Should I take the mcat or wait???

[jessica07]

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I'm supposed to take the MCAT on April 10th (9 days till mcat). I haven't studied as much as I would have liked and I don't feel very confident about taking it. I don't know if I should take the MCAT and see what I make or take it and void my score since I can't change my test date. Any opinions???

 

[MintJulep]

I would take it.. and then, if you feel you did well, get it marked. But if you don't feel confident, void. Whatever you do, go write it since it's too late to get your money back. Use it as an experience.

 

[Oncoloman]

I would take it.. and then, if you feel you did well, get it marked. But if you don't feel confident, void. Whatever you do, go write it since it's too late to get your money back. Use it as an experience.

Yeah that is your best bet. Dont let those guys get your 220! The real MCAT experience is bar none...Take it already!

 

[SN2ed]

Take the test since you can't get a refund. However, whether or not you get your test scored should be based solely on your practice test scores.

 

[NYR56]

Take the test since you can't get a refund. However, whether or not you get your test scored should be based solely on your practice test scores.

This. If your AAMC scores are bad, I don't care how well you "think" you did on the real MCAT, don't score it. An easy test doesn't mean a high score and vice versa. If you are satisfied with your AAMC scores then you might want to score it.

 

[StarryNights]

This. If your AAMC scores are bad, I don't care how well you "think" you did on the real MCAT, don't score it. An easy test doesn't mean a high score and vice versa. If you are satisfied with your AAMC scores then you might want to score it.

Yup. Feelings are so bad to go on. Most likely you'll feel horrible about it afterwards, but even if you feel good about it, it's not really reliable to go on. I know several people who felt the Jan MCAT was easy and yet did bad; this is probably due to not taking enough practice tests to correctly gauge their performances. Better to trust your AAMC score average unless something horrible happened.

 

[ksmi117]

This. If your AAMC scores are bad, I don't care how well you "think" you did on the real MCAT, don't score it. An easy test doesn't mean a high score and vice versa. If you are satisfied with your AAMC scores then you might want to score it.

There's practically no way to know how you scored by a feeling. Decide beforehand whether you want to score it or void it. If you decide to have it scored, you can always void if you feel horrible about it. I just wouldn't score the test if you weren't planning on it based on your practice test scores. Better safe than sorry, I guess.

 

[MDminded]

I found myself in a similar predicament back in January. The week before the exam, I got a low AAMC score and freaked out. I had been studying for months arduously, and my score was well below my desire. I then KNEW I had to take the exam later (good decision) and that left me with the option to void or not void. Trust me, having voided was a SMART move. I did not have any anxiety when I DID take the test for real because I knew what to expect. I knew how to get to my location, I knew what kind of snacks other people brought, I understood how breaks worked, I knew other people in the same room as me were not taking the MCAT...it just all worked in my favor. Not to mention it was BEAUTIFUL outside when I took the exam, so I got to enjoy the post-MCAT afternoon.

Voiding IS a good idea, especially if you find that you're not mentally ready for the exam. Don't convince yourself that you are - just take the test this Saturday (that'll scare you into studying harder) and register for another test date the week after. Accurately gauge how dedicated you'll be towards your studying, and make a decision based on that.

But if you're not feeling it today, then don't do it in a week. You've already killed the confidence you need to start and end the test with.

 

[J ROD]

There's practically no way to know how you scored by a feeling.

I beg to differ...I was right on and should have voided teh first time because it was as bad as I thought...actually worse..

Second time, I called me score...

 

[jessica07]

Thank you everyone! You've been a lot of help.

 

[ksmi117]

I beg to differ...I was right on and should have voided teh first time because it was as bad as I thought...actually worse..

Second time, I called me score...

If you knew you did poorly, why didn't you void?

What I'm saying is that you can't go into a test thinking that you'll void but then decide to score it because it felt good. You don't know how the test will be curved, etc. Plus, if you go in thinking that you'll void, you won't be as nervous, which in my experience means you aren't as on top of things or as careful.

 

[J ROD]

If you knew you did poorly, why didn't you void?

What I'm saying is that you can't go into a test thinking that you'll void but then decide to score it because it felt good. You don't know how the test will be curved, etc. Plus, if you go in thinking that you'll void, you won't be as nervous, which in my experience means you aren't as on top of things or as careful.

because when I was new to this, everyone said to score it since it is hard to know what you did....everyone thinks they did badly and then do the same.

I learned the lesson that I do know myself and there is no curve.....just pray for one of those reasonable MCATs and not a killer!!

There are harder versions and I dont care what folks say about the curve works it all out...the MCAT is not truly standardized...

 

[JustinG]

How many times a year can you void your score? I know you can only take the mcat 3 times, but can you in theory void all 3 times (and waste $$$)?