*The Official MCAT January 2018 Thread*

[mariposas905]

Hey guys! Now that the new test dates are out, I figured I'd start a thread for all the January 2018 test-takers prepping for (and most definitely, slaying) this beast! This is a retake for me, but I'm aiming high! Who else is taking it in January?

I'm sure that sharing insights and support on SDN will make this journey all the more worth it. I have a feeling 2018 is off to a great start! Good luck everyone and may the odds be ever in our favor.

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[deleted600623]

@MoDiddy Thank you! Still a ways to go..

 

[Sheiko]

Was that Altius a full length? I thought it was supposed to be half.

I think it is actually a half-length as you said previously, but I was not able to take it. I accidentally picked the wrong settings, and after I went back to fix it I could no longer access the exam. I'll probably make a throwaway email to get access to it again and do it during the week sometime.

 

[Pavlov'sDawg]

126/126/126/127 505 using reddit converter

Wow is that that converter legit? It seems inflated doesn't it? At least compared to the AAMC 1 & 2 full lengths

 

[MoDiddy]

Wow is that that converter legit? It seems inflated doesn't it? At least compared to the AAMC 1 & 2 full lengths

Don't know what you mean by legit? None of this is legit all is does is predict. AAMC scored are the most accurate

 

[LebronManning]

Isn't Cos(45 deg) = 1/sqrt(2)?

 

[MoDiddy]

Isn't Cos(45 deg) = 1/sqrt(2)?

Same thing sqrt2/2 =0.7

 

[LebronManning]

Same thing sqrt2/2 =0.7

True I just dont get why they would write it that way when 1/sqrt(2) is how it would be interpreted from a 45-45-90 right triangle

 

[MoDiddy]

True I just dont get why they would write it that way when 1/sqrt(2) is how it would be interpreted from a 45-45-90 right triangle

you can use 1, 1, sqrt 2 or 2,2, 2 sqrt 2. Both are very common. Also you didn't give the problem just the answer so I can't really help anymore than that.

 

[deleted600623]

Don't know what you mean by legit? None of this is legit all is does is predict. AAMC scored are the most accurate

What I don't get is why the hell the AAMC puts out a sample test with percentage scores but NO way to interpret them? Makes zero sense.

 

[CAFFEINE!]

What I don't get is why the hell the AAMC puts out a sample test with percentage scores but NO way to interpret them? Makes zero sense.

If I understand it correctly, the same test was made to be the first AAMC practice test for the 2015 test change. Because they had no way of testing the questions beforehand, they can't establish a grading scale for the section scores.

 

[prairiemusic]

Just took my first test... NextStep diagnostic, 123/129/123/129 (504)

I'm a little disappointed but not surprised - I'm a psych major at a school that has a lot of liberal arts-like requirements and I'm maybe 20% into content review because I put it on pause to focus on my classes. It's reading week and my finals shouldn't be too bad, so I'm planning to focus on content review now (I have the Kaplan set from a friend but not access to the tests) and then I'm asking for the AAMC pack as a early Christmas present. I'll be self-studying biochem and orgo II

Anyone have suggestions for my study plan? Am I on the right track? Should I just reschedule for June and push everything back a year??? I'd rather not wait any longer and feel like I'll do better on the MCAT with winter break to block off and concentrate rather than taking it in June alongside a full time job, and I've heard that biochem at my school doesn't really prepare you for the MCAT, but I'm open to it if necessary. Any advice at all is appreciated!

 

[LebronManning]

Just took my first test... NextStep diagnostic, 123/129/123/129 (504)

I'm a little disappointed but not surprised - I'm a psych major at a school that has a lot of liberal arts-like requirements and I'm maybe 20% into content review because I put it on pause to focus on my classes. It's reading week and my finals shouldn't be too bad, so I'm planning to focus on content review now (I have the Kaplan set from a friend but not access to the tests) and then I'm asking for the AAMC pack as a early Christmas present. I'll be self-studying biochem and orgo II

Anyone have suggestions for my study plan? Am I on the right track? Should I just reschedule for June and push everything back a year??? I'd rather not wait any longer and feel like I'll do better on the MCAT with winter break to block off and concentrate rather than taking it in June alongside a full time job, and I've heard that biochem at my school doesn't really prepare you for the MCAT, but I'm open to it if necessary. Any advice at all is appreciated!

