When to move on during the MCAT....

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going2breakdown

Hoop jumper extraordinaire
10+ Year Member
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In the science sections of the MCAT...If I find a question difficult, or I don't remember the material quickly...what's the rule of thumb for letting it go and just guessing? In relation to time that is. 2 minutes, 1 minute?
 
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If I can't think of a way to answer a question within a few seconds, I mark it and move on immediately. This strategy usually leaves me with ~75% of the questions answered by the time I finish the last passage and ~35-40 minutes left to go back and work on the tougher ones. After that I go through the exam a couple more times to look for any stupid mistakes.

I averaged about a 34 on my practice exams using that strategy, and I never felt rushed or stressed for time in any way. Obviously my reasoning skills are not the best since I was only averaging 34, but I am happy with the strategy.
 
If I can't think of a way to answer a question within a few seconds, I mark it and move on immediately. This strategy usually leaves me with ~75% of the questions answered by the time I finish the last passage and ~35-40 minutes left to go back and work on the tougher ones. After that I go through the exam a couple more times to look for any stupid mistakes.

I averaged about a 34 on my practice exams using that strategy, and I never felt rushed or stressed for time in any way. Obviously my reasoning skills are not the best since I was only averaging 34, but I am happy with the strategy.

I might actually try this next time around. I usually go for 1-2 minutes TOPS if I'm actively working on it (if I just don't know, I skip it) but this is leaving me finishing RIGHT ON TIME if lucky.