Real MCAT verbal longer than AAMC practice..MYTH

[tendiw]

I've been lurking the threads for a long time...like most people who view these forums and people consistently say the real exam has longer VR passages. According to the AAMC website and their officials I've asked, their passgaes have 500-600 words...thats their law. But yet people say its longer than practice tests. I decided to count a few AAMC verbal passages to see how many words there, lo and behold they are 500-600 words, most closer to 600 anyways. I'm guessing nerves and pressure on the real test may trip people up making them come to this conclusion.

Has anyone actually found the real AAMC's to be longer than their specified 500-600 words? I think all passages within that range and perhaps nerves add and extra 100-200 words

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[kehlsh]

i think you should be the one to count on the real thing so that we can solve this riddle

 

[KindofBlue]

^That sounds like a great idea.
OP, I heard BS is getting more verbal like. If you have enough time maybe you can count the words for BS as well.

 

[fastlane]

I took the test on 8/19.

Passages are longer than AAMCs, guaranteed.

A good way to describe it is: when I usually take an aamc verbal test I have to scroll down so about half of the page is "replaced". If you understand what I am saying.

On the real test I had to scroll down so the whole page was "replaced" with a new wall of text, and then scroll down again 20-30% of the page more.

Although on the real test the font is SLIGHTLY bigger, but regardless, passages are definitely longer. I was keeping an eye on the time and I always read at the same pace. It took a longer amount of time to read each passage.

 

[angkim]

imo, the reason most ppl think verbal seems longer for real mcat is because the font is bigger at the test centers than on the practice aamcs we take on our computers...

 

[tendiw]

I took the test on 8/19.

Passages are longer than AAMCs, guaranteed.

A good way to describe it is: when I usually take an aamc verbal test I have to scroll down so about half of the page is "replaced". If you understand what I am saying.

On the real test I had to scroll down so the whole page was "replaced" with a new wall of text, and then scroll down again 20-30% of the page more.

Although on the real test the font is SLIGHTLY bigger, but regardless, passages are definitely longer. I was keeping an eye on the time and I always read at the same pace. It took a longer amount of time to read each passage.

I have a 25" monitor at home, when i take the test at home I dont scroll whatsoever, all the text is displayed at the same time. However at my local library, I use the scroll function and a full wall of text appears the same way you describe it. It simply has to do with monitor size and resolution, I dont expect test centers to have a 25" monitor, i expect it to be like the library. Scrolling is more dependent on what pc you use, nut I understand what you mean.

I also find passages with more paragraphs appear longer even if the number of words is the same, its a matter of perception.

I dont believe the AAMCwould bluntly lie about passage length, in the PS and BS sections. they say you have 13 independent questions and 7 passages, there hasnt been any discrepancy there. However most people say the verbal test is longer and other say its the same

I just wanted to know if someone could verify that the passages were infact longer without the potential bias of perception, or nervousness making tests seem a bit longer, that's all.

 

[kehlsh]

I have a 25" monitor at home, when i take the test at home I dont scroll whatsoever, all the text is displayed at the same time. However at my local library, I use the scroll function and a full wall of text appears the same way you describe it. It simply has to do with monitor size and resolution, I dont expect test centers to have a 25" monitor, i expect it to be like the library. Scrolling is more dependent on what pc you use, nut I understand what you mean.

I also find passages with more paragraphs appear longer even if the number of words is the same, its a matter of perception.

I dont believe the AAMCwould bluntly lie about passage length, in the PS and BS sections. they say you have 13 independent questions and 7 passages, there hasnt been any discrepancy there. However most people say the verbal test is longer and other say its the same

I just wanted to know if someone could verify that the passages were infact longer without the potential bias of perception, or nervousness making tests seem a bit longer, that's all.

How?? 😕😕😕😕
People are not gonna go there and go "ok lemme count these words"
Just take everything with grain of salt, and think real MCAT can be longer than AAMC
in that way, you can feel prepared if they really r longer. If not, it's even better.

