**The Official July 2016 MCAT Thread**

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Just finished EK 4 with an overall score of 61% :/
breakdown: c/p=63%, cars=64%, bio=53%, psych=64%

took EK 3 last week and scored a 62% overall

are these scores really low for EK? i'm testing this friday
 
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medbunny56 said:
Just finished EK 4 with an overall score of 61% :/
breakdown: c/p=63%, cars=64%, bio=53%, psych=64%

took EK 3 last week and scored a 62% overall

are these scores really low for EK? i'm testing this friday
Click to expand...

60%+ is good; 70%+ is stellar, walloobi territory
 
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Hospitalized said:
Man I'm so shook from my CARS score on the scored. I can't focus on anything now... I feel pretty dissatisfied with NS: why would I be hitting 125 consistently and then all the sudden drop to 122? Just tells me that it's not very representative or the scale is wrong... Here I am hoping for 125 on the real deal when I thought their tests were supposed to underestimate your score.
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I'm the same! Averaging ~125 for NS but ended up with a 123 on the scored. It's just discouraging because I'm re-taking this month and last year I got a 122 on CARS and I've been through EK 101 & NS's verbal books as well 🙁 Hopefully it works out in our favor though
 
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Did anyone really take the time to study orgo? Not just lab techniques, but like a genuine review of the content? I dedicated my time to everything else, so I barley spent any time on orgo, maybe less than 20 practice passages that weren't from full lengths.

I took orgo early sophomore year (now one year post-grad), so I've forgotten details of most mechanisms and reactions, but I still have a general overview of everything, which has allowed me to do well/okay on orgo passages on full lengths and the scored FL.

But I'm still nervous about this upcoming test, because the AAMC likes to throw in curveballs. It's funny because when I took the old MCAT, I remember getting screwed with the hardest orgo passage, with so many arrows and predict the products, along with more spectroscopy-related questions than usual.

I promised myself I'd actually study orgo the second time around, but that didn't pan out lol. I know it's only 15% of C/P, but if that happens again, I think I'd go crazy!
 
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SwordOfTheMorning said:
Did anyone really take the time to study orgo? Not just lab techniques, but like a genuine review of the content? I dedicated my time to everything else, so I barley spent any time on orgo, maybe less than 20 practice passages that weren't from full lengths.

I took orgo early sophomore year (now one year post-grad), so I've forgotten details of most mechanisms and reactions, but I still have a general overview of everything, which has allowed me to do well/okay on orgo passages on full lengths and the scored FL.

But I'm still nervous about this upcoming test, because the AAMC likes to throw in curveballs. It's funny because when I took the old MCAT, I remember getting screwed with the hardest orgo passage, with so many arrows and predict the products, along with more spectroscopy-related questions than usual.

I promised myself I'd actually study orgo the second time around, but that didn't pan out lol. I know it's only 15% of C/P, but if that happens again, I think I'd go crazy!
Click to expand...

Know lab techniques, NMR, IR, sn1 / sn2, and elimination. The questions will probably come up with a biochemistry focus.
 
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DeterminedFutureMD said:
I'm the same! Averaging ~125 for NS but ended up with a 123 on the scored. It's just discouraging because I'm re-taking this month and last year I got a 122 on CARS and I've been through EK 101 & NS's verbal books as well 🙁 Hopefully it works out in our favor though
Click to expand...

What were you getting on your practice for CARS before you took the test the first time.
 
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Hospitalized said:
Man I'm so shook from my CARS score on the scored. I can't focus on anything now... I feel pretty dissatisfied with NS: why would I be hitting 125 consistently and then all the sudden drop to 122? Just tells me that it's not very representative or the scale is wrong... Here I am hoping for 125 on the real deal when I thought their tests were supposed to underestimate your score.
Click to expand...
Man I'm still shock about my P/S score..consistently getting 127 on N/S and solid percentage for other FLs and then 124 on scored. It's a real bummer. Even my P/C was disappointing..usually hitting 126 and got a 125. Definitely a confidence destroyer but I keep telling myself that it's too late to postpone so might as well go for it.
 
