What's the best method for reviewing FLs, practice passages/questions?

[oms47]

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Okay so here is the situation...

I have taken the Kaplan course twice and finished almost all of the online material my second time through. I was able to improve only on the biological sciences to a 10+, however on the other two sections I have plateaued at a 8.

I am thinking of using SN2ed's 4 month schedule using the material he has prescribed. But I want some insight on post-game analysis?

If I could get some feedback as to what methods are out there and their effectiveness. I have used Kaplan's post-phrasing method, which I did find somewhat helpful. But since this is my third time studying for the MCAT, I would like to pick from a handful of options and see which ones work for me.

After reading quite a few posts on the "30+ MCAT study habits," I have recognized that those individuals that have significantly improved their scores did some heavy post-game analysis...but what were/are those methods?!

Thanks
oms47

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Post-game analysis is a question by question analysis of how you answered the question and more importantly how you could do better on that question if you ever saw it (or one like it) again.

Any questions you missed, try again before reading the expalantion.

Any question you got right, but didn't feel great about, try again.

After doing this, read the answer explanations to each question. Evaluate if the method in their explanation is the same as yours, better than yours, or worse than yours. With each question see if there is a way you could have done the question faster, avoided a careless error, used your information better, applied POE, etc... Keep a log of what you should have done or known.

It takes more time to review an exam than to take an exam. For this to work, you have to use questions you haven't seen before. That is essential.

 

[SN2ed]

Not sure if you saw this in my schedule thread:


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.
- You might want to consider making a log for all of your post test results where you work through the questions below. Doing so, you'll be able to easily notice trends.

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 and passage 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?