CARS Testing Solutions' 30 Day Guide to MCAT CARS Success

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@TestingSolutions Hello, have you commented on if you think NextStep 108 is a good additional resource? Thanks.
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@tarheel1234 - I haven't taken them so I can't say from personal experience. I had originally intended on taking them, but I head so much negative stuff about them that I decided it wasn't worth my time. Here's the link to their Amazon reviews: Amazon product ASIN B06VT5DG7N
I've heard a general consensus that the questions don't resemble the AAMC questions that well which is an instant rejection in my book. With that said, if you've got the money and time, what do you have to lose to check out a couple? If you don't have a ton of money or time, I'd recommend one of the more standard options like the old EK101 book (the new one is terrible) or a TPR Hyperlearning book.

If you end up trying it, please let us know what you think! Best of luck on your MCAT!
 
Hi, Thanks for putting this guide together, it's a great introduction to an overwhelming new topic and I really appreciate the work that went into it. I'm currently in week 2 and have a couple questions:

1. How can I assess whether or not my scores per passage are good? Is 1 question wrong per passage a good score or are high scorers typically getting perfect on most passages? I'm a bit confused about how to estimate scaled scores based on percentages.

2. I'm finding I often finish passages with 3-4 minutes left of the time. When i do the passages timed individually I go back to the questions with the extra time and double check my answers however within the actual test scenario I feel like this won't be practical. Do you have any tips on how to better spend time on the first pass through the passage?

Thanks!
 
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Hi Nick,

I have a question about Day 6 of the 30 day guide.

For the example below:

2) Either you or I have to scrub the tub, and I’m not going to be the one to do it.

Implication – This argument shows an implication at its very best. What is implied by this argument? Well if I’m not going to scrub the tub, and if only you or I can scrub the tub, what’s the necessary, unstated conclusion? You’re going to scrub the tub.

You had said that Implication is defined as: An implication is a necessary but unstated conclusion of the argument. It has to be true in all cases for it to be an implication. Implications are EXTERNAL applications of the argument to new situations or conditions outside of the argument. (e.g. Since burritos are better than pizza and more people eat burritos, we should open a burrito stand instead of a pizza parlour.)

But how is that implication that you wrote up top an EXTERNAL application. It's more so an unstated internal INFERENCE? Isn't it?

Can you please clarify how it would be an implication?

Thank you so much in advance!
 
Hey there,

Thank you so much for this guide. This may have been answered in this thread somewhere but since it's 14 pages long.. here it is:

During the actual MCAT, do we wait to return to the passage for flagged questions until the entire 9 passages are done being answered? Or should we take it a passage at a time where we read the passage, answer the 5-7 questions without returning to the passage, and then return to the passage to confirm answers until we are confident in our answers before moving onto the next passage?

I was struggling with this during my actual practice MCAT today and ended up getting flustered and kinda bombing that section. Let me know please and thanks!
 
Reading speed would not be a problem only if I can grasp what the passage is saying.
Sometimes, the sentence structure and the wording is so obscure, that it takes me several glances to understand only a fraction of what the author is trying to say. By this time, the 4-minute pace for reading is ruined.
🙁
 
MNR647 said:
Hi, Thanks for putting this guide together, it's a great introduction to an overwhelming new topic and I really appreciate the work that went into it. I'm currently in week 2 and have a couple questions:

1. How can I assess whether or not my scores per passage are good? Is 1 question wrong per passage a good score or are high scorers typically getting perfect on most passages? I'm a bit confused about how to estimate scaled scores based on percentages.

2. I'm finding I often finish passages with 3-4 minutes left of the time. When i do the passages timed individually I go back to the questions with the extra time and double check my answers however within the actual test scenario I feel like this won't be practical. Do you have any tips on how to better spend time on the first pass through the passage?

Thanks!
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Great questions and thank you for your kind words 🙂

1) Not all passages are created equally, so it's difficult to say what a "good score" would be. It really depends on the difficulty of the passage. Some easy passages, the majority of students will get 5 out of 5 or 6 out of 6 on, while the hardest CARS passages, students might get 4 out of 6, or even 3 out of 6 and that would be a "good score" on such a difficult passage. I think your best bet, is to not worry about how you're scoring, as little as possible early on in your study, and then after a few weeks of concentrated CARS practice, to take 5 or 6 AAMC CARS passages (the Qbanks are great for this). These passages will give you a decent insight into how you're doing.

2) Are you saying you have 3 to 4 minutes to spare per passage? That would be moving quite quickly through the passage/questions if that's the case. I'd recommend that you spend a little more time while reading the passage. Maybe try pausing after each paragraph you read and asking yourself what the main point was of that paragraph. This will certainly help when you get to the questions. It will also help you gain a better idea of the structure of the passage. Beyond that, I think it's fine to end the test "early." Use the mark button on any questions you're not certain of (at least 75% sure you're right). Then use the "Review Marked" feature on the test. I think it can actually be useful to come back to questions later in the test, as sometimes you'll see them from a new angle or will draw a connection you didn't see before that will help you get unstuck and find the right answer.

Keep us updated on your progress! Best of luck!
 
tarheel1234 said:
@TestingSolutions Do you have an opinion on the newest TBR CARS book? Thanks.
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That's actually on my list of books to check out. I'll update my review of resources guide with my thoughts. I still stand by the older resources of the EK101 verbal book, the TBR old verbal book, and then of course, I'm a big fan of our passages too 🙂

But I haven't heard a lot about the TBR CARS book, although their other resources are pretty great.

Best of luck!
 
EastSide said:
Reading speed would not be a problem only if I can grasp what the passage is saying.
Sometimes, the sentence structure and the wording is so obscure, that it takes me several glances to understand only a fraction of what the author is trying to say. By this time, the 4-minute pace for reading is ruined.
🙁
Click to expand...

This is a pretty common problem. I have two homework assignments for you.

1) This is a post we wrote about what to do when you encounter a difficult passage.

2) Day 3 – Reviewing/ Timing This is a post where we talk about reading speed. For most test takers, reading speed isn't actually the primary issue. It's a mixture of going back to the passage too often while answering the questions and reading and rereading the passage.

Let us know what you think of these two posts and if there are any other questions we can answer. A lot of people have similar issues. Just keep up the practice. You'll get there!
 
TestingSolutions said:
This is a pretty common problem. I have two homework assignments for you.

1) This is a post we wrote about what to do when you encounter a difficult passage.

2) Day 3 – Reviewing/ Timing This is a post where we talk about reading speed. For most test takers, reading speed isn't actually the primary issue. It's a mixture of going back to the passage too often while answering the questions and reading and rereading the passage.

Let us know what you think of these two posts and if there are any other questions we can answer. A lot of people have similar issues. Just keep up the practice. You'll get there!
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Just read the post and downloaded the Sheet for Review!
For some reason, reading through your posts calms me down.
Looking over the sheet shows me how inefficiently I reviewed my CARS passage. I was simply too lazy. Thanks for the guideline!

I took a Kaplan CARS class and it felt utterly useless. They focused so much on small details of argument structure/if-then/etc. Most of the time, I had no idea why I was doing those mini-exercises. Was never taught how to connect what we learned to real MCAT passages (learning was extremely fragmented). Also, never learned how to review the wrong answers.


I have only 16 more days until the MCAT (June 1)
Just took a Kaplan FL yesterday a got a 125 on CARS.
Not aiming for a super competitive score. A 504-508 is my goal.

Wish I found this thread earlier ...

Extremely grateful for you and your brand/company.
Thanks!
 
TestingSolutions said:
Tips for Implication Questions:

– Use the Flip Test to evaluate a possible implication. Sometimes the MCAT makes it difficult to connect an implication outlined in an answer choice and the passage. It is often easier to flip the implication in the answer choice and try to connect it to the passage. For example, in a passage that discusses the inequality between those who own capital and those who don’t, it might be easier to see that an answer choice that says the author implies the relationship is predatory is correct when you flip it. What’s the opposite of a relationship that is predatory? Maybe something like beneficial? Is the author saying that the nature of the relationship is beneficial? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Thus, you can be pretty sure that you’ve got the correct answer choice. Answer choices which do not contain an implication of the passage will make as little sense when flipped as they do when not.
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Hello.
I can't quite grasp the extent of the "Flip Test".
Could you please elaborate or provide further examples regarding the Flip Test?
Sounds like a cool tool to use during the exam;
can't wait to hear back!
Thanks!
 
