How can a shorter CBT MCAT be as effective as the longer paper MCAT?

This is a very good question because the answer can tell you a lot about what to study and why.

AAMC spent considerable effort convincing the medical community that the paper based MCAT was a valid predictor of success in medical school: 
MCAT as Predictor of Success in Medical School

Why should we be convinced that the new CBT MCATs are equivalent to these old paper MCATs? Because AAMC has also spent a considerable amount of effort demonstrating the basis for their beliefs in a number of monographs and articles which are not as well known: 

  AAMC Monograph 1
  AAMC Monograph 2

These monographs explain how the MCAT conforms with Item Response Theory (IRT). IRT has become the standard for constructing tests like the MCAT:

  Wikipedia and IRT
  General IRT Comments I
  General IRT Comments II
  General IRT Comments III

To make the CBT equivalent to the old paper MCAT, the following steps are performed:

1)  Items are created and tested on a large number of individuals;

2)  Each item is described by an ICC (Item Characteristic Curve) based on the research;

3) Each item is further described by an IIF (Item Information Function);

4)  Any test is composed of the summation of individual items (and IIFs) and is characterized by the TIF;

5)  Any two tests will be equivalent if the TIF’s are equal regardless of the number of individual items.

So, what is the practicality of all of this for your taking of the MCAT? These are my “take it to the test” messages based on this analysis:

1)  Mock or simulated MCATs are useful if they have done the research and generated ICC’s, IIF’s and TIF’s. Since they do not, they are for the most part of much less value;

2)  If you want the best idea of how you will do on the real MCAT, take the practice MCATs (which were the “Real” MCATs at one time) under as close to real test conditions offered by AAMC at http://www.e-mcat.com.

See this prior Blog entry:

CBTs versus Paper MCAT

How long should I take to study for the MCAT?

As long as it takes!

This sounds simplistic… and it is. You can find many suggestions on how to study. E.g.,
1. ehow-studying for mcat
2. aamcmcatstudysuggestions
3. studentdoctorforumsuggestions
4. studysuggestionssomethingawful .

The real issue is more profound and penetrating. In determining how long you need to do anything will depend on where you want to go and where you are at in relation to that point. I feel the steps to answer this question are as follows.

Step 1: Set your goal MCAT score. This doesn’t mean you have to get all 12’s or 14’s. It means you should spend some time deciding which medical schools you want to attend, and reviewing their statistics as relate to MCAT scores and GPA’s. The best source for this is found at  AAMC MCAT and GPA Scores.

Step 2: Assess your current MCAT score. The simplest way to get an idea of where you are at currently is to take one or more of the AAMC practice tests. The CBT3 is free…you will have to purchase the others. But, this will give you the most realistic idea of where you are at in relation to your goal.

Step 3: Assess what you need to focus on to bridge the gap between current and goal scores. This can be tricky. The AAMC practice tests provide some analysis of what your strengths and weaknesses are. Start here. You can now spend time on your areas of weakness that will translate into the greatest impact on your target score.

Step 4:  Develop a realistic schedule based on the realities of your life and the results of your practice tests. It is unlikely that there are any two students out there with the same identical factors of goals, current status, strengths and weaknesses, and non-MCAT schedule. This is why certain canned or preset MCAT prep courses will miss the mark for so many students. Use the information you have generated to set your schedule. It should be evident, that the further your current score and goals are apart, the more time it will take. Also, if you have only a limited amount of time per day to study, it will take longer, calendar-wise, for you to prepare. The average student will need 300-400 hours of actual study time.

But, using these steps, you can determine how long you need. I guess after all, it is “as long as it takes” anyway, but with a little more substance and thought. Good luck.

 See these prior entries:

Use of textbooks for MCAT Prep

Best College Major For MCAT