The Official 04/28/2012 MCAT

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HoltMD

HoltMD

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I figured I should start this thread/support system. Good luck studying! :luck:
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MDPhDJourney said:
Oh wait, just read the MCAT guidelines and apparently we're not suppose to speculate about which items were experimental.

Blargh.
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I didn't even know there was such a thing. Man, I wish I knew about this yesterday. To think there is a possibility I spent way too much time on a passage that doesn't even count kinda sucks. Oh well, I guess it's probably better than it actually being graded.
 
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Vachata said:
I didn't even know there was such a thing. Man, I wish I knew about this yesterday. To think there is a possibility I spent way too much time on a passage that doesn't even count kinda sucks. Oh well, I guess it's probably better than it actually being graded.
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Wait what does that quote mean, "not supposed to speculate about experimental items"? Can you give an example?
 
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uniqenam said:
Wait what does that quote mean, "not supposed to speculate about experimental items"? Can you give an example?
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We are not allowed to disclose any details or even topics that were on the MCAT. Speculating what the experimental passage was typically involves revealing details that were on the MCAT.
 
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Comments:

PS: was pretty surprised here; more difficult than I expected.

VR: passage topics were reasonable but felt long. Worried here; every time I've had a "that wasn't too bad" feeling in a VR section it translated to a low score.... :(

BS: was similar to previous comments. There were some tedious passages/questions. Fairly difficult.

Overall: I felt like I had been kicked between the legs for 5 hrs when I left.
 
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Let the waiting begin. I'm quite certain AAMC has modeled score release delay to maximize the number of sign ups for retakes. More $$$ for them. Otherwise, they could give you instant scores for ps/vr/bs and just mail the essay score and percentiles, as the GRE does.
 
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MDPhDJourney said:
PS: Was a little harder than the AAMCs but mostly because it felt really different; calculation-heavy and more conceptual "how-does-this-work" questions. On the AAMC practice exams I always felt like I knew how to solve/approach every problem and then would end up getting questions wrong due to stupid mistakes or calculation errors. But with today's PS section there were a couple of questions that had me scratching my head.

VR: I literally have no clue what my score will be. The passages were on the most part easy reads (no esoteric philosophy/humanities passages) but the questions were more difficult and it was sometimes difficult to narrow down 2 answer choices even if I felt like I knew the answer to the question. So yea...I feel like I could end up with a 1 or a 15. lol

WR: Whatever

BS: Close to AAMC 10/11 EXCEPT that the discrete questions seemed more difficult in that they required knowledge of very minute details. The 1st orgo passage I had was also pretty difficult, IMO. I THINK I did well on this section, but again...I really just don't know.

The next 30 days will be painful to live through.

Does every test have an experimental passage and is there an experimental passage in each section? What do you guys think the experimental passages were on our exam?
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I haven't gone to the next page so I don't think this has been answered yet but I think there's only 1 experimental on the whole exam
 
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wanderedtoolong said:
Let the waiting begin. I'm quite certain AAMC has modeled score release delay to maximize the number of sign ups for retakes. More $$$ for them. Otherwise, they could give you instant scores for ps/vr/bs and just mail the essay score and percentiles, as the GRE does.
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I would bet my right kidney that's why they do it (or the left of you want I have no preference for either) the only thing that actually needs to be graded at this point is the writing sample unless they actually curve more than I think they do afterwards

PS was so calculation heavy that I ran out of time real quick and the last 2/3 calculations I just put random answers that seemed right cuz I didn't have time to calculate

I had crazy easy discretes on BS last year and these were difficult as hell. I don't remember a single question except one from PS and one from BS that I know I got wrong I don't even remember what any of the passages were about. I completely forgot everything lol I know there were a lot of questions that I read and EK and Kaplan both said it wouldn't be that specific so I didn't bother to learn it. It was a ridiculous question. There were a lot of things that I had never even heard of
 
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I mean, the only reason it was calc heavy is you were probably doing it right. I know I ****ed up a lot of those calculations. Guaranteed.
 
