The Official October 25th, 2014 MCAT Thread

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Violagirl

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Hey all! Just thought I'd get a thread out there for those of us taking the MCAT on October 25th! Feel free to post how you plan to study, any study tips/tricks you might have or other resources you found helpful that might benefit others. I originally planned on taking the MCAT on July 12th but ended up having to reschedule with the hassle of job hunting. Now that I have a new job lined up, I ended up rescheduling to take it in October instead in getting back on track with studying. Best of luck to everyone taking it!
 
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Well, overall, I'm not sure what to think or feel.

PS: Passages weren't hard to follow, but the questions were strange and difficult. I felt it was very conceptual and that there weren't very many calculations/use of typical formulas.

VR: I feel like I did terrible in this section (then again, I never did that well with the FL ones either). Again, like PS, the passages were straightforward, but the questions were tough. It seemed like two answers were correct for some questions. I felt like I was guessing a lot of the time. It got a bit easier with the last passages. I have a feeling deep down that I may have to retake the exam because of this section.

BS: Was moving along quite quickly in the beginning and then got bogged down towards the end. IIRC there were less straight up experimental passages than on AAMC #11. I believe I also had one orgo passage which seemed atypical for some reason, at least compared to those seen in the FLs.

I'm probably going to sign up for a retake just to be safe. Waiting for a month is going to be tough. I guess I can activate the Hulu Plus I got for 1 month from McDonald's Monopoly to keep my mind off the exam.
 
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Schadenfreude said:
Well, overall, I'm not sure what to think or feel.

PS: Passages weren't hard to follow, but the questions were strange and difficult. I felt it was very conceptual and that there weren't very many calculations/use of typical formulas.

VR: I feel like I did terrible in this section (then again, I never did that well with the FL ones either). Again, like PS, the passages were straightforward, but the questions were tough. It seemed like two answers were correct for some questions. I felt like I was guessing a lot of the time. It got a bit easier with the last passages. I have a feeling deep down that I may have to retake the exam because of this section.

BS: Was moving along quite quickly in the beginning and then got bogged down towards the end. IIRC there were less straight up experimental passages than on AAMC #11. I believe I also had one orgo passage which seemed atypical for some reason, at least compared to those seen in the FLs.

I'm probably going to sign up for a retake just to be safe. Waiting for a month is going to be tough. I guess I can activate the Hulu Plus I got for 1 month from McDonald's Monopoly to keep my mind off the exam.
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Give me that.
 
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doctor_wannabe said:
I feel a little better after reading you guys' posts. Thank god I'm not the only one who thought the PS was WTF...... = = the first 2 passages totally threw me off. I had no idea of what I was reading. I think I only used 2 or 3 formulas out of all the ones I memorized. VR is never my strong area. I felt the passages were longer than the ones on the practice tests I took. BS was hard but better than the other two sections. I did all the AAMC practice tests as well as a couple from Kaplan. But the real thing was so much harder!! :arghh::arghh::arghh: Definitely gonna sign up for retake......
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Same here! Except I did some extra ones from TPR! The actual exam was wayyyy harder. I really hope some of the guessing was actually correct 🙁
 
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The worst 4 hours of my life...I flew all the way to Montana from California just to take this exam and I'm disappointed. I studied for about 4 months, took all the aamc PTs, many practice passages from TPR, and some extra TPR exams...I feel like it was all a waste. There were 2 questions on bio that were super easy that I should have known and I know I got wrong! And there was one passage I had no idea what was going on. Verbal I ran out of time so I rushed through the last passage. And PS was a terrible joke. I hate the fact there were barely any calculations and the questions were so weird. Hopefully most of you feel the same way. This was my first time taking the exam.

Waiting is gonna be a B, but I'm signing up for another one wherever I can get it just in case.

Goodluck to everyone! May curve be in our favor!!
 
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If giants win World Series I won't schedule retake this week.

Sorry White Castle fans. Jk jk you guys did really well too, the next 3 games will be really exciting to watch
 
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Schadenfreude said:
Sorry, only got one code 😛

What did you think of the exam overall?
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I thought PS was hard but reasonable. VR..i never know how i did..i thought the q's were hard. BS, I just remember it being very hard especially toward the latter half if memory serves. I cant really remember the first half but i do remember spending extra time on the later passages.
 
