percentages

[fishtolive]

Maybe this question is unanswerable...what kind of percentages on a real MCAT gets you over a 30. On my most recent diag at TPR I got 90% of the bio right and did well on the orgo too and only got a 10...people with about 80% got 9's...is this a realistic indication of a real score? I don't think I can do any better than that on a real one...what's up?
sdm

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[jcw1]

Keep in mind that the MCAT is curved, so the sections that everybody does well on (like biology) are a lot harder to get high scores on. I would say that the curve will be a little more leanient on the real thing than your diag was. I am not sure what percentage you need for a 10 or 11, they never tell you how many you got right on the real thing. Hope this helps.

 

[Cameron]

Yes, in many ways it is an unanswerable question.

I wouldn't focus too much on the percentages. It varies from test to test. I remember taking some practice tests where I only got 60% right and still managed to score a 10. I'm pretty certain that a 90% on the real MCAT will get you a higher score than a 10. The scaled score is simply an indication of how well you performed compared to everyone else that took the exam. If a test is particularly difficult, a 90% will get you a much better score.
For me, the practice tests weren't the most valuable indicator of my actual performance, but certainly helped me pinpoint my weak areas so that I could study more effectively.
The AAMC tests IV and V are much better indicators of actual performace. My AAMC IV score was the closest to my actual score.
Good luck -- it sounds like you're doing pretty well already.

 

[baylor21]

fish,

I dont know if this will help but I vaguely remember the percentages on my actual MCAT scores.

I took the test in Aug. 99 and got the following: PS 11, BS 9, VR 11, W R

According to the statistical analysis, both the PS and VR scores were at about the 85% level, whereas the BS score was somewhere between 50-60%. I think the writing score was at the 85% level as well.

They got these results from the combined April/Aug 99 exams, with a total of about 55k test takers.

I'm not sure how the percentages have been changing since those test dates, there has been some indication that the MCAT scores have been rising in recent years.

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