Hello, I would like some advice if possible.

I have been doing 3 cars passages everyday, but have not been timing them. It usually takes me about 50 minutes to do 3 passages and then I review. I found this post like 2 days ago and tried to do the timing strategy, but I could not finish reading my passages in 4 minutes. I also had developed the bad habit of going back and forth to the passage and when I couldn't do this anymore while answering the questions, my score sank. I was usually getting at most 2 wrong per passage when I would do them untimed. I feel like I wasted so much time doing them untimed and now my scores are so low now that I'm trying to do them under timed conditions. I was considering taking my test within the next two months. Do you think that I can turn this around if I start now with the 30 day boot camp? I know that you start off doing 1 passage per day, is there a way that you can modify it for a 2 month span? Also, if I'm not even finishing the passages within the 4 minutes that is allotted, how can I improve that? I find myself rushing through the passage while I'm reading because I know I'm not finishing in time.
 
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Hey there,
I recently started the bootcamp and I am using the TPR 2015 CARS workbook. I was looking at the 90 day plan and I see that we eventually end up doing the full length tests, but I was wondering when we use the single passages ( 100 or so) that we are given as a part of this program.
 
Hi,
I started out with the NextStep 108 Verbal Passages book, and was wondering what your thoughts on that were? Ive been getting around 9-10 wrong per practice exam in that book.

Recently, I just did the testing solutions 1st practise full length and got 23 wrong. I feel that the passages are a lot harder than anything I've ever seen. What should I do?
 
Thanks for making this guide it's been super helpful as of recent, but in regards to timing I have been practicing and getting the hang of it, but I often struggle with getting the main idea right on some of the trickier passages. My scores tend to be quite extreme, scoring either near perfect, or 1-2 right. My exam is about a month away, do you have any advice?
 
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EastSide said:
Just read the post and downloaded the Sheet for Review!
For some reason, reading through your posts calms me down.
Looking over the sheet shows me how inefficiently I reviewed my CARS passage. I was simply too lazy. Thanks for the guideline!

I took a Kaplan CARS class and it felt utterly useless. They focused so much on small details of argument structure/if-then/etc. Most of the time, I had no idea why I was doing those mini-exercises. Was never taught how to connect what we learned to real MCAT passages (learning was extremely fragmented). Also, never learned how to review the wrong answers.


I have only 16 more days until the MCAT (June 1)
Just took a Kaplan FL yesterday a got a 125 on CARS.
Not aiming for a super competitive score. A 504-508 is my goal.

Wish I found this thread earlier ...

Extremely grateful for you and your brand/company.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Thank you for the kind words! I hope everything turns out okay. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help! Wishing you the very best!
 
EastSide said:
Hello.
I can't quite grasp the extent of the "Flip Test".
Could you please elaborate or provide further examples regarding the Flip Test?
Sounds like a cool tool to use during the exam;
can't wait to hear back!
Thanks!
Click to expand...

@EastSide - Ha! Sorry, I should have kept reading. I apologize for the slow response here. I'm currently doing Malaria research in Uganda and have limited access to the internet. I know your test date has already passed but in case this would still be useful I'll do my best to explain the "flip test." The flip test is based on the idea that sometimes the implications the CARS asks us to identify are not always the most obvious when we leave them in the language the test uses to describe them. But if we do a little of our own work, we might be able to see very clearly whether or not an implication from the passage holds. Say for example that an answer choice says that the author implies that institutions that lend money are essentially predatory at base. This might not be the most obvious implication of the passage or even all that clear. You might feel uncertain about the answer choice and end up having two that sound really good. The flip test asks you to take the opposite of the answer choice and see if that is implied. So in this case, does the author imply that institutions that lend money are essentially beneficial (the opposite of predatory) at base? This may or may not be helpful, but if you find yourself yelling "ABSOLUTELY NOT! The author is so clear that these institutions are not beneficial" you might well be on the way to realizing that the passage does indeed imply that they are predatory since you are so certain the author says they are not beneficial. Another way to think about the flip test is If I see a lot of food on the table at lunchtime, I'm thinking Nick hasn't come home yet. If I see the remnants of a sandwich and an empty chip bag, I bet Nick has come home, eaten lunch, and already left again.

Great question. Let us know if that doesn't clear it up and we can come up with more examples! Thanks!
 
chaoshood said:
Hi there,

I wanted to say thank you for making this information available. I was curious what your thoughts are on reading a passage twice? I am rewriting my mcat and last year I was able to read a passage twice and answer questions. I did poorly (124) but I believe that was attributed to the fact that I did nearly no passages a month before my exam and never reviewed my passages throughout my studying cycle. I did have good scoring days when I would read them twice... Highest being a 127.

Just wanted your input 🙂
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Thanks for the question! I'd recommend that you not read the passage twice. The reason for this is that doing so does not guarantee that you're actually engaging with the passage or even gaining more insight than if you had just read it once. If it takes you 4 minutes to read each passage once, that means you'll spend 8 minutes reading each passage, 8min * 9 passages is 72 minutes. You only have 90 minutes for the test. You simply can't do well on the CARS with only 18 minutes to answer 53 questions.

I think a better way for you to engage with the passage is to briefly pause after each paragraph and ask yourself what idea or word in that paragraph struck you as the most representative of the paragraph as a whole. It might even be a good idea to highlight that word or idea so as to give you a brief outline of the passage in highlights. With that said, don't highlight too much! The more you highlight the less you're actually highlighting for yourself (or said another way, you'll just end up with a passage that's in all yellow 🙂

Let us know how things are going! Wishing you the best!
 
Whatisthisabout said:
Hello, I would like some advice if possible.

I have been doing 3 cars passages everyday, but have not been timing them. It usually takes me about 50 minutes to do 3 passages and then I review. I found this post like 2 days ago and tried to do the timing strategy, but I could not finish reading my passages in 4 minutes. I also had developed the bad habit of going back and forth to the passage and when I couldn't do this anymore while answering the questions, my score sank. I was usually getting at most 2 wrong per passage when I would do them untimed. I feel like I wasted so much time doing them untimed and now my scores are so low now that I'm trying to do them under timed conditions. I was considering taking my test within the next two months. Do you think that I can turn this around if I start now with the 30 day boot camp? I know that you start off doing 1 passage per day, is there a way that you can modify it for a 2 month span? Also, if I'm not even finishing the passages within the 4 minutes that is allotted, how can I improve that? I find myself rushing through the passage while I'm reading because I know I'm not finishing in time.
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@Whatisthisabout - Howdy! Thanks for writing. I think you can definitely make it to a great CARS score in 2 months. I just heard from somebody who went from a 123 to a 127 in less than a month using our guide, so I think you can too! We offer the 4 minutes for reading the passage as a rough guide. It may take you longer, especially if you're used to taking 8 or 9 minutes. I'd recommend giving yourself 5 minutes. Set two timers. One for the total amount of time for the passage and the second for the 5 minutes you're going to give yourself for the passage. Once those 5 minutes are up, cover up the passage with another piece of paper. Don't allow yourself to go back. If you're taking the passages online, tape a piece of paper over that side of the screen. I promise you that after you do this two or three times and feel the pain of not being able to go back, you'll start moving more quickly through the passages. It may feel that you're not getting everything, but that's okay. The more passages you do under correct timing conditions and build your CARS intuition and pacing, you'll feel like you're rushing less and less (although to be honest, I still sometimes feel a little rushed, that's just the name of the game when it comes to the CARS, you can still get an ultra high score under a little bit of time pressure)

Best of luck and let us know if there's anything we can do to help!

Warmest,
Nick
 
p9048 said:
Hey there,
I recently started the bootcamp and I am using the TPR 2015 CARS workbook. I was looking at the 90 day plan and I see that we eventually end up doing the full length tests, but I was wondering when we use the single passages ( 100 or so) that we are given as a part of this program.
Click to expand...

@p9048 - In our bootcamp, we offer you two ways to take our practice passages, in the full-length form or as individual passages. So you can do either. Our 90 day plan, suggests you use them as full-lengths, but many students decide to use them individually, so ultimately, it's whatever works best for you! Thanks!
 