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I just woke up today, realizing I got a problem wrong on PS where I was choosing between the right and wrong choice... if this keeps up at this rate until we get our scores back, I'm looking at a 1 :bang: I know we should just try to put this test behind us... I guess the reason I am frustrated is because all the practice tests, all the testing material, EK1001, all of that emphasized such different things than were actually on the test. We're testing with 2010-2014 materials for a 2015 test... not exactly fair. Anyone have any good tips for getting the test out of your mind? (I've always been bad at that, and then, taking the MCAT, it becomes even harder)
 
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MD909 said:
The worst 4 hours of my life...I flew all the way to Montana from California just to take this exam and I'm disappointed. I studied for about 4 months, took all the aamc PTs, many practice passages from TPR, and some extra TPR exams...I feel like it was all a waste. There were 2 questions on bio that were super easy that I should have known and I know I got wrong! And there was one passage I had no idea what was going on. Verbal I ran out of time so I rushed through the last passage. And PS was a terrible joke. I hate the fact there were barely any calculations and the questions were so weird. Hopefully most of you feel the same way. This was my first time taking the exam.

Waiting is gonna be a B, but I'm signing up for another one wherever I can get it just in case.

Goodluck to everyone! May curve be in our favor!!
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I am on the exact same page as you. I studied for five months, studied my ass off, and I feel like PS was a terrible joke as well. Plus I got two easy questions wrong that I should've gotten right 🙁

Havito123 said:
In my attempt to use alcohol to forget about the test, i remembered one question i got wrong. Jesus please surprise me. §
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LMAO me too. I couldn't stop thinking about the test questions and had the worst time trying to fall asleep. I hope this won't be going on for the next month.

You guys, what do we do now that we don't have to study? I honestly don't know what to do with myself lolllllllll
 
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kenjixshadow said:
We get it already. You thought it was easy while ppl like me thought it was a bullet hit in the chest. Stop bragging about it.
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I'm sorry...I was drunk when I wrote that last night. I didn't mean to be an a-hole, I was just in a weird state of mind...If it is any consolation, I think I got destroyed by PS
 
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Physics was really tough for me- some questions were easy but they were the minority.

Verbal had easy to read passages but TOUGH questions. I ran out of time and had to read quickly through the last one and make best/educated guesses.

Bio was the toughest bio section I've done (that's after taking all PR tests and all AAMC's), simply because the question stems were long and difficult. I had to mark one whole passage randomly on bio because I ran out of time.

It's a pretty defeating feeling to burn all of your vacation time, study four months for a test, and then feel like you still weren't prepared for what they tested you on (mostly).

I'm going to sign up for a re-take as soon as the website allows me. Debating on whether or not to look at my score the day before Thanksgiving or just enjoy Thanksgiving and look at the score the next night. My back up plan is trying to nab the latest January exam date and burn through vacation time again when it renews in January. This is a tough battle.
 
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Damn....I just realized I got the last VR question wrong. ..I had the correct answer marked, but I changed it at the last minute ....This is pure hell 🙁
 
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If the Oct 21 and 25th tests are what all the future tests will be like, I don't want any part of it. A couple of posters say it looks very close to the new MCAT/2015 sample test. Hopefully, some of the questions/passages I couldn't comprehend were experimental. I'll be checking out the Oct 21st thread when their scores are released to get a feel. Aug 7th 8AM test reads like they had a bad conceptual PS section, but their scores looked OK. Someone did a whole stat analysis on their posters.

The Official August 7, 2014 MCAT Thread

Actual score was right on their AAMC practice test average, which sucks for me.
 
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tea guzzling traveler said:
I just woke up today, realizing I got a problem wrong on PS where I was choosing between the right and wrong choice... if this keeps up at this rate until we get our scores back, I'm looking at a 1 :bang: I know we should just try to put this test behind us... I guess the reason I am frustrated is because all the practice tests, all the testing material, EK1001, all of that emphasized such different things than were actually on the test. We're testing with 2010-2014 materials for a 2015 test... not exactly fair. Anyone have any good tips for getting the test out of your mind? (I've always been bad at that, and then, taking the MCAT, it becomes even harder)
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How do you guys remember what the questions were like on the exam? I felt like my brain got fried after the test and I just couldn't recall any of the questions... O_O
 
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eh well it seems like this has apparently been a pattern for at least a few years so i guess there's nothing to fret over now.
doctor_wannabe said:
How do you guys remember what the questions were like on the exam? I felt like my brain got fried after the test and I just couldn't recall any of the questions... O_O
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I'm the same way, chalking it up to the adrenaline/stress I experience during the test.
 
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I might just sign up to retake it Nov 7. Maybe I'll get lucky with a PS that resembles aamc exams. Verbal in this test the passages I enjoyed reading but questions were tricky where I narrowed down 2 choices and picked the best one I could. Don't want to wait 30 days since everything I studied is still fresh and I'm pretty sure I scored below my aamc average due to the PS section and 3 BS passages. That ochem passage questions were mad awkward. I've used up all the aamc practice exams so will have to stick with tpr exams.
 
