The Official 04/28/2012 MCAT

[HoltMD]

I figured I should start this thread/support system. Good luck studying!

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[pfaction]

Going over verbal is a waste of time unless you're going to do it right after, exactly what fas said. For actual content review, day after, so you can be like me and go "it said vertical velocity, why did I answer in terms of horizontal?" and stuff. It makes you really look at what you're doing wrong. For example, now I re-read the question and draw a picture to triply make sure I understand something, unless it's direct from the passage like "what's the pH when the concentration of the zwitterion is 100%" and it's a graph.

PS;
13/17+17/22=30/40, my first 10 in Verbal! I looked at what I got wrong, it turns out I didn't even see one of the answer choices (literally did not see it) so I got it wrong, and misread another answer choice, should have gotten a 32! So close. If I can get a 10 on Apr 28th I will be

 

[kryptonian]

How do you guys feel about the difficulty of each EK101 Verbal practice test ? My scores were low on #1 and #2 and then high on tests #3 and #4 and afterward dropped on tests #5 - #8. I'm not sure if this weird trend is because tests #3 and #4 are the easiest among the first 8 or something has been wrong with my current strategy (I think I used different strategy during the first 4 tests).

 

[pfaction]

Mine shot up somewhere around the middle too, I remember getting a 9 and a 10, then 7-8, and on 8 another 10 just now. I did **** on diagnostic and first two as well!

 

[misseskwee]

How do you guys feel about the difficulty of each EK101 Verbal practice test ? My scores were low on #1 and #2 and then high on tests #3 and #4 and afterward dropped on tests #5 - #8. I'm not sure if this weird trend is because tests #3 and #4 are the easiest among the first 8 or something has been wrong with my current strategy (I think I used different strategy during the first 4 tests).

Variable.

Sometimes I did well, many times not too great. I found that I didn't like their reasoning. I preferred the TBR and TPRH verbal books over EK101

 

[pfaction]

Double check your answers. For the intro exams, so many typos of answers.

 

[kryptonian]

Variable.

Sometimes I did well, many times not too great. I found that I didn't like their reasoning. I preferred the TBR and TPRH verbal books over EK101

I don't like reasoning of EK101 either. I feel like sometimes the author of the book just has subjective answers and once in a while he just makes up some nonsensical questions. Though, I have to give it credit for copious practice passages and a professional format.

Double check your answers. For the intro exams, so many typos of answers.

I also found a couple typos like that.

Have you tried any AAMC FL VR ? Do you think your EK101 tests' average is close to AAMC FL VR's score ?

 

[pfaction]

I got a 7 on my Verbal. I should not be giving any advice on Verbal. But yeah, EK and my AAMC correlated; I've been averaging an 8 and I got a 7. One point away from an 8.

 

[evolvex]

I would say AAMC might be a little easier, it depends on the test. Most of EK scores are 7's&8's. My AAMCs were 9, 9, 10.

 

[MrNeuro]

TPR FLs are BRUTTTAAAAL

 

[misseskwee]

I don't like reasoning of EK101 either. I feel like sometimes the author of the book just has subjective answers and once in a while he just makes up some nonsensical questions.

Agree. Totes.

Funny thing is I have a friend who's so good in verbal (rarely gets 3 or 4 wrong per passage!) and she claims she loves the EK verbal book over TPRH lol

 

[wild2taz]

Need to finish BR Bio 3-5 and BR Physics 8-10 and review some orgo, hopefully by mid next week I'll be done. Then aamc 4-11 till test date and tpr verbal test 1-4.

Where is everyone else at. How many FL is everyone taking?

 

[misseskwee]

Need to finish BR Bio 3-5 and BR Physics 8-10 and review some orgo, hopefully by mid next week I'll be done. Then aamc 4-11 till test date and tpr verbal test 1-4.

Where is everyone else at. How many FL is everyone taking?

Finished content review but doing passages and discretes from the TPRH science workbook as well as a FL Verbal daily (either from tprh or tbr). Also I made notcards and read those regularly so I don't forget anything. Took aamc3&4 already but didn't do so well =\

I scheduled 11 more FL's from april 1st to the 25th: aamc 5,7-11, TBR I-III, EK 1-H and one from TPR.