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misseskwee said:
Waiting. No point ruining my month of May by studying again if there's still a possibility of doing alright! Just enjoy this month man.
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folktale said:
I'm gonna play the waiting game. Not going to register for a new one right now. If I have to retake, I might just retake it with my bro taking it September. But that's kind of too late for applications this cycle. So I'm not really sure what I would do if I do have to retake. I'm just going to enjoy tomorrow first.
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I was paranoid last night about my score and future. But yeah, I'll just wait until the score is out and then decide if I should retake. If I do have to retake, probably I will take one more year off. I won't let this freaking test destroy my MD/PhD dream that easily.

folktale said:
Yea I'm a guy. What made you guys think I was a girl? Maybe it was my avatar? xD
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lol, dude, not only your avatar is misleading, but also the way you write in each post really really makes me think Folktale is a girl. Yesterday I spotted 2 Fillipina girls at the center, and I almost asked one of them if she was Folktale. I'm glad I didn't; otherwise I would be super embarrassed :laugh:

Vachata said:
I didn't even know there was such a thing. Man, I wish I knew about this yesterday. To think there is a possibility I spent way too much time on a passage that doesn't even count kinda sucks. Oh well, I guess it's probably better than it actually being graded.
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Yep. There's one on each section. After finishing my PS section, I realized there had been one OMG passage in the middle. I think that may be the experimental one. I should have just saved it for last. Couldn't detect any experimental passage in my BS though cos all of them were just equally hard. If there's one, I hope it is the last one cos my brain stopped working when I did that passage.
 
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Are u sure about the one on each section thing? Cuz I was under the impression that there was one on the test as a whole.

Also keep in mind that the experimental passage could have been an easy one not a hard one. They do it to judge wether the questions are too hard or too easy
 
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As what I have posted a couple of weeks ago, there may be an overall strategy of the replacement of more critical & experimental questions instead of fact based type probably initiated back to 2007 when AAMC exchanged the paper format. We just didn't see it as it drip down one question at a time spreading out many years.

The following is my speculation:
1. The replacement of questions in the pool accelerated & intensify every administration toward 2015.
2. The "older experimental question" gradually became "regular" questions at the top of the "new" experiemental questions.

As I said in the other post, this will be VERY interesting to see how other may/june/july testers will experience the coming months. My goodness, I sincerely hope that I am VERY wrong.

Folks,
Let your bad airs out in the forum & re-group. You all are WINNERS in life as you are just a small portion of higher academic population in the world each and every month who dared to attack this MCAT beast.

This is not the end. Keep fighting! :thumbup::thumbup::luck:
 
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Caitlin0206 said:
Are u sure about the one on each section thing? Cuz I was under the impression that there was one on the test as a whole.

Also keep in mind that the experimental passage could have been an easy one not a hard one. They do it to judge wether the questions are too hard or too easy
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I learned about the experimental passage through others. I may have misread somewhere that experimental passage is on each section. You may be right. There may be one on the entire test, not a single section.

MedOldAge said:
Folks,
Let your bad airs out in the forum & re-group. You all are WINNERS in life as you are just a small portion of higher academic population in the world each and every month who dared to attack this MCAT beast.

This is not the end. Keep fighting! :thumbup::thumbup::luck:
Click to expand...

Thanks for your encouraging words to us. I'm assuming your son did a very good job and got a very nice score :)
 
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Yeah see the fact you guys keep saying it was calculation intensive means I ****ed up. I just plugged whatever numbers I saw into equations I knew and that was it. I don't know what heavy calculations are you are talking about. ********.
 
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pfaction said:
Yeah see the fact you guys keep saying it was calculation intensive means I ****ed up. I just plugged whatever numbers I saw into equations I knew and that was it. I don't know what heavy calculations are you are talking about. ********.
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Plugging numbers into an equation you knew is by definition a calculation lol. It had a lot of calculations which isn't common based on what was on previous aamc practices and I was shocked with how little there was in the way of gen Chem the topics I expected and prepared for were nowhere to be found and that shocked me
 
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I mean I remember one where there was a ridiculous amount of calculations but I used shortcuts presented and thought I did alright since the answers were very far apart. And you know what, I'm just going to stop talking about it until...when are the scores out? I still haven't even started writing my PS, I'm so burned...and I have to do the LIJ thing, read guidelines, ****.
 
