Examkrackers MCAT Verbal Reasoning & Mathematical Techniques

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The computerized MCAT format offers significant advantages over the paper version while maintaining the same content, scoring system, and four-section structure that tests physical sciences, verbal reasoning, writing, and biological sciences.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Computerized advantages: shorter test duration (30% reduction), more test dates (20 additional administration dates, up to 3 retests per year), faster score reporting (30 days instead of 60), and better testing environment.
• Four-section structure: Physical Sciences (52 questions, 70 minutes), Verbal Reasoning (40 questions, 60 minutes), Writing Sample (2 essays, 60 minutes), and Biological Sciences (52 questions, 70 minutes).
• Scoring remains unchanged: Physical and Biological Sciences scored 1-15, Verbal Reasoning scored 1-15, Writing Sample scored J-T (alphabetic scale representing 2-12).
• Common confusion: The computerized MCAT is NOT a computerized adaptive test (CAT) like the GRE—everyone receives the same test questions for any given version.
• Writing Sample strategy: This section functions more as an endurance test before Biological Sciences and is less weighted by medical schools; success depends on following directions rather than creativity.

🖥️ Computerized format benefits

🖥️ Registration and scheduling flexibility

• 20 more test administration dates available compared to paper version
• Up to 3 retests permitted per year
• New afternoon sessions accommodate those who struggle in morning hours
• Weekday administration available so students don't sacrifice weekends

⏱️ Time efficiency improvements

• Test is 30% shorter overall
• Test day duration reduced by approximately half due to fewer administrative requirements
• Test-takers can monitor their own breaks within given time limits
• Score reporting twice as fast (now 30 days, with plans to reduce to 14 days)

🪑 Enhanced testing environment

Feature	Benefit
Climate and sound control	Consistent conditions for all test-takers
Smaller testing groups	Less distraction
Ergonomic chairs	Physical comfort during long exam
Noise reduction headsets	Minimize external distractions
Lockers and locks	Secure storage for personal belongings

🔄 What stays the same

• Same topics covered as paper version
• Same scoring system
• Same cost
• Ability to review and make changes within each section
• Familiar format for those who previously took or studied for the MCAT
• Same strategies and tools remain effective

📝 The four test sections

🔬 Physical Sciences (Section 1)

• Content: Undergraduate physics and inorganic chemistry
• Format: 52 multiple-choice questions in 70 minutes (~1.35 minutes or 81 seconds per question)
• Structure:
  • Passages averaging ~200 words
  • Often accompanied by charts, diagrams, or tables
  • 6-10 questions following each passage
  • 3 sets of stand-alone multiple-choice questions
• Scoring: Top score is 15

📖 Verbal Reasoning (Section 2)

• Shortened section: Reduced from 85 to 60 minutes (previously 60 questions, now 40)
• Format: 40 multiple-choice questions with answer choices A through D
• Structure:
  • 9 passages with 4-10 questions each
  • Passages average ~600 words in length
  • 1.5 minutes (90 seconds) per question
• Content variety: Wide range of topics including economics, anthropology, poetic analysis
• Note: Passages described as "most intentionally soporific" (designed to be dull)
• Scoring: Top score is 15

✍️ Writing Sample (Section 3)

• Format: Two 30-minute periods without any break between them
• Task: Analyze a general statement in a standard format
• Scoring: Alphabetic scale from J to T (T is highest)
  • Translates to 1-6 on each essay
  • Combined score of 2-12 represented by J through T
• Strategic importance: Unlikely to significantly affect U.S. medical school admissions; medical schools only see the score, not the actual writing

🧬 Biological Sciences (Section 4)

• Content: Wide range of undergraduate biology topics, organic chemistry, and genetics
• Format: Identical setup to Physical Sciences section
• Structure: 52 questions in 70 minutes (~1.35 minutes or 81 seconds per question)
• Scoring: Same as Physical Sciences (top score is 15)

⏰ Complete test timeline

⏰ Total time breakdown

Component	Duration	Notes
Tutorial (Optional)	10 minutes	Can be skipped
Physical Sciences	70 minutes	52 questions
Break (Optional)	10 minutes	After each section
Verbal Reasoning	60 minutes	40 questions
Break (Optional)	10 minutes
Writing Sample	60 minutes	2 essays, 30 min each
Break (Optional)	10 minutes
Biological Sciences	70 minutes	52 questions
Survey	10 minutes	End of test
Total Content Time	4 hours, 20 minutes	Actual testing
Total Test Time	4 hours, 50 minutes	Including breaks
Total Appointment Time	5 hours, 10 minutes	Full session

✍️ Writing Sample strategy

✍️ Purpose and weight

• Functions primarily to "wear you down" before the Biological Sciences section
• Currently not heavily weighted in medical school admissions decisions
• More an exercise in following directions than demonstrating writing ability
• Medical schools only see the score, not the actual essays

📋 Three-step process

The excerpt emphasizes a simple, formulaic approach rather than creativity:

Step 1: Explain the statement thoroughly with an example

• Paraphrase the given statement
• Provide clarification through concrete examples
• Example from excerpt: Statement about understanding the past → Paraphrase as "History is an integral part of the learning process"

⚠️ What to avoid

• Don't attempt to be creative
• Don't try to make the reader reflect deeply
• Don't waste time reading directions on test day (they follow the same pattern)
• Follow the standard "cookie-cutter fashion" format provided

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The MCAT Writing Sample functions primarily as an endurance test before the Biological Sciences section, requiring strict adherence to a three-step formula rather than creative writing ability.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Limited importance: U.S. medical schools currently give the Writing Sample little weight; they see only your score, not the actual essays.
• Purpose: The section serves mainly to wear you down before Biological Sciences rather than to assess writing ability.
• Common confusion: This is not a test of creativity or deep reflection—it is an exercise in following directions using a simple three-step process.
• The formula: (1) explain the statement with an example, (2) give a specific contradicting example, (3) provide a guideline for when the statement is true or false.
• Execution matters: Neatness, proper grammar, correct spelling, and finishing the essay are critical; historical examples are better than personal ones.

📝 Strategic approach to the Writing Sample

🎯 What the section actually tests

• The excerpt emphasizes that the Writing Sample is "more of an exercise in following directions than it is a test of your ability to write."
• You should not attempt to be creative or make your reader reflect deeply.
• Instead, follow the prescribed three-step process mechanically.
• Don't confuse: This is not an opportunity to showcase literary talent; it is a formulaic task where compliance with the structure is what matters.

