Studying more but scoring less

[Dr. AK]

Hi all,

I have noticed a freighting correlation over the past two weeks. For the PS section, it seems as though the more I study, the worse my scores get. During the exam, I feel like I understand the material, and can answer questions quite confidently. But I have been consistently going down in PS (Verbal and Biological are for the most part steady). I went from an 11, to a 9, and today an 8. Frankly, I don’t know how much more of this I can handle.

Also, is anyone having a problem finishing the sciences section in the allotted time? If so, any suggestions.

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[MahSpoon]

One of the biggest time waster is when you have to do mathematical calculations. Many times you should take a look at the answer choices before you spend 5 minutes chugging away at trying to solve an equation. Units can give away right and wrong answers or many times you have something like 8.02x10^23/4.01x10^50 you can see that only one answer has 2 as the coefficient, you don't even have to play around with the exponents.

Also, make sure you aren't wasting time trying to "understand" everything in the passage. Give it a once over and make note or potentially important figures but read the questions and go back. The MCAT gives a lot of useless information that is not asked about in hopes that you waste your time. Sneaky aren't they

What tests did you do that you got those scores? some are considered "harder" than others.

 

[daywalker]

I am in the same exact boat...I just started taking AAMC tests (previously taking Kaplan FL's) and my scores have plummetted, esp. verbal. I am freaking out because I have spent the entire summer studying and can't understand why I am now getting low 20's and not high 20's like before. It may just be mental, because I let one bad score get me down. But now I am really scared for the real thing. What do you guys think?

 

[ssquared]

I'm having the same problem....last weekend my kaplan FL was 4 points higher than the one I took yesterday

However, yesterday the room was probably around 95 degrees (apparently AC doesn't exist in that building?!) and I was worried because my dog was getting an x-ray since the vet found a tumor...

(but my puppy's fine! it's ok! )

I'm going to take an AAMC full-length tomorrow...hopefully my score will go back up now that my distractions are minimized!

 

[VRK]

hey dr. AK,

it at least feels good to see someone else going thru the same thing...not that i'm saying this is something to feel happy about. but u get the opint. so...here's my situation that i'll share with you:

i've taken aamcas exams 3R - 8...and my scores have gone from 20, 23, 28, 26, 25, and 22, respectively....i've gone in this bell-shaped curve as you can see...and honestly, i dk why. i took the MCAT's before and got a 23...10 PS, 4 VR, 9 BS...didn't geti nto med school...obviously b/c of my crappy verbal score. but when i studied that time...i didn't get anything higher than 7's and 8's on PS and BS...(those were kaplan AND aamcas exams then...) but then suddenly on the real mcat..i ddi much better...at least on PS and BS....which surprised me a lot.

this time im' studying...and i got up to a 11 on PS and 9 on BS and 9 on VR. those were my highest individual scores, on separate tests. so im' hoping, maybe this time the MCAT will really go welll...b/c i'm doing a lot better than before.

i honeslty think we're prolly mentaly tired from all this..b/c we studied our asses off during the summer. and at least for me, when i was taking those practice exams...some weekends i just didn't feel like taking it...but i forced myslef to finish it either way...so i'm sure as hell that had an effect. and my friends who took the mcat before said dont' worry about hte overall scores...just think of your best score and go from there. b/c that just means, you did get to that point one way or another. plus..we're only giving us 10 minutes b/w each section to "rest up"...but on the real mcat..it'll prolly be more like 20 min's or even 25 min's "resting up" b/c the proctors read all the directions, collect, and distribute those exams...which will take a lot of time, which also means our minds will get a lot more mental, breathing room.

so at this point, we just need to relax...b/c honestly...we DO know this stuff...we did all the preparation we can right?? so why wouldn't it go well?? it should! and it WILL!! i went thru this same period in the last 2 weeks...so depressed i tell you....many nites of just tears. but i think i got out of it now, and i'm pumped, and i am thinking...all we can do now is just be confidant.

i hope this helps you out! and don't worry! there are people out there feeling your pain!! let's be confidant and get thru this one week!! good luck!!


