scoring around teenish -20ish

[misanne]

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Is there anyone else besides me that feels like they are preforming sub-par on the MCAT. I mean really people with like 30's or some where there of are complaining on here. I barely made a 20 on ONE of my practice test. Basically I just wanna know if there is any on on the boards that are scoring like around the 20's give or take a few points, and how do you feel about your preformance and what you are doing to improve it???

 

[dhoonlee]

.

 

[bigdan]

I began scoring 23 on my 1st practice MCAT, and was able to do a 29 on the real deal this April.

First, obviously, identify the weak areas. Do you suck at verbal? Home in on that and make it better. Second, for the sciences, make sure you KNOW the material, not just that you think you know it. I knew over 100 formula cold for the Physical Sciences part. That alone raised my practice test from a 23 to a 26. Have someone else - preferrably someone that knows no science - ask you questions on the material that you're studying. Can you explain it to them so that they understand? I realized that I couldn't tell my girlfriend why acceleration was acceleration, and it hit me that I really didn't know it.

There's a spot on the AAMC website, under MCAT, that gives the outline of the things that are fair game for the MCAT...you have to at least know them. And the science courses covered by the MCAT aren't post-grad level...there is some fairly simple concept being tested by even the most obscure question - learn to find that. And do all the practice tests from AAMC...the concepts repeat themselves, in my opinion. You've gotta know waves and harmonics, 'cause I saw those all over the place during practice and - voila - there they were on the MCAT.

Study hard and good luck.

dc

 

[MsEvolution]

I guess for me the question is... how much of an improvement is a reasonable expectation just 6 weeks before the MCAT?

My composite this past weekend on my first practice test was 23

VR12 PS6 BS5

I've only been able to review gen chem, a bit of physics and almost no bio or orgo yet. I have the EK CD's... been listening for about a week. What I did with my practice test was to identify the weak spots and plan for study during the week. I'm doing that and plan to take another test this weekend (every weekend from here on out). I'm posting the results up on my study room wall... I hope to see an increasing trend... but I wonder... increased by how much? Will I be able to get myself into a competitive range by mid August? Part of me wonders if I should postpone until next April... but I'm already 34 years old... my chances are not getting better.

Thanks for listening to me ramble, everyone...

 

[bigdan]

Ms - Know those formulas? I mean - really know them? That gave me a 3 point boost in PS between my practice tests.

Bio is just memorization. That may be of issue, because of the sheer amount to cram into your noggin.

The GREAT news is that the "hard" section to improve on and to learn is the one you're doing well on.

If you're doing the AAMC tests as your practice, and the scores are still low, don't take. I feel the AAMC tests - 4R and better - are very accurate.

dc

 

[misanne]

exactly how low is low enough not to take it. I mean I am not really proud of what I scoring it's not loke I am making a 100 on the thing but I fell like problems with calculations are really difficult for me and my studying I don't feel like I am learning.

This will be my second time taking the test the first time I did not study at all, hence my very very low score and I am now in the Kaplan class and on the last practice test that I took Ii made a 19 and I still feel like I was guessing through the entire thing.

Some of the simplest math I am finding that I am having troubles with and not to mention the formulas. Right now my best subject is VR and I am barley making 7 in that. Now every thing else is below a 7 so, THE GOOD thing is that there is tremendous room for improvement but not a lot of time.

I feel as though I spend more time preparing and planning to study that actually studying and I am already two weeks behind in the kaplan class. Today I am going there to try any catch up at least on some of the recommended additional work but I don't know I dont' really know if Ii am using my time wisely and that leads me to believe that If I can't say that I am using my time wisely then something must definately be wrong!

 

[MsEvolution]

Dan, thanks! No, I haven't been trying to memorize formulas... I've been concentrating on subject matters. For example, last Saturday I worked all day on optics. I read the whole chapter, did a few practice problems, wrote out the notes, listened to that portion on EK Audio Osmosis. The next day when I took the practice exam, there was only one question on it for optics! Doh! But I learned from that exam that I have an intuitive understanding (either that or I remember more than I thought) of heat flow and radioactive decay. My topics to concentrate on this week are Harmonics, Circuits, and Acid Base theory.

But... I think I'm going to go ahead and do the flash card thing with a bunch of plain old formulas. And I'll see where that gets me. Thanks for the advice!

Olga

 

[IndyZX]

yeah, it sucks to spend a week reviewing a general chem chapter only to see it not covered at all on the mcat.

 

[stinkycheese]

Misanne, I don't know how long you've been out of school, but if you're even having trouble with the basic math calculations, then maybe you need more time to get used the MCAT's way of asking questions, and to spend time re-learning math, physics, chem, bio... etc.

 

[silkworm]

Misanne, have you done any of the Topical, Subject or Section tests Kaplan provided? They belong in the "Suggested Assignment" so if I understand you correctly you haven't done them. IMO that's most important part of your Kaplan course and the "Suggested" label is misleading. Any hope for improvement lies in doing those practice material and going over the answers.