Your opinion on how many times is too much

[cybercerebral]

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Hi everyone! I am really curious to know how many times you are willing to retake the PCAT to achieve at least a 90 composite score. Also do you think there is a max number of times someone should retake, to avoid schools looking at you in a negative way?
THANKS!!

 

[justyliz]

Hi everyone! I am really curious to know how many times you are willing to retake the PCAT to achieve at least a 90 composite score. Also do you think there is a max number of times someone should retake, to avoid schools looking at you in a negative way?
THANKS!!

There really is no limit, so I don't think it would hurt to take it several times. In my opinion, after three tries, you won't notice a significant increase in your scores. Let's say the first time you take it for kicks, and do poorly. The second time (knowing how hard the test now is) you study right and take it again. If you had a bad test day your second time, take again your third time fully prepared. If you don't do well after two tries with ample preparation, there's probably not much else you could do to significantly raise you score. That is, unless you are missing a lot of pre-pharmacy courses prior to taking the PCAT.

 

[Alby]

Hi everyone! I am really curious to know how many times you are willing to retake the PCAT to achieve at least a 90 composite score. Also do you think there is a max number of times someone should retake, to avoid schools looking at you in a negative way?
THANKS!!

If I had to put a number to it- I would say no more than 3 times... if you dont increase your score the second time... I would think twice about taking it again- unless you are doing something dramatic to increase your scores. If I was an adcom and I saw a candidate who took the test multiple times without a large score increase, it owuld make me think twice about admitting that student.

But that is just my opinion.

 

[FLPharm2Be]

I agree with the previous poster, 3 times is probably the most I would take the test. I took the test twice and scored high enough my second time to call it quits. I would have easily taken the test one more time if I wasn't happy with my score. This is only my opinion tho, I don't know that there is a limit by schools, just your own financial constraints.

 

[cybercerebral]

I had a 73 in Oct. then i got a 78 in Jan. So now I don't know when i should retake, I haven't taken microbio or anatomy and I wont be able to before the next application cycle.But do you guys think if I just study everything else I should retake this June? Hmmm...How I wish we knew what the admission committee thought about retakes🙄

 

[AngelaCL]

I had a 73 in Oct. then i got a 78 in Jan. So now I don't know when i should retake, I haven't taken microbio or anatomy and I wont be able to before the next application cycle.But do you guys think if I just study everything else I should retake this June? Hmmm...How I wish we knew what the admission committee thought about retakes🙄

As long as you are willing to study pretty hard, you should be able to retake without anatomy and see improvement. The only micro on the exam will be fairly basic - know stuff about gram stains and what distinguishes a fungi, virus, bacterium. If you get study guides for anatomy and just review micro pretty quickly, you should be okay in those areas.

Is bio your weakest section? If so, it makes sense to wait to retake until you have more bio classes. However, if you did okay in bio but really need to improve in math and chem, then you might as well retake in June. Just start studying NOW - use PCAT practice books, read old notes, use Cliffs Notes/AP review books. Practice in real test conditions - quiet room, times, all the sections in a row.

 

[parabolic]

Why June? There are PCAT test dates in August and October too. If you're waiting until the next application cycle anyway, then there's really no difference between the three--- unless you're planning to apply early and want to see your PCAT scores first, that I could understand.

August or October might be a better choice if you have to spend most of your time this semester studying for classes that are not related to PCAT material. Taking the June exam might not leave enough time in that case. Summer usually offers more free time, and you could use it to prepare for the PCAT. Whatever you end up doing, good luck on raising your score to where you want it. 🙂

 

[Ben1988]

Hi everyone! I am really curious to know how many times you are willing to retake the PCAT to achieve at least a 90 composite score. Also do you think there is a max number of times someone should retake, to avoid schools looking at you in a negative way?
THANKS!!

Any more than once is too much.


People who take the PCAT again and again and again shouldn't be pharmacists. If it takes you that much time to learn, how are you ever going to get past pharmacy school? Seems like double jeopardy in courts.

 

[islander01]

it doesnt really matter how many times you take it. honestly, this is what i think. i truly think that anybody can become a pharmacist. lol, today there is something called pda. PDA basically tells you if one drug interacts with another, who really care how you convey the information to your patients after you got your pharmacy degree. maybe some anal people do, but i dont as long as the information is accurate and relevant to my questions.

 

[omnione]

The key part of your question is not how many times is too much, but how many exams one is willing to take in order to get a 90. Don't get me wrong, my 90+ score helped my application a lot but it isn't absolutely necessary for many accepted pharmacy school applicants. Remember that school averages are around 75-85. Going from an 85 to a 90 is not going to drastically improve your application aside from showing that one score wasn't a fluke.

 

[bekman]

Any more than once is too much.


People who take the PCAT again and again and again shouldn't be pharmacists. If it takes you that much time to learn, how are you ever going to get past pharmacy school? Seems like double jeopardy in courts.

For what it is worth, I've worked in a pharmacy for the past 7 years, wanting to get into pharmacy school somewhere. After some hard school work and major life changes, I have performed well since my return to academic life. However, haunted by my previous undergrad GPA, I was unable to get takers for pharmacy school. Finally, after hitting the 99 on my 4th try, my PCAT turned enough heads to get me accepted at 3 of 8 schools I applied to. Should I have stopped on the first one where my composite was 89, but my Bio was 60 and my Chem was 50? I think not. By all accounts, I was going to do everything within my power to increase my chance of acceptance somewhere.

Should people who post online in helpful forums without regard to others feelings should reconsider their devotion to patient care within pharmacy?

 

[cybercerebral]

Thanks! your right, but my problem is that darn verbal section. It is killing my score. first time it was a 20, second time it was a 30. But I will just keep studying Vocab words till my brain cant take anymore!
Thanks for your help!!