--VRK

 

[Dr. AK]

One of the biggest time waster is when you have to do mathematical calculations. Many times you should take a look at the answer choices before you spend 5 minutes chugging away at trying to solve an equation. Units can give away right and wrong answers or many times you have something like 8.02x10^23/4.01x10^50 you can see that only one answer has 2 as the coefficient, you don't even have to play around with the exponents.

Also, make sure you aren't wasting time trying to "understand" everything in the passage. Give it a once over and make note or potentially important figures but read the questions and go back. The MCAT gives a lot of useless information that is not asked about in hopes that you waste your time. Sneaky aren't they

What tests did you do that you got those scores? some are considered "harder" than others.

Thus far I have taken approximatly 10 full lenghts, but only started "grading" them with AAMC 4. So 4 was an 11, 5 was a 9, and 6 was an 8.

BTW, great advice on timing for the science sections. Thanks

 

[Dr. AK]

hey dr. AK,

it at least feels good to see someone else going thru the same thing...not that i'm saying this is something to feel happy about. but u get the opint. so...here's my situation that i'll share with you:

i've taken aamcas exams 3R - 8...and my scores have gone from 20, 23, 28, 26, 25, and 22, respectively....i've gone in this bell-shaped curve as you can see...and honestly, i dk why. i took the MCAT's before and got a 23...10 PS, 4 VR, 9 BS...didn't geti nto med school...obviously b/c of my crappy verbal score. but when i studied that time...i didn't get anything higher than 7's and 8's on PS and BS...(those were kaplan AND aamcas exams then...) but then suddenly on the real mcat..i ddi much better...at least on PS and BS....which surprised me a lot.

this time im' studying...and i got up to a 11 on PS and 9 on BS and 9 on VR. those were my highest individual scores, on separate tests. so im' hoping, maybe this time the MCAT will really go welll...b/c i'm doing a lot better than before.

i honeslty think we're prolly mentaly tired from all this..b/c we studied our asses off during the summer. and at least for me, when i was taking those practice exams...some weekends i just didn't feel like taking it...but i forced myslef to finish it either way...so i'm sure as hell that had an effect. and my friends who took the mcat before said dont' worry about hte overall scores...just think of your best score and go from there. b/c that just means, you did get to that point one way or another. plus..we're only giving us 10 minutes b/w each section to "rest up"...but on the real mcat..it'll prolly be more like 20 min's or even 25 min's "resting up" b/c the proctors read all the directions, collect, and distribute those exams...which will take a lot of time, which also means our minds will get a lot more mental, breathing room.

so at this point, we just need to relax...b/c honestly...we DO know this stuff...we did all the preparation we can right?? so why wouldn't it go well?? it should! and it WILL!! i went thru this same period in the last 2 weeks...so depressed i tell you....many nites of just tears. but i think i got out of it now, and i'm pumped, and i am thinking...all we can do now is just be confidant.

i hope this helps you out! and don't worry! there are people out there feeling your pain!! let's be confidant and get thru this one week!! good luck!!


--VRK

Hay VRK,

Thanks for the words of encourgment. I needed that.

 

[pufferfish]

Hay VRK,

Thanks for the words of encourgment. I needed that.

I am with you guys, and suffered a SEVERE (7 point) drop going from Kaplan to AAMC tests. I'm now in the low 20's. But, I have to go in Saturday convincing myself that I know this material. My lowest scores have been over the past three weeks when my studying has been at its highest... all!

 

[Brandon81081]

Vrk....special thanks for the words of encouragement. Im in the 20-24 camp. So hopefully i will get the "easy" test form on test day. I sure worked my butt off for a 30+ score...but i will be happy with a 24 at this point

 

[tch001]

Note to everyone whose scores are going down: BEWARE OF MCAT BURN OUT!

Two weeks before the April exam my scores plummeted to the same as my diagnsotic and I started freaking out! The best advice I got was to chill out, get enough sleep, and only start studying again when I felt fully rested and calm. I also did not study AT ALL for 2 full days before the test. I was calm and not burnt out on test day and my score reflects that, thank god! So if your score is inexplicably going down you might need to step away from your prep books and practice tests for awhile. Just my two cents.

Good luck!

 

[VRK]

Note to everyone whose scores are going down: BEWARE OF MCAT BURN OUT!

