Ridonkulous PCAT Standardized Testing Rant....

[weezbug123]

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I was a first time PCAT taker this past Saturday. I must say, I left the testing center with my self-esteem at an all time low. I consider myself to be an intelligent, hard worker with the grades to prove it (3.76gpa). When I took a practice test at home, (one of the full length Kaplan exams minus the essay section) I got an average of 63. I have a pretty good feeling that the actual score of the test I took on Saturday will be no better.

I have been out of school for three years, and when you do not use the subject material on a daily basis, you lose it. And, I’m sorry, but the PCAT does NOT test your ability to adapt to given information OR to measure your raw ability. EVERYONE has a different learning style, and standardized tests do not always reflect a candidate’s potential. Horrible scores do not mean that you can’t re-learn it, and do just as well in pharmacy school as people that scored great on a ridiculous, unfair, waste-of-time test.

Yes, I may be over-reacting. And, Yes, I know that PCAT scores are not the only things schools look at when considering potential students. And, yes, I know I am whining about the unchangeable ways of the academic world. But, still, I feel the need to vent for all of us out there that did not think the PCAT was a ‘piece of cake’. (I may sound bitter, but kudos to all of you who felt they did do well) For me, it was not a piece of cake, it was a piece of crap.

Just based on the posts I’ve read regarding the June test, I am appalled at the lack of consistency in administering the exam, the exam structure, and the overall environment. I CANNOT believe I paid close to $200 to take this exam, when I probably could have proctored the exam myself just as well.

AND, we don’t even get our scores until 6 weeks later (which other sources said 4 to 5 weeks). By that time, if we didn’t already sign up for the August test, we are screwed. They never get enough seats in the testing centers for the heavily populated areas (WTF?! one testing site for ALL of Chicago- R U kidding?!). Therefore, if we do not reserve a seat for the August date, we are stuck with our first scores. Or, we end up traveling all over the freaking country, on top of having to pay to take the test!

But, sneaky, sneaky Harcourt! They made it so you cannot get any refund (short of a natural disaster). So, if you do get your scores 6-8 wks later and are pleased with them and don’t want to go through the agony and humiliation of another round of PCAT testing, you are out $200. The freaking standardized testing business has us all up against a wall, our rear ends exposed, and they do NOT use any lube!! Thanks, I’m done now.

 

[omnione]

So......how was your weekend?🙂

I emphasize with you on the standardized exam as I've experience success and failure with standardized exams while wondering if analogies and sentence completions actually test critical thinking. More importantly, I wonder if the correlation between PCAT scores an pharmacy school competence is large enough for the score to be a good measurement.

I guess I would reiterate the point you made about the PCAT not being the only factor in pharmacy school admissions. Over the past few years in college, I could make the argument that college GPA isn't the best indicator alone or that having lots of pharmacy tech experience makes you a good full blown pharmacist. I could also argue that LORs are an indirect measurement of the common "who you know" advantage that doesn't mean that a less worldly applicant can't perform as well in pharmacy. It is the combination of all of these that adcoms judge so any displeasure with one factor shouldn't be overblown because its compensated by every other factor. The advantages of one admission factor ought to cancel out the disadvantages of the another, which I think is what pharmacy schools are set out to do.

 

[binghamkid]

I was a first time PCAT taker this past Saturday. I must say, I left the testing center with my self-esteem at an all time low. I consider myself to be an intelligent, hard worker with the grades to prove it (3.76gpa). When I took a practice test at home, (one of the full length Kaplan exams minus the essay section) I got an average of 63. I have a pretty good feeling that the actual score of the test I took on Saturday will be no better.

I have been out of school for three years, and when you do not use the subject material on a daily basis, you lose it. And, I'm sorry, but the PCAT does NOT test your ability to adapt to given information OR to measure your raw ability. EVERYONE has a different learning style, and standardized tests do not always reflect a candidate's potential. Horrible scores do not mean that you can't re-learn it, and do just as well in pharmacy school as people that scored great on a ridiculous, unfair, waste-of-time test.

Yes, I may be over-reacting. And, Yes, I know that PCAT scores are not the only things schools look at when considering potential students. And, yes, I know I am whining about the unchangeable ways of the academic world. But, still, I feel the need to vent for all of us out there that did not think the PCAT was a ‘piece of cake'. (I may sound bitter, but kudos to all of you who felt they did do well) For me, it was not a piece of cake, it was a piece of crap.

Just based on the posts I've read regarding the June test, I am appalled at the lack of consistency in administering the exam, the exam structure, and the overall environment. I CANNOT believe I paid close to $200 to take this exam, when I probably could have proctored the exam myself just as well.

AND, we don't even get our scores until 6 weeks later (which other sources said 4 to 5 weeks). By that time, if we didn't already sign up for the August test, we are screwed. They never get enough seats in the testing centers for the heavily populated areas (WTF?! one testing site for ALL of Chicago- R U kidding?!). Therefore, if we do not reserve a seat for the August date, we are stuck with our first scores. Or, we end up traveling all over the freaking country, on top of having to pay to take the test!

