Studying Tips

[TheMotivator]

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Hey,

I have been taking the Kaplan On-demand course and have been studying at my own pace. I was studying Biology for the past 2 months, 5 days a week, about 3-4 hours per day and upon completion of studying the workshops, doing the quizzes, and reading the chapters, I ended up getting a 16/40, 40% on Subject Test 1 of Biology.

I have 5 subject tests for Biology and way more material (section tests, full length tests, etc) However, in this type of case, what should I do? Read the chapters all over and re-take notes all over? Or should I just read the questions that I got wrong and focus on that section?

Also, a 16/40, 40%, is that like getting a 40% on the actual Biology section on the OAT?

Thanks.

 

[PinkCupcake]

According to the official practice OAT offered by the AOA, a 16/40 on the biology section would be equivalent to a 260 on the actual test.

 

[TheMotivator]

Thanks. So I am very far from my goal, but is the grading scale with the AOA's practice test accurate? I heard that the OAT is curved.

I guess I will be reviewing the questions that I have gotten wrong on the subject tests, rather then reviewing all of the Biology Chapters back again.

 

[optomgirl578]

I think you should definitely focus on the questions you got wrong and go over each of them, because the fact that you got them wrong in the first place means that you were unsure and most likely not familiar enough with that particular topic and need to brush up on it. Refer to your kaplan book to cover that topic again and make sure you FULLY understand it so that in the future, if a similar question pops up, you will have knowledge on that topic and be able to figure out the correct answer. I would also suggest keeping a notebook for biology so that you can jot down facts and concepts that you feel are important/worth memorizing. This way you can easily refer to your notebook to review concepts. Or you can try making flash cards, do whatever works best for you...Good luck!

 

[PinkCupcake]

Thanks. So I am very far from my goal, but is the grading scale with the AOA's practice test accurate? I heard that the OAT is curved.

I guess I will be reviewing the questions that I have gotten wrong on the subject tests, rather then reviewing all of the Biology Chapters back again.

If by "curved" you mean rounded then yes, the OAT is curved. For example, if your AA came out a weird number like 316 (after everything is taken and averaged) then they would round it up to 320.

 

[TheMotivator]

Hey guys,

Well,

Two days of re-studying my weak areas and I saw improvement on Kaplans Biology Subject Test 1.

First attempt, 16/40

Second attempt, 22/40

According to the AOA's unofficial practice test:

First attempt, 260
Second attempt, 300


My goal is still a bit more though Lol

Anyone been through what I am going through?

 

[TheMotivator]

So, I just took Kaplans Biology Subject Test 2 and got a 22/40 on my first attempt.

My score didn't improve nor decrease compared to Biology Subject Test 1, in which I also got a 22/40. According to the AOA unofficial practice OAT test, this converts to a 300.

 

[TheMotivator]

Hey guys,

I need some studying tips from those that did well on Biology on the OAT. So it's been 1.5 that I have been studying Biology with Kaplan. I end up taking the subject quizzes followed by the workshops and I do well. Then when I take the subject tests, which covers all of the chapters of Biology, I forget all the concepts! 😡

I spend so much time, believe it or not, so many hours studying every-week and I stay away from distractions, yet I end up forgettting the concepts when it comes to taking the final subject tests. What can I do to like help myself retain the information? Imagine me going up to section of Physics or my last section of study and I end up forgetting the concepts. I need to find a way to like retain all the information up until test day.