The new MCAT is 6+ hours long, the old one is 3hrs 20 minutes.

[EMDO2018]

I would urge you guys to take the old MCAT, taking a 6hr test will be mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. Though, Step 1 is about 8 hrs long. If there really is a shortage of physicians I don't see why the AAMC is throwing even more hurdles in the way.

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[deleted380953]

There's a shortage if physicians, but I'm sure there's a lot less med school seats than applicants. The process is what it is

 

[Aerus]

The test is "curved", so if you're better at taking longer tests than other people, the longer test will benefit you. 😛

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

I would urge you guys to take the old MCAT, taking a 6hr test will be mentally, physically, and emotionally draining.

Oh it's way worse than that. If you're supposed to get there at 8am you really should show up at like 7:30 or 7:45am. Then you have to assume it's going to take anywhere from 45min to 2hr to get yourself checked in, to wait around to get a seat and so on. Last time I took the old MCAT (mind you, for the old test it hasn't changed in years, so test center staff are well-practiced with all processes and procedures. Any time there's something new, there's going to be problems) I had to wait just under two hours between the time I showed up and when I actually sat down to take the MCAT.

Then you've got your four sections (95, 95, 95, 90, so 6.25hr of testing time). There's obviously going to be at least a 10-15min break between each section. When the MCAT used to be on paper (and shorter!!) they actually gave a full one-hour lunch break. So we have to assume that there's going to be at least one pretty long break in the middle. Now it'll be optional of course, but I'll bet that most people will want a chance to eat, drink, rest, etc. after doing the first three and a half hours of testing (really more like 5hr total if you count all the waiting around for check-in).

So now you've got 6.25hr of testing time, at least 25ish min for two short breaks and probably 30-60min for lunch. Add in at least an hour or more for check in and you're talking about a total day for most people that's going to run 8 to 9.5 hours (if there's issues).

Seriously - for most people it's going to be "show up at 7:30am and you're lucky if you walk out by 4:30 or 5"

Yikes!

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

The test is "curved", so if you're better at taking longer tests than other people, the longer test will benefit you. 😛

Careful here - you're not competing against the other people taking the test that day, you're competing against the test itself. The curve has been worked out in advance by the AAMC. So you don't have to worry if "lots of really smart people take the test in April" or whatever.

Remember that the AAMC works very hard to create a test that can be compared between people, across test administrations, across a period of 2-3 years. The whole point of a standardized test is that it's been standardized.

In a sense you're right, that it's "curved" against a particular scale, but it's not scaled against the people sitting in the room that day.

 

[yanks26dmb]

Careful here - you're not competing against the other people taking the test that day, you're competing against the test itself. The curve has been worked out in advance by the AAMC. So you don't have to worry if "lots of really smart people take the test in April" or whatever.

Remember that the AAMC works very hard to create a test that can be compared between people, across test administrations, across a period of 2-3 years. The whole point of a standardized test is that it's been standardized.

In a sense you're right, that it's "curved" against a particular scale, but it's not scaled against the people sitting in the room that day.

So if everyone bombs PS on a particular test day, the raw score needed to get a 10, for instance, won't shift?

 

[Mad Jack]

So if everyone bombs PS on a particular test day, the raw score needed to get a 10, for instance, won't shift?

Correct.

 

[type12]

Correct.

Though the group taking the unscored questions will thank you guys.

 

[summergirl]

To be honest, I'm not too worried about the new MCAT. Sure, it is probably going to be much harder than the current MCAT given it being so much longer, but AAMC has a scale to account for that. However, the scale only measures people taking the same MCAT (old vs. new), it doesn't scale the new MCAT to the old MCAT (I assume). So the only concern I have is that the people who take the new MCAT will be disadvantaged when compared to people who took the old MCAT because their scales are different.

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

To be honest, I'm not too worried about the new MCAT.

Really the "worry" should only apply for a year or two while the new MCAT gets settled down and admissions committees get used to seeing the new scores. By 2018 everyone will be settled into the new regime and we'll all be happy with a much better test.

 

[Lamel]

Such a long test seems kind of unnecessary.

Why not at least keep the sections at 70 minutes?

 

[hrastio24]

Such a long test seems kind of unnecessary.

Why not at least keep the sections at 70 minutes?

They want to see how bad you want to be a doctor

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

Such a long test seems kind of unnecessary.

Why not at least keep the sections at 70 minutes?

The longer the test is, the more reliability and validity it has. You wash out differences in lucky guessing the more questions there are.

Plus they're assessing your stamina. The USMLE is going to be even more of a nightmare in terms of length so they want to see right from the get-go if you've got the drive needed to make it through a long testing day.

 

[premed1001]

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[kuroichigo]

The longer the test is, the more reliability and validity it has. You wash out differences in lucky guessing the more questions there are.

