Practicing MCAT Questions on Paper vs. on Compter

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Would it be more beneficial to do practice MCAT questions (passages, free standing questions, etc.) on paper or on a computer?

My view:
Computer:
Pros- actual MCAT is solely on computer, so good preparation for reading passages and questions off a computer screen (in addition to doing the practice AAMCs online)
Cons- could hurt eyes and head to practice about 5 hrs/day for 3 months off a computer screen (although I am already normally on my computer quite a bit); computer/internet is always a potential distraction

Paper:
Pros- easier to mark down answer (just circle it); easier to write down notes, formulae, etc. when doing questions; won't strain eyes and cause a headache
Cons- not as good practice for reading questions off a screen, as in the actual MCAT

What are your opinions?

 

[SN2ed]

You pretty much have to do both since there aren't enough good online practice material sources. When you take questions from a book, just make sure you don't write in the book and use a piece of scratch paper or a whiteboard instead.

 

[chemhead123]

Do as much as you can on the computer, but unfortunately there really isn't enough online stuff to be able to do it solely online.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

They (whoever they are) say that you read faster from paper than a computer screen and you process more clearly from paper than a computer screen. It would make sense to review using paper materials (to maximize your use of time not burn out your eyes). But you have to do practice exams on a computer to simulate the real experience.

As you get closer to your exam date, you should reduce how much you write on paper and try to do as much in your head as possible. If you can do things in your head, then paper delivery and computer delivery are the same.

 

[fas376]

When I took my first practice exam, I found it incredibly annoying having the clock on the bottom left of the screen clicking down each second. I started to go to http://www.online-stopwatch.com/ and I would set it at 7 minutes. This got me comfortable with not freaking out during the test. It may help. When I first started, I would start a timer, but not look at it. This forced me to be aware of the timer, and eventually, I just started to ignore it.

 

[SoonerFromTexas]

Save your eyes and do content review/practice problems on paper. Take the practice tests on a computer though.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

When I took my first practice exam, I found it incredibly annoying having the clock on the bottom left of the screen clicking down each second. I started to go to http://www.online-stopwatch.com/ and I would set it at 7 minutes. This got me comfortable with not freaking out during the test. It may help. When I first started, I would start a timer, but not look at it. This forced me to be aware of the timer, and eventually, I just started to ignore it.

That is such a great piece of advice. The stress of the countdown timer being right there is surprisingly high. Maybe the fact it counts down is stressful.

Might be a good idea to have the timer there whether it's paper or computer based practice.