Took the sample section of the new mcat?

[Glom423]

Hi, did anyone take the new MCAT sample section on the current exam? If so, what are your thoughts? What could help the rest of us prepare? I love challenges and I am kind of excited for this new test but I have heard a lot of negative things. There are so many unknowns. Ex: What test prep company is the best? I would hate for a test to not show my true ability because I studied for it the "wrong way". I am scared

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[username456789]

Very few medical students take the MCAT.

 

[DermViser]

Do you carry a diary?

 

[Glom423]

Very few medical students take the MCAT.

Do you mean take the sample section of the MCAT? Otherwise, most if not all medical students in the U.S. are required to take the MCAT. Being a resident, I am sure you already know this.

 

[Apoplexy__]

Do you mean take the sample section of the MCAT? Otherwise, most if not all medical students in the U.S. are required to take the MCAT. Being a resident, I am sure you already know this.

He's hinting that you incorrectly posted this in the Allo forum, since very few medical students take the MCAT after starting medical school.

 

[DermViser]

Do you mean take the sample section of the MCAT? Otherwise, most if not all medical students in the U.S. are required to take the MCAT. Being a resident, I am sure you already know this.

He's saying that medical students don't take the MCAT during medical school. It was another way of saying to post your pre-Allopathic question in the pre-Allopathic forum rather than in Allopathic. But I am sure you already know this.

 

[Glom423]

Ah sorry it was my first post. I'll search on how to change it. Thanks!!

 

[lysine9740]

I took my MCAT April 2013, and we had the optional (for $30 gift card) new section. I did it for the gift card lol, so I wasn't really focusing. But honestly it wasn't all the hard. Most of it was regurgitation of facts. Meaning do you or do you not know what famous psychologist or sociologist did a certain well known study. As well as what where the outcomes of these studies. Also, a lot of here is case, and what symptoms can you pull out and diagnose someone. I took psych and sociology freshmen year of undergrad, so I didn't really remember the specifics of a lot of them. But if I had taken the classes more recently, or studied a little. It would have been cake. I don't think the new additions will make it that much harder.

 

[Glom423]

I took my MCAT April 2013, and we had the optional (for $30 gift card) new section. I did it for the gift card lol, so I wasn't really focusing. But honestly it wasn't all the hard. Most of it was regurgitation of facts. Meaning do you or do you not know what famous psychologist or sociologist did a certain well known study. As well as what where the outcomes of these studies. Also, a lot of here is case, and what symptoms can you pull out and diagnose someone. I took psych and sociology freshmen year of undergrad, so I didn't really remember the specifics of a lot of them. But if I had taken the classes more recently, or studied a little. It would have been cake. I don't think the new additions will make it that much harder.

Thanks, that makes me feel more optimistic. I took psychology in high school and still remember some of the experiments. Did your optional section include only psych, sociology, and biochem? If not, do you think practicing passages of physics, orgo, and gen chem from current exam books help with the new test?

 

[circulus vitios]

I "took" the trial section, by which I mean I guessed on every single answer because the AAMC can suck a fat one.

 

[Smurfette]

Moving to PreAllo.

 

[Zelda840]

Mine had very little biochem and was mostly psych and sociology. Very, very simple. I honestly don't know why people are so worried about it. Less Physics and more Psych would have been quite beneficial for me.

 

[Silverflash]

I got the biochem sample section. Not to freak you out, but it was incredibly complex and incredibly difficult, harder than any other portion of the test. It mostly consisted of passages detailing recent biochemical breakthroughs and then questions in which you reason out an answer based on the passage, but the passages were so much more obtuse and difficult than any of those on the normal test that it was nearly impossible.

Granted, this was my opinion after taking the most important test of my life, and I didn't try very hard, so take my response with a solid helping of salt.

 

[wuhsabee]

I got the biochem sample section. Not to freak you out, but it was incredibly complex and incredibly difficult, harder than any other portion of the test. It mostly consisted of passages detailing recent biochemical breakthroughs and then questions in which you reason out an answer based on the passage, but the passages were so much more obtuse and difficult than any of those on the normal test that it was nearly impossible.

Granted, this was my opinion after taking the most important test of my life, and I didn't try very hard, so take my response with a solid helping of salt.

