Should I take the exam tomorrow?

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yjj8817

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I got the following percentages on aamc fl.

Chemical and Physical section : 76%
CARS section : 75%
Biological and Biochemical Section : 80%
Psychology and Sociology section : 81%

According to the mcatjelly conversion chart I get like 514 or 513. But while going through the exam, I could definitely tell that I had a lot of knowledge gaps that have not been addressed. I also did not thoroughly memorize my amino acids when I took this exam. I know that going into the real thing with knowledge gaps is a pretty bad idea.

I need to make sure that I get a good score on this exam because my previous score is not that great.

Do you think I should postpone my exam to the 22nd?

The thing is I am applying this cycle and early august is already kinda late. I am not willing to take a gap year because I would be already taking 2 gap years.

Please give me some advice! Thanks!

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And also I heard that verbal is easier on this one compared to real thing so I feel like 75 is not good.
 
No one should tell you what to do.

I am not willing to take a gap year because I would be already taking 2 gap years.

Well, if you take it in a month, and unless you have a 3.7, great ECs/LOR, and score 95th% you'll basically have very little chance because you will be so late. Plus what is so wrong with another gap year? I've had three, I've traveled, and I've enjoyed life.

Your practice scores are FINE. I had similar scores and I got 91st %. But equally as important is confidence. Go in feeling confident. If you miss multiple passages in one section or feel completely utterly awful, then don't void. Otherwise, if you can wrap your head around another gap year - prepare better, take an earlier exam, and have success.
 
My thing is always to not take it until you're ready, but I'm interested to see the feedback you get.

How much knowledge can you gain in two and a half weeks vs. how much further that sets you back time-wise.

I know I would wait, but it also depends on how big you feel your gaps are and how high yield you think they are.
 
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I have noticed that some very basic science knowledge became rusty for me. So I missed some questions because of this.
 
You cant get your money back, so go take it and see how you feel when it asks to void or not. If it happens to not ask any questions about your info gaps then click score. If you feel like you did bad, void it and take again in sept. IMO one "late", but good score would be better than 2 scores.
 
I got the following percentages on aamc fl.

Chemical and Physical section : 76%
CARS section : 75%
Biological and Biochemical Section : 80%
Psychology and Sociology section : 81%

According to the mcatjelly conversion chart I get like 514 or 513. But while going through the exam, I could definitely tell that I had a lot of knowledge gaps that have not been addressed. I also did not thoroughly memorize my amino acids when I took this exam. I know that going into the real thing with knowledge gaps is a pretty bad idea.

I need to make sure that I get a good score on this exam because my previous score is not that great.

Do you think I should postpone my exam to the 22nd?

The thing is I am applying this cycle and early august is already kinda late. I am not willing to take a gap year because I would be already taking 2 gap years.

Please give me some advice! Thanks!

Your AAMC PT score is pretty good. While no one exam is a guarantee, going based on current data you seem poised to score competitively (510+). Any MCAT you take will expose some weaker areas and show strengths. At this point, take the exam, you literally have nothing to lose.

If the exam feels much much different and you have to randomly guess on a significant # of Qs or leave Qs blank due to being short on time, you can always void. Otherwise, the exam will feel tough and that's ok. Good luck tomorrow!
 
Your AAMC PT score is pretty good. While no one exam is a guarantee, going based on current data you seem poised to score competitively (510+). Any MCAT you take will expose some weaker areas and show strengths. At this point, take the exam, you literally have nothing to lose.

If the exam feels much much different and you have to randomly guess on a significant # of Qs or leave Qs blank due to being short on time, you can always void. Otherwise, the exam will feel tough and that's ok. Good luck tomorrow!

But I felt pretty terrible after taking this one though lol

Also I have bad timing issues.
 
If you're applying this year, take it now. Those are reasonable percentages. You took the exam, you dont need weeks to address timing. Do a cursory review of some material and relax.

Also, get off SDN.
 
Reread what you wrote; "verbal is easier on this one compared to real, very basic science knowledge became rusty for me, felt pretty terrible after taking this one, bad timing issues."
That doesn't sound you're ready. Plus, no one can tell you if you can do better or worse on MCAT because no one knows. Some score better on the real one than the practice, others bomb it.
why aren't you willing to take 2 year gap? it's better than bombing your test and having a low score on your file for the next 5 years.
There is nothing wrong with 1 or 2 or 3 gap years. The point is you're going to be a doctor, one year should not be this big of an issue.
I suggest that you don't rush. Take the exam later, apply next summer early, get accepted and be happy.
If you do take it, void it if you don't feel at the end (That would take 1 of your 7 allowed tries).
Good luck!
 
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Another gap year isn't necessarily a bad thing, you know. It's all from your perspective whether or not it's a good thing because adcoms don't seem to care as long as you make good use of your gap year (work, volunteer, etc.). Honestly, you may even enjoy taking a gap year, especially if you travel somewhere. I could possibly be starting medical school classes this year if it weren't for me taking some trips, but I don't regret it because it's helped me grow as an individual because I got to see cool things and learn more about the world. If I had to take another gap year, all I would do is work, volunteer, and travel; I would do it and not regret a thing.

Think about it. You will possibly invest a whole decade into your medical education. Medical school itself is 4 years and is mentally, emotionally, and physically demanding. It's not something you should rush into just because you feel impatient. You may not get another chance in your life to do things you could do during another gap year.
 
Would I be still late if I pre wrote all of my secondaries before my mcat score arrived in late September?
 
Would I be still late if I pre wrote all of my secondaries before my mcat score arrived in late September?

You would. However, it also depends on the school as well. I know that some people are able to apply late, and it does not always matter. Not all schools operate on rolling admissions, and you may have luck applying within your state since there are schools that are basically exclusive to state residents. However, one thing that you can be sure of is that you have less options than if you applied earlier. What's more important right now is your MCAT. If you feel you're ready to take the test, take it. If not, perhaps consider delaying. However, judging from your practice scores on each section, you should be able to score competitively on the exam. Only you know if you're ready or not, but be aware that no one really ever feels 100% ready for the exam.

Also, how do you pre-write secondaries? It's my understanding that you can't ever be sure what the secondaries will ask you about.

Anyway, like I said, don't rush into this. There's no harm in applying next year as long as you keep yourself busy. If you do decide to apply next year, just have all your information in AMCAS saved as a Word document and use that to help you fill in the information for next year's application when it becomes available. Get all your transcripts in ASAP and visit your adviser to look everything over one last time before submitting the first day that you are able to. If you do that, you'll be solid on your application cycle and should have no problem getting interviews/acceptances if you are competitive.
 
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