 

[pfaction]

AAMC 3 tomorrow. I expect to do badly, especially in Verbal.

 

[fas376]

AAMC 3 tomorrow. I expect to do badly, especially in Verbal.

Which exams have you taken so far?

When I first started studying, I was getting 6s in verbal. Slowly moved up to an 11, then dropped to a 10, then 9, now 8. I'm getting worse! Woohoo!

 

[typicalindian]

AAMC 3 tomorrow. I expect to do badly, especially in Verbal.

good luck! be confident

 

[evolvex]

Which exams have you taken so far?

When I first started studying, I was getting 6s in verbal. Slowly moved up to an 11, then dropped to a 10, then 9, now 8. I'm getting worse! Woohoo!

That happened to me. 9, 10 ,11, 10, 9 , 8 ,7 , 7, in EK

but I just took MCAT review practice test 1 from TPR, and got a 12 in the verbal. No clue how I did it.

 

[kryptonian]

Off-topic to relax a bit. The historic Mega Million just got it winners. I had been hoping before the drawing that I would be the winner so I wouldn't have to study for or take the MCAT on April 28th. But too bad, my hope is gone

 

[MrNeuro]

I saw I had a 1 in 176 million chance do I didn't buy any. Never had any luck.

 

[typicalindian]

Apparantly winning the lotto isn't all it's cracked up to be http://www.mybanktracker.com/bank-news/2011/12/16/lottery-curse-and-why-you-dont-want-to-win/

I've even read that past winners would have complete strangers come on their property and hurt themselves just so they could file a lawsuit against the winners.

 

[pfaction]

So I'm taking AAMC3. I marked...oh god, like 10 out of the 52 in the first part, so many in Verbal.... And I don't know half of the ones I answered as it is. Why am I so unprepared? I studied all the material, did so many passages. Scored modestly on TPR, above 25's at least. I thought I had an understanding of the background material. Sure, I'm not the greatest at Verbal... And yet, for AAMC. I'm dying. I barely understood any of the biology in AAMC3. I just didn't understand any of it at all.

AAMC3 score 30: 11/10/9. I actually got WORSE in biology, much worse.
When I adjust for my reading mistakes in the Bio section, I got an 11. This makes me feel somewhat better. It brings me to a 32, which is really what I should be getting. Adjusting for the reading mistakes in PS, I now get a 34.

Gonna go be depressed for a while, see ya guys later.

 

[Lazybum2014]

So I'm taking AAMC3. I marked...oh god, like 10 out of the 52 in the first part, so many in Verbal.... And I don't know half of the ones I answered as it is. Why am I so unprepared? I studied all the material, did so many passages. Scored modestly on TPR, above 25's at least. I thought I had an understanding of the background material. Sure, I'm not the greatest at Verbal... And yet, for AAMC. I'm dying. I barely understood any of the biology in AAMC3. I just didn't understand any of it at all.

AAMC3 score 30: 11/10/9. I actually got WORSE in biology, much worse.
When I adjust for my reading mistakes in the Bio section, I got an 11. This makes me feel somewhat better. It brings me to a 32, which is really what I should be getting. Adjusting for the reading mistakes in PS, I now get a 34.

Gonna go be depressed for a while, see ya guys later.

Don't be sad! Only place to go from here is up!

 

[typicalindian]

So I'm taking AAMC3. I marked...oh god, like 10 out of the 52 in the first part, so many in Verbal.... And I don't know half of the ones I answered as it is. Why am I so unprepared? I studied all the material, did so many passages. Scored modestly on TPR, above 25's at least. I thought I had an understanding of the background material. Sure, I'm not the greatest at Verbal... And yet, for AAMC. I'm dying. I barely understood any of the biology in AAMC3. I just didn't understand any of it at all.

AAMC3 score 30: 11/10/9. I actually got WORSE in biology, much worse.
When I adjust for my reading mistakes in the Bio section, I got an 11. This makes me feel somewhat better. It brings me to a 32, which is really what I should be getting. Adjusting for the reading mistakes in PS, I now get a 34.

Gonna go be depressed for a while, see ya guys later.