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pfaction said:
I mean I remember one where there was a ridiculous amount of calculations but I used shortcuts presented and thought I did alright since the answers were very far apart. And you know what, I'm just going to stop talking about it until...when are the scores out? I still haven't even started writing my PS, I'm so burned...and I have to do the LIJ thing, read guidelines, ****.
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Pfaction, you're a couple posts away from having a mental breakdown.
 
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Meh, I'm semi-stressed about the MCAT but more stressed that I'm about to step into a hospital, 5 months removed from medicine I know, and expected to know guidelines in and out--all while working on the application, which I have 0% done on!
 
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pfaction said:
I mean I remember one where there was a ridiculous amount of calculations but I used shortcuts presented and thought I did alright since the answers were very far apart. And you know what, I'm just going to stop talking about it until...when are the scores out? I still haven't even started writing my PS, I'm so burned...and I have to do the LIJ thing, read guidelines, ****.
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I have nothing done on my app yet either and I still need one LOR. Scores are out on may 30th
 
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I took the MCAT yesterday too and haven't been about to stop thinking about it since. I am pretty disappointed. The PS was brutal, BRUTAL! What was that? And where was all the stuff that we have spent the past 4 months learning? The scope was very narrow. I didn't feel like I could apply what I knew to the random situations they presented on the few things they did test. About three passages in I sat there thinking, "I'm going to need to void, its over." Ultimately I didn't void, but am doubting my decision... I thought BR was supposed to be pretty good for the PS prep? Didn't help me. I was lost!

VR... the reading level of the passages was low, phew. But the length? I am in the boat that they were far longer than the practice material. Worst of all was the questions. Eliminate-Eliminate-Eliminate-Eliminate-Unelim-Unelim-Unelim-Unelim, start over. Don't feel good about it at all.

WS... whatever. I was so spent after being slaughtered in the morning, I didnt know what I was writing about. My final paragraphs were miserable.

BS. I actually felt this was a bit of much needed fresh air. I finished with 10 min time to spare to review my marked questions. I know I got some wrong in retrospect. But overall, I felt the last time I took it the bio was much, much worse.

In retrospect, I dont know what I would do to improve things if I could do it over. I didnt feel like any of the practice materials out there really hit on what the actual test feels like. There isnt all that much I could have done differently to prepare. Anyone else feel that way?
 
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oliveoil123 said:
I took the MCAT yesterday too and haven't been about to stop thinking about it since. I am pretty disappointed. The PS was brutal, BRUTAL! What was that? And where was all the stuff that we have spent the past 4 months learning? The scope was very narrow. I didn't feel like I could apply what I knew to the random situations they presented on the few things they did test. About three passages in I sat there thinking, "I'm going to need to void, its over." Ultimately I didn't void, but am doubting my decision... I thought BR was supposed to be pretty good for the PS prep? Didn't help me. I was lost!

VR... the reading level of the passages was low, phew. But the length? I am in the boat that they were far longer than the practice material. Worst of all was the questions. Eliminate-Eliminate-Eliminate-Eliminate-Unelim-Unelim-Unelim-Unelim, start over. Don't feel good about it at all.

WS... whatever. I was so spent after being slaughtered in the morning, I didnt know what I was writing about. My final paragraphs were miserable.

BS. I actually felt this was a bit of much needed fresh air. I finished with 10 min time to spare to review my marked questions. I know I got some wrong in retrospect. But overall, I felt the last time I took it the bio was much, much worse.

In retrospect, I dont know what I would do to improve things if I could do it over. I didnt feel like any of the practice materials out there really hit on what the actual test feels like. There isnt all that much I could have done differently to prepare. Anyone else feel that way?
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Agreed cept bio. I thought bio was a lot worse than last time
 
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So here it is,
I am an MCAT retaker, and I thought the PS and BS were not too bad at all. My worst part was the Verbal. I got a 10 the first time I took the Verbal, and for some reason feel so unconfident about this administration verbal. I was rushed, unfocused, and almost guessing on most of the answers. So I dont think I did very well on that section. I am hoping for the best though.
The PS was not too bad if you were prepared to do some math.
THe BS didnt have much on what I was expecting. I was really hoping for more focus on the body. but oh well
 
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Anyone else have absolutely NO IDEA what they got?

