Verbal Reasoning/Writing Sample Questions Thread

[lorelei]

All users may post questions about MCAT verbal and writing sample here. We will answer the questions as soon as we reasonably can. If you would like to know what VR and WS topics appear on the MCAT, you should check the MCAT Student Manual (http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/studentmanual/start.htm)

Acceptable topics:
-general, MCAT-level critical reading or writing questions
-particular MCAT-level verbal or writing sample questions, whether your own or from study material
-what you need to know about verbal or writing for the MCAT
-how best to approach MCAT verbal passages
-how best to prepare for MCAT verbal reasoning and writing sample
-how best to tackle the MCAT VR and WS sections

Unacceptable topics:
-actual MCAT questions or passages, or close paraphrasings thereof
-anything you know to be beyond the scope of the MCAT

***********

If you really know your verbal or (especially) writing sample, I can use your help. If you are willing to help answer questions on this thread, please let me know. Here are the current members of the Verbal Reasoning/Writing Sample Team:

-lorelei (thread moderator): I am a Kaplan MCAT teacher. On the MCAT, I scored 15 on VR and 43 overall.

This thread will probably work a little differently from the science threads, since there are no formulas to study or reactions to learn. Bear with us as we figure things out.

-MoosePilot: MoosePilot has completed TPR teacher training. He scored 13 on the VR section of the MCAT, and 36 overall.

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[Lala0512]

Thank you for starting this thread.

I have some major problems with the VR section. I'll get to that later. First of all, I want to ask about the WS. For example, here is a writing sample item from the AAMC website: The object of education should be to teach skills, not values.

How should I approach this topic? I was thinking of defining what skills and values mean. I also was thinking of may be comparing them. My question is: should I do this for the first task of explaining what the statement means. I read a few posts in this thread that suggest defining key words. I was wondering if you could elaborate on this more. Also, how appropriate is to use first person point of view? Should I stay neutral instead by using "one", "they", or "his/herself"?

The prompt also asks me to describe a specific situation when the object of education might be teaching values rather than skills. For this task, I was thinking about giving the example of ethics classes offered in business or law schools. Would this example be sufficient? Should I stay with a more political example? I thought to elaborate on this example by bringing up the current economic crisis and how ethics classes would really aid in teaching values.

Last but not least, the final task asks to discuss what determines when the object of education is to teach skills and when it is to teach values. I get really stumped with the last task. I feel like I usually end up going back and forth too much without actually making an argument. What should I explain for this example?

Thank you so much for the help.

 

[loveoforganic]

By all means, avoid controversial things like politics if you can manage to come up with a good topic not involving them.

 

[g8orlife]

I have a VR question. I don't think it has been addressed previously in this thread.

When I review my VR section, I notice that I do poorly on the first passage as compared to the others. I tend to start off slow, and my time spent on the first passage is actually longer than the others. After the first passage, I can feel myself being more in rhythm and flow of reading and answering questions.

So, any advice on something I can do to ATTACK that first passage with the same pace, flow, and rhythm that I do with the following ones?

 

[SirWilliamOsler]

In regards to VR, what is the difference between an inference and an extrapolation?

It seems to me that we are only supposed to infer from the passage and not to extrapolate. Can anyone clarify the difference?

 

[premedstudent55]

Hi, I have start studying for the MCAT and i seem to have trouble with the Verbal section. =/ I am almost done with EK 101 passages and i keep on scoring 7s and 8s. I never really think about what was the intentions of the authors in writing these passages... I just do the questions after i finish reading the passages. Do you advise me to go back to all the previous passages and reread them again and try to think critically why were the passages written the way they did?

