But why? If we think back to physics, electric potential energy is given by the equation U = kQq/r. For example, you might have memorized that as an electron moves further from the nucleus, its potential energy increases.
Instead of focusing on the "what" of the information, focus instead on the "why." This will help you make connections between different science topics. Review the content again using the learning technique elaborative interrogation. To improve your understanding, you can take two different approaches. This is common if you focus more on memorization than conceptual understanding. If you have already reviewed a topic but are still missing skill 1 questions on it, you may not have a deep enough understanding of the science for the MCAT. The more questions you miss on a topic, the more you should focus on reviewing that topic. For example, if you missed one question on cell biology because you forgot that cytochrome C mediates apoptosis and missed 5 questions because you don't understand electrochemistry, you should prioritize electrochemistry review since it will get you more questions correct. You should prioritize topics based on your specific needs and yield of the content. If you are missing questions on a topic you have not reviewed yet, set aside some time to study that topic.
#MCAT PRACTICE TEST SCORE NOT IMPROVING HOW TO#
Should I have used information from the passage to answer this question?ĭid I misunderstand the passage or question? Or did I not know how to approach this question?Ĭontent hurdles are the most straightforward to attack. Skill 3 and 4 questions are centered around experimental design and analysis. Skill 1 questions mostly test general content knowledge, while skill 2 questions focus more on critical thinking. If you have studied the content already, this could indicate either that your content review is not effective or you are struggling to apply the content.Īre there any trends for the type of skill question that I am missing?
To distinguish between errors in content vs critical thinking, ask yourself a few questions:Ĭan I identify a piece of information I didn't know that would enable me to answer this question?Īm I missing several questions that test the same general concept? This means taking a solid 6-10 hours to thoroughly review your last practice exam. These plateaus do not resolve with content review, and instead take more dedicated practice and reflection.īefore you can take actionable steps to overcome your score plateau, you must first identify the cause.
While there are questions that solely test content (skill 1 questions), these only make up 35% of the total science questions. The MCAT tests content in a very different way than you have likely experienced in your college classes.
If you strategically review content and its application, this plateau will generally resolve in a few exams. As you work on content weaknesses identified in FL1, you will identify new content weaknesses in FL2. This is very common early in your studying since no two practice exams will test the same topics. Both are normal and can usually be attributed to two causes.ĭeficiency in Content. Alternatively, your score might plateau from the very onset of taking practice exams.
#MCAT PRACTICE TEST SCORE NOT IMPROVING FULL#
You may see a jump in your score between your diagnostic exam and first full length and then plateau.
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