Achnologiast said:
Hi,
I started out with the NextStep 108 Verbal Passages book, and was wondering what your thoughts on that were? Ive been getting around 9-10 wrong per practice exam in that book.

Recently, I just did the testing solutions 1st practise full length and got 23 wrong. I feel that the passages are a lot harder than anything I've ever seen. What should I do?
Click to expand...

@Achnologiast - I haven't heard the best things about Next Step's verbal book. I was planning on going through it myself, but after reading the Amazon reviews, I decided it wasn't worth my time, especially considering how many other CARS resources there are out there. I've heard their questions are too detail focused and the passages are not representative of what is on the actual test. With that said, I haven't taken their passages myself. Regarding our practice materials, we do design them to be slightly more difficult than the actual cars but not too terribly difficult in comparison to them. My recommendation would be for you to take 4 or 5 AAMC CARS practice passages and see how your score on those, as they will be your absolute best indicator of where your CARS section currently is. Let us know if there's anything we can do to help!
 
Just to clarify. The EK Verbal Reasoning book is recommended, not the EK CARS book, right?
 
Falling Up said:
Just to clarify. The EK Verbal Reasoning book is recommended, not the EK CARS book, right?
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@Falling Up - Yeah, I've heard very bad things about the EK CARS book. I got a copy and was not impressed at all...didn't even finish it. It has very bad reviews on Amazon as well so I don't think it's just me that thinks it's weak. The EK verbal reasoning book can be used for about 65 to 70 passages when you take out the natural science passages, although be aware that the quality of the passages tend to fall off towards the last third to quarter of the book! Best of luck!
 
Also, what do you think about the Altius CARS sections in their practice exams?
 
I was wondering if you would recommend this strategy for reviewing AAMC material, or just 3rd party material? My exams in two weeks and I am a bit tight on time, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, your help this far has been truly invaluable to me, thanks! 🙂
 
EDIT: Found the answer to my question! The stopwatch is the totally wrong approach. The Day 3 post answered everything for me.

Hello Nick,

I'd like to ask for some advice.

I recently started studying for the CARS with your 90-day guide. I'm currently on Day 3 (trying to get the timing right).

I'm currently doing very poorly (getting 3/7 on some passages) however, I've just started.

I do all the passages within the given time limit (9 mins, 10.5 mins, 12 mins).

I'm wondering if I should do that or instead use a stopwatch and take my time answering the questions and then adjust my timing (i.e. should I rush myself and 'get used' to the timing, or take my time and then see how long I take and make adjustments from there.)

Thank you very much!
 
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TestingSolutions said:
@DesitnationMD - I don't think they're going to be all that useful. I consistently had students on the old verbal section either do well on Natural Science passages or on the Humanities/ Social Sciences passages, which leads me to believe that while critical reading is in a sense critical read across the board, because of the differences and that students usually did consistently better on one or the other, that the different types of passages test different skills. I don't think it's going to hurt you by any means, but with so much to study and so many practice materials out there, I'd recommend practicing and studying for things that are actually on the test. You're only going to miss out on 1 passage for every 6 ot 7 in the EK 101 verbal book. If you have the extra time and are certain you couldn't be doing something better with your time, then I think it'd be fine. My fear is that you'll be using time you could have been studying for something else on Natural Science passages.

Thanks for your comment and for reading. Best of luck on all your studying!

..::..

Day 13 – CARS Question Types: Implication

So now that we’ve got two of the easier question types out of the way, we’re going to take a look at two of the more difficult types over the next two days. Today, we’ll look at the Implication question type and tomorrow, the inference question type. These are sometimes tricky to get, at first, so take your time and don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t click on the first pass. That’s normal for new things in general and very common in particular on the MCAT CARS. This is why we practice!


The Implication Question Type:

As we discussed on Day 6, an implication of a passage is a necessary, unstated conclusion external to the argument. Now some might be tempted to confuse this with an inference, as the two are similar, but the primary difference is that an implication is externally relevant, and an inference is internally relevant. Take a look at this example:

Michael loves to eat hamburgers. It’s lunch time, and there’s a hamburger joint right next door!​

What’s implied by the two sentences? Well, a reasonable implication taking into account all the evidence that is provided is that Michael is probably going to go around the corner and eat a hamburger for lunch. Notice that this is external to the information provided in the sentence. There’s no reference in the implication to the component pieces of the argument in and of themselves. This would be contrasted with the possible inference that Michael’s favorite food is hamburgers. Notice, that this inference is an internal, unstated conclusion. An inference references the component pieces of the argument. The inference tells us something about Michael, an internal thing, whereas an implication tells us something that Michael might do, an external thing.

An important point in determining the strength of an implication or inference is the degree to which it is necessary, which is to say the degree to which it must be the case. This is the measure of the strength of the inference or implication. In this example, it’s reasonable to see the sentence implying that Michael’s going to eat a hamburger for lunch at the hamburger joint next door or to infer that Michael’s favorite food might be hamburgers, but neither of these is 100% a sure thing. Thus, they aren’t the strongest forms of implication or inference.

The key to answering an Implication question type correctly is to look for unstated conclusions that are well supported by the passage. With implication questions, there will always be points of connection between the implication and the passage. Don’t do mental gymnastics to try and make an answer choice fit. The AAMC has an airtight answer explanation/ justification for every single question on the CARS. There is a correct way to answer the question, and there is a wrong way to answer the question (in fact three ways). You want to train yourself to see and think like the AAMC MCAT writers. Look for that definite connection and you will find Implication questions to be some of the easiest on the CARS once you get the hang of them.


Examples of Implication Question Stems:

The author implies that George Washington is NOT:

The author says “As the boat began to sink, the cowards began to run towards the life rafts,” but also “many gentlemen proceeded to help the women and children into the rafts while remaining on the doomed ship.” These beliefs imply:

The passage implies that the difference between World War I and World War II was primarily one of:

Implicit in the statement “Philosophers are often derided by the masses but nonetheless are necessary for the proper functioning of society” is the idea that:

Regarding the concept of food insecurity, the author implies:

What does the author imply regarding the relationship between those who own capital and those who do not?​


Tips for Implication Questions:

– Use the Flip Test to evaluate a possible implication. Sometimes the MCAT makes it difficult to connect an implication outlined in an answer choice and the passage. It is often easier to flip the implication in the answer choice and try to connect it to the passage. For example, in a passage that discusses the inequality between those who own capital and those who don’t, it might be easier to see that an answer choice that says the author implies the relationship is predatory is correct when you flip it. What’s the opposite of a relationship that is predatory? Maybe something like beneficial? Is the author saying that the nature of the relationship is beneficial? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Thus, you can be pretty sure that you’ve got the correct answer choice. Answer choices which do not contain an implication of the passage will make as little sense when flipped as they do when not.

– Use the support given by the author in making his argument to look for the connection between the passage and the implication. There’s got to be a connection or it can’t be an implication.

– Remember that implications are external, unstated conclusions of the argument being made. A trick is to ask yourself whether or not something is forward looking. An inference looks backward, telling you something about the pieces that make up the argument. An implication tells you something about a possible future.

– If a central implication of the passage is found not to be true, the passage and its arguments fall apart. Ask yourself when you read through the answer choices: if this isn’t the case, what effect would it have on the passage, if any? If it has a big effect, you’ve probably found your answer.

– An implication will be supported by clear positions taken by the author in the passage. Do not strain logic to support an answer choice, the connection will be clear. If you find yourself squinting, standing on one leg, and slowly spinning counter-clockwise in order to make an answer choice look correct, you can confidently eliminate that answer choice. The section name is Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, not Mental Gymnastics 301. Don't let hyper-vigilance cost you points on test day. So many test takers are so desperate to score well on the MCAT that they waste time and miss out on points convincing themselves bad answers are good so they “don’t” miss a single one of those precious points. Unfortunately, such an approach has the opposite effect. Be confident in yourself!

…

Great job. We’ll take a look at inference questions tomorrow. Don’t forget to do your two passages today. Tomorrow we take a break from doing passages for a day, and then we’ll be upping it to three passages, so enjoy two passages a day while it lasts! Leave everything you have on the table. Keep up the hard work!

Today's Assignment: Do Two CARS Passages Individually, Under Timed Conditions

..::..

