What do med schools think about practice MCATs?

[Swagster]

I was thinking of sitting for the MCAT this summer to get an idea of what the test is like. I won't officially take the MCAT until next summer. My questions are for people who have taken the MCAT before. Will this help me to study better when I actually sit down to get ready for the MCAT? Do medical schools care how I do the first time and will they care that I improved?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[g8orlife]

I was thinking of sitting for the MCAT this summer to get an idea of what the test is like. I won't officially take the MCAT until next summer. My questions are for people who have taken the MCAT before. Will this help me to study better when I actually sit down to get ready for the MCAT? Do medical schools care how I do the first time and will they care that I improved?

Nothing good can come from planning on taking it twice.
1. You take it less seriously.
2. You waste money
3. Med schools can see the low score on the 1st one. And, it doesn't look very good if you don't improve during the 2nd try.

Take it once. And, study your butt off for that one time you take it.

Practice questions and pratice Full Length tests will give you an idea of what to expect. After taking enough Full Length tests (no less than 3) you'll have enough of an idea of how the actual test is so that you will never need to waste money on taking it twice.

In addition, even if you do take it. Who's to say that you'll get a similar exam when you take it again? Chances of that happening = 0.0001% (fabricated % ; real % is lower)... Just look at the differences in reviews from the 1/30 vs 3/27 vs 4/10 recent test takers.

Look at other posts for the best study materials. Specifically, look at BloodySurgeon's sticky and SN2ed's sticky at the top of the MCAT Discussion section.

 

[Oncoloman]

Yea you're better of buying 6 (216$) practice exams from the e-mcat website and taking those once a month up untill its time for the real thing. People only retake because the want a better score and they are positive they can get one ( after studying like a no other). Good Luck

 

[addo]

I wish I had known what the real testing conditions were like before I took the test. Unfortunately, only by taking the real thing you can get to know this.
There is always the void option at the end of the exam, and if you use it, it is like you never sat down for the test. However, going into the test with the intention of voiding it will not make things very realistic.
Taking the test with the purpose of preparing for content is useless, because they are all considerably different.

 

[Swagster]

I'm not planning on studying for the MCAT before my first sitting so I'm not worried about it being realistic. I'm doing it to see what the test and day are like so that I can use my study time better. People do this for the SAT, so I'm wondering what medical schools think if you do this for the MCAT. Does it hurt you to take it for practice?

What happens with a void? Will that keep the score from being on my record?

 

[SN2ed]

First off, horrible idea.

When you void your MCAT, it's like you were never there. Additionally, a voided test will not be scored.

 

[gt2011]

Direct answers to your questions:

Medical schools will see both scores and weigh them as real scores. If you could pass off a score as low because it was for "practice", everyone would claim that for any score below a 30, they were just practicing. It's just not an acceptable reason, and yes, it will hurt you.

As for a void, yes it will keep the score from that test off of your record. Because the test will never be scored. So no one, yourself included, would see the score. I suppose you could take the test and void it at the end, but all you would have done is paid a huge amount of money just to a feel for the test day experience. You'd have no feedback on how you actually did.

I'm not sure how getting that experience (with no feedback) would help you study better, but I would recommend the same as everyone else. Buy practice tests. Then search or ask around the forum, and you can get a pretty good sense of what the experience is like. Then take the MCAT once.

 

[BillyBlanco]

I was thinking of sitting for the MCAT this summer to get an idea of what the test is like. I won't officially take the MCAT until next summer. My questions are for people who have taken the MCAT before. Will this help me to study better when I actually sit down to get ready for the MCAT? Do medical schools care how I do the first time and will they care that I improved?

I think this is a money question. If money is no object then I would do it.

Think about it, if they offered a free practice MCAT even without showing you the score, I think everyone would take it.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I learned that a void only causes your score to not be shown, but it is indicated that you did sign up and were present on that testing date.

I could be misinformed, anyone with their score history care to share?