Practice Full Lengths - How many and how frequently?

[akb5633]

Currently I am still working on content review. I plan on being finished with this by the first week of July, which is when I'll begin doing practice full lengths and reviewing them until my test date (August 20th).

How many full lengths did you take prior to the MCAT? And how frequently did you take them? I was hoping to get in at least 8 FLs, but due to my internship (6:30 AM-3:00 PM, M-F), the only ideal days to take a proper FL would be Saturday or Sunday. Which is fine by me, but would it be a poor decision to do a weekend or two where I do 2 FLs (i.e. one Saturday and one Sunday)? I obviously would only do this once or twice, otherwise I'd be in burnout-city.

Or would it be better to do a FL Saturday, and then do another one in the middle of the week, half on Tuesday and half on Wednesday?

I know both of the above options are not ideal, but I don't think taking an entire FL after working 8 hours is preferable either.

Thanks in advanced!

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[sleepyhead22]

I started doing full lengths about halfway through my content review and the crazy thing is my score was around where I am at now (educated guessing is a big part of the mcat). I'd start taking one per weekend soon and you'll get in enough by test day.

 

[Hospitalized]

I'd try to do 1 every week or so starting in next week or two. Seriously, so much of this test is just getting used to taking it. Having just completed my 5th FL, I'm finally getting into a rhythm where I always complete every section without running out of time. The first 3 FL, I was running out in CARS every time, and also C/P on the first 2. Just to give you a reference, my scores have been 493 -> 497 -> 503 -> 507 -> 508 (unscored estimate) over the last 3 weeks. I have been doing content review, but really not THAT much (~80ish pages of handwritten notes thus far). This test is as much learning the tricks as it is anything else. I know people who have gotten burned because of lack of practice exams! Do everything you can to avoid that.

 

[akb5633]

I started doing full lengths about halfway through my content review and the crazy thing is my score was around where I am at now (educated guessing is a big part of the mcat). I'd start taking one per weekend soon and you'll get in enough by test day.

I'd try to do 1 every week or so starting in next week or two. Seriously, so much of this test is just getting used to taking it. Having just completed my 5th FL, I'm finally getting into a rhythm where I always complete every section without running out of time. The first 3 FL, I was running out in CARS every time, and also C/P on the first 2. Just to give you a reference, my scores have been 493 -> 497 -> 503 -> 507 -> 508 (unscored estimate) over the last 3 weeks. I have been doing content review, but really not THAT much (~80ish pages of handwritten notes thus far). This test is as much learning the tricks as it is anything else. I know people who have gotten burned because of lack of practice exams! Do everything you can to avoid that.

Thanks, guys. So probably a better idea to start FLs this weekend, and just spread out the content review? Also, do you think your scores have been improving in part because each time you take a new FL, you have covered a bit more material? Not that it matters, I'm still gonna start FLs sooner than I had planned, but just curious.

 

[Hospitalized]

Thanks, guys. So probably a better idea to start FLs this weekend, and just spread out the content review? Also, do you think your scores have been improving in part because each time you take a new FL, you have covered a bit more material? Not that it matters, I'm still gonna start FLs sooner than I had planned, but just curious.

Absolutely. There are always some things that show up on every FL, so it's good to see those things as much as possible (like protein structure, AA properties, enzyme kinetics, CARS question types, nuclear decay, central dogma, psych/soc theories, etc.). You begin to really nail in those concepts and then start focusing in on the more minute stuff which is what separates a score from okay/borderline to competitive.

 

[Bottle]

My exam date is near yours and I had the same question in mind! I tried to do AAMC CARs question pack today, and I was burned. I scored 0% on one of the passages!! It is my fault because the only CARs I've been doing was EK101 and that book is nowhere as difficult as AAMC.

I think I'll be doing FLs and AAMCs question packs while doing content review.

 

[neuronerd2016]

I would not take an FL on Saturday and Sunday. The SN2ed schedule, which is popular among premeds, has a FL followed by two days of FL review and content review. If you can only use Saturday and Sunday I would suggest just taking 1 FL per week as the previous posters mentioned.

 

[akb5633]

My exam date is near yours and I had the same question in mind! I tried to do AAMC CARs question pack today, and I was burned. I scored 0% on one of the passages!! It is my fault because the only CARs I've been doing was EK101 and that book is nowhere as difficult as AAMC.

I think I'll be doing FLs and AAMCs question packs while doing content review.

Yup, that's my plan now, too! And best of luck on your MCAT!

 

[akb5633]

I would not take an FL on Saturday and Sunday. The SN2ed schedule, which is popular among premeds, has a FL followed by two days of FL review and content review. If you can only use Saturday and Sunday I would suggest just taking 1 FL per week as the previous posters mentioned.

I'm using _Nymeria_ 's plan (which is basically the SN2ed plan, just update for MCAT 2015)...I just had to modify it a bit to fit my internship schedule. But yeah, that's the plan now - 1 FL per week on Saturday's, I'm just starting earlier than I had originally planned so I can fit them all in. Thanks for the advice!