The Fact About practice test That No One Is Suggesting
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required for admission to most medical schools in the United States. A high score on the MCAT will increase the chances of getting accepted at an upper-tier medical school. Performing well on the MCAT exam, impressing in the interview and securing a medical school loan are the three most important objectives for an aspiring medical student.
The most effective way to produce a high MCAT score is to take as many practice exams as possible. Practice makes perfect, and the MCAT requires a lot of practice. However, the MCAT is a reading comprehension test, not a memorization test. Learning the concepts demonstrated in the practice exams is more important than memorizing the problems. If possible, enroll in a commercial preparation class. Purchasing extra practice material will be beneficial and is money well spent. The MCAT is a timed exam, thus practice tests should be timed to simulate the test taking environment. Be prepared to take the test in a less than optimal environment. The MCAT testing center is usually noisy and it may be under ventilated. Bring foam ear plugs for the noise. Some testing centers will not allow ear plugs but some will. Bathroom breaks are only allowed during breaks. Use the bathroom 10 minutes before the exam and during each break. It is very important to be well rested for the exam. Attempt to get at least eight hours of sleep the night before the exam and eat a healthy meal in the morning. Set a sleeping schedule the week leading up to the exam in order to become accustomed to sleeping early at night.
While taking the MCAT, do not dwell too long on a particular question or passage. If the answer is not clearly evident, move on and come back to it later. Use the process of elimination. Most questions will have a few answers that are obviously wrong. Eliminate the wrong answers first, and then approach the problem in terms of the most fitting answer. Keep track of time and don't spend an inordinate amount of time on one particular section. If guessing is the only viable option, choose B or C. There are multiple versions of the MCAT exam, each with a varying degree of difficulty. The MCAT is curved based on the version, so do not get overly stressed if the exam seems overly difficult. Stay relaxed and focus on the problems.
You've spent many sleepless nights preparing for the MCAT exam. All the while, a debate has been going on about MCAT study prep. As a test taker, the result of this debate will have a great effect on your preparation.
On one side, there are MCAT test experts who say that testing intuition is a powerful weapon in facing the MCAT exam. When you're confident you chose the correct answer, testing intuition is the unusual feeling you get.
At the opposing end of the spectrum, you've got the non-believers. They're also MCAT test experts in their own right. However, they don't believe that testing intuition will help you pass the MCAT exam. They think it's a waste of time to develop it during your MCAT study preparation. They argue that if you'll rely on your testing intuition, you're bound to make mistakes. This is because they believe that it isn't fail-proof. They even argue that with it, you'll easily fall for tricky MCAT questions.
Who's right between these two groups? It's important for you to know whose side is right. It'll help you have a better MCAT study prep. Try to develop it during your MCAT study if testing intuition really does benefit you.
The MCAT Case For Each Side
Both sides actually have valid points. Consider them to help you decide which side you will be on for your MCAT study prep.
Testing intuition is also referred to as "guesstimating". It's a play on the words guess and estimating. MCAT test experts believe it's a way for our subconscious knowledge to lead us to select the correct answer.
A growing number of MCAT test experts counter the benefits of testing intuition. They've pointed to research as evidence that testing instinct often lead you to selecting the wrong choice. They also pointed out the way the test questions are designed. The test makers know you'll more likely to go with your instincts. Hence, the questions are designed to take advantage of this. You'll surely get fooled into selecting the wrong answer if you trust your intuition.
You've now seen the arguments of each side. Are you skeptical of the testing intuition? Or do you believe it's worth developing in your MCAT study?
Fine-Tuning Your MCAT Practice Instinct
There's an important conclusion to this debate, regardless of which side do you believe in. Testing intuition must be used with utmost caution. While it may lead you to the right answer, it could also lead you to the wrong one. Developing your testing intuition during your MCAT study prep is fine. Don't rely too much on this to get you a passing score in your MCAT test.
If your intuition is really at play, it's also important for website you to know. Sometimes, it's not really your intuition. Rather, it's your reaction to the testing trap set by the test makers. You're sometimes led to have a false gut feeling on the correct answer. You can learn how to avoid testing traps during your MCAT study prep. If you know how to avoid testing traps like this, you'll stand a better chance of passing the test.
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required for admission to most medical schools in the United States. The MCAT is a reading comprehension test, not a memorization test. The MCAT is a timed exam, thus practice tests should be timed to simulate the test taking environment. The MCAT is a reading comprehension test, not a memorization test. The MCAT is a timed exam, thus practice tests should be timed to simulate the test taking environment.