“To have success, you can’t let failure stop you. To have great success, you can’t let success stop you.”– Robert Brault
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I really appreciate these posts. I am that student that has struggled tremendously with CARS. I am a month out (Sept 19th) from taking the exam for the second time and trying to follow your plan. Time has by far always been my biggest enemy. I have improved since last year but I still feel like I am rushing and just choosing answers that I am not sure about. When you talk about the instances where students spend 6 to 7 minutes on one question, thats me but I am really trying to get away from that and catching myself early on.

The question I have is, what do you mean by consistently getting my passages done in time? Do you mean simply being able to finish them on time, or finish them and get most of the answers correct?

I am asking because I can consistently get them done on time but my percentages are low (using the 9, 10.5, and 12 minute rule). Usually less than 50 percent correct (on AAMC passages) sometimes higher but rarely more than 70-75 percent.

Last year I did terrible on the CARS section, so terrible that I am embarrassed to say on this platform. I don't think my score was representative of who I am as a student or my ability. Most of it was timing and really bad test anxiety (which was amplified by time struggles).

The last couple of weeks I've just been doing passages everyday. Ranging from 3 to 6 a day (timed). Mostly next step, and AAMC. The more I do next step passages the more frustrated I get because the logic they use is so subjective and super convoluted. I feel like they also contradict themselves. Last year, I thought the same about EK 101 but since you say they are decent I will give them another try since I didn't complete all 101 passages.

Your opinion on what I should do for the next month will be greatly appreciated. I honestly don't know what else to do. Thank you so much in advance, and sorry for the lengthy post.
 
Achnologiast said:
Also, what do you think about the Altius CARS sections in their practice exams?
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Hi Achnologiast: They seem to be a relatively new player to the game. I tend to be suspicious oh new resources, just because there are so many strong, proven resources out there. Sometimes, I feel like students want to try and re-invent the wheel. I'd go with the trusted resources. While I haven't taken them myself, it seems that they don't have a great reputation. Here are two threads on here:

Altius CARS and Psy/Soc: How is their CARS section compare to AAMC?

Next-Step / Altius / Kaplan / TPR - FL Opinions

I don't want to slam other people's resources, but if you can avoid it, I might. Best of luck on your MCAT!
 
meltedbrain21 said:
I was wondering if you would recommend this strategy for reviewing AAMC material, or just 3rd party material? My exams in two weeks and I am a bit tight on time, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, your help this far has been truly invaluable to me, thanks! 🙂
Click to expand...


@meltedbrain21 - I think I'd do your most in-depth studying on AAMC material. It might be good to do a fairly good review on 3rd party resources but probably doesn't warrant as much of an intense review as even the very best 3rd party resources are approximations of the MCAT, whereas the AAMC materials are real MCAT materials. Hope this helps. Let us know if there's anything else we can help with!
 
Chrysalid said:
EDIT: Found the answer to my question! The stopwatch is the totally wrong approach. The Day 3 post answered everything for me.

Hello Nick,

I'd like to ask for some advice.

I recently started studying for the CARS with your 90-day guide. I'm currently on Day 3 (trying to get the timing right).

I'm currently doing very poorly (getting 3/7 on some passages) however, I've just started.

I do all the passages within the given time limit (9 mins, 10.5 mins, 12 mins).

I'm wondering if I should do that or instead use a stopwatch and take my time answering the questions and then adjust my timing (i.e. should I rush myself and 'get used' to the timing, or take my time and then see how long I take and make adjustments from there.)

Thank you very much!
Click to expand...

@Chrysalid - Glad the Day 3 post answered your question! 3/7 isn't bad for just starting out. Most people start out in the 3/7 to 4/7 range so don't be discouraged! This is a section that practice = improvement! I think it's really important to simulate the real timing on the MCAT, so stick with the time intervals and I think as you progress with your practice, you won't see timing being as much of an issue. Best of luck and please keep us updated on your progress/ if you have any more questions!
 
VetDoc_02 said:
I really appreciate these posts. I am that student that has struggled tremendously with CARS. I am a month out (Sept 19th) from taking the exam for the second time and trying to follow your plan. Time has by far always been my biggest enemy. I have improved since last year but I still feel like I am rushing and just choosing answers that I am not sure about. When you talk about the instances where students spend 6 to 7 minutes on one question, thats me but I am really trying to get away from that and catching myself early on.

The question I have is, what do you mean by consistently getting my passages done in time? Do you mean simply being able to finish them on time, or finish them and get most of the answers correct?

I am asking because I can consistently get them done on time but my percentages are low (using the 9, 10.5, and 12 minute rule). Usually less than 50 percent correct (on AAMC passages) sometimes higher but rarely more than 70-75 percent.

Last year I did terrible on the CARS section, so terrible that I am embarrassed to say on this platform. I don't think my score was representative of who I am as a student or my ability. Most of it was timing and really bad test anxiety (which was amplified by time struggles).

The last couple of weeks I've just been doing passages everyday. Ranging from 3 to 6 a day (timed). Mostly next step, and AAMC. The more I do next step passages the more frustrated I get because the logic they use is so subjective and super convoluted. I feel like they also contradict themselves. Last year, I thought the same about EK 101 but since you say they are decent I will give them another try since I didn't complete all 101 passages.

Your opinion on what I should do for the next month will be greatly appreciated. I honestly don't know what else to do. Thank you so much in advance, and sorry for the lengthy post.
Click to expand...

@VetDoc_02 - Thank you for your kind words regarding our posts. I hope they're helpful to you! First thing to say is that a score on the CARS is never representative of who you are as a student or as a person more largely. It is an incredibly artificial test and really doesn't say anything more about you than your ability to take MCAT CARS and even then, an off day on test day can really not represent even your CARS abilities (which it sounds like happened in your case).

Regarding finish the passages, what I mean is that you are consistently getting through each passage at a roughly steady pace and are not rushed. Do you ever take passages one after another? 3 or 4 passages at a time or a 9 passage full-length test? Do you find yourself rushing at the end? I think the easiest way to improve your timing on the CARS is letting go of hard questions. I'm sure you've read this in our guide. But I really suggest you focus on that.

I haven't been particularly impressed with Next Step CARS passages and I'd warn you against using the tail end of the 101 EK passage books. The passages in practice test 11 and above are not the same quality as the first ones.

For the next month, I'd recommend focusing on improving your timing as we outline in Day 3 – Reviewing/ Timing. Beyond this, one I'm not sure how you approach highlighting, but I'd recommend highlighting as little as possible. Highlighting a few keywords per paragraph can help if it helps you get to the main idea of the paragraph/ passage, but if you're highlighting whole senses, that really is offering you no benefit. One tip that has helped many of my students is to wait to highlight anything in a paragraph until you've read the entire paragraph. Then pause, and ask yourself, what was that paragraph about? What was significant and unique about it? What do I want to remember about it. Usually there is a "mini-main idea" in each paragraph that you want to hold onto as you move on to the next paragraph. Make your highlight (include as few words as possible and remember, it's okay two highlight a word or two, skip a few words, and then highlight again.) While you might spend a little more time on each passage reading it, you will likely make up that time as you answer the questions.

Best of luck and let us know if there's anything we can do to help!
 
Are these the same “30 masters cars lessons” that are in the testing solutions boot camp?
 
@Marty Sophie - There are definitely overlapping content, but we've updated the boot camp site much more. There are also features that are included in the boot camp that aren't available on this forum. I would describe this as the lite version of the boot camp. Best of luck on your MCAT and let us know if there's anything we can do to help!

Warmest,
Nick
 
Hi!

First of all, thank you so much for your guide!
I initially was going to write the MCAT in a week from now, however I did my AAMC FL1 practice test and got a 122 on CARS. So I had to postpone it.

I feel like my timing was fine, since I finished everything in time, but for more difficult passages I had trouble with comprehension. When I reviewed my practice exam, there are some passages where I would get perfect, and some where I would get 0 or 1 right. For easier passages I would finish reading it around 4 mins and for harder passages it would take me around 6 mins. Usually averaging 5 mins per passage.

I postponed my MCAT to January, so I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to improve the CARS section?

If it helps this was the breakdown for FL1

Passage 1: 4/5
2: 6/7
3: 2/7
4: 2/7
5: 4/5
6: 4/7
7: 0/5
8: 2/5
9: 4/5

Thanks in advance!
 