I wouldn't waste time studying Orgo 2. I don't even think Orgo 2 is on the MCAT, and even Orgo 1 is very low yield. 504 diagnostic is not so bad, I think you could get around a ~510 if you take it in January after prepping for the next 5.5 weeks

 

[prairiemusic]

I wouldn't waste time studying Orgo 2. I don't even think Orgo 2 is on the MCAT, and even Orgo 1 is very low yield. 504 diagnostic is not so bad, I think you could get around a ~510 if you take it in January after prepping for the next 5.5 weeks

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. Obviously I'd like to score higher but we'll see how the practice goes. I kind of want to get this out of the way before next semester so I think I'm going to keep my test date.

 

[LebronManning]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. Obviously I'd like to score higher but we'll see how the practice goes. I kind of want to get this out of the way before next semester so I think I'm going to keep my test date.

The fact that you got 129 on your CARS and P/S vs. 123s on hard sciences means you need content review big time. With content review, though, you can do very well because you have an above average innate ability for MCAT like questions as evident by your CARS score. Then again, this is a small sample size. Regardless, I definitely think you should get it out of the way!

 

[Yuanjing]

Just took AAMC FL1. 130/127/128/129/514. Pretty happy. brb passing out

 

[Sheiko]

Just finished the second bio Q pack with 93% correct. Going to do the second CARS Q pack and maybe the Altius half-length exam this weekend. Then nothing but AAMC exams and Khan Academy passages (hoping to finish them all) from then on.

Trying to set up another hospice volunteering gig for when I'm done studying as well.

 

[BBBallIsLife]

Hello fellow January test takers! jan 20 just over month away, good luck to all!

 

[Sheiko]

Anyone else take the Altius diagnostic? Just got a 517 on it.

Finally got the location for my exam too, thankfully it is pretty close to home.

 

[NaomiM]

I finally managed to get a seat at a testing center close to home rather than in the next state over!

And after having to slack off in studying for the last month because of work, I’m getting myself back into the right mindset by drilling myself in weak areas with EK1001 questions before moving onto doing the AAMC practice tests.

Good luck everyone!

 

[BBBallIsLife]

Anyone else take the Altius diagnostic? Just got a 517 on it.

Finally got the location for my exam too, thankfully it is pretty close to home.

DUDE congrats on the 517!! I just took my first FL two days ago, got a 500, so not bad, but need for a lot of improvement : / still lots of time though! thinking positively.

 

[teenyfish]

DUDE congrats on the 517!! I just took my first FL two days ago, got a 500, so not bad, but need for a lot of improvement : / still lots of time though! thinking positively.

Don't worry - you've got this! Over 5 weeks to go. Just find your weaknesses and power through them.

 

[Pavlov'sDawg]

65% on the B/BC and 63% on C/P section banks. Are these scores too low? How is everyone else doing on these

 

[CAFFEINE!]

65% on the B/BC and 63% on C/P section banks. Are these scores too low? How is everyone else doing on these

I got a 75% on B/B and 66% on C/P. Based on what I read on several Reddit threads, you're allegedly in good shape if you're scoring in the 70s or high 60s on the section banks.

 

[Pavlov'sDawg]

I got a 75% on B/B and 66% on C/P. Based on what I read on several Reddit threads, you're allegedly in good shape if you're scoring in the 70s or high 60s on the section banks.

Yeah I was reading up on the same threads...people on there were getting 65%-75% on the section banks and allegedly scored 510+ on the mcat. I really don't want to score below a 126 on the sciences, so hopefully getting at least 60% questions correct on the section bank means we'll at least hit 126 on those sections lol

 

[teenyfish]

So I'm doing pretty terribly on C/P, scoring in the 40-50%, where everywhere else I'm in the 70-80% range. How did you guys bring up your scores in that section? I'm about 5 weeks out of my test (1/25) and really don't want to push it back. I've ordered the EK1001 Chemistry and Physics books, and waiting for them to come in. I just feel so overwhelmed I don't know where to start.

 

[Pavlov'sDawg]

So I'm doing pretty terribly on C/P, scoring in the 40-50%, where everywhere else I'm in the 70-80% range. How did you guys bring up your scores in that section? I'm about 5 weeks out of my test (1/25) and really don't want to push it back. I've ordered the EK1001 Chemistry and Physics books, and waiting for them to come in. I just feel so overwhelmed I don't know where to start.

I bought the 1001 questions in Gen Chem book from EK. I also went through questions in the TPRH workbook for physics and ochem. They really helped

 

[teenyfish]

I bought the 1001 questions in Gen Chem book from EK. I also went through questions in the TPRH workbook for physics and ochem. They really helped

Awesome, thanks. Those are coming in the mail soon (thanks Amazon!). How long did it take you go to through them?

