Retaking AAMC FLs

[Music Therapy]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to know what the general consensus was on retaking AAMC FL practice exams. The idea seems a bit redundant, but I thought it might be a good way to check if you really understood your mistakes, and to double-check that you know the contents. As for myself, I took the full lengths about 3 weeks ago- I'm just afraid that I might look at the questions and feel like "oh I remember this was the answer" rather than being able to critically analyze each one as if I've never seen them before. So I'm just wondering if anyone has tried this?

Thanks!

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[LittleDandelion]

The thing about FLs is that you will encounter MCAT-type questions, and learn to use your knowledge to come up with an answer right on the spot with restricted time. That's why it's generally not advised to retake those FLs because you will lose that benefit of seeing those questions for the first time, since you already knew what would be on there, even though you don't necessarily remember the answer.
I actually reused the FLs for my retake, but it was a whole year after I took them for the first time, so I basically did not remember anything about those FLs, and they seemed like new to me again. Unless you are certain that you will not remember anything about those tests, I'd say try other FLs to get the best practice.

 

[Music Therapy]

Thank you for your input. At this point I have taken all the FL exams that I have access to, and that was one of the reasons I was considering to retake some of them. I guess I would have to rely on getting access to other sources or just work on passage problems from now on. Thank you once again.

 

[crazedpiggy]

Don't do it. Other than going in and looking at your mistakes through the answer key don't retake a FL.

I made this mistake on my previous retake and I ended up with the same score in the end.

No matter what, even if it's a year or so you will likely remember a lot of the things on there subconsciously. Also, a big portion of the MCAT is the psychological scare of seeing a strange and foreign passage and dealing with initial "panic". When retaking an FL this factor is gone because you will definitely have seen the passage before.

Hence, it's not practical at all to retake FL's. Get some stuff from TBR and do those.