why do i keep scoring low on the mcat

[averroesiaw]

Took the revised MCAT twice, 10 months apart. scored 487 (12th%ile 122,122,120,123) and 493 (27th%ile 123,122,123,125).
changed my studying patterns in that 10month:
hired an MCAT tutor
tons of problems, carefully reviewing them (first time: AAMC + Princeton; second time: AAMC material-- section banks, question pack, practice tests; Next Step practice exams, Exam Krackers reading material + 1000 questions, kaplan review guide)
40 hours a week studying, no job, just volunteer things
memorizations for obvious things
quit alcohol, cannabis, and drank no more than 2 cups of coffee, except the occasional wine to help relax after 8 hrs of study days.
worked out, steady sleep schedule, reviewed notes daily, studied with my friends who were re-takers and both got 510 and 512.
helped them study by quizzing them.

anyways, i guess i am not a good standardized test taker? was there a fluke? was i nervous? did i choke? i have no idea. but i did bad.

GPA, science :3.5
cumulative :3.43

i am a social worker currently for ppl with developmental and intellectual disabilities. I want to advance professionally with this population and that is why I want to join the medical community.
i am growing weary that the path isnt for me because "the mcat predicts board and USMLE scores". but damn it, i dont want to believe that. I do well in classrooms and with instructors and peers. I have A's in ochem, molec bio, micro bio, chem
B's in physics, biochem

should i apply with my score..... and be authentic in my personal statement? letters and experiences are strong.. ugh
what do i do. i want to be in med school.

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[Gilakend]

Were your practice test scores in the same ranges as your actual exams?

 

[Goro]

Test taking anxiety?
Poor grasp of the material?
ESL?
ADD/ADHD?

 

[tessellations]

How many total practice exams did you do?

 

[Lawpy]

changed my studying patterns in that 10month:
hired an MCAT tutor
tons of problems, carefully reviewing them (first time: AAMC + Princeton; second time: AAMC material-- section banks, question pack, practice tests; Next Step practice exams, Exam Krackers reading material + 1000 questions, kaplan review guide)
40 hours a week studying, no job, just volunteer things
memorizations for obvious things
quit alcohol, cannabis, and drank no more than 2 cups of coffee, except the occasional wine to help relax after 8 hrs of study days.
worked out, steady sleep schedule, reviewed notes daily, studied with my friends who were re-takers and both got 510 and 512.
helped them study by quizzing them.

What were your practice test scores? How did you review your practice tests? Is timing a problem (did you rush through the exam on test day)?

To determine whether the problem is due to test taking skills or timing, take a new full length exam untimed. With as much time as you want (but no access to study materials), complete the exam and score it.

If you still score below 500, something went seriously wrong and I don't know how to address it. If you score above 500 (ideally 510+), you have the skills needed to do well on the exam and just need to focus on timing and improve confidence on test day.

 

[averroesiaw]

I was scoring between 506-510 on test scores. I feel I was "over confident" and too excited rather than nervous. Also, I practiced CARS quite alot and read essays and Sci American for leisure + practice. My friend who got in to Emory this year with a 512, did the same thing as me and her highest score was CARS.


Wow didn't really think about doing a test untimed... I am terrible at time keeping but I didn't run out of time or rush bc I practiced keeping time, not very well though, I was rather aloof and cut myself some slack. I think you're on to something bc something clicked... I do not perform well under a time crunch... during practice tests I'd tell myself "it's okay, this isn't the real deal yet"... other times I would force myself to believe it was the real deal.

I reviewed my tests by studying incorrect and correct answers, looked at patterns of what Foundational Concepts I was getting wrong / right and same goes sci reasoning and visited my notes and EXam krackers for clarification on topics.

What were your practice test scores? How did you review your practice tests? Is timing a problem (did you rush through the exam on test day)?

To determine whether the problem is due to test taking skills or timing, take a new full length exam untimed. With as much time as you want (but no access to study materials), complete the exam and score it.

If you still score below 500, something went seriously wrong and I don't know how to address it. If you score above 500 (ideally 510+), you have the skills needed to do well on the exam and just need to focus on timing and improve confidence on test day.

 

[averroesiaw]

Test taking anxiety?
Poor grasp of the material?
ESL?
ADD/ADHD?

Generally, I don't have test anxiety but I do display over confidence and excitement...
Never been diagnosed for attention disorders and I hate to self diagnose, but looking at my patterns as a child in grade-high school, I'd have much rather read novels than Do my homework.

Man... if after pre med undergrad and post bacc and 1.5yrs of MCAT prep and I still don't have a grasp of material.... then I should just leave this forum :/

 

[averroesiaw]

How many total practice exams did you do?

A total of 4 full length.
2 of them timed like the real thing
2 of them untimed
And in between... a bunch of problems. An average of 500 for each section (not counting CARS)

 

[tessellations]

A total of 4 full length.
2 of them timed like the real thing
2 of them untimed
And in between... a bunch of problems. An average of 500 for each section (not counting CARS)

So I haven't taken the actual MCAT exam yet (I'm currently studying for it), but I've heard from a lot of other people that one of the best ways to study is to take as many practice exams as you can. If you decide to go for another round of studying, you might want to take more practice exams this time around. You were doing pretty decent on your practice exams, but it could be that you still weren't used to taking timed exams. I'd aim for more timed practice exams to give yourself practice with a variety of conditions and passages.

I think that stamina is a problem for a lot of people when it comes to the MCAT. Practice problems are certainly useful, but they themselves don't mirror what it's like to take a full length exam.

 

[Goro]

Generally, I don't have test anxiety but I do display over confidence and excitement...
Never been diagnosed for attention disorders and I hate to self diagnose, but looking at my patterns as a child in grade-high school, I'd have much rather read novels than Do my homework.

Man... if after pre med undergrad and post bacc and 1.5yrs of MCAT prep and I still don't have a grasp of material.... then I should just leave this forum :/

Go visit your school's learning or education center for help with test taking strategies.
I'm rather out of ideas. There's no way to sugar coat this, but in med school, we're addicted to high stakes standardized exams. This is a skill you need to master. And unfortunately, not everyone is meant to go to med school.