Hi Nick,

I purchased the mcat CARS Bootcamp two days ago. I started from today counting as day 1. I did day 2 and 3 day’s passages as well. But cannot see the results. Is it only on a daily basis that results are displayed? Pls clarify.

Since the day-wise passages don’t allow random usage, I looked to individual passages in CARS bootcamp. I’m not able to do passages picked at random and if I cud, they don’t allow me to see the results at all. Moreover, the interface works extremely slow with safari/Firefox/explorer/chrome. I tried all. That must be fixed.

Once I finished the passage; the “Next” button doesn’t seem to work. And I couldn’t review/see my scores for the passages. I bought bootcamp to get heck a lot of practice on the passages, since the guide was pretty useful. That’s why I bought bootcamp eventhough I was broke. But this is extremely irritating. It’s such a waste of time waiting for the page to load. Pls provide a reasonable explanation. Thanks
 
TestingSolutions said:
Testing Solutions' 30 Day Guide to MCAT CARS Success

How to Use this Guide:

For most students, the CARS section will be the most difficult section they'll face on test day. As pre-meds, most of us know how to study. We know how to memorize details and facts, and how to apply what we know under new conditions. We are not; however, particularly good at the soft skills the MCAT CARS section tests. To make matters worse, most students do not know how to study for the CARS section. They don't know what to practice, how to review, how many passages to do or even when to do them. They do some passages here and there, try this strategy then that, but they never get to the point that they feel comfortable or adequately prepared to do their best on the CARS section. This guide will answer all your questions and even some you didn't know you had. It's meant to be exhaustive and provide you with everything you need to know to achieve an ultra-high CARS score. It is your step by step guide to getting you from the couch to MCAT CARS success.

Just a little bit about me to let you know my qualifications. I'm going to be an M1 at Stanford Medical School this fall (2016). I’m also the lead test writer for Testing Solutions, LLC. I’ve spent well over 1,700+ hours writing practice passages and questions sets and analyzing the AAMC’s released verbal and CARS practice materials in order to identify the patterns the AAMC uses when they construct their tests, as well as the most commonly seen answer traps they set for you. I’ve written 80+ passage and question sets from the ground up. I scored in the 99% percentile on the MCAT and have taught courses and was a private tutor for the country’s largest MCAT prep company. I got tired of their sub-par materials and highway robbery approach to preying on premeds fears to make a buck (As well as their preying on me. One of my tutoring students paid $175 an hour to work with me, and I was paid $30), so I left to start Testing Solutions, LLC.

This is the only guide you'll need to get the score you want on the CARS section. I've read most of the other guides out there and the major forum threads on MCAT Verbal/ CARS. I've gathered all of the best ideas so you don't have to. I've weeded through the junk and have solidified the lessons, tips and tricks that have worked for my students over the years. In truth, the most important factor in determining your CARS score is the number of passages you do. I did over 400 passages when I was studying for the MCAT myself. There is no way around it. You have to do a ton of passages in order to strength the skills the CARS section tests. With that said, if you read this book one day at a time, master everything we discuss, AND do way more practice passages than you think a sane person would ever you, you are going to do well on the CARS section. The key is to give yourself a ton of time and to do a ton of practice. If you're able to do this for yourself, you have everything you need to do well on the CARS.

One final note, if you have a question about this guide or the CARS section in general, we look at this thread often so please feel free to leave any questions you may have or use it just to check in. We'll usually respond within a day.


Watch the Video to Learn More About the 2019 CARS Bootcamp!​


​





..::..

Table of Contents | Schedule to MCAT CARS Success:

While our study guide is 30 days long, most MCATers will need roughly 90 days to get to an MCAT CARS score they'll be happy with. I've outlined the schedule I recommend to my students below, as well as the materials that you'll need to complete the schedule.

Here Are the Materials I Recommend:
  • Get either Exam Krackers 101 Passage in MCAT Verbal Reasoning (EK101) or The Princeton Review's Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook (TPR)

  • Testing Solutions 126 CARS Practice Passages
Phase I - For the first 30 days, while you cover the major strategy points in this guide, I recommend you use passages from either EK 101 or TPR. In this phase of your preparation, you'll do a total of 69 passages. I'll explain how and when to do these passages in the guide.

Phase II - In the next 30 days, you'll take 14 CARS Full-Length Practice Tests. I recommend using Testing Solutions' Practice Tests (T1-T12) as well as your remaining passages from EK101 and TPR. You'll also use the AAMC Question Packs. In this phase, you'll do 126 passages.

Phase III - In the final 30 days, your CARS prep will largely be integrated with your taking of full-length MCAT practice tests. I have you taking all three of EK's full-lengths, four of Next Steps' full-lengths, and the two available AAMC practice tests. There are break days built in so. One some break days, you'll do one passage, just to keep you sharp, while on other break days, you'll just rest. In this final phase of your preparation, you'll do 85 passages. Thus, if you follow this schedule to the “T,” you'll do 361 CARS practice passages. If you do that many practice passages, and follow the techniques I outline in this guide, you'll come as close to a guarantee of scoring 129+ on the CARS section as is possible. I have never had a student that has actually followed this schedule and not be happy with their score.

This schedule was designed to fit into whatever general schedule/ approach you're employing for the other three sections. Most days, you'll spend around an hour and a half on CARS, but sometimes more will be required. The key to mastering the CARS is to do a little bit each day. You cannot cram for the CARS. This section must be respected. Just like how you eat an elephant, remember that it's just one bite at a time, one day at a time. WARNING: Do not get behind on this schedule. If you're worried about that, build in some extra break days at the end of the schedule (Which is to say, start this schedule 100 days out from your test instead of 90, however, the compressed and rigorous nature of this schedule does build your stamina and prepares you for the rigors of test day, so don't let too much time lapse between practice tests.) It is not possible to do two days in one to catch up.

....

TIP: For those of you who will be going through this guide on a daily basis, it can be time-consuming to find the correct day's post due to all the questions. We've created a "Table of Contents" PDF which has links to each post. You can use the PDF to jump directly to the post you're on. Download your "Table of Contents" here! If you don't want to bother with reading this guide on SDN, our Practice Test Bundle includes a high-quality PDF version of this guide as an added bonus. Check it out here!
...

Week I:

In Week I, you'll do one passage per day.

Day 1 – The Plan/ Getting Your Materials
Day 2 – Breaking Down the MCAT CARS Section
Day 3 – Reviewing/ Timing
Day 4 – MCAT CARS Myths: The “Don'ts”
Day 5 – How to Approach the MCAT CARS Section – The Passage
Day 6 – Passage Types: Argumentative
Day 7 – Argumentation: Modality


Week II:

In Week II, you'll do two passage per day, timed individually.

Day 8 – Passage Types: Descriptive
Day 9 – How to Use Keywords
Day 10 – Health, Wellness, and Stress Management – The Second Key
Day 11 – CARS Question Types: The Main Idea
Day 12 – CARS Question Types: Passage Detail
Day 13 – CARS Question Types: Implication
Day 14 – CARS Question Types: Inference *Break -Don't do any passages today.


Week III:

In Week III, you'll do three passage per day, timed individually.

Day 15 – CARS Question Types: Application
Day 16 – CARS Question Types: Integration of New Information
Day 17 – CARS Question Types: Attitude
Day 18 – CARS Question Types: Meaning of a Term
Day 19 – CARS Question Types: Author Technique
Day 20 – CARS Question Format: Negation Questions
Day 21 – CARS Question Format: Roman Numerals *Break -Don't do any passages today.


Week IV:

In Week IV, you'll do four passage per day until the 25th and then do five passages per day. Do the passages consecutively, timed together.

Day 22 – CARS Answer Pathologies – Part I
Day 23 – CARS Answer Pathologies – Part II
Day 24 – CARS Answer Pathologies – Part III
Day 25 – How to Take a CARS Full-Length Practice Test
Day 26 – How to Review a CARS Passage
Day 27 – How to Review CARS Questions
Day 28 – How to Review CARS Answers *Break - Don't do any passages today.


Week V:

You'll do six passages on Day 29 and Day 30. Do the passages consecutively, timed together.