⏱️ Time management

• Spend the first 5 minutes writing an outline of the three steps.
• Write 2 pages total.
• Be sure to finish your essay—the outline should help you accomplish this.
• Each essay has 30 minutes allocated.

🔢 The three-step formula

1️⃣ Step one: Explain and clarify with an example

Explain the statement as thoroughly as possible using an example to clarify.

How to execute:

• Paraphrase the given statement in your own words.
• Provide context or reasoning that supports the statement.
• Use an example to illustrate the principle.

What NOT to do:

• Do not begin your essay with "The statement 'so and so' means that..."

Example from excerpt:

• Statement: "An understanding of the past is necessary for solving the problems of the present."
• Paraphrase: "History is an integral part of the learning process. By studying the past, we can analyze repercussions of certain behavior and action patterns."

2️⃣ Step two: Contradict with a specific example

Give a specific example contradicting the statement.

How to execute:

• Present a counterexample that shows when the statement does not hold.
• Use transition phrases like "On the other hand" or "However."
• The example should be concrete and relevant.

What NOT to do:

• Do not use controversial topics as examples, such as abortion or contemporary political issues.

Example from excerpt:

• Statement: "An understanding of the past is necessary for solving the problems of the present."
• Counterexample: "On the other hand, some problems exist today that are totally independent of any historical event. The current issue of AIDS..."

3️⃣ Step three: Provide a guideline

Give a guideline that anyone might use to determine when the statement is true and when it is false.

How to execute:

• Articulate a principle or criterion for deciding when the original statement applies.
• Frame it as a conditional or situational rule.
• This reconciles the initial explanation with the counterexample.

Example from excerpt:

• Statement: "An understanding of the past is necessary for solving the problems of the present."
• Guideline: "When then is the past crucial to our understanding of the current events? It is important only, and especially, when it relates to the present situation."

✍️ Execution best practices

📐 Format and presentation

• Write neatly—presentation matters.
• Use proper grammar correctly.
• Don't misspell words.
• Don't use words if you are not certain of the meaning.
• Fill 2 pages and finish your essay.

🎓 Choosing examples

Type of example	Quality	Reason
Historical examples	Much better	"Martin Luther King said..." carries more weight
Personal examples	Weaker	"My mother always said..." is less authoritative
Wars or famous people	Recommended	Easy to recall and broadly recognized

Paraphrasing is acceptable:

• Example from excerpt: "Socrates once said that he was the smartest man because he understood how little he really knew."
• The excerpt notes: "This is not an accurate quote; it is an acceptable paraphrase. Socrates said something like this, and this is close enough."

🚫 What to avoid

• Do not be creative or try to make your reader reflect deeply.
• Do not use controversial topics (abortion, contemporary political issues).
• Do not begin with "The statement 'so and so' means that..."
• Do not use words you're uncertain about.

🎯 Context and importance

🏥 Medical school admissions perspective

• In the U.S., your Writing Sample score is unlikely to affect whether or not you gain admittance to medical school.
• Medical schools currently do not give this section much weight in their decision-making process.
• Medical schools do not see your actual writing sample—they only see your score.

🧠 Functional purpose

• The Writing Sample functions to wear you down for the Biological Sciences Section.
• It is positioned as an endurance challenge rather than a meaningful assessment of writing ability.
• Understanding this purpose helps you approach it with the right mindset: efficient execution over artistic expression.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The most effective strategy for MCAT science passages is to read quickly for special conditions and contrasts rather than attempting to master all details, then use answer choices and estimation to solve questions efficiently.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Always read the passage first: passages contain special conditions that can invalidate otherwise correct answers.
• Read quickly, not thoroughly: do not waste time trying to understand everything; passages mix useful and irrelevant information.
• Use answer choices strategically: read them before doing calculations, as they often allow intuition or estimation instead of extensive work.
• Common confusion: thinking you must master tables/graphs/experiments vs. noting only headings, axes, trends, and obvious contrasts.
• Time management: fill in answers question-by-question to avoid errors; skip difficult questions if time is short, but always answer free-standing questions first.

📖 Reading strategy for passages

📖 Read first, but read quickly

• Always read the passage, regardless of your science ability.
• Passages often include special conditions you would not suspect otherwise.
• Do not try to master the information—passages are full of both useful and irrelevant content.
• Goal: identify key conditions and context, not complete understanding.

📊 Handle visuals efficiently

• Quickly check tables, graphs, and charts; do not spend time studying them in detail.
• Often no questions will reference them at all.
• What to check: headings, titles, axes, and obvious trends only.
• Example: glance at axis labels and general direction of a trend line, but don't memorize data points.

🔬 Mark contrasts for experiments or hypotheses

• When multiple hypotheses or experiments appear, make note of obvious contrasts in the margin next to the relevant paragraphs.
• This accomplishes two things:
  1. Firmly distinguishes each hypothesis or experiment in your mind (at least one question will require this discernment).
  2. Prevents confusion and avoids wasting time rereading.
• Example: if Experiment A uses high temperature and Experiment B uses low temperature, write "high T" and "low T" in the margins.

🎯 Question-solving tactics

🎯 Pay attention to detail in questions

• The key to a question is often found in a single word.
• Examples from the excerpt: "net force" vs. just "force," or "constant velocity" vs. just "velocity."
• Don't confuse: missing one qualifier can lead to the wrong answer even if your science knowledge is correct.

🎯 Read answer choices before calculating

Answer choices give information.

• Often a question that appears to require extensive calculations can be solved by intuition or estimation due to limited reasonable answer choices.
• Sometimes answer choices can be eliminated for:
  • Having the wrong units
  • Being nonsensical
  • Other obvious reasons
• Example: if answer choices range from 1 to 10 and your rough estimate is around 5, you can narrow down without precise calculation.

⏱️ Time and accuracy management

⏱️ Fill in answers question-by-question

• Fill in your answer grid as you go, not all at once at the end.
• This is the best way to avoid bubbling errors and avoids time wasted trying to find your place.
• Don't confuse: the idea that transferring answers later lets you "relax your brain" is not actually relaxing and increases error risk.

⏱️ Skip and return if time is short

• If you usually do not finish the section, make sure you answer all the easy questions first.
• Guess at difficult questions and come back to them if you have time.
• Always make time to answer all free-standing questions—they are usually easier than passage-based questions.
• By the time you finish your course, you should not need to skip any questions.

