Retaking PCAT

[penguins429]

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I was curious if anybody knew -- do most schools, when looking at multiple PCAT scores, just look at the best of each section, the best entire test, or everything as a whole? ... the reason I am asking is because I took the PCAT Oct 05. Overall I did really well (95 composite, 98 quant, 96 Chem, 95 Verbal, 77 Bio, 58 Reading Comp, Writing: 4); but, since my Bio and Reading Comp scores were on the lower side, I wanted to retake it. This past PCAT exam, I think I really improved my reading comp and bio sections, however definitely did worse on the math and maybe chem. So may retaking this actually have hurt me, or am I worrying over nothing?

Also, for those of you who retook the PCAT, did you notice a lot of the same reading comp passages as last year, and a lot of the same questions altogether? I just thought it was kind of wierd that they would reuse questions on an exam like this.

 

[acetyl]

I was curious if anybody knew -- do most schools, when looking at multiple PCAT scores, just look at the best of each section, the best entire test, or everything as a whole? ... the reason I am asking is because I took the PCAT Oct 05. Overall I did really well (95 composite, 98 quant, 96 Chem, 95 Verbal, 77 Bio, 58 Reading Comp, Writing: 4); but, since my Bio and Reading Comp scores were on the lower side, I wanted to retake it. This past PCAT exam, I think I really improved my reading comp and bio sections, however definitely did worse on the math and maybe chem. So may retaking this actually have hurt me, or am I worrying over nothing?

Also, for those of you who retook the PCAT, did you notice a lot of the same reading comp passages as last year, and a lot of the same questions altogether? I just thought it was kind of wierd that they would reuse questions on an exam like this.

I retook the test and have the same sentiments as you about the questions being the same and the reading passages being the same. I don't think you retaking the exam is going to hurt you in any respect. You aced it the first time, and will probably score about the same the second time. Make sure you post when your results come back in a few weeks, I'm curious to see the score breakdowns. I will also show both of my scores once the scores come back.

 

[jmr5008]

yeah i thought alot of questions were the same too, then i thought they wouldnt do that im losing my mind. good to see im not.

 

[cdpiano27]

If they make the questions, the same from one test to another, then someone can actually remember the questions, look them up (unless they were maybe reading comprehension) write them down, and come back the next time and ace the exam.

I do not believe that they would recycle questions!!

I also do not understand how they give you a percentile ranking based on when the PCAT was a different test (1998-2003).

Basing your performance on a normed group of test takers when there was no organic, microbiology, or calculus on the exam just does not make any sense to me!!!!

 

[cycloketocaine]

If they make the questions, the same from one test to another, then someone can actually remember the questions, look them up (unless they were maybe reading comprehension) write them down, and come back the next time and ace the exam.

I do not believe that they would recycle questions!!

I also do not understand how they give you a percentile ranking based on when the PCAT was a different test (1998-2003).

Basing your performance on a normed group of test takers when there was no organic, microbiology, or calculus on the exam just does not make any sense to me!!!!

I KNOW that they recycle questions. I took the test in June and again in October. I had 3 reading passages that were the exact same, questions and all, and I had several of the same Bio questions. I had questioned some of my answers on the Bio the first go round, and went and looked the correct answers up. And, low and behold, the exact same questions were on the October PCAT.