Day 29 – Putting it All Together: How to Review an Entire CARS Practice Test
Day 30 – Advanced Study Techniques
Day 31 – 9 Passages from EK101 or TPR (90 Minutes)
Day 32 – Review 9 Passages
Day 33 – 9 Passages from EK101 or TPR (90 Minutes)
Day 34 – Review 9 Passages
Day 35 – *Break - Don't do any passages today.


Week VI:

Day 36 – 9 Passages from EK101 or TPR (90 Minutes)
Day 37 – Review 9 Passages
Day 38 – T1 – Testing Solutions CARS Full-Length Practice Test T1
Day 39 – Review T1
Day 40 – T2 – Testing Solutions CARS Full-Length Practice Test T2
Day 41 – Review T2
Day 42 – *Break - Don't do any passages today.


Week VII:

Day 43 – T3 – Testing Solutions CARS Full-Length Practice Test T3
Day 44 – Review T3
Day 45 – T4 – Testing Solutions CARS Full-Length Practice Test T4
Day 46 – Review T4
Day 47 – T5 – Testing Solutions CARS Full-Length Practice Test T5
Day 48 – Review T5
Day 49 –*Break - Don't do any passages today.


Week VIII:

Day 50 – T6 – Testing Solutions CARS Full-Length Practice Test T6
Day 51 – Review T6
Day 52 – T7 – Testing Solutions CARS Full-Length Practice Test T7
Day 53 – Review T7
Day 54 – T8 – Testing Solutions CARS Full-Length Practice Test T8
Day 55 – Review T8
Day 56 – *Break - Don't do any passages today.


Week IX:

Day 57 – (9) Passages from AAMC CARS Question Pack (90 Minutes)
Day 58 – Review CARS Practice Test Question Pack
Day 59 – (9) Passages from AAMC CARS Question Pack (90 Minutes)
Day 60 – Review CARS Practice Test Question Pack
Day 61 – (9) Passages from AAMC CARS Question Pack (90 Minutes)
Day 62 – Review CARS Practice Test Question Pack
Day 63 – *Break - Don't do any passages today.


Week X:

Day 64 – (9) Passages from AAMC CARS Question Pack (90 Minutes)
Day 65 – Review CARS Practice Test Question Pack
Day 66 – Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 1
Day 67 – Review Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 1
Day 68 – Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 2
Day 69 – Review Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 2
Day 70 – *Break - Do (2) Passage from AAMC CARS Question Pack


Week XI:

Day 71 – AAMC Official MCAT Sample Test
Day 72 – Review AAMC Official MCAT Sample Test
Day 73 – *Break – Don't do any passages today.
Day 74 – Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 3
Day 75 – Review Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 3
Day 76 – *Break - Do (2) Passage from AAMC CARS Question Pack
Day 77 – AAMC Official MCAT Practice Exam (Scored) 1


Week XII:

Day 78 – AAMC Official MCAT Practice Exam (Scored) 1
Day 79 – *Break - Do (2) Passage from AAMC CARS Question Pack
Day 80 – Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 4
Day 81 – Review Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 4
Day 82 – *Break - Do (2) Passage from AAMC CARS Question Pack
Day 83 – AAMC Official MCAT Practice Exam (Scored) 2
Day 84 – AAMC Official MCAT Practice Exam (Scored) 2


Week XIII:

Day 85 –*Break – Don't do any passages today.
Day 86 – Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 5
Day 87 – Review Exam Krackers Full-Length MCAT 5
Day 88 – (5) CARS Passages from AAMC Study Guide
Day 89 – *Break – Don't do any passages today.
Day 90 – Test Day

..::..

Oh NO!! My test is in XX Number of Days:

Despite our best laid plans, sometimes things don't turn out the way we intend. I often get emails from students telling me that their test is in a week or in a month asking what they should do. The following is my best advice if you find yourself in such a situation.

Emergency #1 – My Test is in a Week:

So your test is in a week and your score still isn't where you'd like it to be. What do you do? If you aren't close to your target score, my first recommendation would be to push your date back. I know this costs money and time, and it is not what you hoped for nor expected, as it may well throw off your plans/ schedule for applying to med school. But the MCAT is the single most important factor in your application. It is not the only factor, but it is hands down the most important factor. The rest of your application may be great, but a poor MCAT score will hurt even the strongest of applications and at some schools, if you don't make their “cut” score, your application might not even be reviewed. It is unfortunate that one day's test scores can undo years of research, volunteering, and all the hard work that goes into a strong GPA, but the truth is that your MCAT score very much can. It is not something to play with. This is the single biggest mistake most premeds make when it comes to their medical school application, and it costs many of them a shot at their dream career. If your test is in a week and you haven't scored within a scaled point of the lowest score you'd be pleased with on the CARS, my recommendation would be to delay the test for at least six weeks. Even if it means having to take a year off. Once you have a poor MCAT score attached to your name, every score after that score, no matter how high, will have your low score sitting right above it casting a shadow on all future attempts or hard work. Don't do that to yourself, unless you absolutely have to take the risk.

The only situation in which I could possibly recommend you taking such a risk would be when 1) You absolutely have to take the MCAT at this particular time, 2) You'd be happy/ overjoyed with attending a lower mid to lower tier school, 3) Your other three sections are strong (127+) and you can reasonably trust that your other sections will be able to carry some of the weight if your CARS score doesn't, and 4) you would be ok with a 125 on the CARS. As for your school selections, if you do have to retake because of a bad score, your initial low score will not have as major of an impact on your application if you're applying to a lower mid to lower tier school. If you have your heart set on Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago or some other top tier school, or even many mid-tier schools, you simply cannot take the risk of having a low MCAT score on your application. Top 15 schools simply have too many good applicants to choose from. If you're ok with a 125 on the CARS, your situation isn't too gloomy, as most test takers already possess the reasoning capacity to score a 125 on the CARS if given enough time. The issue for most test takers is timing. You can improve your timing in a short period of time, so for most MCATers, it is possible to get from say a 121 to a 125 in a week or so if one works hard. I've seen it done, but with that said, don't expect to raise your score more than 4 or 5 scaled points in less than a month, especially if we're talking about picking up those points in the 123 to 125 range.

Ok, with all of the warnings out of the way, what do I recommend you do when your test date is a week out?

1) Every day for the next five days, find 9 of the hardest passages you can and do each passage timed individually with the appropriate time interval per number of questions per passage (9 minutes for a 5 question passage, 10.5 minutes for a 6 question passage, and 12 minutes for a 7 question passage). Do each of the 9 passages individually setting the timer for the respective time for just that passage, but do all 9 passages consecutively, one right after the other, resetting the time after each passage. This will build your stamina but will also require you to do each passage at the correct CARS pace. Your timing will improve if you do this. When the timer goes off for the passage, do not finish the remaining questions. Move on to the next passage, and reset the timer. The pain of having to see those empty question bubbles one or two times will motivate you to get your timing under control, and to speed up.

2) Read through the passage once, shooting for a total time of 3 minutes, but be sure to take no longer than 4 minutes. Once you've finished reading the passage, do not go back to reread the passage under any circumstances until you've answered every question on the test. You cannot allow yourself to go back to look for details. Mark the question, guess, and keep moving.

3) Be sure not to spend more than two minutes on any given question. If you are stuck, mark the question, guess, and move on. You can come back to it later if you have time. The most likely reason you're struggling with the CARS section is because of your timing. Letting go of hard questions and limiting yourself to only two minutes per question is the easiest way to quickly improve your timing and thus CARS score. Almost anyone can score a 125 if given enough time. If you were to get your timing under control, right now as you read these words, you're very likely able to score in the 125 range on the CARS without any other improvements. Timing is key!

4) If you're still unable to get your timing under control after five days of 9 passages a day, the final option you have is what I call the “big gamble.” I am hesitant to recommend it except to those who are in the most extreme of cases and who are ok with an average or slightly below average score on the CARS section. This strategy would only be advisable for those who aren't able to get their scores above the 122 mark and have to take the MCAT within the next few days.​

Here's what you do. With the first 5 question passage you come to, you mark “C” for every question and then simply keep going. You don't read the passage, you don't read the questions. You basically take the hit and turn the 9 passage CARS test into an 8 passage CARS test.