🧮 Math approach for MCAT

🧮 What math is tested

The MCAT requires knowledge up to second-year high school algebra level:

• Ratios, proportions, square roots
• Exponents and logarithms
• Scientific notation
• Quadratic and simultaneous equations
• Graphs

Additional topics tested:

• Vector addition and subtraction
• Basic trigonometry
• Very basic probabilities

Not tested: dot product, cross product, or calculus.

🧮 No calculators—practice mental math

• Calculators are neither allowed nor would they be helpful.
• From now until MCAT day, do all math problems in your head whenever possible.
• Do not use a calculator; use your pencil as seldom as possible.
• If you find yourself doing a lot of calculations on the MCAT, it's a good indication you are doing something wrong.

⏰ Three-minute rule

• As a rule of thumb, spend no more than 3 minutes on any MCAT physics question.
• Once you have spent 3 minutes with no resolution:
  1. Stop what you're doing
  2. Read the question again for a simple answer
  3. If you don't see a simple answer, make your best guess and move to the next question

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The MCAT requires only basic math skills through second-year high school algebra and rewards mental estimation and rounding over precise calculation, because extensive computation usually signals a wrong approach.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Math scope: covers ratios, proportions, square roots, exponents, logarithms, scientific notation, quadratic and simultaneous equations, graphs, vector addition/subtraction, basic trigonometry, and very basic probabilities—but excludes dot product, cross product, and calculus.
• No calculators: calculators are not allowed and would not help; practice doing all math mentally from now until test day.
• Time rule: spend no more than 3 minutes on any physics question; if no resolution appears, re-read for a simple answer, guess, and move on.
• Rounding strategy: use round numbers to save time and avoid errors; exact numbers are rarely useful on the MCAT.
• Common confusion: if you find yourself writing down complicated calculations or choosing between two very close answer choices, you have probably made a mistake—look for a simpler solution instead.

🧮 What math the MCAT tests

🧮 Topics included

The MCAT requires knowledge of the following up to a second-year high school algebra level:

• Ratios
• Proportions
• Square roots
• Exponents and logarithms
• Scientific notation
• Quadratic and simultaneous equations
• Graphs

In addition, the MCAT tests:

• Vector addition and subtraction
• Basic trigonometry
• Very basic probabilities

🚫 Topics excluded

The MCAT does not test dot product, cross product, or calculus.

• These advanced topics will not appear, so do not waste study time on them.

🧠 Mental math practice

🧠 No calculators allowed

• Calculators are neither allowed on the MCAT nor would they be helpful.
• From this moment until MCAT day: do all math problems in your head whenever possible.
• Do not use a calculator, and use your pencil as seldom as possible when you do any math.

⚠️ Warning sign

If you find yourself doing a lot of calculations on the MCAT, it's a good indication that you are doing something wrong.

• Extensive computation usually means you have missed a simpler approach.

⏱️ Time management for math questions

⏱️ The 3-minute rule

As a rule of thumb, spend no more than 3 minutes on any MCAT physics question.

What to do after 3 minutes with no resolution:

1. Stop what you're doing.
2. Read the question again for a simple answer.
3. If you don't see a simple answer, make your best guess and move to the next question.

🔢 Rounding strategy

🔢 Why round

Exact numbers are rarely useful on the MCAT.

• Purpose: save time and avoid errors when making calculations on the test.
• Use round numbers instead of precise values.

🔢 How to round

Example from the excerpt: the gravitational constant g should be rounded up to 10 m/s² for the purpose of calculations, even when instructed by the MCAT to do otherwise.

🔢 Worked example

Calculation: 23.4 × 9.8

Mental approach:

• Think of it as "something less than 23.4 × 10, which equals something less than 234 or less than 2.34 × 10²."

Answer choices:

• A. 1.24 × 10²
• B. 1.81 × 10²
• C. 2.28 × 10²
• D. 2.35 × 10²

Right way: Answer is something less than 23.4 × 10 ≈ 234. Answer choice C is the closest answer under 2.34 × 10², and C should be chosen quickly without resorting to complicated calculations.

🧭 Track rounding direction

• It is helpful to remain aware of the direction in which you have rounded.
• In the above example, since answer choice D is closer to 234 than answer choice C, you may have been tempted to choose it.
• However: a quick check on the direction of rounding would confirm that 9.8 was rounded upward, so the answer should be less than 234.

🚨 Answer choice design

Rarely will there be two possible answer choices close enough to prevent a correct selection after rounding.

• Assuming the above calculations were necessary to arrive at the answer, an answer choice which would prevent the use of rounding (like 2.32 × 10² for instance) simply would not appear as an answer choice on a real MCAT.
• If two answer choices on the MCAT are so close that you find you have to write down the math, it's probably because you've made a mistake.
• What to do: look again at the question for a simple solution. If you don't see it, guess and go on.

📝 Test-taking tips from the excerpt

📝 Transferring answers

The excerpt mentions that transferring answers is not relaxing—if you do relax, you are likely to make errors.

• Stay focused even during routine tasks like bubbling answers.

📝 Skip and return strategy

If time is a factor for you:

• Skip the questions and/or passages that you find difficult.
• If you usually do not finish this section, then make sure that you at least answer all of the easy questions.
• In other words, guess at the difficult questions and come back to them if you have time.
• Be sure to make time to answer all of the free-standing questions: the free-standing questions are usually easier than those based on passages.
• By the time you have finished this course, you should not need to skip any questions.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Rounding is a strategic tool on the MCAT that saves time and reduces errors, and the test is deliberately designed so that rounded calculations lead to clearly distinguishable answer choices.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Why round: Exact numbers are rarely useful on the MCAT; rounding saves time and avoids calculation errors.
• How to round effectively: Round to simpler numbers (e.g., 9.8 → 10), track the direction of rounding, and check that your answer falls on the correct side of the estimate.
• Compensating for error: When performing multiple roundings, try to balance upward and downward rounding to avoid compounding errors in one direction.
• Common confusion: Rounding in denominators reverses the effect—rounding a denominator up makes the overall fraction smaller.
• Test design supports rounding: Answer choices are spaced far enough apart that rounding will lead to the correct choice; if two answers seem too close, you've likely made a mistake.

🎯 Why and when to round

🎯 The MCAT expects rounding

• The excerpt states: "Exact numbers are rarely useful on the MCAT."
• Calculators are not allowed, and doing lots of calculations is "a good indication that you are doing something wrong."
• The test is designed so that complicated calculations are unnecessary; answer choices are spaced to accommodate rounding.