What did you end up scoring on the trial section and what was the percentile range?

Also, have you taken Biochem before?

 

[Silverflash]

What did you end up scoring on the trial section and what was the percentile range?

Also, have you taken Biochem before?

I had taken Biochem before I took the MCAT, yes. I don't recall my percentile score, though I think it was average.

 

[ZymurgySurfer]

Psych/Sociology was incredibly easy, Biochem was much more difficult. I had just finished Biochem I and still thought it to be difficult, I'd recommend taking the full biochem sequence at your university. I can't speak to prep materials, as I'm sure most would agree, because I only did it for the gift card. I'd imagine prep materials considered better suited for science will still be better to use for biochem, and those better regarded for verbal will be better to use for psych/socio

 

[PantherPride]

I got the biochem sample section. Not to freak you out, but it was incredibly complex and incredibly difficult, harder than any other portion of the test. It mostly consisted of passages detailing recent biochemical breakthroughs and then questions in which you reason out an answer based on the passage, but the passages were so much more obtuse and difficult than any of those on the normal test that it was nearly impossible.

Granted, this was my opinion after taking the most important test of my life, and I didn't try very hard, so take my response with a solid helping of salt.

I'd have to agree with this. Just as a reference I scored >12 on both biological and physical sciences sections, I'm in some long term biochem heavy research, and just completed Biochem 1 so I thought this section would be cake. The biochem section kicked my ass. Maybe it was just because I had minimal practice with MCAT style biochem passages, but those passages were DENSE. The subject matter was exactly what I would expect (enzyme kinetics, enzyme regulation, pathways, etc) but the passages provided so much info and the questions required you to understand each passage very well.

The thing you have to keep in mind is the test is scaled, so if one passage is extremely difficult, it's going to be that way for everyone. Just to illustrate that I got a 56% on my biochem section but that put me in the top quarter of test takers. On the other hand an easy section will have a harsher curve and be less lenient since everyone is getting the questions right

 

[PlaqueBuster]

sample section was hard from my test because it was biochemistry. I had taken the course in college but this information was way too specific. I suggest you start studying now an duse ExamKrackers, Princeton Review and Berkeley Review. Those are the best test prep resources imho. I also suggest you get practice tests from aamc and take atleast 3. The new test is longer and scored differently. Since it will be the first year, they won't have a good average yet and the more you study, the better you can outperform the other students. GL

 

[DaddyBex28]

I had the Biochemistry section and I thought it was on par with the Biology section in all honestly. Granted it was more in-depth than I had studied, but it was manageable and I got about 50% correct without the additional studying of the topic. FYI, I took Biochem in 2011...so it had been awhile.

At one moment after finishing the MCAT, I even thought I did better on the Trial Section than the Bio. Luckily, that was not the case.

Study up on all new topics. I suggest Examkrackers for practice problems and Princeton Review and Kaplan for content review. It will be difficult, no doubt, but focus your efforts on your weaknesses.

 

[wuhsabee]

I know a lot of you guys are suggesting Princeton Review to study for the new MCAT's Biochem section, but I'm using it right now and it is severely lacking in content. The Biochem chapter is less than 40 pages, and it's missing coverage in a lot of topics that are on the AAMC outline. As of right now, Kaplan's Biochemistry book is even more comprehensive than TPR.

This is just an FYI for new MCAT'ers, if they are trying to choose which books to buy.

Edit: But I do like their Cellular & Molecular Biology & Physiology section. This one beats Kaplan's, for sure! Just go with another source for Biochemistry.

 

[mehc012]

Biochem section was evil, but in a "we are going to present poorly written alphabet soup research passages and make you figure out the nuances", not content-wise.
It was exhausting. I couldn't make myself try very hard on it because just...ugh.
I did alright, but I think that section drained me more than any of the real deal ones.
(for reference, I got ~85% on the trial section and ~95% on the BS self assessment)

 

[giraffesuptop]

I had the psych and sociology section. I prob failed it solely bc I wasn't familiar with the various theories of psych and sociology. Knowing the theories of those fields and being able to identify if a theory applies to a particular situation is all you'll need to ace it. It did not appear too difficult.