What will it take to score a 520+?

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hopefuldawkter

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I know this sounds ambitious given that it is top 2% of test-takers; however, I am determined to give it my all. I have taken all my pre-reqs and received A's in all of them. My plan as of now is to make my own anki cards via TBR and Kaplan books from January to April/May (I will also be taking classes). In summer, I was thinking of reviewing my Anki cards for about a month for retention purposes. From about June-Aug, I was thinking of doing UWorld and practice FLs. What do you guys think? Any feedback would be highly appreciated!
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Why? Unless you’re a legitimately gifted test taker/genius, the time spent attempting to score that high is better spent strengthening other areas of your future application.
 
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I would say focus on weaknesses. For example cars was my biggest struggle and I did about 40 cars tests for practice. Use a variety of test sources as well. It takes about 4 months of study to score in that range.
 
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You can shoot for whatever you want. Take a diagnostic test and expect to study 40 or so hours per point you want to increase. That means if you start at a 500 then you will likely have to study 800+ hours. As @TwoHighways said, your time might be better spent doing other things. Not everyone can get a 520 with 4 months of study.

Your plan is ok, but you have to understand that content will only get you to about a 510 IMO, beyond that you need to learn MCAT strategy. Focus on doing AAMC questions throughout.
 
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Mr Donald Mouse said:
I would say focus on weaknesses. For example cars was my biggest struggle and I did about 40 cars tests for practice. Use a variety of test sources as well. It takes about 4 months of study to score in that range.
Click to expand...

Out of all the resources you tried, which did you find to be most helpful for improving your CARS score?
 
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what would it take? good thought logic on the actual exam. The p/s on the actual exam will have many 50/50s for you to decide between and critically thinking about why the answer is right is key on that section. For the other sections, definetly low yield information will get you a 520 +. Think about it, a 512 which is a pretty good score is not that much less wrong than say a 518, maybe 2-3 questions on each section?
 
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The real answer to this question is that it will take varying levels of commitment depending on who you are. For me, it took around 2 hours a day 3 times a week for 6 months with 4 FLs (around 150 hours total, not much.) to get to a 521 from a baseline score of 510. For one of my friends, it took them 30 hours a week for 3 months with 10 FLs (around 400 hours total) to get to a 520 from a 506 baseline. It really is person specific.
 
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hopefuldawkter said:
I know this sounds ambitious given that it is top 2% of test-takers; however, I am determined to give it my all. I have taken all my pre-reqs and received A's in all of them. My plan as of now is to make my own anki cards via TBR and Kaplan books from January to April/May (I will also be taking classes). In summer, I was thinking of reviewing my Anki cards for about a month for retention purposes. From about June-Aug, I was thinking of doing UWorld and practice FLs. What do you guys think? Any feedback would be highly appreciated!
Click to expand...

I think you should also make sure you really simulate test day conditions for your FLs. Use the same font, be in a room where you can’t see outside, keep the screen a certain distance from your head, start the exam at 8am, don’t touch your phone the whole time.

It sounds a little dramatic, but a lack of sleep and discomfort with the specifics of “test-center test-taking” can stop you from scoring your best.
 
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Great advice in this thread. Getting 520 means an average of 130 on each section, so you can't have any weaknesses. CARS killed my shot at 520. I didn't put enough time into CARS. I blame it partly on the limited amount of practice passages available and partly on me focusing too much on sciences. It wasn't until the end, when I was doing FLs that I realized I might be in trouble on that section. One thing I'd recommend is that you get FLs from multiple companies and use the CARS sections for more passages.
 
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PlsLetMeIn21 said:
Great advice in this thread. Getting 520 means an average of 130 on each section, so you can't have any weaknesses. CARS killed my shot at 520. I didn't put enough time into CARS. I blame it partly on the limited amount of practice passages available and partly on me focusing too much on sciences. It wasn't until the end, when I was doing FLs that I realized I might be in trouble on that section. One thing I'd recommend is that you get FLs from multiple companies and use the CARS sections for more passages.
Click to expand...

