Questions? Feel free to ask (:

[tarmuk14]

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Hi all. I took my PCAT today and did much better than I was expecting. I see that a lot of you have questions about the exam. Feel free to ask me anything regarding the exam.


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[brooklyn55]

Congrats! What topics are the chemistry passages on?

 

[futurepharmacist2016]

Was the test similar to the Pearson practice test? Was it harder?

 

[Help12345]

What was the essay topic?

 

[NCPanthers8]

I haven't taken OCHEM? Anything at all I can do to be possibly prepared? Just study some main functional groups,etc.???

 

[pharmdextradionaire]

Just so everyone knows we aren't allowed to discuss direct questions or material that is on the exam.

 

[RMarquez05]

Just so everyone knows we aren't allowed to discuss direct questions or material that is on the exam.

What is your point?

 

[pharmdextradionaire]

What is your point?

My point is is that you can potentially get in trouble if actual questions or topics from the test are mentioned. There's a sticky post in the forum up at the top that explains it all.

 

[Help12345]

^^^^

 

[tarmuk14]

Congrats! What topics are the chemistry passages on?

Mostly biochem for me. I didnt even read the passages. They're actually easy.


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[tarmuk14]

Was the test similar to the Pearson practice test? Was it harder?

Not sure because i didn't use the pearson practice exams. I only used the Kaplan practice exams.


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[tarmuk14]

What was the essay topic?

Essay topics are pretty much any social, political, or science issue you can think of. By far the easiest part of the exam in my opinion.


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[tarmuk14]

I haven't taken OCHEM? Anything at all I can do to be possibly prepared? Just study some main functional groups,etc.???

Good luck! The only reason i did well was because i know ochem really well and got lots of ochem questions. But yes, do know the fundamental building blocks such as functional groups, common reactions ect.


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[6mary]

Hi all. I took my PCAT today and did much better than I was expecting. I see that a lot of you have questions about the exam. Feel free to ask me anything regarding the exam.


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Was the test similar to practice Kaplan exams? I'm taking my exam tomorrow and mainly have been focusing on Kaplan and Collins but more so Kaplan.

 

[tarmuk14]

Was the test similar to practice Kaplan exams? I'm taking my exam tomorrow and mainly have been focusing on Kaplan and Collins but more so Kaplan.

I found Kaplan's bio and chem to be much more difficult than the actual PCAT. I had roughly 10 minutes leftover after both the sciences. The reading and math on the PCAT were harder in my opinion compared to Kaplan's practice exam. I almost ran out of time on the reading and i had to guess on about 10 math problems.

As far as content, it's a mix. I will say that Kaplan certainly over prepares you for the sciences. Dr Collins is probably on par as far as difficulty is concerned.


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[clutchtho]

I found Kaplan's bio and chem to be much more difficult than the actual PCAT. I had roughly 10 minutes leftover after both the sciences. The reading and math on the PCAT were harder in my opinion compared to Kaplan's practice exam. I almost ran out of time on the reading and i had to guess on about 10 math problems.

As far as content, it's a mix. I will say that Kaplan certainly over prepares you for the sciences. Dr Collins is probably on par as far as difficulty is concerned.


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what about the pearson tests? Is it about the same difficulty in your opinion?

 

[tarmuk14]

what about the pearson tests? Is it about the same difficulty in your opinion?

I really wish I could answer this, but I didn't actually take any of the Pearson practice exams. I'd imagine it would be similar to the actual exam considering they're the ones that make the PCAT.


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[waynewarrior13]

I have only studied Dr. Collins for the past two months. Do you think Dr. Collins is a good prep for the pcat?

 

[tarmuk14]

I have only studied Dr. Collins for the past two months. Do you think Dr. Collins is a good prep for the pcat?

Absolutely. I used an older edition dr collins study guides/tests and did well. I also used the kaplan book and the kaplan practice exams.


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[RMarquez05]

How did you do on you pcat?

 

[tarmuk14]

How did you do on you pcat?

Much better than expected.

Bio: 85
Chem: 98
Reading: 44 (could've been better)
Quant: 72
Composite: 86


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[dzal24]

I've used the kaplan self paced, kaplan tests, and pearson's test. I also had kaplan flashcards, which I found to be helpful and easy. My kaplan composites were fairly low, but the composite of my pearson tests were in the 65th-90th percentile ranges. How well prepped do you think I am? I also have not taken genetics, micro, cell/molecular bio, and biochem, should I be worried?