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doctor_wannabe said:
Me! I need to sign up for a spot first tho. =)
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Me too! Hope I can snatch one..as of now I'm told there is no spot but they should be adding more in the upcoming weeks.

doctor_wannabe said:
How do you guys remember what the questions were like on the exam? I felt like my brain got fried after the test and I just couldn't recall any of the questions... O_O
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I don't remember anything. I'm not even sure if I skipped any passages because I can't recall most of the stuff. My brain is fried so I spent my wonderful Sunday staying in bed..then I had more mcat dreams so it wasn't as relaxing.
 
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So I've been following this thread with interest, since I also took the MCAT on the 25th. I'm a PhD student considering going on to med school when I'm done. I only took one AAMC FL (#10), and scored 37. The week of the exam, I was purifying mutant proteins in lab, and I found it difficult to keep up lab work and study at the same time. As the test felt as difficult as my practice exam, I'm hoping for a similar score on the real thing. I hope this doesn't come across as overconfident, because that's not my intention. Besides, I took a Kaplan exam and gave up after scoring 8 and 9 on the PS and VR respectively. I just didn't want to be like those people who don't post and then show up with their scores when they're released.

EDIT: It wasn't an 8 and 9, but an 8 and 6! I got 6 on Kaplan's VR.
 
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its funny how this test has NOTHING to do with how well you will do in med school. I work w orthopedic surgeons currently and when i asked about their MCAT experience they couldn't even remember it. One of them said it was useless .Also the way MCAT makes you think is not the way USMLE step one questions are formatted. One day last year I think i took some random USLME questions from a sample step one. out of six, i got 4 right by deductive reasoning and prior knowledge. The question stems are way more interesting as they presented in a clinical scenario. That being said, Im not bragging or being a "know it all" The MCAT is honestly the only bad part of my application and this is my third time taking it. Im most likely going to attend SGU in the carribean and destroy the Steps as that is what matters in the end. What Im trying to say is don't let a bad MCAT tell you how good or how bad a doctor you will be. I know I'm not. I have friends who did terrible on MCAT and now residents in good hospitals. But yeah sorry just venting and ranting cuz i really feel the MCAT is an unfair exam that just weeds people out.

All that being said, PS- guessed on last passage. thought it was outta this planet (no pun intended)
Verbal- passages were decent but lengthy and questions could have gone either way
BS- first 30-32 was decent then it got tricky and the last two were the hardest.
Hoping for a 24-26, which is good enough for the school I'm applying to given everything else. Best regards everyone and I hope we all become doctors!
 
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tea guzzling traveler said:
I just woke up today, realizing I got a problem wrong on PS where I was choosing between the right and wrong choice... if this keeps up at this rate until we get our scores back, I'm looking at a 1 :bang: I know we should just try to put this test behind us... I guess the reason I am frustrated is because all the practice tests, all the testing material, EK1001, all of that emphasized such different things than were actually on the test. We're testing with 2010-2014 materials for a 2015 test... not exactly fair. Anyone have any good tips for getting the test out of your mind? (I've always been bad at that, and then, taking the MCAT, it becomes even harder)
Click to expand...
I got you.
burnspom.jpg
 
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Stephanopolous said:
Physics was really tough for me- some questions were easy but they were the minority.

Verbal had easy to read passages but TOUGH questions. I ran out of time and had to read quickly through the last one and make best/educated guesses.

Bio was the toughest bio section I've done (that's after taking all PR tests and all AAMC's), simply because the question stems were long and difficult. I had to mark one whole passage randomly on bio because I ran out of time.

It's a pretty defeating feeling to burn all of your vacation time, study four months for a test, and then feel like you still weren't prepared for what they tested you on (mostly).

I'm going to sign up for a re-take as soon as the website allows me. Debating on whether or not to look at my score the day before Thanksgiving or just enjoy Thanksgiving and look at the score the next night. My back up plan is trying to nab the latest January exam date and burn through vacation time again when it renews in January. This is a tough battle.
Click to expand...
Day before forsure. You can't at least eat your sorrow away.
 
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medicalCPA said:
So I've been following this thread with interest, since I also took the MCAT on the 25th. I'm a PhD student considering going on to med school when I'm done. I only took one AAMC FL (#10), and scored 37. The week of the exam, I was purifying mutant proteins in lab, and I found it difficult to keep up lab work and study at the same time. As the test felt as difficult as my practice exam, I'm hoping for a similar score on the real thing. I hope this doesn't come across as overconfident, because that's not my intention. Besides, I took a Kaplan exam and gave up after scoring 8 and 9 on the PS and VR respectively. I just didn't want to be like those people who don't post and then show up with their scores when they're released.
Click to expand...
I'm so jealous of you... -_- :bow: I wish my practice scores were like yours lol
 