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DocPanda said:
Man I'm still shock about my P/S score..consistently getting 127 on N/S and solid percentage for other FLs and then 124 on scored. It's a real bummer. Even my P/C was disappointing..usually hitting 126 and got a 125. Definitely a confidence destroyer but I keep telling myself that it's too late to postpone so might as well go for it.
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I know. I'm trying not to worry about it too much. My CARS qpack isn't going too bad so that's reassuring.

Now that I've done the scored, I hate how none of the test prep companies are able to replicate the new exam. People say NS is the most representative? Their BIO passages are more convoluted than the SB sometimes. The hardest stuff on the scored was as easy or easier than anything in NS. It seems like at this point all of my practice exams were just for getting timing down and vast exposure to content.
 
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SwordOfTheMorning said:
Did anyone really take the time to study orgo? Not just lab techniques, but like a genuine review of the content? I dedicated my time to everything else, so I barley spent any time on orgo, maybe less than 20 practice passages that weren't from full lengths.

I took orgo early sophomore year (now one year post-grad), so I've forgotten details of most mechanisms and reactions, but I still have a general overview of everything, which has allowed me to do well/okay on orgo passages on full lengths and the scored FL.

But I'm still nervous about this upcoming test, because the AAMC likes to throw in curveballs. It's funny because when I took the old MCAT, I remember getting screwed with the hardest orgo passage, with so many arrows and predict the products, along with more spectroscopy-related questions than usual.

I promised myself I'd actually study orgo the second time around, but that didn't pan out lol. I know it's only 15% of C/P, but if that happens again, I think I'd go crazy!
Click to expand...

I didn't study orgo, but I have a really solid background in it. Nothing they ask is very in-depth. I'd love a mechanism filled exam because I know the scale would be hard but I'm good at that stuff. Please happen!
 
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Does CARs scale on the Fl seem harsher overall? Haven't taken it yet.... Kind of nervous about that section tbh. I've been getting 126 on NS with a 127 or 125 here and there. I purposely skipped NS 3 because I didn't want to freak myself out since CARs is really hard. my scores on other CARs tests have been around NS average. But the Kaplan scale is little bit different like 75% correct is a 125 on some of their tests. The GS CARs tests seemed pretty on point with around 75% being a 126/127.
 
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southernpremed2 said:
Does CARs scale on the Fl seem harsher overall? Haven't taken it yet.... Kind of nervous about that section tbh. I've been getting 126 on NS with a 127 or 125 here and there. I purposely skipped NS 3 because I didn't want to freak myself out since CARs is really hard. my scores on other CARs tests have been around NS average. But the Kaplan scale is little bit different like 75% correct is a 125 on some of their tests. The GS CARs tests seemed pretty on point with around 75% being a 126/127.
Click to expand...

About 74% correct is a 125 on the scored. It's literally 2 points per score from there.
 
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medbunny56 said:
so low 60%+ could possibly equate to 507-508 range??
Click to expand...

I mean, I dunno. I got 63% and 60% on EK1 and EK2, so I'd like to think so. But, it seems that test prep companies aren't doing a real good job of replicating the exam. With that said, if you get >60% that means you have a good content background, so that's in your favor regardless.
 
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Anyone mind explaining how changing gravity effects buoyancy? The amount submerged shouldnt change right? As in if I take ice floating in water on earth vs ice floating on Planet X with half of g, amount submerged should stay same?
 
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betterfuture said:
Anyone mind explaining how changing gravity effects buoyancy? The amount submerged shouldnt change right? As in if I take ice floating in water on earth vs ice floating on Planet X with half of g, amount submerged should stay same?
Click to expand...

The amount submerged wouldn't change. Say we have an object partially submerged -------O-------- (my silly graphic).

Equating Fb with Fg: density of the fluid * volume submerged * g = density of the object * volume of the object * g

The bolded terms just represent mass from the relationship density = mass / volume. gravity cancels out in the relationship above.
 
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SwordOfTheMorning said:
Did anyone really take the time to study orgo? Not just lab techniques, but like a genuine review of the content? I dedicated my time to everything else, so I barley spent any time on orgo, maybe less than 20 practice passages that weren't from full lengths.

I took orgo early sophomore year (now one year post-grad), so I've forgotten details of most mechanisms and reactions, but I still have a general overview of everything, which has allowed me to do well/okay on orgo passages on full lengths and the scored FL.

