Scored really bad on kaplan diagnostic and feeling very upset

[hopeful555]

Hey guys
I started "studying" for my mcat in early january. I say that with quotes because i have just been going through the books reading and have not started doing any intensive content review yet. I am feeling really really discouraged because i got a 490 (20th) percentile on Kaplans mcat diagnostic just now. Some of the questions i had no idea, so i don't know if i just got really stressed out or i kind of gave up towards the end but I'm feeling really really low right now. I got into an early medical school accpetence program and the score i need to stay in it is a 509. I am planning to take my mcat June 2nd. My mcat class starts next monday, and i dont have classes monday or fridays. I have a 3.91 overall gpa right now.
But with a score like this, should i just focus on DO schools at this point?
Also, am i maybe not studying right? I didn't take notes while reading bc when i take notes, i tend to write everything down and then it takes forever. But i am planning on taking notes once i do content review. Also idk why, but when I'm studying, my mind wanders a lot and i can't seem to focus on the words at hand and that just stresses me out so much.
any advice would be much appreciated

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[OneTwoThreeFour]

You have 5 months. That is plenty of time to improve your score. Rather than let this spiral you into depression you should take this as a wake up call to take the MCAT more seriously. Does that mean getting a tutor? Doing a kaplan course? Only you can figure that part out. But don't focus on 6 months ahead, focus on now!

 

[plshelpvanxious]

First off, take a deep breath. I am also in a guaranteed program with similar mcat requirements and had a similar issue with my scores on practice tests.

You have plenty of time to get your score up! It took me a while to really understand how to approach the mcat questions. After a many practice tests and the question bank questions, I was able to get my score where it needed to be.

The best thing you can do is to look at what you got wrong, study where you have the biggest gaps in your knowledge, and take as many tests as you can.

 

[hopeful555]

First off, take a deep breath. I am also in a guaranteed program with similar mcat requirements and had a similar issue with my scores on practice tests.

You have plenty of time to get your score up! It took me a while to really understand how to approach the mcat questions. After a many practice tests and the question bank questions, I was able to get my score where it needed to be.

The best thing you can do is to look at what you got wrong, study where you have the biggest gaps in your knowledge, and take as many tests as you can.

thank you..i just feel like I dont know what to do..my plan rn is to finish actually reading all the books by middle of february, then for a month do extensive content review till abut the middle of march..after that, I just want to do as many practice questions as possible..does this seem like a decent plan? I also have realized that maybe i should start taking notes as well.

 

[PreMedTexan]

I scored lower than I had hoped for on my diagnostic. Practice practice practice practice. Make sure you do all the test banks and practice tests provided by AMCAS.

I ended up scoring in the 93rd percentile on my MCAT and I only had four months to study. You will be just fine!

 

[Jasmine2022]

The Kaplan Diagnostic is known to give a "deflated" score and isn't particularly representative on what you would make on the real test. If I'm not mistaken, it is also only a 1/3 or 1/2 length test, and therefore isn't as meaningful a score as a full-length would be.

Having taken the MCAT twice, I can understand the feelings. There are going to be ups and downs in your studying, and the best thing you can do is learn everything you can from each practice test you take. Review, make notes on whether it was that you didn't know the material or how you interpreted the question, keep practicing, but also give yourself a break every now and then. You've given yourself plenty of time to improve and score well on the real thing. Chin up, and don't let this keep you down! 🙂

 

[Welshman]

I got a 502 on the diagnostic

 

[stickgirl390]

In my opinion, anyone who wants to be a physician should always be planning on applying both MD and DO (unless you want to work in research). Just focus on preparing for your MCAT the best you can, and forget the rest. Don’t aim for a 509, don’t “aim” for DO, just aim for your best and your score will work itself out.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

And that is exactly what a publisher of MCAT prep materials wants you to think. You still need to study but those tests are notoriously lower then reality.

 

[Nathan17182]

lol I got a 493 on the Kaplan diagnostic and got a 510 on the rea thing. Just keep studying and you’ll be fine

 

[wysdoc]

thank you..i just feel like I dont know what to do..my plan rn is to finish actually reading all the books by middle of february, then for a month do extensive content review till abut the middle of march..after that, I just want to do as many practice questions as possible..does this seem like a decent plan? I also have realized that maybe i should start taking notes as well.