But, sneaky, sneaky Harcourt! They made it so you cannot get any refund (short of a natural disaster). So, if you do get your scores 6-8 wks later and are pleased with them and don't want to go through the agony and humiliation of another round of PCAT testing, you are out $200. The freaking standardized testing business has us all up against a wall, our rear ends exposed, and they do NOT use any lube!! Thanks, I'm done now.

Lol, nice vent post. However, I don't think anyone here would say the PCAT is an "easy" exam. The exam is designed to thoroughly strain your mental capacity the moment you sit down to take it...I agree it is completely frustrating, especially since the exam has really easy questions...if you had no time limit. The problem is you do have a time limit, and that makes them 10 times harder.

There are some of us who will say the test is doable, however. I firmly believe that all standardized tests are doable if one chooses to master the test and not the knowledge. If you choose to blindly study the prep books and just cram all the knowledge into your head, no matter how many amino acids you memorize or biological mechanisms you learn, you will still struggle on the test. If you paid attention in your prerequisite courses, you already know all the material you need for this exam. Of course, because we either 1) procrastinate 2) slack off 3) never bothered to pay attention 4) had better things to do (a.k.a. parties and more interesting classes) or 5) plain hated the material (like ochem for me), you will end up having to review and study what you never learned. But if you have all the knowledge, then all that's left is learning how to beat the exam's structure and timing. If you figure that out, then the test is manageable because you already know you can figure out every question given the time.

You have to also remember that people who post the information about inconsistencies in testing conditions are few and far between. Out of the hundreds of testing rooms across the nation, the incidents you read here on the forums represent a small percentage (< 5%) of all the people taking the exams. While it's unfortunate, there may be circumstances beyond your control; that's why they have the void option in case you felt you didn't maximize your score during that particular sitting.

Finally, $200 is not much in the grand scheme of things. You spend thousands more on your applications, plane tickets to interviews, and the deposits for the schools that you wish to hold (and may not go to). It's just another investment you put into the system in order to come out with a worthwhile degree for a worthwhile career.

One more afterthought: Pharmacy school admissions don't rely solely upon the GPA and PCAT for admissions; the reason is because there may be extenuating circumstances for every individual based on their environment, scholastic conditions, etc. etc. For me, I would hope that my GPA doesn't reflect my intelligence =X Not everyone's a good test taker, so don't worry if you don't do well in one aspect of your application; just do the best you can and I'm sure some adcoms will see something good in your application.

 

[binghamkid]

So......how was your weekend?🙂

I emphasize with you on the standardized exam as I've experience success and failure with standardized exams while wondering if analogies and sentence completions actually test critical thinking. More importantly, I wonder if the correlation between PCAT scores an pharmacy school competence is large enough for the score to be a good measurement.

I guess I would reiterate the point you made about the PCAT not being the only factor in pharmacy school admissions. Over the past few years in college, I could make the argument that college GPA isn't the best indicator alone or that having lots of pharmacy tech experience makes you a good full blown pharmacist. I could also argue that LORs are an indirect measurement of the common "who you know" advantage that doesn't mean that a less worldly applicant can't perform as well in pharmacy. It is the combination of all of these that adcoms judge so any displeasure with one factor shouldn't be overblown because its compensated by every other factor. The advantages of one admission factor ought to cancel out the disadvantages of the another, which I think is what pharmacy schools are set out to do.

Figures, Omnione beats me to the post 🙄 Omnione always beats me to the post. *digs up mavis beacon teaches typing again*

 

[Knickerbocker]

While the PCAT is one of the better standardized tests that I've taken, I agree that the whole setup of such tests is horrible. These tests basically are a business - people pay for the tests, study books, and expensive study courses.

The SAT is my least favorite of everything that I've taken. All it tends to show is who had the most money/time to *train* for the exam. I took it back when it was on the 1600 scale. In my pre-calculus class, I recall hearing various cheerful girls talking about their scores (which were 200-300 points higher than mine). Oddly enough, I had a 100% average in the math class while said girls were doing poorly, some nearly failing.

Someone explain how they are better students than me, please!

 

[binghamkid]

While the PCAT is one of the better standardized tests that I've taken, I agree that the whole setup of such tests is horrible. These tests basically are a business - people pay for the tests, study books, and expensive study courses.

The SAT is my least favorite of everything that I've taken. All it tends to show is who had the most money/time to *train* for the exam. I took it back when it was on the 1600 scale. In my pre-calculus class, I recall hearing various cheerful girls talking about their scores (which were 200-300 points higher than mine). Oddly enough, I had a 100% average in the math class while said girls were doing poorly, some nearly failing.

Someone explain how they are better students than me, please!

But but but...everyone knows the SAT is the Selecting Answers Test! It measures your ability to select the right answers whether you know it or not.😛

 

[Omegadramon]

I especially agree with the part about signing up for the august test while waiting for the June scores. That is wholly unfair.