Lol dude I got a 30 as well 10/10/10 though...with all the silly mistakes I made I could have easily gotten a 34. But keep your head up man! I'm reviewing my AAMC 4 today after I finish studying for my biochem exam and then I'm gonna take AAMC 5 tomorrow. Hoping to do work on that one :x

 

[fas376]

pfaction - How is a 30 a poor score? You're doing great man. We still have 4 weeks.

 

[pfaction]

Once again, the score for me is 1/2 the actual point of this test. If I can't understand what's going on, then I consider it a failure. Sure, one passage here and there (esp in Verbal) is no biggie, especially if the answers are direct from the passage or whatever. But AAMC3 Bio, holy **** I am super weak on Genetics. And apparently I got a kidney passage wrong too. So I'm going to review that. I have huge problems with reading apparently because like TI, correcting my reading mistakes gave me over 10% overall boost in 2 sections alone....

 

[kryptonian]

Apparantly winning the lotto isn't all it's cracked up to be http://www.mybanktracker.com/bank-news/2011/12/16/lottery-curse-and-why-you-dont-want-to-win/

I've even read that past winners would have complete strangers come on their property and hurt themselves just so they could file a lawsuit against the winners.

Yeah, I've heard similar stories. I barely play lottery though, just this time for fun.

So I'm taking AAMC3. I marked...oh god, like 10 out of the 52 in the first part, so many in Verbal.... And I don't know half of the ones I answered as it is. Why am I so unprepared? I studied all the material, did so many passages. Scored modestly on TPR, above 25's at least. I thought I had an understanding of the background material. Sure, I'm not the greatest at Verbal... And yet, for AAMC. I'm dying. I barely understood any of the biology in AAMC3. I just didn't understand any of it at all.

AAMC3 score 30: 11/10/9. I actually got WORSE in biology, much worse.
When I adjust for my reading mistakes in the Bio section, I got an 11. This makes me feel somewhat better. It brings me to a 32, which is really what I should be getting. Adjusting for the reading mistakes in PS, I now get a 34.

Gonna go be depressed for a while, see ya guys later.

Once again, the score for me is 1/2 the actual point of this test. If I can't understand what's going on, then I consider it a failure. Sure, one passage here and there (esp in Verbal) is no biggie, especially if the answers are direct from the passage or whatever. But AAMC3 Bio, holy **** I am super weak on Genetics. And apparently I got a kidney passage wrong too. So I'm going to review that. I have huge problems with reading apparently because like TI, correcting my reading mistakes gave me over 10% overall boost in 2 sections alone....

Don't be discouraged so early man. Anything in 30 ish is great. Keep in mind that AAMC 3 is not the most recent one and you still have a lot of time and FL to practice to subdue your non-content mistakes.

 

[MrNeuro]

whats everyone doing today?

 

[misseskwee]

whats everyone doing today?

Did aamc5. Had many careless mistakes and even calculation mistakes *facepalm*
Even marked an answer incorrectly! Good thing is I improved (a little). Not so good thing is I still haven't broken a 30. Frustrating... but not giving up!

 

[evolvex]

I feel you !

 

[pfaction]

whats everyone doing today?

As I've gone over TPR 3 times straight through so far, I've switched to The Berkley Review. I hope when I take AAMC4 on Tuesday it doesn't backfire on me. I was gonna do some verbal tonight but I'll do that tomorrow in the afternoon, between TBR Physics/GChem/Ochem.

Good luck everyone; break that 30.

 

[fas376]

Are you guys still doing TBR passages? After I take an AAMC, I spend most of the next day reviewing either PS/BS and going over content. If I do passages, I feel like I'll start burning out. What do you guys think?

It's also a lot less stressful. I watched 5 hours of NBA today...haven't done much other than review the BS section of my FL

 

[folktale]

I haven't been studying too. I feel so burnt out. But I've been trying to focus on verbal from TBR and still doing horrible. Planning on taking aamc 4 tomorrow.

 

[pfaction]

I'm up for AAMC4 on Tuesday. I've been burned out since TPR4, but I'm doing badly (at least in my head) so I'm pushing myself further. Passages or FSQ, you can't stop, you have to continue.

 

[typicalindian]

Yeah I too am ridiculously burned out. Any days I take off from mcat are spent studying for my actual classes -_-. It doesnt help having 2 high yield exams over these next couple weeks because it really ****s with my mcat studying.

