that the entire test is hard (its my first time taking it) but the math was near impossible for me. and there was a bunch or random crap on the other section( bio)
(4) you shouldn't be too confident before you get your grades
(5) and most of you have took it more than once I plan on taking it twice only

now I guess i need a prefect conclusion can you suggest a good conclusion for me penguins429
for those of you who think Critically then why didn't you pass it the first time huh or do you need to practice thinking critically

Your post makes no sense, whatsoever.

 

[sdn1977]

😕 😕 😕

 

[sdn1977]

To both SPCAT & penguins....I tried to merge both your posts to this one thread, but I messed it up.

However, as disjointed as they were, they did not provide any clarity for discussion....so if you could be kind enough to repost, I'd certainly appreciate it.

Thanks! & sorry for the mixup!!!😳

 

[penguins429]

To both SPCAT & penguins....I tried to merge both your posts to this one thread, but I messed it up.

However, as disjointed as they were, they did not provide any clarity for discussion....so if you could be kind enough to repost, I'd certainly appreciate it.

Thanks! & sorry for the mixup!!!😳

don't worry about it - i don't think the discussion was going anywhere anyway, at least from my end

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Hi sdn1977!

I think I've fixed it. Report it again or PM me if you want me to work on it anymore!

All4MyDaughter

 

[Benzoic Acid]

I have a prefect GPA 4.0 and I calc I thought that test was just weired physics problems on that math section and stastics. (Lets see if the changes they made are any better)

I thinking about writing a letter to them about that test 🙂

They're actually increasing the statistics in the revision. I feel your pain SPCAT 😳

 

[Me+PharmD]

i don't really understand how you can have a 4.0 gpa and still feel that the pcat was really that difficult ... i took most of my prereqs over 2 years ago (only getting a 3.3 gpa), and still managed to do well on the pcat this oct ...
if you have a 4.0 gpa and still didn't do well on the pcat, then maybe your undergrad education is not preparing you for pharmacy school as well as you might of thought ... in my opinion, the pcat is a very fair way of comparing applicants, since everyone's undergrad education has a different level difficulty--the pcat is the one standardized part of the application ...

im sure it was a difficult exam, but everyone took the same difficult exam, and it is the best way to compare yourself to the other applicants ...

(... and without punctuation, your post is really hard to read)

Agreed...If you supposively have a "4.0" and you're scoring in the 70's on the PCAT, then bet your ass the adcom of your schools are going to be raising an eyebrow. Moreover, in order to be licensed as a practicing pharmacist you have to take multiple standardized test--so do you see the importance and parallelism of the PCAT? This is the second time that I've taken the test with my first composite of 83 and a 3.6 G.P.A, I feel as if I definitely scored in the 90th % composite this time around.

 

[Hizzo23]

in my opinion, the PCAT is a BS exam. I took it in October and i did decent. I took it again last week and I think it was a lot harder, especially bio and math. I went over the kaplan book a million times and took a million exams along wtih other references and it still didn't prepare me. I will have my B.S. in biology this April and i had no idea what they were asking on some of the questions. The questions they ask u have no relevance on what you're going to be doing in pharmacy school. The math is ridiculous too. I took 5 different versions of practice tests for math and i think they asked about 2 problems. Whoever says that you need a composite of 80 or up doesn't know what theyre talking about. A composite of 65 or up along with decent grades will get u in almost anywhere. I know people in Wayne State pharmacy and U of M-Ann Arbor pharmacy that had 3.4 gpas and composites of 60's on the PCAT and they still got in. They are doing well in pharmacy school. A person with a 4.0 and 70's on the PCAT will not raise any admission's committee's eyebrows. they will take that person in a heartbeat. THe assistant dean of wayne state pharmacy was at my school and he basically said that if u have a good gpa, u dont have to do that well on the PCAT. The PCAT doesnt measure what u know in my opinion. It just tests how many questions u can answer in a limited time. Some people take more time to solve problems. You're telling me that a person can't be a pharmacist if they cant answer as much questions in a limited time?? Thats BS. The PCAT may be good for people that have a subpar gpa but overall, it's not a good exam in my opinion. You can study from 20 different references and they will only ask u a couple of questions. Well anyways, that's my take on the PCAT..

 

[SPCAT]

Well they are going to raise there eyebrows at my good grades smart ass thats for sure and also if you think that the pcat is a good measure then we shouldn't even have to waste our money taking classes that are completely useless because the pcat questions in the science and math(excluding chem) areas most of them were definetly confusing. Also if they had thought that the pcat is a good measure then they would have prepared you in those 2 years on how to take those kind of questions and practice it but even that wouldn't prepare you enough to be able to answer those ******ed questions that they have on there because you have no idea whats going to show up on there.
And by the way if you are so good and confident about it why didn't you get a 100% from the first time.

