MCAt 2015 Score comparison

Hey there,

Anyone take the new MCAT 2015 have any idea how difficult it was versus the AAMC practice test, or the Kaplan practice tests? It seems after 5 practice tests (following the Kaplan course) I am still having an issue getting my Chem/Phys score up. The rest of the sections, I am doing okay, roughly in the 125-127 ballpark, but the Chem/Phys section never seems to move.

Thanks!

I dont know what the scores will be but here are a few documents from AAMC that may give some indications



The New Score Scales for the 2015 MCAT® Exam:

An Overview of What Admissions Officers Need to Know


https://www.aamc.org/students/download/378098/data/mcat2015scorescaleguide.pdf




Using MCAT Data in Medical Student Selection

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/267622/data/mcatstudentselectionguide.pdf

I can’t speak to the 2015 version because I took the MCAT in 2012, but imagine the comparison is similar, so hopefully this helps a little.



I took about dozen practice tests, all of the AAMC ones that existed at the time, and several that Kaplan created as well. My average across all of those was 33 (obviously on the old scoring system). On the actual MCAT I got a 26 and then retook it 3 weeks after getting my results and got a 30. I felt the pretty much the same about my performance walking out of both tests.



I found the Kaplan practice tests easier than the AAMC practice tests, and all of them were easier than the real thing.

Just finished it. It was far easier than all the Kaplan practice exams, and a bit tougher than the AAMC practice.



It is far different than the old MCAT, there is no comparison, period. Everything is synergistic, and 10 passages per science section as well as discretes. Not to mention the whole Behavioral Science section of the test, but hey no essay.

Thanks. Of course I already have the documents since my test is Friday. And looked at those documents ages ago. Just wondering if anyone took the April or May test and how they did compared to the AAMC practice test.

I personally thought it was harder than the AMCAS practice test - but I don’t know if that’s because the material was harder necessarily, but that the practice test didn’t have a wide range of concepts and had different concepts than the actual MCAT I took.



I will say my actual MCAT score went down compared to all of the practice tests I took, or at least as well as I could estimate my practice scores.

Wow thats impressive Mr Muraski. Do you mind to share how you prepared for the test? What materials you used and how much hours or what kind of schedule you followed. When you dont want those resources anymore PM me so you could pass them on to me. Thanks

Sky,

Not sure what was impressive :lol: . I have no idea how I scored yet.



I took the Kaplan online, live session review (~$2500), includes the full book set, flash cards and associated app, access to their MCAT channel for content review, a bank of more than 1000 questions that allows you to make your own custom quizzes, and ~dozen practice tests. Classes were helpful for strategy, but do not cover content review. I think they might have another course that goes over more content review. They recommend to study a minimum of four hours per day, in addition to what was needed for class. I personally studied anywhere from 4-6 hrs per day during the course, and afterwards probably 6 hours a day in the lead up to the test. I also used Benchprep in the last couple of weeks for content review. I highly recommend it!! Even though it tests like the old MCAT, it was great for content review, I wish I started or found it earlier. It uses various games etc. and competition, which works well for me, in addition to testing and quizzes and content review. It is totally worth the cash! I also used various MCAT iPad and iPhone apps for flash cards and formulas, including the flash cards that came with the Kaplan course, which are rather basic. I have an extra set of books completely untouched for MCAT 2015., and flash cards. Since you asked first, I am happy to send them to you. PM me your address.



Chem/Phys was the most difficult for me since I haven’t taken either of those courses since 1994-1995, and while you need to understand both in the research I do, it’s high level understanding that’s needed, not deep, specific knowledge (I.e. I don’t need to know what Tollen’s reagent does, but do need to understand the effect of Redox reactions). I studied like mad in this area, and we will see how the scores come out. You need the classic formulas and understanding of the concepts behind these, nothing esoteric, ideal gas, linear motion with constant acceleration, work, etc. On the Chem side, know your structures and understand redox, acid/base, thermodynamics and equilibrium.



Bio/Biochemistry: make sure you understand reaction kinetics, the basics of amino acid chemistry, molecular biology basics and cell signaling relationships. On the Bio side, know all your organs hormones, etc. My background is in cell signaling, and a large number of the passages were on pathways I have either published or worked on in the past.



Behavioral Sci was tough to study for, not my favorite subject. But the Kaplan book does a good job reviewing and that helped quite a bit.



Take LOTS of practice tests!! I took 8 in total, in addition to answering tons of questions in QBank, section tests on weak areas, etc. it helps with timing and use of the strategies which are important.



My take is that the Kaplan course, like I’m sure a number of the courses out there, make you feel like you don’t know anything and have to know all the material including the more esoteric items. And while I am still waiting for my scores, the test is more focused on the general knowledge you should already have, not the more esoteric pieces. But the intensity of these courses is helpful such that the easier pieces become more automatic, and less difficult for you to recall during the test.



The biggest difference with the new MCAT and the way UG is taught is that it expects you to be able to synthesize the information between Bio/Biochemistry/Chem/Phys. There are ten passages in each of these sections and that is exactly what they do. Unless there has been some sudden shift that I am unaware of in undergraduate education since teaching my last course in 2007, there is no class that focus on the synthesis of information between the disciplines. The closest you get is maybe Biochemistry. This I think will be the hardest for most pre-med students, and those who are coming out of a post-bac program with no prior life sciences research experience. Those coming out of the industry, research, etc. in the life sciences I think have a great advantage on the new MCAT, because it is in your post-grad work that you learn the application and synthesis of the didactic knowledge base that is undergraduate education, in the U.S. anyway. Let me know if you have any other questions. I will also repost this in the MCAT discussion, which is likely more relevant.

@jmuraski wrote:

Thanks. Of course I already have the documents since my test is Friday. And looked at those documents ages ago. Just wondering if anyone took the April or May test and how they did compared to the AAMC practice test.


There’s a thread on that other forum with data on this, by the way. Folks have posted several data points on the April test, and some prelim ranges from the May test (no final scores yet).

Can you link to it Dullhead? It’s not in any of the forums I see.

@jmuraski wrote:

Can you link to it Dullhead? It’s not in any of the forums I see.


Dullhead,

Okay I must not have had enough coffee before replying last time. I missed “that other forum.” Yeah I stay away from there, but thanks for the link, will check it out!

@jmuraski wrote:

Dullhead,

…Yeah I stay away from there, but thanks for the link, will check it out!


The kids there can be annoying sometimes, but they do have great amounts of energy at hand and put it to good use. They’ll gather data and slice/dice it a 1000 different ways.