 

[Dires]

Here's a parody I'm sure some will be able to relate to:


*Just finishing up your verbal reasoning section test*
(Thoughts) "Man, there is no way I missed any questions on this section test. Boom baby! Definitely going to get a 100%, 15 flow, on this one. I've made great improvement... I can feel it! MCAT doesn't have anything on me anymore... VERBAL SKILL MAXED!!!"
*click click -submit- click*

SCORE: 8

Your blood starts to boil, your heart starts beating faster and your face starts turning blood red. Before the sweat can drip from your brow you briskly stand up and stare out the window above your desk. The only thoughts running through your head are (1) whether it was the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system that caused this response and (2) whether or not you should launch your 800$ dell computer out of the window. Despite your furious inner rage you take no action. Instead you feel the tears rolling down your cheeks, and the #2 Paper Mate mechanical pencil breaking in your grasp. Wiping the tears away you pick up your phone and schedule 12 more hours of volunteer and shadowing obligations with the intentions of hiding this future hypothetically horrendous number behind your mind numbingly stereotypical extra curricular activities.

After regaining composure you pick up the pieces of mechanical pencil and carefully place them in a box full of broken writing utensils. The constant reminder of the what seems to be a never ending cycle of verbal reasoning mediocrity.


I'm taking the test April 28th too. I plan on trying to force in 4 more FLs before the dreaded burn out (I've taken 4 so far). Hope yalls studying is going well!

 

[misseskwee]

Here's a parody I'm sure some will be able to relate to:


*Just finishing up your verbal reasoning section test*
(Thoughts) "Man, there is no way I missed any questions on this section test. Boom baby! Definitely going to get a 100%, 15 flow, on this one. I've made great improvement... I can feel it! MCAT doesn't have anything on me anymore... VERBAL SKILL MAXED!!!"
*click click -submit- click*

SCORE: 8

Your blood starts to boil, your heart starts beating faster and your face starts turning blood red. Before the sweat can drip from your brow you briskly stand up and stare out the window above your desk. The only thoughts running through your head are (1) whether it was the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system that caused this response and (2) whether or not you should launch your 800$ dell computer out of the window. Despite your furious inner rage you take no action. Instead you feel the tears rolling down your cheeks, and the #2 Paper Mate mechanical pencil breaking in your grasp. Wiping the tears away you pick up your phone and schedule 12 more hours of volunteer and shadowing obligations with the intentions of hiding this future hypothetically horrendous number behind your mind numbingly stereotypical extra curricular activities.

After regaining composure you pick up the pieces of mechanical pencil and carefully place them in a box full of broken writing utensils. The constant reminder of the what seems to be a never ending cycle of verbal reasoning mediocrity.


I'm taking the test April 28th too. I plan on trying to force in 4 more FLs before the dreaded burn out (I've taken 4 so far). Hope yalls studying is going well!

omg lolol THIS IS SO ME. Man I can't stop laughing about the PNS/SNS part

So far with 3 AAMC's I've gotten 8, 9, and 9 in VR... Frustrating...

 

[Lazybum2014]

Guys I have a problem. There's a PChem exam scheduled for the 12th at the moment. However, the professor wants to move the test to the 20th. I tried to ask him if I can take it earlier but he thinks one week before my MCAT wont make a difference to my MCAT.

Should I go back to ask him to take it earlier? This class is a stressor to me, but my friends think it would be unfair to them...

 

[typicalindian]

Guys I have a problem. There's a PChem exam scheduled for the 12th at the moment. However, the professor wants to move the test to the 20th. I tried to ask him if I can take it earlier but he thinks one week before my MCAT wont make a difference to my MCAT.

Should I go back to ask him to take it earlier? This class is a stressor to me, but my friends think it would be unfair to them...

Screw your friends and your professor, how the hell do they know how you prepare for exams? Everyone obviously studies differently so you go to your professor and explain to him (in a much nicer way than I'm putting it) that you need all the time you can get for the MCAT. Go talk to him personally, dont do the email stuff because it's much easier to turn someone down by email. And again, screw your friends, that's really selfish of them, and how could you taking a test early give you an unfair advantage? If anything they would have the unfair advantage by being able to study for a longer amount of time.

