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Okay, so I've been meaning to write this for a while...since I got my scores back. I took the 1/28 MCAT and got 14/11/13 (38). So.......don't trust my English I guess?
Anyway, I know that in the couple of weeks before my test I was really freaking out because I had read so much about how AAMC tests weren't really representative of the tests and Kaplan (and others) were a better prep. I just wanted to give my thoughts on this for anybody who might be in the same situation as me.
Background: I took all the AAMC tests, with my last one (11) 3 days before my test. My average was about a 37, with my early ones in the lower range and 8,9,10 were 40. AAMC 11 was a 35. I also took several Kaplan tests. My friend gave me access (he's an instructor). I took the free one online and a couple of the later ones (I don't remember which ones, sorry). My average was about a 32, with the free one as a 31.
Okay, so in general I found the AAMC tests far more helpful than the Kaplan ones. Kaplan was stellar for content review (I got all their books - didn't take the course), and that's saying something since I'm lightly non-trad and 5 years out from some of this stuff. But any problems they present in a test format (so in the books and also in the practice tests) have a tendency to....be faulty. There are little problems that erode confidence like putting the wrong answer down as correct, but then explaining the problem correctly (making it easy to figure out what the real answer should be), but sometimes, though more rarely, they just aren't correct. In addition, they tend to make more "which answer is more correct" questions than the real thing. For the most part, AAMC does a good job on their practices in that if you think more than one answer is correct, you're missing something. It's hard to concentrate on the test when you're not confident that the 4 hours you're spending is really going to help show much because things may be wrong.
Having said all that, for all of the AAMC tests except for 11, the challenge is a bit too low. Not that the questions themselves are harder to answer or harder to answer correctly, things are just too straightforward. It's hard to articulate how something could be more of a challenge but not necessarily harder, but it has to do with the passages and the clarity of what is being tested. On the earlier tests it's more "oh, I have to use e=mc^2 here". On later tests, and especially 11, you are given new info and need to figure out how to integrate that with what you know already. Not harder, just more thought involved. Kaplan is great at this stuff, but kind of goes overboard. I would take at least the free one just so you'll be prepared for a little confusion about what knowledge you need to use test day.
If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't bother with Kaplan (aside from the one free one as I mentioned above). AAMC may be slightly easier, but the insane grading curve makes your score fairly indicative on your actual performance. I did well on PS on the real thing, but I know I didn't do the -2 that a 14 would require on the practice tests, so everything evened out. Kaplan is a bit too hard and.....unnecessary. At least for me.
AAMC 11 is near spot on, in my opinion. The real thing is slightly harder, even accounting for test day nerves, but only very slightly. Nothing that I could really suggest to prepare for. It's more specific stuff that only content review could help, not any form of taking a test. Either you know it or you don't (know how to do it or you don't).
I'm going to make an analogy here: Kaplan is practicing music scales and theory, AAMC is Back in Black, and the real thing is You Shook Me All Night Long. Practicing scales and theory makes you well prepared for anything, but only if you become exceedingly proficient at it. You need to spend the time on it. A lot. Because you need to get through all the possible styles of music out there. But for my money and time, I'd rather practice a song that's very similar to what I'm going to be asked to play in a gig. Is it a perfect prep? No. But by extrapolating from it, I can sort of guess what the real thing will be like, and I'll be used to doing it.
Anyway, hope this helps someone!
Anyway, I know that in the couple of weeks before my test I was really freaking out because I had read so much about how AAMC tests weren't really representative of the tests and Kaplan (and others) were a better prep. I just wanted to give my thoughts on this for anybody who might be in the same situation as me.
Background: I took all the AAMC tests, with my last one (11) 3 days before my test. My average was about a 37, with my early ones in the lower range and 8,9,10 were 40. AAMC 11 was a 35. I also took several Kaplan tests. My friend gave me access (he's an instructor). I took the free one online and a couple of the later ones (I don't remember which ones, sorry). My average was about a 32, with the free one as a 31.
Okay, so in general I found the AAMC tests far more helpful than the Kaplan ones. Kaplan was stellar for content review (I got all their books - didn't take the course), and that's saying something since I'm lightly non-trad and 5 years out from some of this stuff. But any problems they present in a test format (so in the books and also in the practice tests) have a tendency to....be faulty. There are little problems that erode confidence like putting the wrong answer down as correct, but then explaining the problem correctly (making it easy to figure out what the real answer should be), but sometimes, though more rarely, they just aren't correct. In addition, they tend to make more "which answer is more correct" questions than the real thing. For the most part, AAMC does a good job on their practices in that if you think more than one answer is correct, you're missing something. It's hard to concentrate on the test when you're not confident that the 4 hours you're spending is really going to help show much because things may be wrong.
Having said all that, for all of the AAMC tests except for 11, the challenge is a bit too low. Not that the questions themselves are harder to answer or harder to answer correctly, things are just too straightforward. It's hard to articulate how something could be more of a challenge but not necessarily harder, but it has to do with the passages and the clarity of what is being tested. On the earlier tests it's more "oh, I have to use e=mc^2 here". On later tests, and especially 11, you are given new info and need to figure out how to integrate that with what you know already. Not harder, just more thought involved. Kaplan is great at this stuff, but kind of goes overboard. I would take at least the free one just so you'll be prepared for a little confusion about what knowledge you need to use test day.
If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't bother with Kaplan (aside from the one free one as I mentioned above). AAMC may be slightly easier, but the insane grading curve makes your score fairly indicative on your actual performance. I did well on PS on the real thing, but I know I didn't do the -2 that a 14 would require on the practice tests, so everything evened out. Kaplan is a bit too hard and.....unnecessary. At least for me.
AAMC 11 is near spot on, in my opinion. The real thing is slightly harder, even accounting for test day nerves, but only very slightly. Nothing that I could really suggest to prepare for. It's more specific stuff that only content review could help, not any form of taking a test. Either you know it or you don't (know how to do it or you don't).
I'm going to make an analogy here: Kaplan is practicing music scales and theory, AAMC is Back in Black, and the real thing is You Shook Me All Night Long. Practicing scales and theory makes you well prepared for anything, but only if you become exceedingly proficient at it. You need to spend the time on it. A lot. Because you need to get through all the possible styles of music out there. But for my money and time, I'd rather practice a song that's very similar to what I'm going to be asked to play in a gig. Is it a perfect prep? No. But by extrapolating from it, I can sort of guess what the real thing will be like, and I'll be used to doing it.
Anyway, hope this helps someone!