Let me explaining the reasoning behind this so you can decide if this option would ever be a wise move for you and your particular goals. This is not a good idea for anyone looking to score higher than a 125 on the CARS, so keep this in mind. Simply because of the odds of it, you will likely get 1 out of the 5 questions correct you guessed on. You may even get lucky and get 2 correct, but lets be conservative and say you just get one question correct. Thus, you start the CARS test with a possible score of 49 out of 53 (you've already missed 4 questions from your first skipped passage.) Now let's assume that with the extra 9 minutes you gain by skipping the 5 question passage, you're able to score a percentage correct of the remaining 49 questions at around 75%. This would have you getting roughly 36 or 37 questions correct, which leaves you solidly in the 125 range, plus or minus 1 question. If you get lucky or able to score higher than 75% correct with the extra time, you could reasonably be looking at the 126 range.

This may be a good option for you if you're currently scoring in the 121 to 123 and your other sections are strong. For example, assume that you score 127, 128 and 128 on the other three sections. With a 125 on the CARS you end up with a 508 which isn't that bad of a score for many lower tier and mid to low tier schools. Instead of having to take the test again because of a 121 on the CARS, you'll end up with a reasonably strong composite score. If the rest of your application is strong, you'll be competitive at lower/mid tier medical schools. Like I said, I would only think about this strategy if you meet all four of the earlier qualifications I mentioned above. If you decide to go this route, take at least one practice test before your test day using this strategy to make sure that the extra time pops you up into the 75% correct range. If it doesn't, push your test day back. I'll just say this one more time. USER BEWARE on this one!


Emergency #2 – My Test is in a Month:

This is a much better situation to be in than the “My Test is in a Week” person. I've seen people go from the 122 range up into the 127 and 128 range in a month quite regularly. It is very possible. Here are the keys.

Don't waste your time reviewing your practice tests until you get into the 127 to 128 range consistently. Use the time you would have been reviewing passages to do more passages. The truth is that reviewing the rational behind correct answers benefits you very little if your time is still off, which it almost always is for anyone scoring under a 127. Once you are no longer losing easy points to the clock, then you can start to review.

As is almost always the case on the CARS, low scores are most commonly a result of poor timing. My prescription for your first two weeks is to do 5 to 6 passages each day. Set the timer for one passage and finish the passage and question set. When the time is up, reset the timer for the next passage, and move on, even if you haven't completed the questions for the previous passage.

Be sure to finish reading the passage in 3 to 4 minutes, and don't go back to reread the passage for anything while answering the questions.

After doing two weeks of the above, for the next five days, take a practice CARS test each day. Take one break day, and then repeat the five days, taking a practice CARS test each day. Don't waste your time reviewing your practice tests until you're in the golden 127 to 128 range. This will put you 3 days out from the test. Take another break day, and then take one final practice test two days before your test day. I'd recommend not even grading this one, as an aberrant low score might shoot your confidence. If you've done the above, you'll be in good shape come test day. If you find yourself no longer struggling to finish the test in time, then you can begin to review the passages even if you haven't reached the 127 range, but don't start reviewing passages and questions beyond taking a peek at the ones you got wrong until your timing is rock solid. I know this is uncomfortable for some of you, but trust me on this one Timing is the foundation of every ultra high score on the CARS. If you don't have timing, you have nothing.

..::..

In our next post, we'll review all available CARS materials so you can make the decision that's best for you.
Click to expand...



If I am 4 months out from my test date, would you recommend beginning the 90 day 2019 CARS Bootcamp now or waiting until I am 3 months out? I am afraid I may run out of material if I begin now, but also feel as though I should begin practicing.
 
@Buckeye2 - I'd recommend starting now. We give you 12 months of access and we will very shortly be posting a 4 month plan to augment our 3 month plan as we know many people are in a similar boat. Keep an eye out for that soon!
 
beat_mcat_2019 said:
Hi Nick,

I purchased the mcat CARS Bootcamp two days ago. I started from today counting as day 1. I did day 2 and 3 day’s passages as well. But cannot see the results. Is it only on a daily basis that results are displayed? Pls clarify.

Since the day-wise passages don’t allow random usage, I looked to individual passages in CARS bootcamp. I’m not able to do passages picked at random and if I cud, they don’t allow me to see the results at all. Moreover, the interface works extremely slow with safari/Firefox/explorer/chrome. I tried all. That must be fixed.

Once I finished the passage; the “Next” button doesn’t seem to work. And I couldn’t review/see my scores for the passages. I bought bootcamp to get heck a lot of practice on the passages, since the guide was pretty useful. That’s why I bought bootcamp eventhough I was broke. But this is extremely irritating. It’s such a waste of time waiting for the page to load. Pls provide a reasonable explanation. Thanks
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Hi Beat,

I'm sorry to hear you had this problem. I responded to your email but I also would like to respond here as well so others can see it. We released an update to the website that had a glich. Our backup site, which we outline in the welcome email, was up and running and available 24/7 so all of our users had access to fully functioning passages (with quizzes graded) without a stop in service or access. I understand that's really frustrating, but as we outline in our welcome email, we keep a complete clone and back up of the site for our users to have access to incase there's an issue. The glitch we did have was fixed in less than a day once it came to our attention.

Of course, if you're unhappy with our course, I'm happy to offer you a full refund as I am with any other of our customers. If you have a moment, we'd really appreciate it if you wrote an update to your post to confirm that the glitch was solved.
 
I have a question regarding mapping out passages and taking notes while reading. The 30 Days PDF advises against this. For passages that are primarily informative, or explain how to do something, I've found that several questions ask how to use the information that has been provided.

For passages like these, is it best to still avoid taking down notes while reading? The technique I have been using is not taking notes and instead fully engaging with the material. For questions that are specific to information provided, I then go back to the passage. I'm not sure if this technique is encouraged considering timing and avoiding going back to the passage. Are there any tips you'd recommend for these passages?

Thank you for your time.
 
premed_5656 said:
I have a question regarding mapping out passages and taking notes while reading. The 30 Days PDF advises against this. For passages that are primarily informative, or explain how to do something, I've found that several questions ask how to use the information that has been provided.

For passages like these, is it best to still avoid taking down notes while reading? The technique I have been using is not taking notes and instead fully engaging with the material. For questions that are specific to information provided, I then go back to the passage. I'm not sure if this technique is encouraged considering timing and avoiding going back to the passage. Are there any tips you'd recommend for these passages?

Thank you for your time.
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@premed_5656 - Thank you for writing! Really appreciate it!

I really don't think the note-taking strategy works for any type of passage or question type. The reason is two-fold: 1) It's a major time sink for most students. And as you probably know, nearly everyone struggles with finishing on time and not rushing on the CARS, especially early on. So, practicing a strategy that only exacerbates those problems doesn't help students get their timing on track and in most cases, it hurts. 2) The reality is that if you need to reference notes for a 500 to 600 word passage you just read to remind yourself what is being said, you probably haven't read the passage thoroughly enough and still need to develop your critical reading skills. If you take a pole of 128+ scorers on the CARS, I don't think I've ever heard of someone using the note-taking strategy. They've developed the skill of summarizing as they go through the passage and use selective highlighting to supplement their mental summaries.

I think it's fine to go back to the passage if you're able to finish the CARS on time, in fact, there will be questions will this will almost certainly be necessary. My suggestions about not returning to the passage are more geared towards students who are running out of time regularly. If you're in that camp, you can't afford to go back to the passage repeatedly if you're having to rush the last few passages.

My suggestion would be using the review techniques we outline regarding passage and paragraph summary after you finish taking the test while you're reviewing. This allows you to practice summarizing and yet doesn't mess up your timing and developing your correct CARS pacing intuitions.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Wishing you the very best of luck!

Warmest,
Nick
 
Hey Nick, what is the best thing to do, if I find myself reading a passage (or even a few paragraphs), and realizing I have not kept track of the structure or didn't completely understand the point the author was trying to make? (I am aware of the benefits of reviewing the passage as mentioned in the last few days of the 30 day guide. However, what is the best solution come test day, and this situation occurs? Thanks in advance)
 
Abnous said:
Hey Nick, what is the best thing to do, if I find myself reading a passage (or even a few paragraphs), and realizing I have not kept track of the structure or didn't completely understand the point the author was trying to make? (I am aware of the benefits of reviewing the passage as mentioned in the last few days of the 30-day guide. However, what is the best solution come test day, and this situation occurs? Thanks in advance)
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@Abnous - This is an excellent question! I think the very first piece of advice I would give is that with each paragraph of the passage you read, you should always be focused on what the point of that paragraph is. I would even go so far as to recommend that you pause at the end of the paragraph and highlight (as briefly and as in few words as you can, NO complete sentences) that main point in the authors own words. Doing so will be a failsafe way of being sure that you don't just mindlessly read or keep progressing through the passage without some degree of comprehension. Having a pause between each paragraph to highlight the claim or main point will prevent this from happening. If you find yourself struggling to keep track of the structure of the passages regularly, I'd recommend you try this.