Like I mean, I know of a couple I definitely missed in hindsight... but depending on the luck of the Gods, I could of gotten anywhere between a 27 and a 34. I literally have no idea what I got. Seriously. This is a weird feeling.
 
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Yea I been thinking about it, and seems like I was narrowing a lot of answers to 50/50 chances. I hope the mcat god favor me some points on luck. I just don't want to get a piss poor score and feel broken.

I'm mad that the test didn't play to my skills at all, I'm awesome at ochem, and there was very little ochem. I'm way stronger in the theory of how things in physics work, then plug and chug.

This was the worst combo for me.... Doh!
 
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I thought I'd weigh in too, because the people in this thread are awesome and I want to share in it.

PS: Very different from what I expected. It felt like they took AAMC 11, removed a couple of the easy concept passages and put in hard concept passages. I ran out of time before I could go back and check and wasn't too sure about it overall. Pretty difficult.

VR: I always run out of time on this section, but I manage to make up for it in accuracy usually. This one, I have no idea... I didn't have a good handle on the last two passages with the time constraint, but I did my best. The passages weren't convoluted or anything, but they were long and so were many of the questions. Overall, not feeling awesome about it.

WR: Probably the best essays I've written on this section, not that it matters. I think I was in a reflective mood like "What is my life going to become after this test?"

BS: I'm SO glad that I am in an SMP where I took medical school classes. This section was pretty heavy on medical school level material. There was one pretty hard organic chemistry passage. I didn't finish comfortably like I normally do on this section, probably due to the vast experimental descriptions in the passage. I feel alright about this section, but ya... not great.

OVERALL: Different than what I expected. It was fair, but pretty challenging.

AAMC Practice test averages
PS: 12 (11-13)
VR: 10 (9-11)
BS: 13 (11-15)

Predicted 10/8/12... sadness...
 
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uhh...just did this

g3sWC.png


then my reaction was this...

tumblr_lzvje9WIyN1qitzlvo1_500.png
 
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Just talked to a friend who took the mcat a few years ago. She had an asthma attack during PS and still got into medical school, and is now an EM resident. It could have been worse, we'll be ok.
 
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ColeSmalls said:
People almost always score within their practice test range. AAMC has a system and it works. The unprepared get weeded out. Ill bet a 10 on bio translates to around 33-34 right on the real thing, btw. Not even trolling this time.
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Is this true? I definitely think I at least got 34 right... and I would be more than happy with a 10 on bio, my worst section.
 
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that ain't true. look at the aamc practice conversion charts. avg lowest raw score that yielded a 10 was about 38/52.

don't get me wrong....i hope it is....doesn't seem likely.
 
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More and more I think I should have just voided. I'm really really hoping I just matched my last score. A decline in score would basically kill me for the next however many years.

I think scores remain valid for 3 years, but I don't think it matters because if you're a reapplicant, they'll have your AMCAS on file and can see how many times you've taken it.
 
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IceHoot said:
More and more I think I should have just voided. I'm really really hoping I just matched my last score. A decline in score would basically kill me for the next however many years.

I think scores remain valid for 3 years, but I don't think it matters because if you're a reapplicant, they'll have your AMCAS on file and can see how many times you've taken it.
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How did you feel the difficulty of this test compared to the last one?
 
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Whomp said:
How did you feel the difficulty of this test compared to the last one?
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The last PS pandered more to my strengths in terms of PS topics I'm familiar with.

This BS felt much harder than the last one. I kind of paniced in the last BS section and I felt that knocked my score lower than I would have earlier. So, I focused my studying efforts on BS, switching to TPR Bio learning instead of EK...still got tripped up on some of the detail questions.

I'm just going to feel like **** for the month. :(
 
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