⏱️ Time and accuracy benefits

• Rounding saves time during the test.
• It also helps avoid errors that come from complicated manual calculations.
• From now until test day, you should "do all math problems in your head whenever possible" and use pencil "as seldom as possible."

🔢 Basic rounding technique

🔢 Round to simple numbers

• Example from the excerpt: the gravitational constant g (9.8 m/s²) should be rounded up to 10 m/s² for calculations, "even when instructed by the MCAT to do otherwise."
• For a calculation like 23.4 × 9.8, think of it as "something less than 23.4 × 10, which equals something less than 234 or less than 2.34 × 10²."

🧭 Track the direction of rounding

It is helpful to remain aware of the direction in which you have rounded.

• If you rounded 9.8 up to 10, your answer will be larger than the true value.
• In the example, the answer is "something less than 234," so you should pick the closest answer choice under 2.34 × 10².
• Example answer choices:
  • A. 1.24 × 10²
  • B. 1.81 × 10²
  • C. 2.28 × 10² ← correct (closest under 2.34 × 10²)
  • D. 2.35 × 10²
• Don't confuse: Answer D is closer to 234 in absolute terms, but because 9.8 was rounded upward, the true answer must be less than 234, so C is correct.

🚫 When two answers seem too close

• "Rarely will there be two possible answer choices close enough to prevent a correct selection after rounding."
• If you find yourself needing to write down complicated math to distinguish two answers, "it's probably because you've made a mistake."
• In that situation: look again for a simple solution; if you don't see it, guess and move on.

⚖️ Handling multiple roundings

⚖️ Compounding errors

• If you round at each step of a multi-step calculation, errors can compound and "the resulting answer can be useless."
• Example: to calculate (23.4 × 9.8) ÷ 4.4:
  • If you round 9.8 up to 10 and 4.4 down to 4, you get 240 ÷ 4 = 60.
  • Each rounding increased the result, compounding the error.
  • The exact answer is 52.1182, so 60 is too far off.

🔄 Compensate by balancing directions

In an attempt to increase the accuracy of multiple estimations, try to compensate for upward rounding with downward rounding in the same calculations.

• Better approach for the same example: round 4.4 up to 5, then calculate 235 ÷ 5 = 47.
• This is much closer to the exact answer of 52.1182.
• The principle: balance one upward rounding with one downward rounding to keep errors from accumulating in one direction.

🔽 Rounding denominators (reverse effect)

• When you round a denominator up, the overall fraction becomes smaller.
• Example from the excerpt:
  • 625 ÷ 24 = 26.042
  • 625 ÷ 25 = 25
• Rounding 24 up to 25 results in a decrease in the overall term.
• Don't confuse: rounding the denominator works in the opposite direction from rounding the numerator.

🔺 Special cases: exponents and roots

🔺 Squaring and exponents

• When rounding squares, remember "you are really rounding twice."
• Example: (2.2)² is really 2.2 × 2.2.
  • If you round both to 2, you get "something greater than 4."
  • But you've rounded down twice, so the answer is "significantly greater" than 4.
  • The exact answer is 4.84.
• Better strategy: round just one of the 2.2s, leaving "something greater than 4.4," which is much closer to 4.84.

🔺 Bracketing exponential terms

Difficult-to-solve exponential terms must lie between two easy-to-solve exponential terms.

• Example: 2.2² is between 2² and 3², closer to 2².
• This gives you a range: between 4 and 9, closer to 4.

🔲 Square roots by bracketing

• The square root of 21 must be between the square root of 16 and the square root of 25.
• So the square root of 21 is between 4 and 5, or about 4.6.
• Visual from the excerpt:
  • √25 = 5
  • √21 = ? (about 4.6)
  • √16 = 4

🔲 More complicated roots

• Any root is a fractional exponent: √9 = 9^(1/2).
• Example: the fourth root of 4 is 4^(1/4), which is the same as (2²)^(1/2) or √2.
• Combining techniques:
  • ∛27 = 3
  • ∛24 = ∛(4 × 6) ≈ ? ≈ 2.51 (between ∛16 = 2.52 and ∛8 = 2)
• Worth memorizing: √2 ≈ 1.4 and √3 ≈ 1.7.

📐 Trigonometric values (bonus)

📐 Common angles

• The MCAT typically uses common angles and may give you values, but it's helpful to memorize them.
• Pattern for sine and cosine:

Angle	sine	cosine
0°	√0 / 2 = 0	√4 / 2 = 1
30°	√1 / 2 = 0.5	√3 / 2 ≈ 0.866
45°	√2 / 2 ≈ 0.707	√2 / 2 ≈ 0.707
60°	√3 / 2 ≈ 0.866	√1 / 2 = 0.5
90°	√4 / 2 = 1	√0 / 2 = 0

• Notice: sine values are the reverse of cosine values.
• The numbers under the radical are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 (top to bottom for sine; bottom to top for cosine), all divided by 2.

🧠 Mindset and strategy

🧠 Rounding is not risky

Less practiced test takers may perceive a rounding strategy as risky. On the contrary, the test makers actually design their answers with a rounding strategy in mind.

• The test is built to reward rounding; answer choices are deliberately spaced.
• Complicated numbers are "intimidating to anyone not comfortable with a rounding strategy."
• If you find yourself doing lots of written calculations, stop and look for a simpler approach.

🧠 Three-minute rule

• As a rule of thumb, spend no more than 3 minutes on any MCAT physics question.
• If you've spent 3 minutes with no resolution, stop, re-read the question for a simple answer.
• If you don't see a simple answer, make your best guess and move on.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Mastering scientific notation techniques—especially understanding magnitude, matching exponents for addition, and handling exponential terms separately—makes MCAT math faster and more accurate.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Why it matters: Scientific notation is tested rigorously on the MCAT and was designed to make math easier.
• Magnitude awareness: Understanding exponential differences (e.g., 10⁻³ is 10,000 times greater than 10⁻¹²) helps you quickly estimate and round answers.
• Addition/subtraction rule: When adding or subtracting, numbers 100 times smaller can be considered negligible; match exponents to compute quickly.
• Multiplication/division rule: Handle mantissas and exponential terms separately; small numbers cannot be ignored as they can in addition.
• Common confusion: In addition you can drop tiny terms, but in multiplication/division you must keep all terms regardless of size.

