Practice mcats?

[Nanook]

Does anybody know how accurate (in terms of difficulty) some of the practice MCATs that you can buy in the bookstore are? I took the Flowers and Silver one (by The Princeton Review) yesterday --all seven hours of it! I got a 9,11,10 VPB. I was pretty jazzed at that for a first attempt, but I'd like to know if it was realistic or not.

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[turtleboard]

Sure.

I've found both Kaplan and Princeton Review MCATs to be close enough to the real thing. Did you make sure, however, that you timed yourself? Took no more than 10 minutes between sections? Took only an hour lunch?

But congratulations nonetheless. Those are fine numbers.


Tim of New York City.

 

[Nanook]

Yes! I stayed (at the advice of the Princeton Review) strictly to the times prescribed by the test. Otherwise it would have been completely bogus. I guess the only real advantage was that I was able to step into my living room and listen to classical music for 5 minutes between sections!
I hope to improve my numbers a few points by April. I have been studying vigorously with the PR book, and I think it has helped.

 

[Hskermdic]

My scores on the practice MCATs varied from test to test. I think it all depedns on how good you are at the specific areas that are covered on that specific test.

For example, when I took the MCAT in April 98 my version of the test seemed to be pretty heavy on the Microbiology. I benefited from this but one of my classmates who had the same version of the test I had suffered because she was weak in micro. My biological sciences score ended up higher than hers even though her biology and organic knowledge is much greater than mine. I just lucked out.

I am not saying that the MCAT is all luck. But a little luck doesn't hurt any.


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Carrie
KCOM '03

[This message has been edited by Hskermdic (edited 01-11-2000).]

 

[Nanook]

I think that is true. Which practice tests did you use, and how close were they to the real thing?

One thing that is interesting--I found a few mistakes in the PR's test book. Not many, just a few. I also bought ARCO Publishing's Practice MCAT's, and found a LOT of mistakes! They also seemed a little easier. I would not really recommend it.

I hope to have AAMC's practice tests soon, so I can be sure I am getting an accurate version.

 

[S?ren]

Hmm,

I think the one in the separate books (Flowers and Silvers or the Kaplan separate tests) were scored easier than the one in class (I took TPR). I never got higher than a 29 in class, but consistently got 30-33 on the book ones. Lucked out on the real one and got a 34, so I don't know. I think the Arco and Barrens were a little shaky, cause I nailed a 14 on a few sections on those, and although I am a bad man, I am not quite that bad. Hope this helps...
SDP