Taking PCAT in August

[chiko]

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Hello,
I'am taking the PCAT in August. I've started preparing for it. Just wanted to know who else is taking the PCAT in August.
I'am using Kaplan, Barron, Flash cards book. After reading the June PCAT-ers posts, I'am thinking of reviewing my chemistry, maths and biology textbooks. Hope to prepare well as this is my first standardized test here in US. How are you all preparing? Thanks.

 

[AMO69657]

Barrons and Cliffs practice tests. Need to find an organic chem book to re-learn/review my stuff. How many hours a week are you guys studying?

 

[chiko]

I'am studying atleast 2 hrs during weekdays, doing the practice tests from the study guides. I have to start reviewing my textbooks soon. Maybe in July, I'll start studying during weekends too.

 

[RxINform]

Started about a month ago, and have almost gone through the Kaplan book once, but I haven't been studying everyday. I had been doing 1-2 sections of the book a day (or more depending on the length of the sections), but I got sidetracked the past couple weeks. I also have my organic text and Calculus for Dummies because I have not taken calc yet. Unfortunately, math is my weak point so I may have to pick up an additional book because it sounds like that section is giving people fits.

I was concerned about the chemistry but having gone through some chem it has come back to me pretty quick so I am feeling alright-for now. I think I am going to study some word roots or summin' eventually for the verbal.

probably between 6 and 8 hours a week right now.

 

[Pharmaddict]

Yeah I'll be taking it in August! I will studying for it from tomorrow... Kinda of nervous about the test! Hey guys, what books do you recommend apart from Kaplan (already have that) and Barron. I really need to improve my verbal ability section... get really messed up at that.... any advices????

 

[manutdmax]

Yeah I'll be taking it in August! I will studying for it from tomorrow... Kinda of nervous about the test! Hey guys, what books do you recommend apart from Kaplan (already have that) and Barron. I really need to improve my verbal ability section... get really messed up at that.... any advices????

am taking the exam in october...using kaplan book and internet sources...for the verbal i will study the 200 GRE words from kaplan too..i think its the best source

 

[AMO69657]

am taking the exam in october...using kaplan book and internet sources...for the verbal i will study the 200 GRE words from kaplan too..i think its the best source

Where did you find the 200 gre words from kaplan at

 

[manutdmax]

Where did you find the 200 gre words from kaplan at

you can look at barnes and nobles..its like a small book contains very good vocabulary and roots...GRE words..maybe they did change it but the contents should be the same

 

[firstgeneration]

Hello,
I'am taking the PCAT in August. I've started preparing for it. Just wanted to know who else is taking the PCAT in August.
I'am using Kaplan, Barron, Flash cards book. After reading the June PCAT-ers posts, I'am thinking of reviewing my chemistry, maths and biology textbooks. Hope to prepare well as this is my first standardized test here in US. How are you all preparing? Thanks.

I am too, although I am choosing to take the kaplan course in a classroom because I would like to see if I can do better. I don't really like the idea of studying online so much since I have take some online classes already and I didn't really like it.

 

[Wan2BPharmD]

Same here. Taking the August PCAT and start my classroom Kaplan course next week. I'm PRAYING that the August PCAT is early enough for Early Decision.....if it is, I know it's cutting it REAL CLOSE.

 

[nerv12345]

i'm taking it in august as well as october 👍

started the kaplan classroom course last week..i hope it helps me

 

[xshooshix]

I have waaay too many sources:

1. Barrons
2. EK for Bio and Orgo (this one is coming in the mail, and considering i'm not familiar with anything outside nomenclature and VERY simple oxidative reactions)
3. Cliff Notes Microbiology
4. Cliff Notes 5 Practice PCAT Tests
5. Kaplan's MCAT (library)
5. Calculus for Dummies (library)
6. I just started the Kaplan class on Monday and learned something new.

I am doing research and the same time studying for my PCAT... it's really hard to juggle between reading articles/typing a paper and reading Kaplan's book. I've gone through 65% of their biology flashcards that they have given when you sign up for the class. Now that I started the class, I feel like i've been hitting the books on a 5+ hr average a day in comparision to 6-8 hours a week.

 

[jojo99]

Just the Kaplan book for 2007 and using hte kaplan biological sciences book to study for organic.

 

[tkhamed]

😕
im taking the pcat in august too... i must be procrastinating in studying cuz you all started way earlier than i did, im using the kaplan book, and studying every night about 2 hrs... chemistry is my hardest subject... i had a question though... someone said that they were hoping to do early decision and be able to get the scores in from the aug exam on time... but i thought that even if ur taking the aug exam, the scores take 4-5 weeks, so it would never get to pharmCAS on time for early decision??? did i read it wrong, or maybe ur mistaken

 

[nerv12345]

UPDATE:
i dropped the kaplan classroom course and got my refund

i am now studying with ExamKrackers. the kaplan book is useless 🙄

 

[Chokita]

the kaplan book is useless 🙄

I came up to the same conclusion after I took my test in June. I spent a lot of time with this book and on 70% it was worthless.🙁 Most of the problems in Kaplan require time, that is why you are not going to see them on the PCAT.

 

[CaliRx]

I came up to the same conclusion after I took my test in June. I spent a lot of time with this book and on 70% it was worthless.🙁 Most of the problems in Kaplan require time, that is why you are not going to see them on the PCAT.