🔢 Understanding magnitude and rounding

🔍 What magnitude means

Magnitude: the exponential aspect of scientific notation that shows how large or small a number is.

• The exponent tells you the scale: 10⁻³ vs. 10⁻¹² is a difference of 10,000 times.
• Example: A solution with concentration 4.1 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L is hundreds of times more concentrated than one with 3.2 × 10⁻¹¹ mol/L—visualize this difference, don't just read the numbers.

✂️ When to ignore terms in addition

• The 100× rule: In addition or subtraction, if one number is 100 times smaller or more, it is negligible.
• Example: 3.74 × 10⁻¹⁵ + 6.43 × 10⁻³ → the answer is simply 6.43 × 10⁻³ because 6.43 × 10⁻³ is so much greater that 3.74 × 10⁻¹⁵ doesn't matter (the exact answer is 0.00643000000000374).
• Don't confuse: This rule applies only to addition/subtraction, not multiplication/division.

⚠️ Multiplication is different

• In multiplication or division, you cannot ignore smaller numbers.
• Example: 5.32 × 10⁻⁴ × 1.12 × 10⁻¹³ → the answer is something greater than 5.3 × 10⁻¹⁷; both terms matter even though one is much smaller.

➕ Adding and subtracting in scientific notation

🔧 Match the exponents first

• The fastest method: make the exponents the same before adding or subtracting.
• Example: 2.76 × 10⁴ + 6.91 × 10⁵
  • Rewrite as 2.76 × 10⁴ + 69.1 × 10⁴
  • Now add the mantissas: (2.76 + 69.1) × 10⁴ ≈ 72 × 10⁴ = 7.2 × 10⁵
  • This is like the algebraic equation 2.76y + 69.1y where y = 10⁴.

🔄 How to shift the decimal

• When rearranging 6.91 × 10⁵ to 69.1 × 10⁴, you multiply by 10/10 (a form of 1).
• In other words: divide the mantissa by 10 and multiply the exponential term by 10.
• LARS mnemonic: helps remember which way to move the decimal when adding or subtracting from the exponent (the excerpt mentions this acronym but does not define it further).

✖️ Multiplying and dividing in scientific notation

🧮 Handle parts separately

• Core rule: Deal with mantissas and exponential terms separately, regardless of the number of terms.
• Example: (3.2 × 10⁵) × (4.9 × 10⁻⁵) / (2.8 × 10⁻⁷)
  • Rearrange to: (3 × 5 / 3) × (10⁵ × 10⁻⁵ / 10⁻⁷)
  • Mantissas: 3 × 5 / 3 ≈ 5
  • Exponents: 10⁵ × 10⁻⁵ / 10⁻⁷ = 10⁰ / 10⁻⁷ = 10⁷
  • MCAT answer: something greater than 5 × 10⁷ (exact answer 5.6 × 10⁷ is greater because we rounded down the numerator and up the denominator).

📐 Exponent rules

Operation	Rule	Example
Multiply	Add exponents	10³ × 10⁵ = 10⁸
Divide	Subtract exponents	10⁶ / 10² = 10⁴
Power	Multiply exponents	(10²)³ = 10⁶

• When taking a term to a power, handle mantissa and exponent separately.
• Example: (3.1 × 10³)² → something greater than 9 × 10⁶ (because 3² ≈ 9 and (10³)² = 10⁶).

🧪 Taking square roots

🔢 Make the exponent even first

• Step 1: Adjust the exponent to be even.
• Step 2: Take the square root of the mantissa and exponential term separately.

🔍 Worked example

• Find the square root of 5.1 × 10⁵:
  • Make exponent even: 51 × 10⁴
  • Take square roots separately: √51 × √10⁴ = ~7 × 10²
• Example: What is the square root of 49,000?
  • Most students think "something with a 7."
  • Scientific notation method: √49,000 = √(4.9 × 10⁴) = 2.1 × 10² (no 7 involved at all!).
• This method is much more efficient than guessing.

📊 Scientific notation structure

🏗️ Terminology

The excerpt defines the parts of scientific notation as follows:

Term	Meaning	Example in 3 × 10⁴
Mantissa	The decimal part	3
Base	The number being raised to a power	10
Exponent	The power	4
Exponential term	Base with exponent	10⁴

• Understanding these terms helps you apply the techniques correctly.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

When multiplying or dividing numbers in scientific notation, you handle the mantissa (decimal part) and exponential terms separately, which makes calculations faster and more accurate than traditional methods.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Core rule: Multiply or divide the mantissas separately from the exponential terms; add exponents when multiplying, subtract when dividing.
• Key difference from addition/subtraction: Unlike addition/subtraction (which requires matching exponents first), multiplication and division work directly with different exponents.
• Taking powers: When raising a term in scientific notation to a power, handle the mantissa and exponent separately; multiply the exponent by the power.
• Square roots: First make the exponent even, then take the square root of the mantissa and exponential term separately.
• Common confusion: Don't try to match exponents before multiplying/dividing—that's only for addition/subtraction.

🔢 Basic multiplication and division rules

✖️ Multiplying with exponents

When multiplying similar bases with exponents, add the exponents.

• Formula in words: 10 to the power a times 10 to the power b equals 10 to the power (a plus b)
• Example from excerpt: 10 to the power 4 times 10 to the power 5 equals 10 to the power 9

➗ Dividing with exponents

When dividing similar bases with exponents, subtract the exponents.

• Formula in words: 10 to the power a divided by 10 to the power b equals 10 to the power (a minus b)
• Example from excerpt: 10 to the power 7 divided by 10 to the power 4 equals 10 to the power 3

🔄 Handling mantissa and exponent separately

When multiplying or dividing with scientific notation, deal with the exponential terms and mantissa separately, regardless of the number of terms.

Example from excerpt:

• Problem: (3.2 × 10 to the power 5) × (4.9 × 10 to the power negative 3) divided by (2.8 × 10 to the power negative 7)
• Rearrange to: (3 × 5 divided by 3) × (10 to the power 5 × 10 to the power negative 3 divided by 10 to the power negative 7)
• This gives an answer of something greater than 5 × 10 to the power 9
• The exact answer (5.6 × 10 to the power 9) is greater than the estimate because rounding decreased the numerator more than it increased it, and increased the denominator—both resulting in a low estimate

Don't confuse: This is different from addition/subtraction, where you must first make the exponents match before combining terms.

📐 Taking powers of scientific notation

🔺 Squaring and cubing

When taking a term written in scientific notation to some power (such as squaring or cubing), deal with the decimal and exponent separately.