 

[ForcedEntry]

Well they are going to raise there eyebrows at my good grades smart ass thats for sure and also if you think that the pcat is a good measure then we shouldn't even have to waste our money taking classes that are completely useless because the pcat questions in the science and math(excluding chem) areas most of them were definetly confusing. Also if they had thought that the pcat is a good measure then they would have prepared you in those 2 years on how to take those kind of questions and practice it but even that wouldn't prepare you enough to be able to answer those ******ed questions that they have on there because you have no idea whats going to show up on there.
And by the way if you are so good and confident about it why didn't you get a 100% from the first time.

Good luck on your interviews.

 

[Eleen]

A standardized test situation is needed as an addition to gradepoint. Schools are incredibly varied in difficulty; the PCAT is one way to get past these differences. I'll for instance mention my calculus classes.

At my main university, I took Calculus II. My instructor made the course extremely difficult. I was one of only two people in a class of thirty to earn an A in his course.

At a community college in my hometown, I took Calculus III over the summer. I was told by the fellow students in my class there that this was possibly the hardest course offered at that school, and nobody there does well. The class was zero difficulty to me. I never did homework, and ended up tutoring classmates and earning over 100% in the course. My easiest courses were always at that campus.

To me, my 3.8 at my main university is far superior in proving my knowledge and skill than the 4.0's I have earned at my two other colleges.

 

[penguins429]

Well they are going to raise there eyebrows at my good grades smart ass thats for sure and also if you think that the pcat is a good measure then we shouldn't even have to waste our money taking classes that are completely useless because the pcat questions in the science and math(excluding chem) areas most of them were definetly confusing. Also if they had thought that the pcat is a good measure then they would have prepared you in those 2 years on how to take those kind of questions and practice it but even that wouldn't prepare you enough to be able to answer those ******ed questions that they have on there because you have no idea whats going to show up on there.
And by the way if you are so good and confident about it why didn't you get a 100% from the first time.

I was going to bite my toungue, and keep my mouth shut .. but after reading this post, i just couldn't do it any more. Everyone has their own opinion about standardized tests -- I like them, because I do very well on them ... if you don't like them, then whatever
What seems ridiculous to me, is that you expect the PCAT to cover exactly what you learned in your prereqs-when in reality, it's just exam to see how you can use what you did learn to solve the problems; testing not only facts and theories, but problem solving, time management, and critical thinking skills as well ... and if you expect that as a pharmacist you will only encounter questions that you were specifically taught in pharmacy school, than you are going to be in for a rude awakening ...
good luck

 

[Me+PharmD]

in my opinion, the PCAT is a BS exam. I took it in October and i did decent. I took it again last week and I think it was a lot harder, especially bio and math. I went over the kaplan book a million times and took a million exams along wtih other references and it still didn't prepare me. I will have my B.S. in biology this April and i had no idea what they were asking on some of the questions. The questions they ask u have no relevance on what you're going to be doing in pharmacy school. The math is ridiculous too. I took 5 different versions of practice tests for math and i think they asked about 2 problems. Whoever says that you need a composite of 80 or up doesn't know what theyre talking about. A composite of 65 or up along with decent grades will get u in almost anywhere. I know people in Wayne State pharmacy and U of M-Ann Arbor pharmacy that had 3.4 gpas and composites of 60's on the PCAT and they still got in. They are doing well in pharmacy school. A person with a 4.0 and 70's on the PCAT will not raise any admission's committee's eyebrows. they will take that person in a heartbeat. THe assistant dean of wayne state pharmacy was at my school and he basically said that if u have a good gpa, u dont have to do that well on the PCAT. The PCAT doesnt measure what u know in my opinion. It just tests how many questions u can answer in a limited time. Some people take more time to solve problems. You're telling me that a person can't be a pharmacist if they cant answer as much questions in a limited time?? Thats BS. The PCAT may be good for people that have a subpar gpa but overall, it's not a good exam in my opinion. You can study from 20 different references and they will only ask u a couple of questions. Well anyways, that's my take on the PCAT..

This sound like excuses from someone that potentially got a crappy score on the PCAT. BTW, good luck with that, and your mediocre schools.

 

[Me+PharmD]

Well they are going to raise there eyebrows at my good grades smart ass thats for sure and also if you think that the pcat is a good measure then we shouldn't even have to waste our money taking classes that are completely useless because the pcat questions in the science and math(excluding chem) areas most of them were definetly confusing. Also if they had thought that the pcat is a good measure then they would have prepared you in those 2 years on how to take those kind of questions and practice it but even that wouldn't prepare you enough to be able to answer those ******ed questions that they have on there because you have no idea whats going to show up on there.
And by the way if you are so good and confident about it why didn't you get a 100% from the first time.

Well if you had any idea of statistics, which judging by your pcat score probably not, then you would understand that it's statistically impossible to score a 100% on a curved, standardized test because that means a person would have to score better than everyone else, to include their own self. But...you probably already knew that seeing how you have that 4.0 and all. Don't waste your time making excuses for yourself or justifying your actions to me or anyone else in a forum; save your breath for your interviews. Also, an overly aggressive response is a sign of poor character and credibility, you better work on your people skills if you want to be a pharmacist.