But I'm still nervous about this upcoming test, because the AAMC likes to throw in curveballs. It's funny because when I took the old MCAT, I remember getting screwed with the hardest orgo passage, with so many arrows and predict the products, along with more spectroscopy-related questions than usual.

I promised myself I'd actually study orgo the second time around, but that didn't pan out lol. I know it's only 15% of C/P, but if that happens again, I think I'd go crazy!
Click to expand...

Give me any question on orgo and I will get most of them right. Exluding HNMR - still need practice. I feel like with orgo it's more of a pattern. You shouldn't go in memorizing mechanisms because that is not the point. It should be a general good solid understanding of the basic: nucleophiles, acids, bases, leaving groups, sigma pi bonds, electronegativity, electron affinity, etc. Its crazy how just the general things regarding these topics govern reactions and how reactions work. I have not spent copious amounts of time, just a quick review here and there, and that's how it ultimately should be.
 
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theonlytycrane said:
The amount submerged wouldn't change. Say we have an object partially submerged -------O-------- (my silly graphic).

Equating Fb with Fg: density of the fluid * volume submerged * g = density of the object * volume of the object * g

The bolded terms just represent mass from the relationship density = mass / volume. gravity cancels out in the relationship above.
Click to expand...

I thought so. Because if I am understanding you correctly, g cancels so basically, the amount of water displaced is dependent on the specific gravity of the object. Take the object on a planet with a different g would still mean the ratio of amount submerged vs percent above water stays same?
 
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Took TPR this morning while in my hotel room, I thought starting at 5:30am with no breaks would get me through a lot but by with my kids were up by 7am jumping on the bed next to me. We planned a trip, studying had to continue -_-.

I thought a lot of it was easier than the NS1 I took last week. But alas I didn't have pen and paper, so didn't do any mapping, and was brain farting on simple calculations because I couldn't write them down, and I took it timed so had to keep pushing through. I'm glad I'm getting some experience with "extreme" testing conditions lol but I can't wait to be back home on Tuesday and get back to my peace and quiet to get through these FLs. But I'm happy with my performance so far, I've been able to find my gaps, so this week will be very focused on review. 3 weeks!!

Score: 506 125/127/125/129

Obviously CARS and psych are my strongpoints I think 129,130 have been my high scores. Starting SB tmw, with C/P, going to the passages individually timed.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
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Hospitalized said:
I mean, I dunno. I got 63% and 60% on EK1 and EK2, so I'd like to think so. But, it seems that test prep companies aren't doing a real good job of replicating the exam. With that said, if you get >60% that means you have a good content background, so that's in your favor regardless.
Click to expand...

which exams prepared you better do you think: NS or EK?
 
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Nucleophile1 said:
I have made Word documents of things that I missed for all of the practice questions I have ever taken. I have gone through most of it, but I have a couple of topics left to go over. I am also going to plan out what I am going to write on my scratch paper during the tutorial time (assuming my testing center allows me to do that). Additionally, I am also going to do the B/B and C/P section banks (probably tomorrow) and then do the last half of the Physics Q-Pack.

What are you going to do?
Click to expand...
I am doing something very similar (with some Kaplan section tests for CARS thrown in)! I also have a review document. I think that will really help me focus on content review in this next week. I never thought of writing things down during the tutorial...do you think it will help? What kind of stuff are you going to write?
 
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Hospitalized said:
I know. I'm trying not to worry about it too much. My CARS qpack isn't going too bad so that's reassuring.

Now that I've done the scored, I hate how none of the test prep companies are able to replicate the new exam. People say NS is the most representative? Their BIO passages are more convoluted than the SB sometimes. The hardest stuff on the scored was as easy or easier than anything in NS. It seems like at this point all of my practice exams were just for getting timing down and vast exposure to content.
Click to expand...

I've been focusing just on qpack 1 CARS and surprising, I scored 10% higher on the scored for CARS than I did for qpack 1. I really don't think I can do better than 70% for CARS though..it took a lot of practice to bring it up.

I'm actually thankful for NS B/C. I was doing mid 50% before I started NS and because of how convoluted and how much detail you need to do that section, my B/C score went up. My P/C was a disappointment though so I feel that the P/C section on the real thing is probably around the same difficulty as NS. Going to go through section bank again for P/C and hope for the best.
 