 

[tendiw]

How?? 😕😕😕😕
People are not gonna go there and go "ok lemme count these words"

I know only of one person who has finshed through verbal with about 10 minutes left and scan through his passages and came to the conclusion that the AAMC didnt like about their "around 600" count. With around 80,000 people writing the MCAT each year and the huge amount of traffic that passes through these forums a day, I was perhaps hoping someone could have similarly guaged the length of the passages. I dont expect everyone to count their passages obviously, I wouldnt even do that if I had 20 minutes left but then there are exceptions to everything just like the individual that finished 10 minutes early.
But I understand why you would question me asking, I questioned posing the thread but heck why no give it a shot

 

[mitchlucker]

How lame would an episode of Mythbusters be if this was the topic...😴

 

[erure]

yes, personal anecdotes are all we have to rely on, but imo the verbal passages were definitely longer than the practice AAMC passages.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

It was way too much of a blur for me to notice...it felt a bit longer, but TBH I didn't feel like the length had much of an effect for me. The questions were terribly harder than practice, but that may differ depending on the exams. So no I wouldn't say they've gotten much longer, but who's counting?

Go in expecting longer passages so that you will either be ready for them, or pleasantly surprised if they are as short as your AAMC verbal passages.

 

[Aromatic Amine]

honestly, i found that my mcat had a few passages that were quite long. just don't waste your time figuring out how many words are going to be on your mcat. rather find ways to learn how to attack the VR section so that IF you get a long passage, you will know how manage your time.

/end thread.

 

[salim271]

How lame would an episode of Mythbusters be if this was the topic...😴

Every premed would watch that episode at least once XD

 

[paul411]

I don't think it even matters because a longer than usual passage will be accompanied by a compensating curve.

 

[KindofBlue]

I know only of one person who has finshed through verbal with about 10 minutes left and scan through his passages and came to the conclusion that the AAMC didnt like about their "around 600" count. With around 80,000 people writing the MCAT each year and the huge amount of traffic that passes through these forums a day, I was perhaps hoping someone could have similarly guaged the length of the passages. I dont expect everyone to count their passages obviously, I wouldnt even do that if I had 20 minutes left but then there are exceptions to everything just like the individual that finished 10 minutes early.
But I understand why you would question me asking, I questioned posing the thread but heck why no give it a shot

I would spend every single second of my time reviewing and reviewing like crazy, whether I had 30 seconds to spare or 20 minutes to spare.
Maybe if a person's a super genius/super fast reader and read through every thing twice and still finished in 30 minutes, then he/she might spend some of that time on "counting" the words. But no, that really doesn't happen too often does it? So asking someone to count or if they've ever counted the words would be a pretty much waste of time, and the only thing people can offer is just perception/speculation at this point. Isn't that quite obvious?
The best thing you could probably do (if that worries you so much) is contact someone at AAMC, and ask how many words could there be in VR. I'm guessing 500-600 is just a range, and sometimes it could be in the higher side, and sometimes on the lower. Or maybe it would benefit you more to expect the worst and prepare for it..I don't know.

 

[notbobtrustme]

I didn't feel that the official MCAT was any longer or shorter than the official practice tests. I usually finished my practice VR with several minutes to spare. The same happened when I took the official MCAT.

It probably seems longer because of stress.

 

[erure]

maybe the practice aamc passages are around 500 words and the real mcat passages are around 600 words and combined with the generally tougher questions (or maybe that's just my opinion ._.) the passages seem a lot longer?

 

[saveourpens]

MYTH. At least from my experience. I took two exams. It just seems longer because the text is all scrunched up to the left and you have to scroll more.

 

[firstborn]

I also did not find the real passages to be longer than the practice passages (with very few exceptions).

 

[Itwashambone]

.

 

[rockyDoctora]

A slightly larger font makes a huge difference in perception. From my experience, yes, the passage was scrunched up to the left and that did make me scroll more for sure. Time-wise I def did not feel like it was an issue, and my honest opinion is that the verbal passages are the same length.

 

[tendiw]

The real passages certainly felt longer, but I finished reading each one in about the same amount of time that I had needed for the AAMC practice.

My conclusion: Plan for them to be longer, study and prepare to take a VR with longer passages, be pleasantly surprised when you have extra time on the real deal.

Thats what im saying...it "felt" longer BUT you read each passage around the same amount of time as the "shorter" practice exam. Thats what I wanted to know. It just shows that passages are the same length but perception on test day perhaps due to a number of factors make the test seem longer, but regardless I'll treat passages as if I'm gonna have an additional paragraph or two on test day.

Thanks for the replies!