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I?m bored and I thought it might be nice to try to compile a list of hints for people about to take the MCAT. It?s been three whole years since I took it, so I?m sure I?ll miss a lot of good hints, so feel free to add on.
One thing I would like to suggest is to fill in your bubbles by the passage or by the page. I noticed some of my friends would answer a question, fill in the bubble for the question, and then go back to the next question. This wastes tons of time searching for the correct question and the correct bubble. I would recommend do a passage strait through, circling the correct answers, and then once your done, fill in the bubbles from the passage 4 questions at a time.
In the verbal section, if you know you are going to be pressed for time and might have to skip a section, I would say go strait through the exam answering the passages in order. If after reading the first paragraph of a passage and it is a subject you don?t like, fold down the page and come back to the passage. Don?t waste your time at all answering it when the last passage could be one that you can do easily. If your timer says 3 minutes left and you didn?t get to the passage, then just guess the bubbles.
I think those are my main ones for actually taking the test. Now a little bit for preparation.
I would suggest that you figure out what time you are going to wake up for the MCAT and what time you are going to go to sleep the night before. Once you know that, start getting into the daily habit of waking up and falling asleep at the same time. And have sleeping pills handy the night before in case you can?t fall asleep. I was unlucky in that I got nervous and slept about 2 hours that night. Also, if you can, get used to reading early in the morning, since verbal section is the first one you will encounter. You need to get you body prepared for the test.
When planning the day of the MCAT, be sure to have backups. Set an alarm that is not plugged into the wall, because you might have a blackout and the clock will reset. Have people call you when you?re supposed to get up. If you know someone else taking the test the same day, have a buddy system where you call each other to wake each other up. Try to have a backup ride planned in case your car doesn?t start. (You can probably tell by now I?m a bit paranoid about stuff)
Some thing that I recommend bringing the day of. Candy bars. You have ten-minute breaks that you can do anything, and I recommend keeping your sugar level up. Bring Water, but you probably don?t want to bring so much that you will have to pee during the test.
Which brings me to my most important peace of advice. WATCH WHAT YOU EAT THE NIGHT BEFORE. I would say pick one meal that you like, eat it at the same time for the week before. When you get up in the morning, take a good s***. Get used to doing this. I had a major problem where I felt like it was going to come out 30minutes into my verbal section. Luckily, the feeling went away until lunch, but it was not very pleasant to take the section under those circumstances.
Ok, that?s all I can think of right now.
One thing I would like to suggest is to fill in your bubbles by the passage or by the page. I noticed some of my friends would answer a question, fill in the bubble for the question, and then go back to the next question. This wastes tons of time searching for the correct question and the correct bubble. I would recommend do a passage strait through, circling the correct answers, and then once your done, fill in the bubbles from the passage 4 questions at a time.
In the verbal section, if you know you are going to be pressed for time and might have to skip a section, I would say go strait through the exam answering the passages in order. If after reading the first paragraph of a passage and it is a subject you don?t like, fold down the page and come back to the passage. Don?t waste your time at all answering it when the last passage could be one that you can do easily. If your timer says 3 minutes left and you didn?t get to the passage, then just guess the bubbles.
I think those are my main ones for actually taking the test. Now a little bit for preparation.
I would suggest that you figure out what time you are going to wake up for the MCAT and what time you are going to go to sleep the night before. Once you know that, start getting into the daily habit of waking up and falling asleep at the same time. And have sleeping pills handy the night before in case you can?t fall asleep. I was unlucky in that I got nervous and slept about 2 hours that night. Also, if you can, get used to reading early in the morning, since verbal section is the first one you will encounter. You need to get you body prepared for the test.
When planning the day of the MCAT, be sure to have backups. Set an alarm that is not plugged into the wall, because you might have a blackout and the clock will reset. Have people call you when you?re supposed to get up. If you know someone else taking the test the same day, have a buddy system where you call each other to wake each other up. Try to have a backup ride planned in case your car doesn?t start. (You can probably tell by now I?m a bit paranoid about stuff)
Some thing that I recommend bringing the day of. Candy bars. You have ten-minute breaks that you can do anything, and I recommend keeping your sugar level up. Bring Water, but you probably don?t want to bring so much that you will have to pee during the test.
Which brings me to my most important peace of advice. WATCH WHAT YOU EAT THE NIGHT BEFORE. I would say pick one meal that you like, eat it at the same time for the week before. When you get up in the morning, take a good s***. Get used to doing this. I had a major problem where I felt like it was going to come out 30minutes into my verbal section. Luckily, the feeling went away until lunch, but it was not very pleasant to take the section under those circumstances.
Ok, that?s all I can think of right now.