• Rule: When taking an exponential term to a power, multiply the exponents
• Example from excerpt: (3.1 × 10 to the power 4) squared gives something greater than 9 × 10 to the power 8
  • The mantissa: 3.1 squared is approximately 9
  • The exponent: (10 to the power 4) squared = 10 to the power (4 × 2) = 10 to the power 8

🔻 Taking square roots

The first step in taking the square root of a term in scientific notation is to make the exponent even, then take the square root of the mantissa and exponential term separately.

Step-by-step process from excerpt:

Step	Action	Example
1	Make the exponent even	Square root of (5.1 × 10 to the power 5) → Square root of (51 × 10 to the power 4)
2	Take square root of mantissa	Square root of 51 ≈ 7
3	Take square root of exponential term	Square root of (10 to the power 4) = 10 to the power 2
4	Combine	7 × 10 to the power 2

Why this method is efficient:

• Example: What is the square root of 49,000?
• Most students think about 700 or 70 (something with a 7)
• Using scientific notation: Square root of 49,000 = Square root of (4.9 × 10 to the power 4) = 2.1 × 10 to the power 2 = 210
• Notice: there is no 7 involved at all

Additional examples mentioned:

• Try finding the square root of 300
• Try finding the square root of 200

🎯 Efficiency advantages

⚡ Speed and accuracy

The excerpt emphasizes that this method is "much more efficient" than traditional calculation approaches.

• Separating mantissa and exponent reduces mental calculation load
• Rounding the mantissa to simple numbers (like 3, 5, 9) makes estimation faster
• The method works consistently across multiplication, division, powers, and roots

🎓 Test-taking strategy

The excerpt frames these techniques specifically for standardized test contexts (MCAT):

• Focus on getting "something greater than" or "something less than" estimates
• Don't aim for exact answers when approximations suffice
• Solve problems without a calculator and try not to use a pencil
• Understanding why estimates are high or low helps verify answers quickly

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Proportional relationships between variables allow test-takers to bypass lengthy calculations by recognizing how one variable changes when another changes while all other variables remain constant.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Direct proportion: when doubling one variable doubles another (both in numerator/denominator on opposite sides, or one in numerator and one in denominator on same side).
• Inverse proportion: when doubling one variable halves another (both in numerator/denominator on same side, or one in numerator and one in denominator on opposite sides).
• Common confusion: adding constants (like +b) destroys proportional relationships—variables must multiply/divide only, with sums/differences contained in parentheses.
• Exponents matter: variables raised to powers change by that power (e.g., if radius doubles and it's raised to the fourth power, the effect is 2 to the fourth power = 16).
• Why it matters: proportions circumvent lengthy calculations and are often what MCAT questions directly ask for.

🔗 Direct proportions

🔗 What direct proportion means

Direct proportion: a relationship where changing one variable by a factor changes another variable by the same factor (when all other variables are held constant).

• In the equation F = ma, if you double F while holding m constant, a doubles; if you triple F, a triples.
• The same relationship holds between m and F.
• Example: If force increases by a factor of 5, acceleration increases by a factor of 5 (assuming mass stays constant).

📐 Structural requirements for direct proportion

Variables must be positioned correctly in the equation:

Position requirement	Example
Both in numerator or denominator on opposite sides	F = ma (F and a both effectively in numerator)
One in numerator, one in denominator on same side	(less common arrangement)

Critical rule: No addition or subtraction allowed outside parentheses.

• If the equation becomes F = ma + b, the direct proportion is destroyed.
• Now doubling F while holding other variables constant makes a increase, but not double.
• All sums or differences must be contained in parentheses and multiplied by the rest of the equation.
• No variables within sums or differences will be directly proportional to any other variable.

🔄 Inverse proportions

🔄 What inverse proportion means

Inverse proportion: a relationship where changing one variable by a factor changes another variable by the reciprocal of that factor (when all other variables are held constant).

• In F = ma, examining the relationship between m and a when F is held constant: when m is doubled, a is reduced by a factor of 2.
• Example: If mass increases by a factor of 3, acceleration decreases by a factor of 3 (assuming force stays constant).

📐 Structural requirements for inverse proportion

Variables must be positioned correctly:

Position requirement	Example
Both in numerator or denominator on same side	m and a in F = ma (when rearranged)
One in numerator, one in denominator on opposite sides	(alternative arrangement)

Critical rule: Same as direct proportion—adding b destroys the relationship.

• All sums or differences must be contained in parentheses and multiplied by the rest of the equation.
• No variables within sums or differences will be inversely proportional to any other variable.

🧮 Working with complex equations and exponents

🧮 Poiseuille's Law example

The excerpt provides a detailed method using the equation:

Q = (ΔP π r⁴) / (8 η L)

Where Q is volume flow rate, ΔP is pressure change, r is radius, η is viscosity, and L is length.

The problem: Water flows through a pipe with 14.0 cm radius at 2.00 L/s. An engineer increases pipe length from 10.0 m to 40.0 m without changing flow rate or pressure difference. What radius is needed?

⚡ The proportional solution method

Step-by-step approach:

1. Identify what changes: L is multiplied by 4 (from 10 m to 40 m); r is multiplied by unknown x.
2. Rewrite the equation: Q = (ΔP π (xr)⁴) / (8 η (4L))
3. Pull out the factors: This becomes (x⁴ / 4) times the original equation.
4. Apply the constraint: Since Q must stay the same, x⁴ / 4 must equal 1.
5. Solve: x⁴ = 4, so x = fourth root of 4 ≈ 1.4
6. Calculate: 14 × 1.4 = 19.6 cm

Don't confuse: Most of the given information (viscosity value, exact flow rate) is a distraction. The proportion method uses only the relationships, not the absolute values.

🔢 Handling exponents in proportions

When a variable is raised to a power:

• If radius is raised to the fourth power (r⁴) and you double r, the effect is 2⁴ = 16.
• If you want to compensate for quadrupling length (factor of 4), you need r⁴ to increase by 4.
• Therefore r must increase by the fourth root of 4.