Another possibility if this only happens occasionally is that your mentally fatigued and having trouble staying focused. There are two solutions to this: 1) practice increasing the number of passages you do gradually, starting with 3 or 4 passage blocks and working up. Like lifting weights, this will allow you to work up to the mental stamina you'll need for the CARS. 2) be sure you always take three deep breaths between each passage. This allows you to both clear your mind and take a brief rest before starting again. Going straight through 9 passages in 90 minutes without a second to clear your mind is a sure recipe for losing concentration at some point. Your mind will wander at some point. Taking a 9 3 breath breaks is just you choosing when it happens.

Best of luck and let me know if there's anything we can help with! Keep up the hard work
 
Can I actually ask some additional questions to this? I notice that If I encounter a difficult passage I start panicking and become fatigued faster. Some of these passages are so difficult that even when reviewing I STILL don't understand the passage I could read the same paragraph 5 times to no avail. I look at the questions to see if they are answerable without understanding, get like 1-2 right. What should I do? I start losing it at this point ( I actually gave up on the CARS section for that FL, I tried breathing I really did, but If I get 1-2 passages like that the CARS score is dead).
Granted I've been only doing Kaplan FL's because I have a lot of resources with them (I know how you mentioned they aren't good, I do pretty well in general on KAPLAN CARS though missing 1 or 0 on most passage then completely falling on my face on one difficult passage or two).


My test is in January, so I want to start AAMC material and TS materials ASAP and see how I actually can perform, been very upset with Kaplan scores. I almost finished EK 101 passages doing keyword review on EVERYTHING. should I keep doing keyword review? At this point the keywords pop right out at me, and I havent noticed that it helps too much (in terms of seeing questions that rely on explicitly on knowing modality/keywords or maybe I just dont notice). I only ask because its pretty time consuming to highlight keywords from 5+ passages a day while doing all of my other studying.

My timing is pretty good, I'm finishing ahead of time on most passages (EK and Kaplan as reference). Towards the end of the EK book (I think you mentioned the quality is lower at the end) I've been doing horrible.

Thanks for your time

PS: I bought a TS course a while back and I think I lost access to it, maybe it expired? Ill send an email regarding this.
 
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Sutekidane said:
Can I actually ask some additional questions to this? I notice that If I encounter a difficult passage I start panicking and become fatigued faster. Some of these passages are so difficult that even when reviewing I STILL don't understand the passage I could read the same paragraph 5 times to no avail. I look at the questions to see if they are answerable without understanding, get like 1-2 right. What should I do? I start losing it at this point ( I actually gave up on the CARS section for that FL, I tried breathing I really did, but If I get 1-2 passages like that the CARS score is dead).
Granted I've been only doing Kaplan FL's because I have a lot of resources with them (I know how you mentioned they aren't good, I do pretty well in general on KAPLAN CARS though missing 1 or 0 on most passage then completely falling on my face on one difficult passage or two).


My test is in January, so I want to start AAMC material and TS materials ASAP and see how I actually can perform, been very upset with Kaplan scores. I almost finished EK 101 passages doing keyword review on EVERYTHING. should I keep doing keyword review? At this point the keywords pop right out at me, and I havent noticed that it helps too much (in terms of seeing questions that rely on explicitly on knowing modality/keywords or maybe I just dont notice). I only ask because its pretty time consuming to highlight keywords from 5+ passages a day while doing all of my other studying.

My timing is pretty good, I'm finishing ahead of time on most passages (EK and Kaplan as reference). Towards the end of the EK book (I think you mentioned the quality is lower at the end) I've been doing horrible.

Thanks for your time

PS: I bought a TS course a while back and I think I lost access to it, maybe it expired? Ill send an email regarding this.
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@Sutekidane - If you bought our course, just email account[at]mytestingsolution.com and we'll get you sorted out!

I think your experience regarding difficult passages is fairly common. "Keeping it together" on one of those monster passages has about as much to do with doing well as anything else. Remember that every single person taking the MCAT that day will be facing that same passage. The people who will score the best on CARS are in most part the ones who don't lose it and shut down. I know, easier said than done. I wrote an article for how to deal with hard passages. Try and apply some or all of the techniques and see if they help. The most important thing about dealing with hard passages is focusing on what you DO understand and not worrying about what you don't. I really think of it as climbing a mountain. You're always looking for the next "hand hold." What is it that I do understand? What sense of this can I make? Even if you're only getting 40% of the passage, that often can be enough to get you to 3 out of 5 or 3 out of 6, which while isn't awesome, also isn't the end of your section. Our passages come with a passage by passage summary, as well as an overview of the passage, which I think helps when you're reviewing in case you don't understand what's going on. Now a lot of companies don't do that, so that's unfortunate, but hopefully with our passages, your reviews will be a little more helpful because you can drill down on each paragraph until you understand what's being said.

If the keywords are obvious to you as you read, I would stop doing the keyword search. Try to use them as you read: "Oh, we've got a contrast word, so that means we're likely changing directions." But don't focus on them too much. It should be a natural process. This isn't going to be a magic bullet score increase, but it does build your capacity to read critically and understand the structure and flow of the passage. So much of what contributes to doing well on the CARS is subtle. The gains are small and really are all about changing how you think about what you're reading. These changes take time and practice. So, I'd say stop with the keyword review and start doing passages! If you're less than two months out, you need to turn to the AAMC relatively soon and get their passages in play so you can start using them to study and improve. As great as our resources are, those passages are the very best out there. The end of the EK book (practice test 11 on) is pretty unreliable. I'd switch to AAMC and us as you're getting close to your test date. The first 10 tests of theirs though are pretty good.

Wishing you the very best and we'll keep an eye out for your email!
 
Hi Everyone! I just wanted to let you know about a new service we're offering here at Testing Solutions, our LIVE 8-Hour CARS Workshops.

​


The current dates we have scheduled are

December 22nd, 2018 - 10a to 6p EST
January 19th, 2018 - 10a to 6p EST

Space is limited as our goal is to make them a small group setting, but if you'd like to sign up, you can do so at www.mytestingsolution.com/mcat. We're trying to offer some good discounts on these if you sign up far enough in advance. Let me know if you have any questions!

Warmest,
Nick
 
Hi, I have been following your 30 day guide and have noticed an improvement in my timing and ability to answer the questions. Thank you so much for making these resource available for us to use. I'm currently on day ~26 (a little behind) of the guide and just did my last set of 6 passages a day in the EK Verbal book. However, my scores are all over the place, ranging anywhere from getting one right per passage to getting 100% on others. On most passages, I score about 50-80% with my overall score per practice section being anywhere between 50 - 75%. I hope this can be solved through more practice, but is there anything else I can do to improve? I am confident enough to say that I have the timing down.

I also have a question about the EK 101 Verbal book (pre 2015). I'm currently on test 11 and did poorly on many of the passages in this test. I remember you mentioning that anything past test 10 is questionable, but is it because the questions are worse, or because of the errors in the answer key? I found the questions to be way more detailed with some wonky logic in the answer key. I plan to go back to the TPR 2016 book tomorrow.
 
About me, I am an ESL candidate. My AAMC MCAT CARS score was 124. I am re-taking it this June. I have solid 90+daysto go. My initial strategies were highlighting, and reading the passage fast ( ended up getting back to the passage while answering). Now I have trained myself to read the passage while focusing the author's tone. I feel like that is helping me answer the questions without referring back to the passage.

I have completed the 30-day guide (boot camp). I can see a significant improvement if I must say. I am getting 70-75% in the quizzes, especially I noticed this when I started doing 4,5 and 6 timed passages. I am not sure if that gets translated into a good CARS score? Any comments or suggestions?
 
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