Practice Materials

[VC15]

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I just realized that I have quite a large amount of MCAT practice materials (MCAT full length tests, and verbal passages). Now I just want to decide the best way to use them. I don't want to use them all up by the end of July and then have nothing to practice with in the last two weeks before the test. But at the same time, I don't want to cram too much at the beginning of August. I was thinking of doing one set of 9 verbal passages (sometimes as part of a full length exam), giving myself 65 minutes per set, every 3 days from now until the end of July and then every 2 days from August 1st until just before the test. Does that sound OK? In the last two weeks before the MCAT, is it more important to practice, or to study? Congrats to everyone that either got into med school this year or received MCAT scores that they're happy with...

 

[Dagny]

Your plan sounds fine. Let me suggest a few things:

Stamina
I found that taking a full length exam every Saturday, especially the Saturdays before the actual exam, as if it were a real test (including the lunch break, writing sample, and 10 minute breaks), helped build my stamina for the actual exam. It's a tiring exam otherwise, and you don't want to lose your concentration by the time you get to the Biology section. So practice is more important at the end. However, do not study at least the last few days to 1 week before the exam so (1) you will be refreshed enough and so you will (2) not become obsessed with learning the one question you missed before the actual exam.

Timing
It's important to work on getting your timing and pace down for each of the sections. Therefore, use your practice wisely.

I did not believe in studying the review material too much, but of course I'm not familiar with your science preparation. There are basic physics and chemistry formulas you have to know. So initially, you have to get to know some high yield topics and formulas, but after that, I would suggest you look at your mistakes on your practice exams carefully as a guide for the weak area topics you need to study further.

As for verbal, your timing is very important. Try to get used to reading long boring passages, and being able to comprehend them quickly, using your time wisely so that you can get to the last passages. This is something you should do throughout your studying.

On all sections, use the practice exams to come up with a method of approaching the exam and questions, which you will be able to do by trying different methods on the practice exams (i.e., read questions, then passage, etc).


Good luck!