What to look for when reviewing tests

[ams83]

Hey all...right now I am reviewing my AAMC practice tests and I look all the questions and why I got them right or wrong. I keep seeing ppl talking about "getting into the mind of the testmaker", where test takers can sometimes eliminate or accept answer choices based on how they are being presented even though they are not glaringly right or wrong. Is this even possible and if so, how can I go about gaining this sort of skill because I see some answer explanations in the AAMC practice tests and they make no sense to me even when I try to justify them. Thanks!

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[plsletmein]

Well the AAMC Official Guide to the MCATs more or less blasted the strategies that companies teach, saying that the test writers are made aware of such strategies and write their questions in light of them

i.e. some companies teach that if there are absolutes like "always" or "never" you can almost always eliminate those answer choices but if you extrapolate what you see in the official guide, its not so black and white

and after they do that, they tell you to take the strategies with a grain of salt, but to also work with whatever ends up working for you if you find the strategies taught helpful

 

[ams83]

So does the official guide to the MCAT book have strategies on going about looking at questions and answer choices. I've been considering buying the book, but if it is worth it I will buy it soon.

 

[SN2ed]

This doesn't explicitly answer your question, but I think you might want to read it.


General Guidelines for Reviewing:

- Go over EVERY question. Both the ones you got right and the ones you got wrong.
- Reviewing should take 2-3 times longer than taking the timed practice problems.
- If your tests are fluctuating, it is due to the different topics on the various tests. In other words, you have some glaring weaknesses that when targeted, nail you, badly. You have to find out what those weaknesses are because they are evident by your scores. Do NOT dismiss any wrong answer as a "stupid mistake." You made that error for a reason. Go over your tests again.

Some things to go over when reviewing:

1. Why did you get the question wrong? Why did you get the question right?
2. What question types get you?
3. How is your mindset when facing a particular passage?
4. Are you stressed for time?
5. Where are your mistakes happening the most? Are they front loaded? Are they at the end? All over?
6. What was your thought process for both the questions you got right and the ones you got wrong?
7. For verbal, what was the author's mindset and main idea?
8. Did you eliminate all of the answer choices you could from first glance?
ex. You know an answer should be a positive number so you cross out all of the negative number answer choices.
9. What content areas are you weak in?
10. How can you improve so you don't make the same mistake again?