Head over to the specific forum on MCAT - most folks over there recommend not to spend extensive time on content review but to spend more on practice tests and reviewing wrong answers. You said you will be starting a study course, that will guide you to knowing the test format better as well

 

[ciestar]

I took old MCAT, got a 20 on Kaplan Diagnostic ~491) and got a 31 on the real thing 83rd percentile (~511)

Key thing: dont sweat it. It is set up to demoralize you so you will pay for their course and they can make sure you dont cash in on that money back guarantee.

 

[getdown]

If you were to score a 510 on the diagnostic than you wouldn't need the whole studying thing. That's the whole point of the DIAGNOSTIC test to see what areas you need to improve. If you get this upset over the MCAT I can't imagine what you'll do when you do your STEP1 diagnostic test and get under a 200.

 

[getdown]

If you were to score a 510 on the diagnostic than you wouldn't need the whole studying thing. That's the whole point of the DIAGNOSTIC test to see what areas you need to improve. If you get this upset over the MCAT I can't imagine what you'll do when you do your STEP1 diagnostic test and get under a 200.

 

[getdown]

If you were to score a 510 on the diagnostic than you wouldn't need the whole studying thing. That's the whole point of the DIAGNOSTIC test to see what areas you need to improve. If you get this upset over the MCAT I can't imagine what you'll do when you do your STEP1 diagnostic test and get under a 200.

 

[21Rush12]

Forget their diagnostics. It’s about as reliable as a buzzfeed quiz.

You have plenty of time to study and you’re on the right track. You have ideas for a plan, you need to execute that plan and you will be rewarded with a score that walks you into medical school.

Don’t let this shake you up.

 

[Longshot6]

Diagnostics suck. Took the kaplan one and got a 488. I got a 520+ on the real deal. Just study like hell dood.

 

[Prometheus123]

Hey guys
I started "studying" for my mcat in early january. I say that with quotes because i have just been going through the books reading and have not started doing any intensive content review yet. I am feeling really really discouraged because i got a 490 (20th) percentile on Kaplans mcat diagnostic just now. Some of the questions i had no idea, so i don't know if i just got really stressed out or i kind of gave up towards the end but I'm feeling really really low right now. I got into an early medical school accpetence program and the score i need to stay in it is a 509. I am planning to take my mcat June 2nd. My mcat class starts next monday, and i dont have classes monday or fridays. I have a 3.91 overall gpa right now.
But with a score like this, should i just focus on DO schools at this point?
Also, am i maybe not studying right? I didn't take notes while reading bc when i take notes, i tend to write everything down and then it takes forever. But i am planning on taking notes once i do content review. Also idk why, but when I'm studying, my mind wanders a lot and i can't seem to focus on the words at hand and that just stresses me out so much.
any advice would be much appreciated

Don't worry, all practice exams from third-party prep companies are scored much more harshly than the real MCAT. The questions are also unrealistically nitpicky and tricky. This is especially true of Kaplan's tests. This score is not even remotely predictive of your real future MCAT score.

The real MCAT will take everything you have, but it will never try to trick you. It wants to know if you can use what you know to think critically and solve novel problems. Unlike the Kaplan tests, it doesn't care if you can solve the most fiendish circuit diagram problem ever devised in under a minute flat. That's not the point.

Third-party practice exams are like working out with weights above your class. It builds your strength, which is great, but it's not representative of what you'll actually be expected to do on test day. So don't worry if you drop the weight because it's insanely heavy. That's normal.

If you take more Kaplan exams, evaluate your progress based solely on whether your score goes up or down, not the absolute numbers. Watch your delta, because it's the only thing that matters.

The only exams that are predictive of your real score are the two official AAMC full-length practice exams. These two exams are actually easier than the real MCAT (especially the first one). So don't let it throw you on test day when the real MCAT is way harder than the AAMC full-lengths, yet in a completely different way than the Kaplan exams. The good news is that because of the way the AAMC "curves" scores, you will probably still wind up getting +/-3 points of the average score you get on AAMC FL1 and FL2, even if you significantly underperform on test day due to stress, lack of sleep, or unforeseen circumstances. It is possible to score outside that range of deviation, but it appears to be rare based on the limited data available (source: MCAT subreddit's data comparing practice exam scores to real scores).