 

[sinj2001]

All users may post questions about MCAT verbal and writing sample here. We will answer the questions as soon as we reasonably can. If you would like to know what VR and WS topics appear on the MCAT, you should check the MCAT Student Manual (http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/studentmanual/start.htm)

Acceptable topics:
-general, MCAT-level critical reading or writing questions
-particular MCAT-level verbal or writing sample questions, whether your own or from study material
-what you need to know about verbal or writing for the MCAT
-how best to approach MCAT verbal passages
-how best to prepare for MCAT verbal reasoning and writing sample
-how best to tackle the MCAT VR and WS sections

Unacceptable topics:
-actual MCAT questions or passages, or close paraphrasings thereof
-anything you know to be beyond the scope of the MCAT

***********

If you really know your verbal or (especially) writing sample, I can use your help. If you are willing to help answer questions on this thread, please let me know. Here are the current members of the Verbal Reasoning/Writing Sample Team:

-lorelei (thread moderator): I am a Kaplan MCAT teacher. On the MCAT, I scored 15 on VR and 43 overall.

This thread will probably work a little differently from the science threads, since there are no formulas to study or reactions to learn. Bear with us as we figure things out.

-MoosePilot: MoosePilot has completed TPR teacher training. He scored 13 on the VR section of the MCAT, and 36 overall.

Hi i'll be joining premed in September. I plan on writing the Mcat after my undergrad. What can I start doing to get ahead of my preparation? My main concern was for the Writing Section and Verbal Reasoning. What can I do for these two sections from now? Thank you

 

[brendo]

Hey,

So I find sometimes when I writing practice essays that a specific example won't come to mind (ie a specific event in history, a specific person etc), but I can always think up and write about a more generic example that supports my essay.

Out of curiosity, will this hurt me on the actual test? Or does is matter if I reference an actual historical event as long as I'm using relevant examples of some sort to illustrate my points?

Thanks in advance.

 

[selfreflection]

Hi! lorelei mentioned that we could try posting samples here? I was having trouble with this prompt, and I wondered whether somebody could take a look at it? Thank you

In the recording of history, it is impossible to be objective.
Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which it might be possible to be objective in the recording of history. Discuss what you think determines when objectivity in the recording of history is possible and when it is not.

History can be defined as a past event. The recording of history can be considered to be subjective, where subjectivity is defined as the interpretation of an event due personal beliefs or feelings. Subjective recordings may influence the significance of the event and even speculate whether the event actually occurred. Subjective influences may be political in nature, such as the case with the 1937 Nanking Massacre that occurred when the Japanese invaded the small village of Nanking. This is a contentious event between Chinese and Japanese historians – where some Japanese historians maintain that the event was a falsely exaggerated for propaganda purposes, and Chinese historians believe that the Japanese are diminishing the significance of the event because of national pride. Chinese historians predict the death toll around 300,000, a sharp contrast to Japan’s prediction of 20,000. The true death toll is unable to be determined due to the lack of records kept by Japanese soldiers and officials during the raid. This is an example of the subjective recording of a historical event and is determined by the lack of significant third-party observers. A third party observer can be defined as an individual without any prejudices towards the event. In this case, a third-party would ideally not be politically prejudiced towards either China or Japan.
On the other hand, the significant destruction of the twin towers on September 11th 2001 was recorded by numerous video cameras and transmitted to every television set within Canada and the United States of America. Each national broadcasting corporation transmitted this video on this day, allowing for a significant number of third party observers. Although the intentions surrounding the towers’ destruction can be debated, the fact that this event occurred cannot. It was objectively recorded by multiple camera’s and broadcasted nationally and internationally. Thus, the widely known 9/11 event can be considered an objective recording of history.
Historical recordings can usually be described as subjective. However, its subjectivity is dependent on the method of recording and the number of third-party observers. In the case of Nanking, it was the Japanese soldiers and Chinese civilians who witnessed this event, and thus the controversy over its recording surrounds two parties who are may be under subjective political influence. In the case of the 9/11 event in 2001, the event was recorded via an “objective” device such as the video camera and transmitted to millions of viewers. This decreases the probability of subjective interpretation and has enhanced the validity of the event.

 

[Sugar Pharmacology]

Jack Westin's classes for verbal help are great. its good to give him a try coz he is focused on AAMC and not others and his strategy is just suited to break the verbal easily. Those still struggling will surely benefit

 

[Roflcoppter1337]

I suggest checking out Jack Westin. I left a review on this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/mcat-cars-tutor-increase-your-score.1101091/ "