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DeterminedFutureMD said:
I think around 123-124 through Kaplan...I was misleaded last year with the AAMC Sample test for CARS because I thought it was much easier
Click to expand...
I don't trust the unscored test. I feel that AAMC threw in the easy passages you'll run into on the real thing for that sample test. So I guess it's true that you usually score within 2 pts for CARS on the real thing. It doesn't reassure me because 125 isn't that strong of a score and I can easily drop down to low 120s depending on the passages I get.
 
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So I saw somewhere that someone wrote down all of the equations they could remember on their scratch paper during the breaks/tutorials before each section....Can we do that?! I can't remember how the "actual" test format goes. Like whether we get new scratch paper for each section or not.
 
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It's too bad I didn't do CARS QPack 2 before my scored... AAMC presentation of material is so much different than test prep companies. Definitely feel like I'm learning something now.
 
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countryapplepie said:
So I saw somewhere that someone wrote down all of the equations they could remember on their scratch paper during the breaks/tutorials before each section....Can we do that?! I can't remember how the "actual" test format goes. Like whether we get new scratch paper for each section or not.
Click to expand...

You get new scratch paper at the beginning of each section. You really only need formulas for C/P so just use the tutorial period to write stuff down for that section.
 
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countryapplepie said:
So I saw somewhere that someone wrote down all of the equations they could remember on their scratch paper during the breaks/tutorials before each section....Can we do that?! I can't remember how the "actual" test format goes. Like whether we get new scratch paper for each section or not.
Click to expand...

Yes. I did it when I took the MCAT last year.
 
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Hospitalized said:
You get new scratch paper at the beginning of each section. You really only need formulas for C/P so just use the tutorial period to write stuff down for that section.
Click to expand...
I didn't get new scratch paper for each section, I left it at my computer. It was like 4 sheets of paper that you can write on front and back so it was plenty for me for the whole test to use for CP and BB.
 
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Just finished my AAMC scored test:
127/125/129/126

How did you guys find it?

I thought C/P wasn't too terrible after having done NS exams.
CARS felt harder than my practice tests- like most people I was getting much higher on NS exams (127).
B/S felt incredibly easy for some reason and it's never been my strengthn
P/S felt tricky- thought I would have done better and kind of surprised at the 126. I wrote the MCAT last year and got a 128 on this section...I haven't been focusing on this section much and it its showing🙁 few days left to brush up on the concepts. Ugh.
 
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sleepyhead22 said:
I didn't get new scratch paper for each section, I left it at my computer. It was like 4 sheets of paper that you can write on front and back so it was plenty for me for the whole test to use for CP and BB.
Click to expand...

Really? :O That must be test-center dependent. I swear I had read that someone said they got new paper every time they left the testing room.
 
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Zaba said:
Just finished my AAMC scored test:
127/125/129/126

How did you guys find it?

I thought C/P wasn't too terrible after having done NS exams.
CARS felt harder than my practice tests- like most people I was getting much higher on NS exams (127).
B/S felt incredibly easy for some reason and it's never been my strengthn
P/S felt tricky- thought I would have done better and kind of surprised at the 126. I wrote the MCAT last year and got a 128 on this section...I haven't been focusing on this section much and it its showing🙁 few days left to brush up on the concepts. Ugh.
Click to expand...

Same C/P -- easy compared to NS or EK. Much easier than SB.
Felt same for CARS, wrongly so. Probably was overconfident because I felt very sure on about 35 of my C/P answers.
B/B felt so much easier than anything else I've done (NS, EK, SB) and I did score better
P/S felt pretty easy and I scored right about where I normally do; definitely want to score where I did on this section for the real thing. The curve on the AAMC scored is nasty so I'm hoping my score goes up a point or two.
 
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Hospitalized said:
Same C/P -- easy compared to NS or EK. Much easier than SB.
Felt same for CARS, wrongly so. Probably was overconfident because I felt very sure on about 35 of my C/P answers.
B/B felt so much easier than anything else I've done (NS, EK, SB) and I did score better
P/S felt pretty easy and I scored right about where I normally do; definitely want to score where I did on this section for the real thing. The curve on the AAMC scored is nasty so I'm hoping my score goes up a point or two.
Click to expand...


