Improving Scores

[callen36500]

Thus far, I have taken 3 of GS's CBTs, and I have scored 10 on the biological section each time. So, it seems, I am not improving my score. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to score those extra few points to bump my score to 11+? Approximately 1/2 of the questions I get wrong are questions derived from information in the passages, 1/4 of the questions I get wrong are from facts I simply don't know, and the last 1/4 are from reading the question incorrectly.

Any advice would be appreciable.

[admin]

I think you will find some pearls of wisdom that you can use to improve your bio sci score from the following advice that we will soon be posting on our Members side:

Start and End with AAMC Practice Tests

I know it seems odd to say, but the first thing you need to do is to take one of the AAMC's online practice MCAT CBTs (for example, Test #3 which is free; there is a direct link on our Members Home Page). There are too many companies out there that will try to deceive you about what the MCAT is like. Do it yourself, see it yourself before you end up buying 20 different books because you don't know who to believe. Leave the rest of the AAMC tests for after your review.


Design a Personal Study Schedule

On average, set aside between 3-6 hours/day for between 3-6 months. You may need more or less time depending on your "pre-MCAT prep": for example, if you do alot of leisure reading, if you read the New York Times/The Economist/WSJ, if you completed all your basic sciences, if you have a 4.0 GPA, then you might need less time !


Review Daily, Test Weekly

Get a limited amount of review materials in front of you and move forward on a daily basis. Once per week, do an online practice MCAT CBT and pour over explanations for your mistakes/guesses. Make "Gold Notes."

Gold Notes are your personal, condensed notes that contain the most valuable learning points from each practice MCAT CBT that you do. You should have no more than 1-2 pages after each test and you should review all your Gold Notes before doing an additional practice test. Also, review the MCAT Physics Equation List and the MCAT Organic Chemistry Mechanisms which we have put online.


Pattern Recognition

There is a basic and critical concept in medicine called "pattern recognition." It is not true that there is an infinite number of possible concepts tested by the MCAT (though you may have felt this way because of the wide breadth of your learning and practice materials). The concepts are quite limited and so are the patterns. It's OK if you have no clue on a couple of questions, that's not important. However, you should be on the right track for almost all questions, and it is very important that you remain focused to the point that you assure yourself that if you know the answer, you get it right. Before you go on, don't tell yourself: "Great, I got that one"; say the opposite: "I wonder what silly mistake I just made." That way, you will seek, find it and then move on.


Study Materials

The Gold Standard offers you a wide selection of high quality tools to help you get the score that you are aiming for: flashcards, DVDs with lecture style teaching, audio MP3s, comprehensive study books, interactive online programs, practice MCAT CBTs, live online teaching in MCAT University, the Platinum Program and our live MCAT Camp. Whatever your needs, we can find the answer at The Gold Standard MCAT.

Keep in mind: paper MCATs are like dinosaurs. Use all the AAMC online tests and the Gold Standard practice MCAT CBTs to simulate the computer based environment of the new MCAT.

Good luck!