 

[hopeful555]

thank you all for the encouragement, i truly appreciate it! i was just wondering, does anyones mind wander when they study/is that ok? I find that sometimes when i study, while I read i think about other things and that just stresses me out.For example today I read a section and when i went to do the concept checks, I totally blanked and i felt like i read nothing! However, i was able to do quite well on the end pf chapter multiple choice questions. (in kaplan) I can focus them sometimes I just get tired..however i do make notecards and plan to review thiose frequently so i hope i can combat that. any advice?

 

[funtertaining15]

Hey guys
I started "studying" for my mcat in early january. I say that with quotes because i have just been going through the books reading and have not started doing any intensive content review yet. I am feeling really really discouraged because i got a 490 (20th) percentile on Kaplans mcat diagnostic just now. Some of the questions i had no idea, so i don't know if i just got really stressed out or i kind of gave up towards the end but I'm feeling really really low right now. I got into an early medical school accpetence program and the score i need to stay in it is a 509. I am planning to take my mcat June 2nd. My mcat class starts next monday, and i dont have classes monday or fridays. I have a 3.91 overall gpa right now.
But with a score like this, should i just focus on DO schools at this point?
Also, am i maybe not studying right? I didn't take notes while reading bc when i take notes, i tend to write everything down and then it takes forever. But i am planning on taking notes once i do content review. Also idk why, but when I'm studying, my mind wanders a lot and i can't seem to focus on the words at hand and that just stresses me out so much.
any advice would be much appreciated

You'll be fine. Don't sell yourself short. 5 mo is plenty of time. Your baseline score is pretty close to your min requirement so it should be fine.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using SDN mobile

 

[SchwiftyShiba]

I also scored a 491 on my first practice MCAT. I was going to take my MCAT in April and apply this cycle, but I figured pushing it back until September would be a lot better. Like everyone's saying, you should be okay with 5 months! Well, 4-ish now.

I take notes when I study, too. While it takes forever, I learn and retain a lot more than I do not taking notes (obviously). A trick I also came up with is coming up with questions to ask yourself while you read/watch videos. Then come back and answer these questions after you watch whatever video/finish reading. I can send a sample of what I mean if you'd like.

If you feel like this program is too stressful, then don't feel too bad if you have to get out. I'm not trying to discourage you, and I do believe you can stick with it, especially since your GPA is awesome. Just remember that there are a ton of ways to get to medical school. I have several friends who have gone to medical school both in, and out, of these programs. I was also in a pre-pharmacy program that guaranteed me a spot at UT Austin, but realized I loved medicine more. The program also just had some ridiculous requirements. I found myself taking around 17 hours each semester.

Just take a deep breath, and think that no test is worth stressing too much over. I constantly have to tell myself this, since it can be pretty stressful trying to prepare for this stupid exam. WE GOT THIS.

 

[dundermifflinthisispam]

To reiterate the general consensus above, I got a 500 on the diagnostic and a 521 on the real thing. Mind you, I lived and breathed MCAT prep for three months before taking it, but your diagnostic in no way indicates your ultimate score. That’s up to you! A lot of this test is just mental stamina and being able to rebound quickly when a question/FL/practice test doesn’t go your way. It’s hard but you need to push through the mental panic every time it comes up, or it will just get on your way. Best of luck OP!

 

[trev5150]

What your MCAT course should teach you, and you probably haven't learned and practiced yet, is not only reviewing the material in the test but also how to approach the test. The MCAT is as much mind game as it is assessment of the knowledge you picked up in undergraduate as you took all your pre-req's. How to evaluate and break down passages, how to identify question types, how to properly use the process of elimination to cross out iffy answer choices.

There is a strategy to all of that, and also time management, which is going to be a major component in how you approach the exam. All of that does take practice. Don't judge yourself on one practice exam. You haven't prepped yourself for the whole picture yet.

 

[hopeful555]

hey guys thanks for all the help on here! I have been a lot less stressed out but not so much, since I only have like three months till the mcat and i feel so unprepared.....i have a lighter course load but i had back to back exams for the last three weeks and I am so dumb I focused only on school not mcat that time. I am taking a class and i guess that counts as studying but still. I promised myself to never do that again and I'm back in track now...But do you guys think three months is still enough time for the mcat? I have finished all the books but yet i feel like i learned/ do not know anything and i have no clue what i was thinking or doing while reading the books. I'm going through bug things now and re-reading my flashcards and I hope to take a practice test in the next week. If you can't tell, I am a highly anxious and worried person haha