 

[tarmuk14]

I've used the kaplan self paced, kaplan tests, and pearson's test. I also had kaplan flashcards, which I found to be helpful and easy. My kaplan composites were fairly low, but the composite of my pearson tests were in the 65th-90th percentile ranges. How well prepped do you think I am? I also have not taken genetics, micro, cell/molecular bio, and biochem, should I be worried?

The biology might be challenging for you. I didn't take A/P nor genetics and still got a good score in bio, so you might be fine. Brush up on those subjects. I feel like you're well prepped for chem though. Kaplan helped with chem a lot. My kaplan composites were terrible (in the high 50s) but i managed to get 86 composite on the actual pcat. Kaplan's reading and math is easier than the actual pcat.


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[dzal24]

should I review DNA/RNA and mitosis/meiosis? Also Lipid chapter I haven't done yet. I normally do well on CR related tests, so I have yet to look at any of those subtests. Math I did well on in pearson so I might be okay :]

 

[tarmuk14]

should I review DNA/RNA and mitosis/meiosis? Also Lipid chapter I haven't done yet. I normally do well on CR related tests, so I have yet to look at any of those subtests. Math I did well on in pearson so I might be okay :]

Yes that stuff is important for the pcat. Glad to hear you do well on the reading and math


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[Qwertyyy1101]

What about the calculator and periodic table? Is the calculator free to use for the bio, chem and quant portions or just available for certain questions?

 

[tarmuk14]

What about the calculator and periodic table? Is the calculator free to use for the bio, chem and quant portions or just available for certain questions?

Im pretty sure the calculator is allowed for everything but the reading. You can type the numbers in instead of clicking them with the mouse. I believe the periodic table is only for the chem.


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[Papayasalad]

The biology might be challenging for you. I didn't take A/P nor genetics and still got a good score in bio, so you might be fine. Brush up on those subjects. I feel like you're well prepped for chem though. Kaplan helped with chem a lot. My kaplan composites were terrible (in the high 50s) but i managed to get 86 composite on the actual pcat. Kaplan's reading and math is easier than the actual pcat.


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Hi tarmuk14! You said that you studied Kaplan and Dr. Collins, but do you think you would have had about the same success from just studying Kaplan? How did you use Collins to supplement your studying? Thanks!

 

[tarmuk14]

Hi tarmuk14! You said that you studied Kaplan and Dr. Collins, but do you think you would have had about the same success from just studying Kaplan? How did you use Collins to supplement your studying? Thanks!

I feel like Collins really helped me out. Kaplan was nice in helping over prepare me for the science sections. I definitely would not have done well with just kaplan. Collins' study guides are short and sweet, whereas kaplan was in great detail. I first studied the kaplan book, then i used dr collins to review everything.


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[Papayasalad]

I feel like Collins really helped me out. Kaplan was nice in helping over prepare me for the science sections. I definitely would not have done well with just kaplan. Collins' study guides are short and sweet, whereas kaplan was in great detail. I first studied the kaplan book, then i used dr collins to review everything.


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Wow, how long did it take to review Kaplan and Collins, respectively?

 

[tarmuk14]

Wow, how long did it take to review Kaplan and Collins, respectively?

I've been studying since the end of the spring 2016 semester, which ended at the beginning of may. Took me about a month and a half for each. I also did the collins practice exams. I only did the kaplan practice exams the night before my exam lol


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[greentea093]

Hi,
I just took the PCAT today and here is my score:

Bio 75
Chem 99
Critical reading 82
quant 53
Composite 91

I know i did terrible on the quant sec because the truth is i didn't study for it for even an hour!!
I got 4.0 in all my college calculus classes and i even took differential equation and linear algebra so I thought that section is a joke and i only studied for my bio and chem.
now i know that i made a terrible mistake. But do you guys think i should retake?
However, my dream school (UW) states the following on their website:
"applicants who have Chemistry PCAT scores greater than or equal to 60th percentile and scores greater than or equal to 25th percentile in the other areas of the PCAT may be given consideration for offer of interview. However, these minimum thresholds are subject to change. The PharmD Admissions Committee reserves the right of final decision with regard to establishing minimum standards for PCAT score thresholds for consideration of interview"
So according to this my score will guarantee my interview. But i am just worried. I want to apply for early admission and do you guys know if it is more or less competitive compare to regular admission? should i go ahead and schedule another PCAT before Dec so that if i didn't get in the early admission i still have a chance for the regular?
Thanks so much for your help. I really want to go to UW cuz i hate moving!!!! i know pcat is not the only factor but please advise me only on my pcat score. Thanks!!

