Took the Diagnostic Practice Test 3R - How in trouble am I??

[weaselb]

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I am in my second semester as a postbacc student. My hope was to take the MCAT this summer (May, June, or July??) and apply as well. However, I just took a diagnostic practice test 3R on e-mcat.com and completely bombed (be nice. I know the below scores are horrible)

PS 6
VR 4
BS 5

Do you think it's even doable for me to take the MCAT this summer? It's been almost 10 years since I took physics and general chemistry so I'm going to have to basically re-learn that material. As for bio and orgo, I'm currently finishing the second half of those this semester (got A's in the last semester).

How in trouble am I?? Is it even possible to me to drastically improve enough to get a 30+? Any thoughts?? I'm pretty panicked at the moment!!

 

[mastamark]

I certainly hope it is doable, since I plan to take it in April and I scored BS: 6 PS:5 VR:8 🙁

 

[Funky]

you've got a lot of time. just keep practicing and you'll improve!

 

[theunremarkable]

I would place special emphasis on your verbal score because it is very low and VR is the section that most people struggle to raise. You got a lot of work cut out for you but its possible.

 

[Nikki2002]

I am in my second semester as a postbacc student. My hope was to take the MCAT this summer (May, June, or July??) and apply as well. However, I just took a diagnostic practice test 3R on e-mcat.com and completely bombed (be nice. I know the below scores are horrible)

PS 6
VR 4
BS 5

Do you think it's even doable for me to take the MCAT this summer? It's been almost 10 years since I took physics and general chemistry so I'm going to have to basically re-learn that material. As for bio and orgo, I'm currently finishing the second half of those this semester (got A's in the last semester).

How in trouble am I?? Is it even possible to me to drastically improve enough to get a 30+? Any thoughts?? I'm pretty panicked at the moment!!

you have plenty of time to practice....i am concerned about your verbal score.

 

[Funky]

i think you can probably get an 8 or a 9 in verbal. that's good enough to get into some med school if you do well in the sciences

 

[mvenus929]

Well, you have to double your score to get a 30. Since it's been a while since you took the sciences, I think it would be doable for you. You'll probably have to study a lot harder than a lot of people to pull up that score, though. Take lots and lots of practice tests so that you know where you have to improve exactly, instead of just studying everything. Read scientific journals and articles so that you can stand reading the dry passages on the MCAT. Good luck to you.

 

[CarolinaGirl]

My breakdown was as follows:

PS 6
BS 5
VR 9

I am doing the EK stuff so I hope it will help. I take the test April 16th.

 

[midn]

I would strongly consider delaying taking the test till this summer if possible. Who knows how much time you will be able to put in to study with school. I just set out a time table for myself for the EK stuff and it's going to take me a very long time to finish it despite having done quite a bit of it this winter break if I want to go at a moderate pace to leave myself enough time for school.

Just a thought.

 

[weaselb]

I would strongly consider delaying taking the test till this summer if possible. Who knows how much time you will be able to put in to study with school. I just set out a time table for myself for the EK stuff and it's going to take me a very long time to finish it despite having done quite a bit of it this winter break if I want to go at a moderate pace to leave myself enough time for school.

Just a thought.

Thanks for the advice midn. My hope was to take it in May or June. That way, if my scores aren't so great, I could retake in August for this application cycle. Do you know how fast the test days fill up? If I take it in June and don't get my scores back til July, will I have enough time to register for a retake?? How late can one register and still be able to get a spot?

My EK study package should be coming in next week. I'll see how things go once I officially start studying. If I have to postpone things and just take it in August, I will....but I really don't want to have only one chance on the MCAT this year by doing it in August.

Also, is it true that the August MCAT is harder than the ones offered earlier in the year? I've read somewhere that it's harder because it allows test-takers extra time and less pressure to study in the summer as opposed to during the school year.

 

[mvenus929]

Thanks for the advice midn. My hope was to take it in May or June. That way, if my scores aren't so great, I could retake in August for this application cycle. Do you know how fast the test days fill up? If I take it in June and don't get my scores back til July, will I have enough time to register for a retake?? How late can one register and still be able to get a spot?

My EK study package should be coming in next week. I'll see how things go once I officially start studying. If I have to postpone things and just take it in August, I will....but I really don't want to have only one chance on the MCAT this year by doing it in August.

Also, is it true that the August MCAT is harder than the ones offered earlier in the year? I've read somewhere that it's harder because it allows test-takers extra time and less pressure to study in the summer as opposed to during the school year.

To give you some perspective... April dates all filled up within a day or so of the opening of registration. I was still able to get a May spot a couple days afterwards, but I doubt there are many still open. Many people who registered for April got bumped back to June because the testing company couldn't keep up with the registrations. But, theoretically, the tests are still open for registration up til 2 weeks before the test.

The August tests have historically had lower average scores than the April exams, but that may be due to lots of factors. We don't know how the 22 testings a year is going to affect that, though.

 

[mastamark]

While I have seen most of the sites around me were filled for April, I still noticed quite a few dates open in May and June. I am hoping this will continue for another week, since I have yet to register(waiting to get paid) 🙁

 

[oxeye]

To the OP - I think if you have a lot of time each day for a few months to devote to relearning the material you should be able to improve that score quite a bit. Did you take the test without any studying before at all? I did that for my diagnostic (it had been 7 or 8 years since I took a lot of the prereqs) and I improved by 13 points on the real thing.

Verbal can be a tough one to improve significantly but there are strategies and you do get better at it with practice.

Good luck to you.