Retaking MCAT: How to address the real-MCAT VR passages that are ultra-long?

[Hands4Surgery]

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Those of us retaking the test know that the real MCAT is significantly more difficult than any and all of the AAMC practice exams. Not only the sciences sections are really difficult, but VR has a couple of passages that are ultra-long. If you have not taken the MCAT, keep that in mind.

I noticed that there are some VR passages that are very long. They are usually two passages, and tend to be on the rather easy to understand side.

Does anybody have an idea on how to properly time VR keeping these ultra-long passages in mind?

Any input appreciated.

 

[johnaddams]

Those of us retaking the test know that the real MCAT is significantly more difficult than any and all of the AAMC practice exams. Not only the sciences sections are really difficult, but VR has a couple of passages that are ultra-long. If you have not taken the MCAT, keep that in mind.

I noticed that there are some VR passages that are very long. They are usually two passages, and tend to be on the rather easy to understand side.

Does anybody have an idea on how to properly time VR keeping these ultra-long passages in mind?

Any input appreciated.

I have taken the MCAT three times the sciences are not that difficult (scored 11 on PS twice 10 on BS twice), not matter what people say the AAMCs are representative of the BS and PS. No specific aamc is really representative of the represent MCAT. They are all good practice.

People tend to panic or their brain get fried by the time they write BS and the passage begins to cloud their judgement. As for verbal it is truly a toss up, there was a poster who wrote on Sep 2 11, finished with 18 minutes to spare and counted the # of words in the passage said there was 50-100 words less then the passages. I wrote this exam and never noticed.

As for verbal try to set a pace for yourself at 8 mins a passage and stick to it even if the passage has 7 questions. By doing this in theory you should get 4 extra minutes. By the time the little reminder that saids you have 30mins remaining should should have read the 4 passage completely and start the questions.

I tried a tatic where i did all the discreets 1st in 10 mins PS/BS then had lots of time for the passages. Try that next time.

Some passages you can answer the questions without reading them some are passage heavy and u have to read the passage.

 

[pfaction]

A bunch of people said this and I kind of agree. We use higher resolution monitors, which make people scroll. Maybe that's why it's perceived as longer.

 

[Hands4Surgery]

I had an amazingly long passage in the real deal that it actually listed the lines and paragraphs to find the information in, similar to what you would find in the older (don't know if newer) version of EK101. There were at least two passages like that.