To Harcourt: PCAT Recommendations

[TennisBoy78]

1. Why can't you email scores to applicants if requested (like MCAT)? Since we fill out all of our personal information on the front of our answer sheets, couldn't you include one more box for "email address"? Since student copies are not official anyway, you would save thousands of $$ on shipping score reports to students (and maybe could even make the test cheaper!!)

2. Computerized PCAT offered throughout the year (rather than just three times a year)? Just think how much more $$ you can make and save (less paper waste and shipping costs). Also, the computer would automatically score the tests (like the GRE/GMAT) so the test taker knows his/her scores before leaving the testing center.

Students, any other suggestions?

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[starsweet]

1. Why can't you email scores to applicants if requested (like MCAT)? Since we fill out all of our personal information on the front of our answer sheets, couldn't you include one more box for "email address"? Since student copies are not official anyway, you would save thousands of $$ on shipping score reports to students (and maybe could even make the test cheaper!!)

2. Computerized PCAT offered throughout the year (rather than just three times a year)? Just think how much more $$ you can make and save (less paper waste and shipping costs). Also, the computer would automatically score the tests (like the GRE/GMAT) so the test taker knows his/her scores before leaving the testing center.

Students, any other suggestions?

If Harcourt does ever start emailing score reports, I doubt that the savings would be passed on to us.

Also, it's highly unlikely that the PCAT will ever be computerized. Exams like the GRE and GMAT are CATs (Computer Adaptive Tests) which present questions based on your answer to the previous question. (I'm assuming you haven't taken these.) It is customed to each test taker. For example if you mark the correct answer, the next question you are given is slightly harder; conversely, if you mark the wrong answer, the next question is slightly easier. If you keep answering questions correctly, the test gets harder and harder. Your score is based on how many HARD questions you answer correctly, not just how many you answer right. Not to mention the fact that you cannot jump around in the section you are working on. Once you mark an answer it is recorded permanently and you move on to the next. I seriously doubt Harcourt would ever create that huge of a question bank that's required for a CAT, given that they repeat the same questions so frequently as it is.

By the way, Harcourt doesn't read this site, so if you want to send them feedback I would go to their site.

 

[bananaface]

By the way, Harcourt doesn't read this site, so if you want to send them feedback I would go to their site.

They might.