Third party CARS is really bad. Word of advice from 524 scorer, make sure you nail all the science sections and then you get some leeway in CARS.
 
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notsobabydoc said:
Please don’t waste your time on TBR. Completely unnecessary for the test.

Third party CARS is really bad. Word of advice from 524 scorer, make sure you nail all the science sections and then you get some leeway in CARS.
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Third party CARS was bad, but what else can you do? You have to practice. I did nail the science sections (C/P 132 and B/B 132) and CARS killed me, so your leeway theory in a quest for 520 could be problematic. You can't let any section slide.

We couldn't disagree more on TBR. You got a 524, so you didn't need anything. You could have probably walked in cold and gotten a 520. Unfortunately, I struggle in school and don't have the gift of being able to walk in and ace exams. I have to work really hard for it. TBR was exactly what I needed for the sciences and by far the most helpful materials out there for chemistry and physics. It's meant for people like me. There is no way I would have done as well on C/P and B/B without their tricks ands memory aids.
 
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PlsLetMeIn21 said:
Third party CARS was bad, but what else can you do? You have to practice. I did nail the science sections (C/P 132 and B/B 132) and CARS killed me, so your leeway theory in a quest for 520 could be problematic. You can't let any section slide.

We couldn't disagree more on TBR. You got a 524, so you didn't need anything. You could have probably walked in cold and gotten a 520. Unfortunately, I struggle in school and don't have the gift of being able to walk in and ace exams. I have to work really hard for it. TBR was exactly what I needed for the sciences and by far the most helpful materials out there for chemistry and physics. It's meant for people like me. There is no way I would have done as well on C/P and B/B without their tricks ands memory aids.
Click to expand...
I found TBR too difficult lol. I got so discouraged from doing those questions. I didn't get a 132 on C/P so maybe I should've used their science books. Well yes, the most leeway you can get on the CARS is 124, assuming you get 132's on everything. That's still quite a big slack to get. I studied my ass off for the exam just like everyone else did. I think the most helpful thing is making your own anki and going over them frantically before the real deal. I went through 22000 reviews in the month leading to the exam.
 
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Y’all people that put in the work deserved the scores you got. I can’t imagine grinding it out for months the way I did the month prior to my test date. I was very happy with how I did just utilizing AAMC material and khan.
 
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520 is a lofty goal for sure. While many have pointed out reasonable strategies for getting there, do not forget the mental aspect of test-taking.

A well-rested, hydrated, happy individual who has a healthy diet and healthy relationships and coping mechanisms will do better than someone without those mental health facets, even if they have the same knowledge base. Now, I realize premeds are anxious people (that was me once) so I know all of that is not possible at the same time. But make intentional strides to make progress in those areas. I promise they pay off. Also, that is not just some feel-good crap either. Science backs up the mental health aspect of test-taking.

You can do it!

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors
 
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hopefuldawkter said:
I know this sounds ambitious given that it is top 2% of test-takers; however, I am determined to give it my all. I have taken all my pre-reqs and received A's in all of them. My plan as of now is to make my own anki cards via TBR and Kaplan books from January to April/May (I will also be taking classes). In summer, I was thinking of reviewing my Anki cards for about a month for retention purposes. From about June-Aug, I was thinking of doing UWorld and practice FLs. What do you guys think? Any feedback would be highly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Honestly this schedule is pretty intense. If you already have a really strong application in other areas then go for it to ensure your best score possible but if not, some of your time may be better spent improving other parts of your app. To be the most efficient (score improvement per time put in), content gaps are the most important and easiest things to cover so focus on that. After that there are diminishing returns on time put in. CARS is much harder to raise so unless your diagnostic is in lethal range (sub ~125), you can wait until your good on content and focusing on test taking to really nail it down. The exception to this would be if you're a non-native English speaker. Then it's crucial to do a ton of reading from the start to get your speed and comprehension up for all the sections.
 
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