realistic practice exams???

[djjj08]

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besides AAMC published exams, I was wondering if any of you can share your opinions on following exams:

Kaplan 1 through 5
TPR Full-length book exams A through D
EK FL exam
Berkeley FL exams

Can anyone tell me which exam(s) would be the closest to the AAMC exams???

Thanx in advance!🙂

 

[DrLady]

Originally posted by djjj08
besides AAMC published exams, I was wondering if any of you can share your opinions on following exams:

Kaplan 1 through 5
TPR Full-length book exams A through D
EK FL exam
Berkeley FL exams

Can anyone tell me which exam(s) would be the closest to the AAMC exams???

Thanx in advance!🙂

TPR Full length A-D are NOT at all closer to the real mcat. They are supposed to be very very difficult, djjj08. I have to admit that. I mean, you can use those for extra practice but if you score low than you normally do, don't let these exams get u down. Just think of them as practice.

I dont know about the others, kaplan 4 and 5 I think are realistic, but I would like to see others' opinions as well.

 

[Pandora's Box]

I was wondering if TPR A-D refers to the diagnostics you get to take when you take the PR course. Do anyone know how the diag compare to the real deal? I'm asking because I don't see much improvment in my first two diag scores and it's already March.

Thanks

 

[DOit]

TPR tests A-D and TPR diagnostic test are not the same. I find the diagnostic exams, at lest the 2 exams I have had so far, to be much more difficult than tests A-D

 

[meanderson]

Any kaplan test is too easy. TPR's diagnostic is too hard. TPR tests A-D aren't really too hard or too easy. The problem with them, however, is that they aren't great tests. Someone who memorizes a lot of small details will probably do better on TPR A-D than they will on the real mcat. I don't know about BR yet. EK's full length tests seem ok.

 

[DrLady]

Originally posted by meanderson
Any kaplan test is too easy. TPR's diagnostic is too hard. TPR tests A-D aren't really too hard or too easy. The problem with them, however, is that they aren't great tests. Someone who memorizes a lot of small details will probably do better on TPR A-D than they will on the real mcat. I don't know about BR yet. EK's full length tests seem ok.

I don't understand. Meanderson, are you a retaker or you already took those kaplan, TPR A-D and Ek Full lengths, already?? I thought I read on preallo that you have decided to take the Aug. MCAT, so why would you want to take the full-lengths this early?

😕

 

[BobbyDylanFan]

Did you take those practice tests already or are you retaking?

Originally posted by meanderson
Any kaplan test is too easy. TPR's diagnostic is too hard. TPR tests A-D aren't really too hard or too easy. The problem with them, however, is that they aren't great tests. Someone who memorizes a lot of small details will probably do better on TPR A-D than they will on the real mcat. I don't know about BR yet. EK's full length tests seem ok.

 

[meanderson]

Taken 2/4 of the TPR tests. If you have extra time and want to stay busy then doing the TPR stuff is a good idea. In my opinion, both Kaplan practice tests and TPR practice tests have some positives and some flaws. Kaplan seems to have the right idea but just makes their passages too easy. If you they could only increase the difficulty of their practice passages then I believe they would certainly be my favorite prep company because they have more practice material than EK. Michael

 

[TaxiDriver]

Originally posted by meanderson
Any kaplan test is too easy. TPR's diagnostic is too hard. TPR tests A-D aren't really too hard or too easy. The problem with them, however, is that they aren't great tests. Someone who memorizes a lot of small details will probably do better on TPR A-D than they will on the real mcat. I don't know about BR yet. EK's full length tests seem ok.

uhhh, i don't know what kaplan tests you are using. i have taken both TPR and Kaplan ful-length tests. Kaplan material is harder. The topical Kaplan tests are great also.

 

[BobbyDylanFan]

Mr. Anderson,

I agree with you that the Kaplan verbal is *easier* but I'm not too sure on the physics...the exam I am referring to is the one in the back of the big red book. I have heard from numerous people, including one that scored in the high 30s that the physical sciences section was tough ....the bio was easier....

Originally posted by meanderson
Taken 2/4 of the TPR tests. If you have extra time and want to stay busy then doing the TPR stuff is a good idea. In my opinion, both Kaplan practice tests and TPR practice tests have some positives and some flaws. Kaplan seems to have the right idea but just makes their passages too easy. If you they could only increase the difficulty of their practice passages then I believe they would certainly be my favorite prep company because they have more practice material than EK. Michael

 

[meanderson]

Dr. Lady, no am not a retaker. And I'm taking some practive tests now just because Im ready. But for personal reasons, I cannot be at a testing site for april mcat. And I know how much that will hurt my app.

BDF, yeah I would agree that the Biological section of Kaplan is much easier than the physical. In another thread I've commented that Kaplan's physical sci. sections are actually pretty good. It's their V and B sections that really need a makeover. Michael

 

[maoeris]

Since you guys are comparing exams you might be able to provide some advice. I am taking the TPR course and so far the last diag I scored P4 B8 V7. However there was a freee kaplan half exam offered on campus and it was very different from the TPR full diags and I ended up scoring P9 B8 and V7. I compared my exams and it seems I answered more right on Kaplans, but the score in physical sciences has me really confused. BTW there was only one week between the two scores. Advice? comments please

Thanks!
maoeris
[email protected]

 

[meanderson]

maoeris, keep in mind that there will be more variance on a half-length exam.

4P for a tpr exam is really low. Well look at it this way....which score do you think is more reflective of your ability on the physical science section?

As for which is harder....I think TPR's physical science section is a little harder, but I like Kaplan's better. Michael

 

[LoneCoyote]

From my experience and what I have heard:

Berkeley Review exams, accordingto my friend who took the course last year, run the range from harder than the MCAT to easier than the MCAT depending on the test.

maoeris, I am in TPR right now and so far have found the diagnostic exams harder than the real thing. On the last one we took, the 2nd diagnostic, everyone's score in my class dropped significantly and two of our instructors told us that the exams were designed to be harder than the real thing to motivate us to work harder. So I wouldn't freak out yet about your scores. Just keep at it.

 

[2003Applicant]

I took the MCAT last April, and I think the Princeton Review tests are the best indicators of your future score. Examkrackers full length tests were decent, but not as good. (I highly recommend the other EK materials through - review books and 1001 questions are excellent study materials). Columbia Review bookstore materials were pretty good for practice tests also.

My rating of tests:
Best: AAMC tests
#1 Princeton Review
#2 Examkrackers
#3 Columbia Review

Much worse: Kaplan

Good luck to everyone

 

[Teach]

I took the Berkeley Review course and I personally believe that it was the reason why I scored well on the MCAT. For me, I really liked the lecture sessions where they reviewed the most essential material. Obviously, I could have read all the material myself -- but the instructors were always available for extra help and the review books contained more passages than I could do. The full length exams were good - I used the full length exams as extra practice and the AAMC exams as a true representation of my future score. I took all the BR exams and then about week and half before the real test I took all of the AAMC exams. My true MCAT score was within 1 point of all my AAMC exam scores.