 

[Pavlov'sDawg]

Awesome, thanks. Those are coming in the mail soon (thanks Amazon!). How long did it take you go to through them?

I did about 800 questions total/30 questions a day out of the EK book. Took me about 1 month to go through it and fully understand everything

 

[CAFFEINE!]

I just registered for the Jan. 19 test date! **neurotically vomits everywhere**

 

[BBBallIsLife]

I just registered for the Jan. 19 test date! **neurotically vomits everywhere**

hey on the bright side, you have one less day to worry about it than I do (one extra day for me to vomit)

 

[prairiemusic]

How do you keep your spirits up when reviewing your exams? I've started feeling awful about myself and dreading going over them, even though I know that's the best way to improve...

 

[LebronManning]

What are methods you all use to review practice exams?

Same day or next day?

Do you write extensive reasoning to remind yourselves of your reasoning, where it went wrong if it did, etc? Do you only do these for questions you missed and guessed correctly or almost all? Not knowing content and missing the question seems to be an easy fix, but how do you improve your MCAT critical thinking ability while reviewing?

 

[prairiemusic]

What are methods you all use to review practice exams?

Same day or next day?

Do you write extensive reasoning to remind yourselves of your reasoning, where it went wrong if it did, etc? Do you only do these for questions you missed and guessed correctly or almost all? Not knowing content and missing the question seems to be an easy fix, but how do you improve your MCAT critical thinking ability while reviewing?

I did same day for my first one (NS half length diagnostic) and I'm currently reviewing the NS science diagnostic about a week after I first did it. I'm writing out what I know and what I don't know so I can focus on what went wrong/where I need to improve but also remind myself that I know things lol. The science diagnostic is all discrete questions but for the passage ones I noted whether the information was available in the passage and I just missed or reread it.

 

[LebronManning]

Update: Got a 500 today on the Altius half length diagnostic. Pretty much felt like trash when I got that score. My goal is a 510+ and I got a 508 on the NextStep half length diagnostic 1 month ago. Since then I’ve slacked hard and so today was the conseuquence. I didn’t even review my next step diagnostic lol...

Gonna go hard from now and take Kaplan 1,2,3, and Next Step 1 and AAMC: Sample, 1,2,3 in the next 6 weeks along with section banks and Q packs to practice. Let’s see...

At least I’m almost done with content review but I’m finding a lot of it is useless on the first couple of Exam I took if you don’t at least have some of it memorized

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Based on what I read on several Reddit threads, you're allegedly in good shape if you're scoring in the 70s or high 60s on the section banks.

Take this for what it's worth, but we have found very similar numbers as you describe for Reddit. Our students in the B/B and C/P have the following averages: Ph1 homework: 56%, Ph2 homework: 62%, Ph3 homework: 67%, AAMC packs: 73%, actual score: 128.1

If you are getting 70 to 75% on the AAMC packs, then a 128 would seem like a reasonable expectation. Their Q packs are probably the next best indicator to the AAMC exams.

 

[BBBallIsLife]

im in your guys' same boat. Long story short, I had intentions to take the MCAT in the summer, but my best practice test was a kaplan 498, so pushed it off. Then after a semester and independent studying throughout, I dropped a 500 and 503 NS (super pumped about seeing that improvement!), but then this last test sat at a 502. I totally feel that discouragement right now, especially seeing people get high scores on their practices (and seeing their resulting high actual MCAT score). Not panicking yet though, but if its like 2 weeks out then i will haha

 

[deleted600623]

Update: Took a NS FL a couple weeks ago and scored 505. Diagnostic was 489 about 5 months ago and goal score is 508-510. Currently going through SB a 2nd time. First time I scored 76%, 72%, and 75% (C/P, B/B, P/S) which was about 1-2 months ago. Now I'm averaging 2 missed per 20 questions based on my timing strategy of completing 20 questions per 30 minutes in science sections. Now surprisingly I don't remember most of the questions and answers from the first time so I feel like my timing strategy is working well but I still need to see how I do on my AAMC FL 1 this Wednesday.

 

[BBBallIsLife]

i personally thought it was kind of early, but should I go ahead and do an AAMC test? I know that there are 3 and was gonna wait till Jan

 

[LebronManning]

Now surprisingly I don't remember most of the questions and answers from the first time so I feel like my timing strategy is working well

What's your timing strategy and its relation to remembering questions?

 

[BTC0821]

i personally thought it was kind of early, but should I go ahead and do an AAMC test? I know that there are 3 and was gonna wait till Jan

No other practice test is going to give you as accurate of an idea as to what you need to work on than an AAMC test. Considering you are less than a month away from taking it, I'd recommend it. I'm personally preparing to take the unscored AAMC on the 26th so that I know what sections are my weakest (what to study the hardest for the next few weeks).