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futurehousemd said:
its funny how this test has NOTHING to do with how well you will do in med school. I work w orthopedic surgeons currently and when i asked about their MCAT experience they couldn't even remember it. One of them said it was useless .Also the way MCAT makes you think is not the way USMLE step one questions are formatted. One day last year I think i took some random USLME questions from a sample step one. out of six, i got 4 right by deductive reasoning and prior knowledge. The question stems are way more interesting as they presented in a clinical scenario. That being said, Im not bragging or being a "know it all" The MCAT is honestly the only bad part of my application and this is my third time taking it. Im most likely going to attend SGU in the carribean and destroy the Steps as that is what matters in the end. What Im trying to say is don't let a bad MCAT tell you how good or how bad a doctor you will be. I know I'm not. I have friends who did terrible on MCAT and now residents in good hospitals. But yeah sorry just venting and ranting cuz i really feel the MCAT is an unfair exam that just weeds people out.

All that being said, PS- guessed on last passage. thought it was outta this planet (no pun intended)
Verbal- passages were decent but lengthy and questions could have gone either way
BS- first 30-32 was decent then it got tricky and the last two were the hardest.
Hoping for a 24-26, which is good enough for the school I'm applying to given everything else. Best regards everyone and I hope we all become doctors!
Click to expand...
Oh you are just me lol, MCAT has been the death of me especially verbal but we shall see.
 
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Overall I felt that the exam was pretty on par with the AAMC practice tests, slightly harder maybe. I had freaked myself out reading SDN posts saying the the real thing is so much more difficult . . .

PS: I remember reading the first question and being like "wtf, seriously?" Totally guessed on that one. The first two passages were weird and hard. The rest was fairly okay. I'm terrified of having made stupid mistakes (simple math errors, misreading the question, etc.) because that's always what kills my score.
Verbal: Totally the same as past AAMCs. The passages are NOT longer on the real thing despite what many people told me.
BS: Slightly harder than I was expecting. Longer passages maybe? Still hopeful that I did decently.

I can barely remember anything specific from the test. It's all a blur. There's one PS and two BS questions that I know I got wrong, but other than that I'm trying NOT to remember because it's just gonna stress me out. Ughhhhhh. Waiting a month for scores is torture.
 
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daf2 said:
Overall I felt that the exam was pretty on par with the AAMC practice tests, slightly harder maybe. I had freaked myself out reading SDN posts saying the the real thing is so much more difficult . . .

PS: I remember reading the first question and being like "wtf, seriously?" Totally guessed on that one. The first two passages were weird and hard. The rest was fairly okay. I'm terrified of having made stupid mistakes (simple math errors, misreading the question, etc.) because that's always what kills my score.
Verbal: Totally the same as past AAMCs. The passages are NOT longer on the real thing despite what many people told me.
BS: Slightly harder than I was expecting. Longer passages maybe? Still hopeful that I did decently.

I can barely remember anything specific from the test. It's all a blur. There's one PS and two BS questions that I know I got wrong, but other than that I'm trying NOT to remember because it's just gonna stress me out. Ughhhhhh. Waiting a month for scores is torture.
Click to expand...


I remember most of the passages and a lot of questions. It's a curse -________________-
 
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For the most part I was surprised by how much like the AAMC practice tests it was (after how much harder everyone else was saying the real one was), but the combination of nerves from it being my first time taking it and the weeeeird stuff on the PS really threw me off and I know I made dumb mistakes too. I'm hoping for a 9-10 PS but it could be a lot worse.

I cleared out all my stress after PS and then kind of flew through VR. The only reason the passages seem longer, IMO, is because of the narrow screens (which is annoying). Had plenty of time left over at the end and went back through. Thinking I killed this section!

BS surprised me because it didn't seem too hard. A lot of very similar topics (IMO) and definitely light on the organic. Had the weirdest luck and one of the passages was on a topic I'm actually writing a 15-page research paper on which helped. I know I missed 1 or 2 but think I did well here too.

Mainly hoping I don't get a very unbalanced score with really good BS/VR but bad PS because I'm not sure what I'd do in that situation. I'll probably sign up for a back-up when they add seats just in case.
 
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So guys...

I remembered one of the verbal passages and decided to look it up. It's interesting to see the entire article they took the subsection out of...but I must say, it was kind of terrifying reliving my verbal experience so I had to stop reading the article.

And for all of you suffering and feeling like crap (as I am), check out this article. It doesn't make anything. better and I still feel like ****, but it just resonated with me - because, everything does suck right now.

If everything sucks for you right now
 
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Did anyone else not have the trial section at the end? I was so fatigued at the end of it that I'm not sure if I clicked on void or score mainly because the trial section never appeared. I really hope that was the case for everyone.
 
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