 

[atnguy13]

Hi,
I just took the PCAT today and here is my score:

Bio 75
Chem 99
Critical reading 82
quant 53
Composite 91

I know i did terrible on the quant sec because the truth is i didn't study for it for even an hour!!
I got 4.0 in all my college calculus classes and i even took differential equation and linear algebra so I thought that section is a joke and i only studied for my bio and chem.
now i know that i made a terrible mistake. But do you guys think i should retake?
However, my dream school (UW) states the following on their website:
"applicants who have Chemistry PCAT scores greater than or equal to 60th percentile and scores greater than or equal to 25th percentile in the other areas of the PCAT may be given consideration for offer of interview. However, these minimum thresholds are subject to change. The PharmD Admissions Committee reserves the right of final decision with regard to establishing minimum standards for PCAT score thresholds for consideration of interview"
So according to this my score will guarantee my interview. But i am just worried. I want to apply for early admission and do you guys know if it is more or less competitive compare to regular admission? should i go ahead and schedule another PCAT before Dec so that if i didn't get in the early admission i still have a chance for the regular?
Thanks so much for your help. I really want to go to UW cuz i hate moving!!!! i know pcat is not the only factor but please advise me only on my pcat score. Thanks!!

I would email UW and ask if your a competitive candidate compared to older stats. I know UW is very competitive, though your composite is really good. Did you take two biochem classes? I was going to apply to UW until I read that they require 2 biochem for majors and I only took elementary. This is the only school Ive seen that requires that much biochm or biochm in general.

 

[tarmuk14]

Hi,
I just took the PCAT today and here is my score:

Bio 75
Chem 99
Critical reading 82
quant 53
Composite 91

I know i did terrible on the quant sec because the truth is i didn't study for it for even an hour!!
I got 4.0 in all my college calculus classes and i even took differential equation and linear algebra so I thought that section is a joke and i only studied for my bio and chem.
now i know that i made a terrible mistake. But do you guys think i should retake?
However, my dream school (UW) states the following on their website:
"applicants who have Chemistry PCAT scores greater than or equal to 60th percentile and scores greater than or equal to 25th percentile in the other areas of the PCAT may be given consideration for offer of interview. However, these minimum thresholds are subject to change. The PharmD Admissions Committee reserves the right of final decision with regard to establishing minimum standards for PCAT score thresholds for consideration of interview"
So according to this my score will guarantee my interview. But i am just worried. I want to apply for early admission and do you guys know if it is more or less competitive compare to regular admission? should i go ahead and schedule another PCAT before Dec so that if i didn't get in the early admission i still have a chance for the regular?
Thanks so much for your help. I really want to go to UW cuz i hate moving!!!! i know pcat is not the only factor but please advise me only on my pcat score. Thanks!!

I think you're fine. You should call/email your school to confirm it. You have a high composite.


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[mhk030]

Hi all. I took my PCAT today and did much better than I was expecting. I see that a lot of you have questions about the exam. Feel free to ask me anything regarding the exam.


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I appreciate you answering questions. I have a question regarding the Periodic Table and the calculator, were these items available as promised? I am asking because in my dr. collins prep course we were told that those items wouldn't be available for all questions....is this true?

 

[greentea093]

I appreciate you answering questions. I have a question regarding the Periodic Table and the calculator, were these items available as promised? I am asking because in my dr. collins prep course we were told that those items wouldn't be available for all questions....is this true?

yes there is the table and the calculator but the calculator is terrible. It is just like the calculator you have on a regular laptop and i hate clicking around. Plz practice by using that calculator on your computer and don't use a physical science calculator, which i think will be great help for you.

 

[tarmuk14]

I appreciate you answering questions. I have a question regarding the Periodic Table and the calculator, were these items available as promised? I am asking because in my dr. collins prep course we were told that those items wouldn't be available for all questions....is this true?

The calculator does basic functions (no logs or trig functions). You can type the numbers in using the keyboard. The calculator was available for all chemistry and math questions. The periodic table was available for all chemistry questions.


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