 

[SPCAT]

what you wrote is idiotic just like you. And if you are smart at judging people you shouldn't attack the person who wrote their opinion on the PCAT personally and undermine their intelligence smart ass and keep your stastics BS to yourself (I think you should reconsider your attitude first before they let people like you run the pharmacy)

 

[sdn1977]

OK - everyone has vented about how awful the PCAT is on evaluating their own skills and abilities. However - none of that changes anything at all.

But - I will remind everyone here - name calling, rude & agressive comments & attacks on other posters is a violation of TOS.

You are all welcome to vent as much as you like about the exam & its validity.

But - no more name calling - it diminishes all of you!

 

[acetyl]

Calm down people. It's just a test, and if you did poorly on it, so what? Try again and learn from the first time-or build your application as strong as you can in other regards. There are many ways to skin a cat people.

In regards to the original poster, I agree that the test can be quite frustrating and some of the questions they ask are really random and it's hard to study for, but there has to be some type of standard measure to differentiate students who go to different schools. We all know some schools are harder than others because certain teachers are harder than others. Which is why a standard measure is necessary, do you not agree?

 

[SPCAT]

Thank you acetyl at least somebody understands my point without trying to attack me 🙂

 

[Hizzo23]

Me+ Pharmd..it doesn't matter where you go to pharmacy school because in the end, everyone is going to have a doctor of pharmacy degree you genius. Pharmacy school is not like medical school where you have to worry about doing your rotations and residency. U of M ann arbor is a great pharmacy school, i don't know what you're talking about. I'll go to Bob's overnight pharmacy school if I have to, it's not gonna matter. In the end, im gonna have a pharm d degree. BTW, you're not anyone's father to be making comments to everyone. your comments and opinions don't count or matter so stop making them. I think you should work on your people skills because it seems like all you do is make bad comments about everyone else..i'll help u out if u want, i have good people skills..after all, pharmacy is all about patient care so I wouldn't want you to get my customers mad when you're working for me. Have a wonderful today and pleasant tomorrow..peaaacce

 

[chem123]

since this is PCAT DISCUSSIONS....2 questions:
does any1 know of pharmacy schools that dont require it...caz i barely have any time to study for it...i know albany is one (impossible to get into as transfer)
second question:....any advice on studying for the pcat....

 

[ForcedEntry]

since this is PCAT DISCUSSIONS....2 questions:
does any1 know of pharmacy schools that dont require it...caz i barely have any time to study for it...i know albany is one (impossible to get into as transfer)
second question:....any advice on studying for the pcat....

start a new thread 👍

 

[zohaibab]

since this is PCAT DISCUSSIONS....2 questions:
does any1 know of pharmacy schools that dont require it...caz i barely have any time to study for it...i know albany is one (impossible to get into as transfer)
second question:....any advice on studying for the pcat....

It's not impossible to get into Albany. Hell, I'm Canadian and I got in! Just work your rear end off and do not expect gifts from any institution, because you ain't getting none.

 

[Quiksilver]

since this is PCAT DISCUSSIONS....2 questions:
does any1 know of pharmacy schools that dont require it...caz i barely have any time to study for it...i know albany is one (impossible to get into as transfer)
second question:....any advice on studying for the pcat....

take kaplan, plain and simple....
started out in the 70th percentile on their diagnostic exam, finished in the 93rd percentile on my first go at the real exam (99 in chem, 93 in math). course was well worth the thousand bucks. The only thing i found was that the real verbal section was a little different then the way kaplan described it. i took it in june, after school was done so i could also solely study on it

 

[omnione]

😡 I don't think that that PCAT is a good test to measure what we learned in prepharmacy cources that the required us to take if they want to really see what we learned then put question that relate to what we learned espacially on the bio I don't know from were the got those random questions and the math I think the people who made that test should take it themselves

I have a prefect GPA 4.0 and I calc I thought that test was just weired physics problems on that math section and stastics. (Lets see if the changes they made are any better)

I thinking about writing a letter to them about that test 🙂

Take the MCAT, and you'll find that your criticisms of the PCAT are totally overblown.🙂 If you thought that the "physics" problems on the PCAT were tough, then you haven't seen the worst of it in the pre-health world.

I will admit that there are trivia questions in the Biology section that one would only know through the memorization of an entire general biology textbook. I will also admit that it's debatable whether analogies truly test what they are intended to test. Lastly, I wonder if anyone aside from honors math students ever finishes the quantitative section.

However, the PCAT's questions are closer to knowledge-based than most standardized tested I've seen. Still, standardized tests try (and I emphasize the word try) to see what a person can demonstrate relative to everyone else, not necessarily what a person knows. I could make the argument that some of undergraduate instructor's exams test memorization skill than the key facts too, but I can't make too many excuses when most students go through the same situation too.

Remember, a pharmacy school will look at the total picture and I can't think of a school that reads one's PCAT score as gospel. These tests aren't like the exams in other countries where school systems place you in schools solely based on a student's exact score. Admission boards here are simply trying to get a better idea of the quality of the student, and the PCAT is just one component of their process.🙂