 

[BBBallIsLife]

No other practice test is going to give you as accurate of an idea as to what you need to work on than an AAMC test. Considering you are less than a month away from taking it, I'd recommend it. I'm personally preparing to take the unscored AAMC on the 26th so that I know what sections are my weakest (what to study the hardest for the next few weeks).

That makes sense, thank you for your input! In terms of studying what you got wrong, how will you go about that? Just need another person's perspective on how to approach. I realize that practice, practice, practice and learning how to answer AAMC-written questions is how to get better; I just need to find a source/use my sources more effectively that provides that.

The only resources I have right now are NS Tests and Q bank, Jack Westin Tests, AAMC material, and Kaplan books. I am strongly considering buying Kaplan's massive Q-bank source though because it was easy for me to generate practice passages (again, I used them this last summer) as opposed to straight up knowledge-based questions. I am trying not to spend that much money (save some burden for my parents since I did a Kaplan course over the summer) but they tell me "everything is a drop in the bucket so don't worry about it". plus I had mixed feelings about prep courses after doing Kaplans and don't think I need one anywa.

 

[toedrag]

i personally thought it was kind of early, but should I go ahead and do an AAMC test? I know that there are 3 and was gonna wait till Jan

that sounds like a good plan. i'm thinking of taking the unscored before the new year and then saving the other 3 for the remaining 3 weeks while mixing in some NS/EK exams as well

 

[Master Thinker]

i personally thought it was kind of early, but should I go ahead and do an AAMC test? I know that there are 3 and was gonna wait till Jan

Yeah, definitely take one of the AAMC to see where you are. I got around 505 on Kaplan FL but got 515 on the AAMC lol

 

[MoDiddy]

Just finished NS 5 FL scored 514 (128/127/129/130). I am averaging in this range, is 518+ obtainable? Will be taking AAMC sample soon

 

[LebronManning]

Just finished NS 5 FL scored 514 (128/127/129/130). I am averaging in this range, is 518+ obtainable? Will be taking AAMC sample soon

Pretty sure consensus is that Kaplan is 5-10 pts deflated and NS/Altius is 2-5 points deflated

 

[MoDiddy]

Pretty sure consensus is that Kaplan is 5-10 pts deflated and NS/Altius is 2-5 points deflated

Thanks. Hopefully the AAMC will be a better predictor

 

[prairiemusic]

Does anyone know whether KA videos are considered good for content review? Just reading the Kaplan books and taking notes is so boring compared to videos for me... hoping they're solid enough to improve my scores

 

[prairiemusic]

Just finished NS 5 FL scored 514 (128/127/129/130). I am averaging in this range, is 518+ obtainable? Will be taking AAMC sample soon

AAMC sample will be the most telling but looks to me like you're on the right track!

 

[LebronManning]

Alright here's my plan of FLs. So far I've only done two half lengths. I did like 75% of content review but im giving up on that cause I think its much better to take tests, review them (learn that content), and spend extra time on content review. Hopefully can get through that 25% through the next month as well.

Does anyone think I should take AAMC Sample tomorrow instead of Kaplan 1? Basically the question is should I incorporate one AAMC test ASAP (tomorrow) to get a feel for realistic score and then go back to Kaplans and then eventually AAMC. Or stick to my original plan of Kaplans, then NS 1, then AAMCs to get the most predictive value of my AAMC tests and so that I have adequate practice under my belt before I take the most accurate material?

Goal: 510, testing 1/20

 

[MoDiddy]

Alright here's my plan of FLs. So far I've only done two half lengths. I did like 75% of content review but im giving up on that cause I think its much better to take tests, review them (learn that content), and spend extra time on content review. Hopefully can get through that 25% through the next month as well.

Does anyone think I should take AAMC Sample tomorrow instead of Kaplan 1? Basically the question is should I incorporate one AAMC test ASAP (tomorrow) to get a feel for realistic score and then go back to Kaplans and then eventually AAMC. Or stick to my original plan of Kaplans, then NS 1, then AAMCs to get the most predictive value of my AAMC tests and so that I have adequate practice under my belt before I take the most accurate material?

Goal: 510, testing 1/20

View attachment 227033

Personally, I would not take this test without finishing content review. You just don't know what could show up on test day, try your best to finish that last 25%. I would take AAMC tomorrow and see how you do, if you aren't close to your target score maybe consider rescheduling to March. Good luck and let us know how it goes!