Retaking the MCAT.. for the third time.

[shawarmastan]

Hello everyone- I am in serious need of practical advice.

I started studying for the MCAT in October 2019. I studied on and off, initially planning to take it in January 2020 but then rescheduled to March. Due to COVID, my test was canceled so I took it in June. I completely bombed the test. This was not super surprising, as I didn't feel completely prepared. I recently took it again in September and got my score, and did terribly again. By terrible, I mean under 500. I know my scores are far from where I need to be, and to be honest I am overwhelmed. The second time, I felt more prepared and was scoring from a 506-510 on the practice tests. Both my scores were 493 & 494.. I don't know what I am doing wrong to be scoring so drastically low. I was calm throughout the test, and felt I had enough time in each section.

If anyone has advice on how to study for this test, how long to prepare for it, or general advice about applying for this cycle with these scores, I would appreciate it. I am planning on taking it again in January 2021. I have already submitted my applications, and I am working on secondaries. I am worried my application this cycle is a complete waste. I am applying to both DO and MD schools.

Any tips or resources are greatly appreciated.

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[Blueprint Med School]

How have you been studying so far and roughly how many (dedicated) hours have you spent studying?

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[MaxCycle42]

I feel you. It took me 2 tries to get from a 491 to a 505. My first advice is have a study partner some sort. Maybe find one on this LINK. They will fill in the cracks of your knowledge. A 493, 494 sounds like you are lacking contents. Try to use AAMCs Exams to see where you stand. Using 3rd party exams won't do any good. My second piece of advice is approach them differently. Don't treat them as another exam in college. IT WON'T WORK.

 

[deleted1066189]

The second time, I felt more prepared and was scoring from a 506-510 on the practice tests.

Were you just retaking the same AAMC full lengths? Those are always going to be inflated, even if you were to wait a year.

 

[Bigdoc12452]

Are you using UWorld? If not, doing all the practice questions has been reported to increase ppls scores from 2points to 8 points.

 

[jhmmd]

Hello everyone- I am in serious need of practical advice.

I started studying for the MCAT in October 2019. I studied on and off, initially planning to take it in January 2020 but then rescheduled to March. Due to COVID, my test was canceled so I took it in June. I completely bombed the test. This was not super surprising, as I didn't feel completely prepared. I recently took it again in September and got my score, and did terribly again. By terrible, I mean under 500. I know my scores are far from where I need to be, and to be honest I am overwhelmed. The second time, I felt more prepared and was scoring from a 506-510 on the practice tests. Both my scores were 493 & 494.. I don't know what I am doing wrong to be scoring so drastically low. I was calm throughout the test, and felt I had enough time in each section.

If anyone has advice on how to study for this test, how long to prepare for it, or general advice about applying for this cycle with these scores, I would appreciate it. I am planning on taking it again in January 2021. I have already submitted my applications, and I am working on secondaries. I am worried my application this cycle is a complete waste. I am applying to both DO and MD schools.

Any tips or resources are greatly appreciated.

What does your undergraduate GPA look like? Have you graduated already? What does the rest of your app look like?

You may need to take a serious look at your study habits and/or visit your undergraduate advising center for help learning how to study more effectively.

Good luck

 

[EthylMethylMan]

In addition to all of the above advice, I would heavily advise you to look at your score breakdown, particularly on the practice tests where you'll probably get a more detailed analysis. What specific topics are giving you the most grief? Those should be areas of particular focus.