 

[Dires]

omg lolol THIS IS SO ME. Man I can't stop laughing about the PNS/SNS part

So far with 3 AAMC's I've gotten 8, 9, and 9 in VR... Frustrating...

Glad I could provide some laughs.

Yeah I know a lot of people (my self included) get worked up by the verbal sections in particular. I have been inches away from sending the AAMC hate mail regarding an answer I disagreed with following immediate review of a test. Obviously after having taken a couple moments to cool off I'm always thankful I that the send button wasn't pressed. Once my mind isn't clouded with anger I can usually identify the flaw in my thinking!

If you would have told me 3 years ago I would be getting so worked up over a 60 minute section test I would have scoffed at you and continued chugging my 40 oz.

Such is life

 

[Doctoor]

Just took AAMC 5 and got an 18

P8 V6 B4

I don't know why.. I mean I've never really done great on the MCAT, but last week I got a 24 on AAMC 4 P9 V8 B7

I did notice that 5 had a ton of organic in the bio section, and maybe that's why I did that much worse, but still I was hoping that I'd only go up from 24

Sad sad day for me.

 

[misseskwee]

Just took AAMC 5 and got an 18

P8 V6 B4

I don't know why.. I mean I've never really done great on the MCAT, but last week I got a 24 on AAMC 4 P9 V8 B7

I did notice that 5 had a ton of organic in the bio section, and maybe that's why I did that much worse, but still I was hoping that I'd only go up from 24

Sad sad day for me.

Hey don't let it bring you down! Instead make it motivate you to work even harder! Identify your weakest section (seems to be BS, maybe due to orgo as you mentioned) and just review the concepts you got wrong and do practice passages! Whether BR, TPR, EK 1001, whatever but just practice practice practice! Don't let this one test defeat you.
I myself did bad for my 1st 2 aamc's (both 23) and then i got a 26 in aamc5 yesterday! Not much but still an improvement. I noticed a lot of calculations errors and simply stupid mistakes that i could have avoided so i'm working on that as well. We gotta own this test. Keep your chin up, man! We're all struggling in our own ways but if others have done it (and did awesome) then we can too.

 

[Doctoor]

Hey don't let it bring you down! Instead make it motivate you to work even harder! Identify your weakest section (seems to be BS, maybe due to orgo as you mentioned) and just review the concepts you got wrong and do practice passages! Whether BR, TPR, EK 1001, whatever but just practice practice practice! Don't let this one test defeat you.
I myself did bad for my 1st 2 aamc's (both 23) and then i got a 26 in aamc5 yesterday! Not much but still an improvement. I noticed a lot of calculations errors and simply stupid mistakes that i could have avoided so i'm working on that as well. We gotta own this test. Keep your chin up, man! We're all struggling in our own ways but if others have done it (and did awesome) then we can too.

You're right Thanks for the support man. I'm gonna review the exam, and I'll make sure that I look at the orgo chapters again.

 

[Lazybum2014]

Screw your friends and your professor, how the hell do they know how you prepare for exams? Everyone obviously studies differently so you go to your professor and explain to him (in a much nicer way than I'm putting it) that you need all the time you can get for the MCAT. Go talk to him personally, dont do the email stuff because it's much easier to turn someone down by email. And again, screw your friends, that's really selfish of them, and how could you taking a test early give you an unfair advantage? If anything they would have the unfair advantage by being able to study for a longer amount of time.

They think that my test will be the easier and one friend/prick in particular is complaining that we should ll have to take it together. But thanks, my prof definitely doesn't understand how nerve-wracking the test is. I'll definitely push to take the earlier test.

 

[folktale]

Okay I forgot to share my AAMC practice tests, so here's the breakdown PS/VR/BS:

11/6/10 on AAMC #3, which I took last week

I was really down on the verbal.

And now I just took AAMC #4 and got 11/9/10

FINALLY BROKE THE 30!!! But I have to admit, I was still doubtful the whole time I was taking AAMC4 just now. I really felt like I was gonna be lucky even if I got a 23 or 24. Your feelings definitely is not accurate on what you're going to get. I'm just so happy I improved that VR by 3 points!