Example from practice questions: Elastic potential energy is proportional to displacement squared. If displacement increases by a factor of 1.5 (from half to one-fourth rest length), energy increases by 1.5² = 2.25.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The MCAT requires recognizing three fundamental graphical relationships—directly proportional, exponential, and inversely proportional—and understanding how constants shift or flip these shapes.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Three core graph types: directly proportional (y = nx), exponential (y = x^n), and inversely proportional (y = 1/x^n) are the most commonly used on the MCAT.
• How constants modify graphs: adding a positive constant b raises the graph vertically; subtracting b shifts it downward; multiplying by a negative constant flips the graph across the x-axis.
• Assumption for MCAT questions: treat all variables except the two in question as constants unless told otherwise.
• Common confusion: multiplying by a positive constant does not change the graph shape when graphs are unitless, but a negative multiplier reflects the graph.
• Practical strategy: if unsure, plug in simple values (0, 1, 2) for x, solve for y, plot the points, and match the general shape.

📊 The three fundamental graph types

📈 Directly proportional relationship

y = nx (where n is greater than zero)

• The graph is a straight line passing through the origin.
• As x increases, y increases at a constant rate.
• The slope of the line is determined by n.
• Example: if n = 2, doubling x doubles y; tripling x triples y.

📈 Exponential relationship

y = x^n (where n is greater than one)

• The graph curves upward, starting slowly then rising steeply.
• The rate of increase accelerates as x grows.
• The shape remains concave up for n > 1.
• Example: if n = 2, when x goes from 1 to 2, y goes from 1 to 4; when x goes from 2 to 3, y goes from 4 to 9.

📉 Inversely proportional relationship

y = 1/x^n (where n is greater than one)

• The graph curves downward, approaching but never touching the axes.
• As x increases, y decreases rapidly at first, then more slowly.
• The graph is asymptotic to both axes.
• Example: doubling x more than halves y when n > 1.

🔧 How constants modify graph shapes

➕ Adding or subtracting a constant b

Adding a positive constant b to the right side:

• The entire graph shifts upward by amount b.
• The y-intercept becomes b instead of zero.
• The general shape remains unchanged.
• Applies to all three graph types: y = nx + b, y = x^n + b, y = 1/x^n + b.

Subtracting a positive constant b:

• The graph shifts downward by amount b.
• The y-intercept becomes -b.
• Don't confuse: this is a vertical shift, not a change in the fundamental relationship between x and y.

✖️ Multiplying by constants

Multiplying by a positive constant:

• When graphs are unitless, this does not change the shape of the graph.
• The graph may be stretched or compressed, but the fundamental form remains.

Multiplying by a negative constant:

• The graph is reflected across the x-axis (flipped vertically).
• What was increasing becomes decreasing and vice versa.
• Example: if y = nx has a positive slope, y = -nx has a negative slope.

📐 Parameter constraints

• As long as n stays within the given parameters (n > 0 for directly proportional, n > 1 for the other two), the general shape will not change.
• Different values of n within these ranges produce variations of the same basic form.

🎯 MCAT strategy for graph problems

🧮 Manipulating equations

• Assume all other variables in the equation are constants unless told otherwise.
• Rearrange the equation into one of the three standard forms (y = nx, y = x^n, or y = 1/x^n).
• Look for the added constant b if the graph doesn't pass through the origin.
• Choose the graph that corresponds to the manipulated form.

🔢 The plug-in method

When unsure of a graphical relationship:

1. Plug in 1 for all variables except the two variables in the question.
2. Plug in 0, 1, and 2 for x.
3. Solve for y at each x value.
4. Plot the three points.
5. Look for the general shape that matches one of the three fundamental types.

Example: For the relationship between frequency and wavelength in electromagnetic radiation (c = νλ), manipulate to ν = c/λ, which has the form y = 1/x.

⚠️ Common pitfalls

• Don't confuse magnitude with signed value: when a question asks for magnitude, ignore negative signs in the equation.
• Don't assume variables change together: identify which two variables are being graphed and treat all others as constants.
• Don't forget reflections: a negative sign or negative multiplier flips the graph across the x-axis.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The MCAT Verbal Reasoning Section tests reading comprehension through nine passages and 60 questions in 85 minutes, and success depends on following proven strategies rather than popular but ineffective techniques.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Section structure: 9 passages (~600 words each) from humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences; 6–10 questions per passage; 60 total questions in 85 minutes.
• No outside knowledge needed: all answers come from the passage text alone.
• Common confusion: many popular strategies (note-taking, skimming, speed-reading, "reading a lot") are ineffective or even harmful to your score.
• What doesn't work: strategies designed to be marketable rather than effective; classes taught by humanities professors without MCAT experience; speed-reading that shifts focus away from comprehension.
• Key principle: follow the proven advice completely rather than picking and choosing—selective adoption is counter-productive.

📋 Section format and content

📋 Basic structure

• 9 passages averaging 600 words each
• 60 multiple-choice questions total (6–10 questions follow each passage)
• 85 minutes to complete the entire section

📚 Subject areas

The passages generally discuss topics from three domains:

• Humanities
• Social sciences
• Natural sciences

🔑 Self-contained answers

Answers to these questions do not require information beyond the text of the passage.

• You don't need outside knowledge or background information.
• Everything you need is in the passage itself.
• Don't confuse: this is not a test of what you already know about a topic; it's a test of reading comprehension.

❌ Ineffective strategies to avoid

❌ Marketable vs. effective strategies

The excerpt warns that some test prep companies design strategies to be marketable (to make money) rather than efficient (to raise your score).

Examples of ineffective "desperate techniques":

• Note-taking
• Skimming

Why they fail:

• They are "unique and strange" to make them easier to sell.
• They are not "commonplace and practical."
• The focus is on selling the method, not on improving scores.

❌ College reading comprehension classes

What they typically are:

• Classes designed specifically to improve MCAT Verbal reading comprehension
• Resemble English 101
• Often taught by humanities professors who have never seen a real MCAT Verbal Section

Why they don't work:

• Being a humanities professor does not qualify someone as an MCAT Verbal expert.
• Emphasis is on detailed analysis of what you read rather than how to eliminate wrong answers and find correct answers.
• Result: "Improvements are predictably miserable."

❌ Speed-reading techniques

The myth: strong performance requires speed-reading.

Why it's false:

• Most speed-reading techniques are an impediment to score improvements.
• They shift focus from comprehension to reading technique.
• Unlikely to improve both speed and comprehension in a matter of weeks.
• Speed is not the key to a good MCAT Verbal score.

The reality:

• Finishing the Verbal Section is within everyone's grasp if they follow the right advice.
• Don't confuse: speed vs. comprehension—the excerpt emphasizes that comprehension matters more.

❌ "Reading a lot"

The myth: copious amounts of reading will improve Verbal scores.