Plus they're assessing your stamina. The USMLE is going to be even more of a nightmare in terms of length so they want to see right from the get-go if you've got the drive needed to make it through a long testing day.

I agree with you but I feel like it is two completely different playing fields. The studying we will do in medical school will consist of 10+ hour days I am sure, so taking the 8 hour exam is not AS grueling as it would be compared to taking it before medical school since you become conditioned.

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

curious as to how they would do this for the first few administrations...

They've been giving "experimental sections" at the end of the MCAT for the past year and a half. The results from those experimental sections provide the necessary data.

 

[ldiaz29]

They've been giving "experimental sections" at the end of the MCAT for the past year and a half. The results from those experimental sections provide the necessary data.

Those could be highly skewed don't you think? I'm sure a lot of people won't take it nearly as serious as the sections that were to be graded right before.

 

[premed1001]

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[SN2ed]

I'm betting the AAMC will eventually decrease the test time to something similar to the current MCAT. I can't remember what the original times were before the CBT, but I think there were 90 minute sections as well. Something to keep in mind, because the tests are longer, Pometric probably won't have morning and evening test sessions. This could make for some crowded rooms if they don't increase the number of days offered.

 

[Czarcasm]

I'm betting the AAMC will eventually decrease the test time to something similar to the current MCAT. I can't remember what the original times were before the CBT, but I think there were 90 minute sections as well. Something to keep in mind, because the tests are longer, Pometric probably won't have morning and evening test sessions. This could make for some crowded rooms if they don't increase the number of days offered.

Is it generally like that for USMLE's? Just wondering. That would totally suck. My pometric center is congested as it is, plus it doesn't help having the proctors hover over you.

 

[premed1001]

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[IslandStyle808]

I'm betting the AAMC will eventually decrease the test time to something similar to the current MCAT. I can't remember what the original times were before the CBT, but I think there were 90 minute sections as well. Something to keep in mind, because the tests are longer, Pometric probably won't have morning and evening test sessions. This could make for some crowded rooms if they don't increase the number of days offered.

I think they were 110 minutes for the science sections, 90 minutes for the verbal, and I am not sure for writing (60 minutes?). I do remember that the science sections were longer.

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

I think they were 110 minutes for the science sections, 90 minutes for the verbal, and I am not sure for writing (60 minutes?). I do remember that the science sections were longer.

That sounds right. I took the old paper test back in the early 1990's and it was a nightmare. The worst part was the required 60min lunch break. Who takes an hour to eat lunch? You're so nervous and jazzed up you scarf down your PB&J in about three seconds and then have 59 minutes and 57 seconds to sit there in a ball, rocking back and forth, banging your head against the wall.

 

[IL Pre Med]

The test is "curved", so if you're better at taking longer tests than other people, the longer test will benefit you. 😛

Scaled, not curved. The scale is pre-determined and how other students perform has no effect on your score.

 

[carparker]

Scaled, not curved. The scale is pre-determined and how other students perform has no effect on your score.

I don't buy it when the AAMC states that it is pre-scaled. Suppose 70% of examinees on a specific section earn a raw score that correlates to an 8 or less on the scale. Are you telling me that all of those people are going to end up with 8's or lower? This indicates a problem with the test, not the majority of test-takers.

Furthermore, if it were truly pre-scaled, you would receive your score immediately just like on the practice tests. The only justification of a 30-day wait is the multiple levels of review needed for the curve that is applied. A "standardized" test that doesn't fit a standard curve is not standardized.

 

[Lunasly]

I don't buy it when the AAMC states that it is pre-scaled. Suppose 70% of examinees on a specific section earn a raw score that correlates to an 8 or less on the scale. Are you telling me that all of those people are going to end up with 8's or lower? This indicates a problem with the test, not the majority of test-takers.

Furthermore, if it were truly pre-scaled, you would receive your score immediately just like on the practice tests. The only justification of a 30-day wait is the multiple levels of review needed for the curve that is applied. A "standardized" test that doesn't fit a standard curve is not standardized.

Interesting...

 

[osjx-82]

I took the last ever sitting of the PBT back in 2006. The damn thing took 8+ hours. Registration itself took close to an hour.

 

[Gauss44]

I would urge you guys to take the old MCAT, taking a 6hr test will be mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. Though, Step 1 is about 8 hrs long. If there really is a shortage of physicians I don't see why the AAMC is throwing even more hurdles in the way.

There's also apparently a shortage of medical schools, or good ones.

...Next time a politician whines about needing more doctors, we can ask for something: more schools, better perks of some sort, healthy hours that allow plenty of sleep (good for the brain & indirectly good for patients)... Always have a voice.

 

[EMDO2018]

And then the let NP's practice medicine independently without supervision, and they never have to deal with any of this. No MCAT, no Steps, no nothing.