I took my first practice MCAT and got a total score of 13 
. Anyone had a similar experience?? did your real score was better? I’ll be taking the MCAT in August (already registered) and starting Kaplan in a month. I just feel that since I did so bad on this practice MCAT I won’t be able to score well in the real MCAT… Just feeling down about the score…
Bear in mind that the test prep companies example exams are often more difficult or scored harder than the AMCAS ones. I found that TPR exams averaged 5-6 points lower than the AMCAS practice exams did (which are a very good predictor of your actual score).
The MCAT is mostly a test of how you think and process information rather than knowledge. If you’re not used to how the MCAT asks questions and how to read the passages, and answer choices, it can be rough in the beginning. The solution here is practice, practice, practice!
That said, keep your head up! You’ve got lots of time, and you’re being proactive and taking a course to help you out. You’ll get there.
13 on the Diagnostic? No big deal. That thing is designed to show you your initial strengths and weaknesses so you know where to concentrate your efforts. I did terrible (don’t remember the score) on the diagnostic, and my scores went up as I progressed through the Kaplan program. The whole point of the course is to teach you content and test taking strategies so you can crush the actual test. My final MCAT score was pretty much the average of all of my practice tests that I took probably mid-course on. I did all of my studying (Kaplan included) in 3.5mo, so you have plenty of time to bring that up!
Two things for you to think about. Firstly, most testing companies deflate your score to increase recruitment, basic business model. Secondly, having taken the MCAT this past month I can tell you it’s nothing like what you just took besides a loose correlation to topics and the structure (70 mins PS, 60 VR, 70 BS).
Granted this is my opinion but I’m sure other people feel this way.
Good points about commercial companies, but my real MCAT turned out to be the average of all of my Kaplan and AAMC full length practice tests (roughly the mean for matriculating MD). My main point was that the pre-hard core study diagnostic test isn’t meant to show you how bad you are but more so where to focus your studying. A 13 just means you need to broaden your focus and hit all topics/sections hard. The poster has some work ahead, but it’s far from impossible. Learning a good test strategy is also highly beneficial.
Thank you =) I know I have a lot of work to do ahead of me, but ready for the challenge…