Really need help with essay improvement!! + Pearson practice test

[clampjia]

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I did the PCAT last Jan and am doing it this Jan again....However I'm still not prepared and very scared of essay, verbal and reading comphrehension since I did pretty bad in those last time...

I know that most people get 3/3 for essay and I actually got 2/2.5 which is quite low. Anyone knows what the PCAT markers are looking for from the essays and are there any sample essays to read from?

I'm thinking of buying Pearson's practice tests but fear that it might be late and I wouldn't have time to complete both the tests and explaination. I'm curious about whether the practice tests could be used by more than 1 person. I don't really care about scoring it, just really want to see more questions about verbal, reading and writing. Because I would like to pay if someone bought it and would like to share the info? Just don't want to pay the money in full and waste it if I can't finish them....><

Thank you in advance in any suggestion!!

 

[weetzie00]

I did the PCAT last Jan and am doing it this Jan again....However I'm still not prepared and very scared of essay, verbal and reading comphrehension since I did pretty bad in those last time...

I know that most people get 3/3 for essay and I actually got 2/2.5 which is quite low. Anyone knows what the PCAT markers are looking for from the essays and are there any sample essays to read from?

I'm thinking of buying Pearson's practice tests but fear that it might be late and I wouldn't have time to complete both the tests and explaination. I'm curious about whether the practice tests could be used by more than 1 person. I don't really care about scoring it, just really want to see more questions about verbal, reading and writing. Because I would like to pay if someone bought it and would like to share the info? Just don't want to pay the money in full and waste it if I can't finish them....><

Thank you in advance in any suggestion!!

If there's anything I learned from Kaplan, according to their Pearson's grading rubric, as long as you provide 3 answers to the proposed question you already have a grade of 3, no matter what (at least that's what I was taught). To achieve points above 3 will rely on your writing skills. So looks like you probably didn't provide at least 3 solutions to whatever the question was.

 

[MrMeowphers]

Take the Pearson practice tests under the conditions laid out by the actual PCAT. Time yourself every section. The actual exam is designed for 4 hours, but since the online practice test don't make you write an essay, it should only take you 3 hours. Then have the entire exam graded, then review. It only took me 1 day to do both exams and review it all. If you're determined, then you'll finish. Don't let things distract you.

The problem majority of people have is they don't adequately time themselves when studying... you might score a 95% in a section at home, but there is a huge difference between taking 2 hours for that section versus 30 minutes. Also factor in the stress related with taking a major standardized exam in an unfamiliar room in some building you've probably never been in.

The trick with any essay, whether it be for the GRE, PCAT, whatever.... is to write something COHERENT. It must make logical sense and also flow naturally with GOOD grammar. All these skills arn't instantaneously gained like studying for Bio or Chem whereby you can simply memorize factual data.

Most of all, RELAX.

Just do your own personal best. 👍

 

[clampjia]

Thank you guys so much for the replies!! I am in fact very concerned about my English ability and that had been reflected on my previous PCAT score on verbal, reading and writing. Do the practice tests help out with those non-science sections a lot? coz I still don't think my english skills have developed much over the time🙁

 

[MrMeowphers]

The practice test are more for you to gauge where you stand in your studying and also to give you ideas of the type of questions to expect on the PCAT.

To me, the Pearson practice exams helped a lot by clarifying the amount of knowledge they want you to know for Organic chemistry, Calculus, Chemistry, General Biology, and Statistics. If you know the type of questions they're going to ask, then you are better suited to prepare for them.

However, again, Verbal and RC are as it is, difficult for many. Even though you know the type of questions asked, it takes time to develop your own ways for quickly reading prompts and getting out useful information like summary, author's viewpoint/attitude, word-context usage, etc.

This is why verbal and RC utilize different aspects of your brain then quantitative/chemistry questions.

good luck. 👍

 

[jduong]

I just have a one or two tips, hope they help! Don't forget to use transition words at the start of every paragraph so that they help the flow of your essay. Also, make sure you have clear thesis and define any ambiguous terms, such as if a the prompt says "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again", you should probably define what success is. Make sure you have clear thesis as well and don't forget to finish your essay! It looks pretty bad if you have only a half written essay.

 

[clampjia]

Thank you guys for tips!!

I'm very scared of what if I can't come up with any solutions....><....I'm really bad at bull****ing the things I can't even convince myself. Last time, the topic of space project related and I had absolutely no idea and blanked out and terrified....

arghhh.....any suggestions on coming up with thesis for the topics that you totally have no idea about??

 

[starobin]

My English is horrible, and I did 3/0 on essay. I tried both on maximum of my ability as don't know which will be graded. I am hoping that this time I can get 3/2 at least. in terms of passages I am fully stock. I can't do even a single one myself. Just don't really understand questions and how to answer them specially with timing. So, I hope and rely on chem and bio only, match is not that good by me except geometry parts.

good luck everyone