Me too- I'm worried about Cars. My last August2015 score I got 126/122🙁/125/128
I remember C/P being reasonable; cars being long; B/S difficult as h@$& and P/S being fair. I have a feeling I'm going to get that hard calculation heavy C/P this time around Last years mine was very biochem oriented.

I'm just praying I can get through cars with at least a 125 on the real thing.
Here's praying to every God out there....
 
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@Zaba did the CARS on the FL feel like GS Cars tests? I took those to get my timing down, but wasn't sure how representative they are.I've done decent on them but I'm doing one before I take the scored
 
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BB_USF said:
I am doing something very similar (with some Kaplan section tests for CARS thrown in)! I also have a review document. I think that will really help me focus on content review in this next week. I never thought of writing things down during the tutorial...do you think it will help? What kind of stuff are you going to write?
Click to expand...

Physics is my weakest subject, so I am going to write down important physics formulas. I am also going to draw the structure of glucose and the branching numbers for disaccharides. I will probably put other stuff but that's what I have for now.

sleepyhead22 said:
I got 81% and got a 128 on CARS on scored full length.
Click to expand...

85% gave me a 128.
 
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AAMC is such a troll, seriously. "Look at you, you did 60 CARS questions! Whew, now would be a good time to take a break!"

How about you release more things for me to practice instead of mocking me?
 
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Nucleophile1 said:
Physics is my weakest subject, so I am going to write down important physics formulas. I am also going to draw the structure of glucose and the branching numbers for disaccharides. I will probably put other stuff but that's what I have for now.



85% gave me a 128.
Click to expand...

same, on the PT I took Saturday I wrote down lens stuff (when f is +), IR, and any/all equations I could remember lol. I will probably write down periodic trends and Beta/Alpha decay stuff too. It seems to be very beneficial to me. I waste less time struggling to remember a formula, b/c I have it jotted down on my paper already. And with certain notes I jot down, it prevents me from falling for any "tricks".
 
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southernpremed2 said:
@Zaba did the CARS on the FL feel like GS Cars tests? I took those to get my timing down, but wasn't sure how representative they are.I've done decent on them but I'm doing one before I take the scored
Click to expand...


I did a few of the GS CARS tests- initially I was like wtf?! But eventually I started doing better on them. I found they were as long and as the AAMC scored test but the the questions were a bit different. It did help me with timing however- which is something I definitely needed to work on. Initially I got a 122 on GS test 1 and then improved to a 125-126 range.

I wish AAMC would put out more CARS material because no test company can really capture their style of questions.
 
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**Possible Spoiler scored AAMC FL**

Can someone explain to me the answer for P/C #4 on scored? How were we suppose to know about stereospecificity and dehydration reaction? And what are some things we should know about this reaction?
 
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Zaba said:
I did a few of the GS CARS tests- initially I was like wtf?! But eventually I started doing better on them. I found they were as long and as the AAMC scored test but the the questions were a bit different. It did help me with timing however- which is something I definitely needed to work on. Initially I got a 122 on GS test 1 and then improved to a 125-126 range.

I wish AAMC would put out more CARS material because no test company can really capture their style of questions.
Click to expand...

+1

KhanAcademy is AAMC affiliated but their stuff is not very good in my opinion. And the passages only have at the most 5 questions. And you have to get it right before you move on, so it's kinda goofed.
 
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Hospitalized said:
+1

KhanAcademy is AAMC affiliated but their stuff is not very good in my opinion. And the passages only have at the most 5 questions. And you have to get it right before you move on, so it's kinda goofed.
Click to expand...

AAMC needs to do what SAT college board does..they release like 23 or so old SAT exams. Plenty of practice to get the feel for the exam. We have 1 unscored which makes you feel overconfident then 1 scored, but if you do bad on the scored and postpone, you don't have another exam to practice with.
 
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there were like 10+ tests for the old mcat, which looked way easier IMO (if q-packs are representative of it)

No biochem or psych / soc either! To only have to study C/P, verbal, and bio...
 
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theonlytycrane said:
there were like 10+ tests for the old mcat, which looked way easier IMO (if q-packs are representative of it)

No biochem or psych / soc either! To only have to study C/P, verbal, and bio...
Click to expand...
True, but only the AAMC 11 was representative of the test. The other FLs were way too easy and short compared to the real deal.
 
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