EDIT: Just realized KU and Kentucky are about to play. OMG that's to reward myself hehehe. GO KU!

 

[pfaction]

Good job man!

10/12 on yesterday's Verbal EK9 set (PSG1+2)! But...
11/18 in today's problem set (PSG3-5). I realized 4 out of 7 I got wrong for what they were....they were between choices I thought were right and weren't (50:50). One of the answer explanations was complete bull****, but I counted it as wrong anyway. I shoulda gotten a 15...

21/30 cleans me out of a 10 so I'm down to a 9 MAX. ****ttt, this sucks. thumbdown

AAMC4 tomorrow.

 

[pfaction]

Taking AAMC4 right now.

Initial thoughts:
PS is not that bad actually! I think studying TBR really helped a LOT. Though I guessed on about 20 questions, I understood the experiments and what was going on for the most part. Not 100% sure I did well at all though. But, I'm hopeful! The photoelectric questions threw me off since TPR doesn't do it at all, but TBR does it, so I wasn't completely in the dark. Hoping to get a 9-ish.

VR: I'm scoring anywhere around an 8-9 consistent on EK, and I got a 10 on AAMC3, so I shouldn't get under a 9 on this. If I do, oh boy. I marked roughly half my questions as it is, and I felt very unsure about the majority of my answers.

Essay: Did okay on the first one, brain died during the 2nd one. I'm averaging between N and Q, so as long as I get an N I think I'll be OK. I should.

Biology: WHOAAA, nope! I didn't get a lot of stuff, I guessed on a lot!! I guess I need to review Biology again! I marked all the questions I guessed on, so I guess I gotta brush up a lot.

The stuff I got wrong in Bio, I was 50/50 and chose wrong. Blah, I coulda gotten a 33. In Verbal, same! I re-read the questions I got wrong and was like, but it's right here!

I'm proud to say I committed almost no reading errors this time. It was purely passage choice and selection errors!!

 

[Lazybum2014]

Taking AAMC4 right now.

Initial thoughts:
PS is not that bad actually! I think studying TBR really helped a LOT. Though I guessed on about 20 questions, I understood the experiments and what was going on for the most part. Not 100% sure I did well at all though. But, I'm hopeful! The photoelectric questions threw me off since TPR doesn't do it at all, but TBR does it, so I wasn't completely in the dark. Hoping to get a 9-ish.

VR: I'm scoring anywhere around an 8-9 consistent on EK, and I got a 10 on AAMC3, so I shouldn't get under a 9 on this. If I do, oh boy. I marked roughly half my questions as it is, and I felt very unsure about the majority of my answers.

Essay: Did okay on the first one, brain died during the 2nd one. I'm averaging between N and Q, so as long as I get an N I think I'll be OK. I should.

Biology: WHOAAA, nope! I didn't get a lot of stuff, I guessed on a lot!! I guess I need to review Biology again! I marked all the questions I guessed on, so I guess I gotta brush up a lot.

The stuff I got wrong in Bio, I was 50/50 and chose wrong. Blah, I coulda gotten a 33. In Verbal, same! I re-read the questions I got wrong and was like, but it's right here!

I'm proud to say I committed almost no reading errors this time. It was purely passage choice and selection errors!!

Nice job! Still getting consistent 7/8 on EK

 

[folktale]

pfaction, how are you grading the writing section? And congrats on the score man! We have similar questions correct on the PS section, but i got a 27/40 (still a 9) on VR and 40/52 on BS.

 

[spiceupyolife]

I am hitting a wall lately but it gives me hope that you guys are still working at it!

 

[pfaction]

pfaction, how are you grading the writing section? And congrats on the score man! We have similar questions correct on the PS section, but i got a 27/40 (still a 9) on VR and 40/52 on BS.

TPR grades my writing for me.

I'm ultra mad at AAMC4 because I got a 30, which should mean a 10. But 31 is a 10. FUUUUUUU

Starting at around 10 AM tomorrow:

6) Means 2 to 3 passages from each subject including TPR verbal. Shiiiit yo!

 

[MrNeuro]

just finished AAMC 3 a bit disappointed in my score

more than 3/4 of my mistakes were just from not reading the question carefully or the answer choices

im sure a good half of those would have been eliminated had i not started taking the test at 1 am