I know! I have no idea what to think. Kaplan is my main source and I was doing practice problems out of the chemistry section and it took me at least two minutes to do one problem. I had to calculate the MW then do a whole conversion and then convert it back. And this is just one of the simpler questions. Is it really like that on the actual pcat or can u actually finish a problem in 30 sec?

 

[binghamkid]

You should be able to do those questions in less than a minute. What's the question ( in general terms)?

 

[CaliRx]

You should be able to do those questions in less than a minute. What's the question ( in general terms)?

Determine the molecular formula and calculate the percent composition of each element present in nicotine, which has an empirical formula of C5H7N.


This question is easy BUT I don't think it can be done in less then a minute.

 

[think]

hey
i have been studying with kaplan book and i think it is very tough. i took the hartcourt pcat practice and i got a 88% on the bio, at that time i had only finished the bio part of the book ...so i did think it helped me (before studying i got a VERY low score)

and now i am on the chem and it seems very tough so many problems need long calculations....

if u guys have taken the pcat before what types of problems are on the real pcat in chem? long calculations or theory based?

im really getting worried now abt the chem ....

 

[binghamkid]

Determine the molecular formula and calculate the percent composition of each element present in nicotine, which has an empirical formula of C5H7N.


This question is easy BUT I don't think it can be done in less then a minute.

What's the answer choices? You have to remember that yes, if you were to brute-force the question, it would take you longer than a minute. However, if you were to use all your testtaking skills, you should be able to eliminate answers.

I don't know if they give you a diagram, but if they don't, then the question is even easier because now they're testing you on two things here:

1) What is the relationship between an empirical formula and molecular formula? (empirical formula is the simplified version of the molecular formula, so you know that nicotine's molecula formula must equals some number * C5H7N, so you can already cancel all answers which this doesn't validate)

2) How do you calculate percentage composition of each element. Again here, you don't have to bruteforce the calculation. First think about what you have. You have Carbon, which has an atomic mass of 12. Hydrogen, atomic number of 1, and nitrogen, which is 14. (If you don't know these values are exactly, it's ok, you should still be able to guestimate that carbon has roughly 10 times more than hydrogen, and nitrogen has a little more than carbon.) 12*5 is 60 for carbon, 7 for hydrogen, and 14 for nitrogen. You can round those values to 60, 10, 10, keeping in mind that the hydrogen is overestimated, and nitrogen is underestimated. if you do the fractions after that 60/80 is 3/4 or 75% roughly for carbon, 10/80 = less than 12.5% hydrogen, and 10/80 = more than 12.5% nitrogen. Since you've already likely eliminated 1 or 2 answers from the previous part, you can easily figure out which one of the remaining two has a reasonable answer (for example, if one of your answer puts hydrogen as 47%, you know it's not possible.)

It sounds a bit complicated, but if you adjust your way of thinking and utilize all the skills you have, you can often get away with very little actual calculation. Note how I was less interested in obtaining an exact numerical number as opposed to finding a ballpark figure that allowed me to eliminate answers.

For the record, CaliRX, i did the % composition part of the question in 40 seconds and that's without answers to eliminate.

 

[Chokita]

if u guys have taken the pcat before what types of problems are on the real pcat in chem? long calculations or theory based?

I would say it is more about understanding conceptions. Some questions were about reactions, like what will be a product of the following reaction.

 

[CaliRx]

What's the answer choices? You have to remember that yes, if you were to brute-force the question, it would take you longer than a minute. However, if you were to use all your testtaking skills, you should be able to eliminate answers.

I don't know if they give you a diagram, but if they don't, then the question is even easier because now they're testing you on two things here:

1) What is the relationship between an empirical formula and molecular formula? (empirical formula is the simplified version of the molecular formula, so you know that nicotine's molecula formula must equals some number * C5H7N, so you can already cancel all answers which this doesn't validate)

2) How do you calculate percentage composition of each element. Again here, you don't have to bruteforce the calculation. First think about what you have. You have Carbon, which has an atomic mass of 12. Hydrogen, atomic number of 1, and nitrogen, which is 14. (If you don't know these values are exactly, it's ok, you should still be able to guestimate that carbon has roughly 10 times more than hydrogen, and nitrogen has a little more than carbon.) 12*5 is 60 for carbon, 7 for hydrogen, and 14 for nitrogen. You can round those values to 60, 10, 10, keeping in mind that the hydrogen is overestimated, and nitrogen is underestimated. if you do the fractions after that 60/80 is 3/4 or 75% roughly for carbon, 10/80 = less than 12.5% hydrogen, and 10/80 = more than 12.5% nitrogen. Since you've already likely eliminated 1 or 2 answers from the previous part, you can easily figure out which one of the remaining two has a reasonable answer (for example, if one of your answer puts hydrogen as 47%, you know it's not possible.)

It sounds a bit complicated, but if you adjust your way of thinking and utilize all the skills you have, you can often get away with very little actual calculation. Note how I was less interested in obtaining an exact numerical number as opposed to finding a ballpark figure that allowed me to eliminate answers.

For the record, CaliRX, i did the % composition part of the question in 40 seconds and that's without answers to eliminate.

Ok, I see your approach. It seems a lot better then what I was doing-calculating it all out which takes a while. Thanks binghamkid! Let me try to approach the questions the way you explained it.