what to do?

[Mistress S]

I just took 6R and am officially freaked out. I got a 30 overall, but the breakdown was 13 VR, 11 BS, and 6 PS! I also got a 6 in PS on 5R, after getting an 8 on 4R and a 7 on 3R (I also got 7's in PS on 2 previous full-length practice tests, AAMC 1 and EK 1d). I can't believe my PS scores are going DOWN! And this is after spending last week reviewing PS, mind you. I don't know what else to do, with only 5 days left to study. I feel kind of hopeless, I've studied this stuff with no apparent results. I would need at least an 8 in PS, more like a 9 or 10 to be competitive on the real thing--schools will take one look at that score breakdown and put my app in the reject pile. I guess I will go ahead and take the test on the 16th, but it is looking like I'll have to re-take it anyway to get my PS scores up. I am so depressed right now...

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[lotanna]

Originally posted by Mistress S
I just took 6R and am officially freaked out. I got a 30 overall, but the breakdown was 13 VR, 11 BS, and 6 PS! I also got a 6 in PS on 5R, after getting an 8 on 4R and a 7 on 3R (I also got 7's in PS on 2 previous full-length practice tests, AAMC 1 and EK 1d). I can't believe my PS scores are going DOWN! And this is after spending last week reviewing PS, mind you. I don't know what else to do, with only 5 days left to study. I feel kind of hopeless, I've studied this stuff with no apparent results. I would need at least an 8 in PS, more like a 9 or 10 to be competitive on the real thing--schools will take one look at that score breakdown and put my app in the reject pile. I guess I will go ahead and take the test on the 16th, but it is looking like I'll have to re-take it anyway to get my PS scores up. I am so depressed right now...

I'm having the same problem, my PS is like at a 7, while the rest are pretty ok. Just hang in there, what materials are u using to study? No need feeling depressed, the next couple of days are crucial, u havent taken the MCAT yet, why be pessimistic??? I'll suggest going over the detailed solutions for 6R, do u have it? If you dont, pm me, I can help you with that.
Also a 13 on verbal is very impressive!! I got an 11 on 5R and 6R and would love to push it up to at least a 12, I'm using the EK technique, do u have any suggestions?
Thanks

 

[SteveUTexas]

You need to find out what in PS is causing you the most problems (acid/bases, E&M, optics, etc.) and spend the next 5 days concentrating on improving those weak spots. You should not waste time studying the subjects that are not causing you problems.

 

[StanSteel]

The problem in PS is that you have to be fast at calculating. Oftentimes, do not think too much, just write what you have, and the letters will cancel one another by themselves, the concept based questions are not too hard in PS, more so in BS imho. Oh and also, use proportions whenever you can, e.g. if you double the distance, the force is reduced by a factor 4 of course. I know some people who still calculate both then take a ratio and get the answer, that takes way too long. If you haven't done so, get EK 1001 Physics, and Chem. If you do all the problems in those two books, you will ace the PS section. I did not even do all the problems, and I ended up almost acing PS, so much that I now totally gave up studying that section. My verbal on the other hand still sucks... any advice?

 

[mosfet]

Stansteel,
What do you think about the kaplan PS? In my opinion, kaplan PS is very hard compared to the aamc PS. On kaplan PS I used to get 10s and on the aamc, I am getting 13s. Which one do you think is more representative of the mcat?

 

[zinjanthropus]

i think that the problem with princeton and kaplan vs. ek is that they make the PS section all about calculation but ek breaks it down by relationships. that is the main thing that the actual mcat PS section is about.....relatoinships between variables. The calculations are usually pretty simple but if you try calculating everything you get bogged down with time. That's what was happening to me before I realized my mistake and that realization alone has added a few points to my score.

Also, what the above poster said regarding figuring out your weak points is also key. The same stuff pops up again and again. Since your AAMC scores are consistent, you are must likely missing the same stuff again and again. Figure out what you're missing and try to fix it.

Your other scores are certainly strong and I do believe that the AAMC exams are excellent indicators of how you will do on your real exam. If you can pull up your PS you will do really well.

Good luck.

 

[sgilani]

kaplan PS is demoralizing.
for PS i do better if i think less. stop stressing about calculating exactly. use logic and real world examples.
good luck

 

[Mistress S]

Thanks for the replies! Everyone seems to be offering very good advice, I guess I should just try to be positive and hope that I can make a difference in the next few days. The stuff about the calculations makes sense, I guess I don't have enoguh confidence in my ability to reason through problems and have found myself doing time-intensive calculations to verify what I think is the answer. Hopefully working on that, and my weak areas (mainly in gen chem rather than physics) will help, as I often find myself pressed for time at the end and as a result have to rush through the last 10-15 questions.

To those who asked for verbal tips: I guess my main one would be to major in English! That seems to have helped me in this area. Seriously though, I posted some stuff about this in another thread:
http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=76327

It's funny because last week after posting that I read the EK verbal stuff, and a lot of it is pretty much what I do anyway. So I would say their method seems good, I think the most important thing is to think about the thesis of the passage as you read it and the tone/intent of the author, as the vast majority of VR questions relate back to those things. Also being confident as you read--this is the one part of the test I approach with confidence, and I think that has always made a big difference! I thought it was funny the way VR advice was phrased in the EK book--the attitude was basically "you can figure out those wacky academics and their ambigous essays if you just realize they don't think linearly like us science folk", which is the opposite of me--probably why I have so much trouble on the PS section! It's apparently a lot easier for me to accept equivocal meaning in a text than to choose the one correct answer about a chem experiment. I guess there's something for everyone on the MCAT.

BTW lotanna, 11 is a great VR score--I'm sure if you're doing that well you've got the idea down, just continue doing practice passages and I'm sure you'll do great on the real thing! Good luck to everyone!

 

[lotanna]

Thanks Mistress S, your technique is Ek to the T, maybe I should have been an English major
I'll just keep practicing and hoping that maybe i'll get the extra questions to bump it up or a point, though i wouldnt mind an 11 on the real thing
Now about PS, I'm reviewing all my old tests solutions, and tryin to go over stuff that is unfamiliar to me. The truth is like u, I love verbal, its the section I look forward to in the practice exams, my confidence level there is super high, I cant really stand the sciences

 

[PreMedAdAG]

....and then there's me... when the verbal section comes up.. i want to run in the other direction... i smile at the other sections.. at least they won't pummel my @$$ the way that verbal does.

 

[thackl]

You're lucky. PS is the easiest to improve. Going from a 6 to a 10 in one week is totally possible on PS. This is not true for the other sections.

Are you doing all one subect first? Do your best subject first along with free standing questions, then do the other.

Are you finishing the section? If not, try to. Skip the hard stuff and get to all the questions. Easy ones are worth the same as hard ones. Memorize the main formulas and relationships (this can be done in a day).

I predict you will get a 33 (12/12/9)