Retaking practice tests and scoring higher in VR

[junkct]

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Hey everyone,

I took the MCAT on 1/31 and am retaking on 3/28 to raise my Verbal score. Prior to 1/31, I was scoring around 10-11 on the practice tests, but then I scored an 8 on the real thing. Now that I'm studying for the 3/28 tests, I'm retaking AAMC verbals and scoring around 12-13. I am not doing anything different than normal, although I am feeling better than I usually do after taking a verbal test. It's been a few months since I took these tests, and while I do recognize the passages, I don't really remember what they are about (they are new enough to me that they shouldn't have an effect on my score), and I definitely don't remember the answers to the questions.

Has anyone else experienced this type of score increase upon retaking the AAMC tests? If so, what kind of results did you have on the real thing the second time around?

I would kill for a 10, and I'm really surprised about the 8 because I never scored that low on a practice test. Also, I felt the 1/31 Verbal was a lot easier than any of the Kaplan/AAMC tests I had taken, and I felt somewhat more confident than normal after taking it. Could the curve be what really hurt me and my score? Or is an easy vs. hard test not really gonna have an effect?

 

[kwokkit]

Retaking will inflate your score. I think this is true for you, a few months doesn't seem to be enough time for the passages to fade completely from memory, especially if you did post-analysis of your practice tests. If you are not getting those ranges from other companies' VR sections I would be doubtful of your sudden and dramatic VR improvement. But I am in a similar situation eager to hear from people's experiences. I hope that the 1 year break I took since the AAMCs will be enough time to forget it and they will still be decent score predictors.

 

[Legacy87]

I also retook my AAMC verbal tests before. Initially, I was scoring a 7, but after a couple of weeks I retook them and score 10s. I felt confident in reading the material even though I don't remember the questions. However, when I took a new AAMC, I kept getting 7s. So despite thinking you have improved, it's possible that you really did not.

On my real mcat, I got a 9. I guess it was luck. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the passages I read. I took mines on 1/31.