Two weeks before the April exam my scores plummeted to the same as my diagnsotic and I started freaking out! The best advice I got was to chill out, get enough sleep, and only start studying again when I felt fully rested and calm. I also did not study AT ALL for 2 full days before the test. I was calm and not burnt out on test day and my score reflects that, thank god! So if your score is inexplicably going down you might need to step away from your prep books and practice tests for awhile. Just my two cents.

Good luck!

tch001,

may i ask, what were your diagnostic scores?? and excellent job on your mcat's!!!

 

[VRK]

hey everyone,

i'm glad i'm making people feel better! we can do this!! i'm hoping to god, taht on test day, i will do well...i'm trying to stay calm and trying to relax...and hopefully this will work. b/c if this many people can do well on the mcat's?! why can't we?! what makes us so different from the people scoring well?! NOTHING, right?!?! daamn right!! b/c why?! we will score well too!!!

good luck to all!!



--VRK

 

[poly800rock]

hey everyone,

i'm glad i'm making people feel better! we can do this!! i'm hoping to god, taht on test day, i will do well...i'm trying to stay calm and trying to relax...and hopefully this will work. b/c if this many people can do well on the mcat's?! why can't we?! what makes us so different from the people scoring well?! NOTHING, right?!?! daamn right!! b/c why?! we will score well too!!!

good luck to all!!



--VRK

your avatar is amazing

 

[pufferfish]

same boat here too. Pray like crazy and feel like I need a miracle on saturday.
Kaplan fl #1 24
#2 27
#3 26
#4 26
#5 24 Damn

aamc #3 23
#4 24
#5 26
#6 26
#7 25 Damn

I hope God helps us like with an increase to get at least a 30. HOPING AND PRAYING...........

to us all

 

[spreebee]

I've noticed a tactic that seems to bring my ps and bio up 1-2... When taking the ps if you are better at chemistry do all the chemistry passages first, then do physics. Same thing with bio, breeze through the bio passages first if you struggle with orgo and get the "easy ones done." I found myself having almost 25-30 minutes left to do the last two passages of each section. Plus, you have more time to focus on the area that's harder for you...Hope this helps....

 

[tch001]

tch001,

may i ask, what were your diagnostic scores?? and excellent job on your mcat's!!!

first diagnostic with TPR was a 26, then I ranged from 24-30 on the rest of the TPR practice tests and AAMC 5-8. Two weeks before the test I got a 26 because I was burnt out and needed a break. Got the 30 the week before the test and it was the only time I broke into the 30s on a practice test. 34 on the real thing, so don't give up hope everyone! it can happen! remember to get a good nights sleep two nights before the test in case you can't sleep at all the actual night before (like me!)

 

[poly800rock]

first diagnostic with TPR was a 26, then I ranged from 24-30 on the rest of the TPR practice tests and AAMC 5-8. Two weeks before the test I got a 26 because I was burnt out and needed a break. Got the 30 the week before the test and it was the only time I broke into the 30s on a practice test. 34 on the real thing, so don't give up hope everyone! it can happen! remember to get a good nights sleep two nights before the test in case you can't sleep at all the actual night before (like me!)

i meant to say your avatar is the best, wawa is amazing

 

[tus]

Note to everyone whose scores are going down: BEWARE OF MCAT BURN OUT!

Two weeks before the April exam my scores plummeted to the same as my diagnsotic and I started freaking out! The best advice I got was to chill out, get enough sleep, and only start studying again when I felt fully rested and calm. I also did not study AT ALL for 2 full days before the test. I was calm and not burnt out on test day and my score reflects that, thank god! So if your score is inexplicably going down you might need to step away from your prep books and practice tests for awhile. Just my two cents.

Good luck!

Wow, I can't believe that someone's thinking the same thing. This was the exactly the same thing I was going to do before the real MCAT. I asked my superviser to take two days off before MCAT just to relax and not study at all. Because I feel like I'm so burned out.. my scores are bell-shaped too, I think I'll spend those two days meeting my friends and getting stuffs ready for MCAT(like taking picture for the card thing)

and thanks so much for advice VRK. I gained so much encouragement