Should I reschedule the MCAT?

[medschool342]

I planed on studying during the semester but I underestimated my courseload. I have currently completed reading EK Chemistry book and should have physics completed by tomorrow.
Would it be possible to be prepared for my January 19th test date? Otherwise I’m going to reschedule it to the end of June.

Looking for advice

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[Master Thinker]

Have you taken an AAMC practice test? Otherwise, there is no way to tell.

Also, it is rare for anyone to feel completely ready for the MCAT. You will still feel unready in June.

 

[medschool342]

Have you taken an AAMC practice test? Otherwise, there is no way to tell.

Also, it is rare for anyone to feel completely ready for the MCAT. You will still feel unready in June.

I have not taken a full length practice test yet, but I am planning on taking the AAMC sample practice test this week and using the scale score spread sheets from SDN

 

[BBBallIsLife]

Yes before you make an official decision, take a diagnostic free half-length or a FL, either one will suffice but just get the scores going! If your test is in jan, I hope you have a slight sense of urgency since it seems as if you haven't gone through all the content

 

[NextStepTutor_1]

Hi @medschool342 -

I agree w/ the other posters in this thread that you should take a representative diagnostic or FL soon to see where you stand. In general, though, taking the MCAT 25 days after you've finished physics & chemistry content review is an extremely tight timeline. You'll almost certainly need some time to review biology & biochemistry, as well as psychology/sociology, which requires both heavy memorization of the technical definitions of the various terms that are tested and a familiarity with research methods.

However, the really key point is that the MCAT is not primarily—or at least not exclusively—a test of content. The MCAT is interested in seeing how you apply your knowledge in the context of new information provided by the passages, within very specific timing constraints. For this reason, the vast, vast, vast majority of students find that they need to invest a considerable amount of time in learning how to take the test, which means taking multiple realistic practice exams and carefully reviewing the results to find areas of improvement. It's tough to rush this process beyond a certain point -- each test will take up the better part of the day, and doing a thorough review should take at least as long as taking the test itself. You then need to allocate some degree of mental energy (and time) to internalize the lessons you learn from reviewing a practice test and to act on them. Practice tests are also a useful way to assess whether you've been learning the content in a way that translates to success on the test, and if not, you'll need some time to recalibrate.

So, yes -- take a test and see how it goes -- but based on what you've described, it sounds like postponing the test may be a realistic idea. If you make that decision, the next step will be to figure out a plan for next semester & how to avoid the pitfalls that came up this semester, and then to execute!

 

[BBBallIsLife]

^ btw I love these guys' FL's and content!

 

[medschool342]

I just completed the NextStep Diagnostic Exam and got a 494 overall (which is def too low), 119 on chem/phys, 124 on CARS, 124 on Bio/Biochem, and 127 on Psych/soc. Is there any chance that I can get this up to a 508/510 by my test date? Basically I am now leaning towards rescheduling

Any advice on how to avoid the pitfalls of studying during the semester, or how to get out of this high 400's rut?

 

[Master Thinker]

I just completed the NextStep Diagnostic Exam and got a 494 overall (which is def too low), 119 on chem/phys, 124 on CARS, 124 on Bio/Biochem, and 127 on Psych/soc. Is there any chance that I can get this up to a 508/510 by my test date? Basically I am now leaning towards rescheduling

Any advice on how to avoid the pitfalls of studying during the semester, or how to get out of this high 400's rut?

Seems like you need to focus on C/P and CARS. Before thinking about rescheduling, I recommend doing an AAMC FL or diagnostic first since 3rd party exams are usually not as accurate as AAMC ones