The New MCAT

[Amy B]

I was checking something on the AAMC site and saw this new info. It looks like the next MCATer's are getting lucky. They will have less questions to complete in verbal with the same amount of time.
The added genetics part is interesting because you are suppossed to be able to take the test with only the basic 8 hours of gen. biology. Genetics wasn't taught in my gen bio. I'm glad I am done with the MCAT but I wonder how the new one will compare to the ones taken in previous years.

Copied from the aamc web site.

"""An Updated MCAT Is Coming!
In 2003, the MCAT will change slightly. A few organic chemistry questions will be replaced by questions on DNA and genetics, the Verbal Reasoning (VR) section will have five fewer questions, it will be possible to achieve a 14 or
15 on the VR, and a total score will be reported (e.g., 45T). The changes are subtle, but may provide a better opportunity for many students interested in medicine.""

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[mpp]

Amy,

How do you know that the time limit for VR will stay the same or that the questions won't be harder? The new test might be even harder. I would assume that they will keep the method of assigning the scaled score the same so that scores can be compared with previous versions of the test.

 

[daisygirl]

I cannot imagine that the next MCATer's are going to be lucky. The MCAT people will definitely do something unpleasant to the passages or the questions to make up for the decrease in the number of questions. I thought that the MCAT people have already done enough to VR, it (as far as I am concerned) has gotten harder through the years, one only needs to compare the AAMC released materials to come to this conclusion.

 

[Amy B]

I can only assume the time is the same because they would have metioned the time change on the site. Again, only assumption.

As to hardness when compared to previous tests... that is why I said that it will be interesting to compare this test with previous ones. For those taking this one in April that have already taked a previous MCAT I hope you will let everyone know how they compared. Just curious.

 

[NineSixteen]

The new MCAT starts in 2003, actually, so we'll have to wait another year. I work at TPR, although that does not make me an expert, I do know a little about that blasted test.

The Biology section has been slowly moving toward testing genetics heavily, this is now just basically an official announcement of what's been happening for a few years. As for the verbal section, it's been totally assanine to not even be able to score a 14 or 15, so I'm glad they're making that change. Generally, almost nobody has enough time to finish the VR, so less questions is a good change. I doubt it will be any less difficult, though!

 

[VC15]

How will reducing the number of questions make it easier for them to distinguish among 13, 14, and 15? As it is right now, only about 1.5% even score a 13...

 

[mpp]

Reducing the number of questions will allow them to score 13 through 15 separately as more people will actually finish the whole test.