Origin of the myth:

• Years ago, one prep company had insufficient verbal practice materials.
• They suggested students "read a lot" rather than use other companies' materials.
• The myth has perpetuated itself ever since.

Why it's ineffective:

• "Reading a lot" is probably the least efficient method of improving your Verbal score.
• Timeline issue: if you plan to take the MCAT in four or five years, begin "reading a lot"; if you want to do well this year, use the strategies that follow.

Example: An organization with limited resources told students to read widely instead of using competitors' materials—this was a business decision, not a pedagogical one.

✅ The right approach

✅ Follow proven strategies completely

The excerpt strongly advises against the common student habit of picking and choosing advice.

What smart students typically do:

• Listen to advice
• Pick and choose suggestions they find reasonable
• Disregard the rest

Why this doesn't work for MCAT Verbal:

• This is not the most efficient approach for preparing.
• It is quite counter-productive.

The correct approach:

• Follow the strategies completely rather than selectively.
• Don't confuse: general academic advice (where picking and choosing works) vs. MCAT Verbal prep (where selective adoption fails).

✅ Ignore abundant "free" dogma

Dogma about the Verbal Section is abundant and free, and that's an accurate reflection of its value.

• The excerpt warns that there are many "cock-a-mamie verbal strategies" from various prep companies, academics, and well-wishers.
• Strong suggestion: ignore them.
• The value of free, abundant advice is accurately reflected in its price—zero.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Most popular MCAT Verbal strategies—including note-taking, skimming, speed-reading, and "reading a lot"—are ineffective or counterproductive, and test-takers should instead follow proven expert advice and practice consistently.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What to avoid: Many widely promoted verbal strategies (note-taking, skimming, speed-reading, generic reading comprehension classes) do not improve scores effectively.
• Why they fail: Some strategies are designed to be marketable rather than effective; others shift focus away from what matters (eliminating wrong answers and finding correct ones).
• Common confusion: Speed-reading vs. comprehension—most speed-reading techniques hurt comprehension by focusing on technique rather than understanding.
• The "reading a lot" myth: Extensive general reading is the least efficient preparation method unless you have years to prepare.
• What works: Following expert advice consistently and practicing the specific art of taking the MCAT Verbal section.

🚫 Ineffective strategies to avoid

📝 Note-taking and skimming

• The excerpt labels these as "desperate techniques."
• These are examples of strategies that are "unique and strange" but not practical.
• Some test prep companies design strategies to be marketable (to make money) rather than efficient (to raise scores).

🎓 Generic reading comprehension classes

Typically, such classes resemble English 101 and are all but useless at improving your score.

• Often taught by humanities professors who have never seen a real MCAT verbal section.
• Key problem: Emphasis is on detailed analysis of what you read rather than how to eliminate wrong answers and find correct answers.
• Being a humanities professor does not qualify someone as an MCAT Verbal expert.
• Result: "Improvements are predictably miserable."

⚡ Speed-reading techniques

• The claim: Some people say strong verbal performance requires speed-reading.
• Why it fails: Speed-reading techniques actually impede score improvements by shifting focus from comprehension to reading technique.
• You are unlikely to improve both speed and comprehension in a matter of weeks.
• Don't confuse: Speed is not the key to a good MCAT verbal score—finishing the section is achievable without speed-reading if you follow proper advice.

📚 "Reading a lot"

• The myth: Copious amounts of reading will improve Verbal Section scores.
• Origin: Years ago, one prep company with insufficient practice materials suggested students "read a lot" rather than use competitors' materials; the myth has perpetuated ever since.
• Reality: "Reading a lot" is probably the least efficient method of improving your verbal score.
• Timeline distinction:
  • If taking the MCAT in four or five years → begin "reading a lot"
  • If taking the MCAT this year → use specific strategies instead

🎯 The effective approach

🎯 Follow expert advice completely

• Most smart students listen to advice, then pick and choose suggestions they find reasonable while disregarding the rest.
• For MCAT Verbal, this approach is counter-productive.
• The excerpt urges: abandon all old ideas about verbal and follow expert advice to the letter.
• Don't listen to friends and family—they are not experts at teaching students how to score well on the MCAT Verbal Reasoning Section.

🎨 Improvement as an art form

Taking the MCAT verbal section is an art.

• Like any art form, improvement comes gradually with lots of practice.
• Example analogy: Attending a portraiture class taught by a great artist—you wouldn't expect to become a master after the first lesson, but you would expect to improve after weeks of coaching.
• What to expect: Follow directions to the letter, and with practice you will see dramatic improvements over time.

🔑 Why these distinctions matter

Strategy	Marketed as	Actual result	Why it fails
Note-taking/skimming	Unique techniques	Desperate, ineffective	Designed to sell, not to raise scores
Reading comprehension classes	Academic preparation	Miserable improvements	Focus on analysis, not answer elimination
Speed-reading	Faster = better	Impedes improvement	Shifts focus from comprehension to technique
"Reading a lot"	General preparation	Least efficient method	Too broad; not targeted to MCAT format

• The common thread: these strategies either address the wrong problem or prioritize marketability over effectiveness.
• The excerpt emphasizes that MCAT Verbal requires specific, targeted preparation—not generic reading skills or gimmicks.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

To maximize MCAT Verbal Reasoning scores, students must completely abandon their old assumptions and follow proven expert strategies to the letter, rather than selectively applying advice or relying on common myths.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• The core instruction: abandon all old ideas about verbal preparation and follow expert advice completely—picking and choosing is counterproductive.
• Common confusion: many ineffective methods seem reasonable (reading classes, speed-reading, "reading a lot") but actually fail to improve scores.
• Why selective listening fails: treating MCAT verbal like other academic tasks leads students to discard the very strategies that work.
• Who to trust: friends, family, and humanities professors are not MCAT Verbal experts; follow guidance from those who specialize in teaching this specific test section.

❌ What doesn't work

📚 Reading comprehension classes

• Many colleges offer classes designed to improve MCAT Verbal reading comprehension.
• These classes typically resemble English 101 and are "all but useless" at improving scores.
• Why they fail:
  • Often taught by humanities professors who have never seen a real MCAT Verbal section.
  • Being a humanities professor does not qualify someone as an MCAT Verbal expert.
  • Emphasis is on detailed analysis of what you read, not on how to eliminate wrong answers and find correct answers.
• Result: improvements are "predictably miserable."

⚡ Speed-reading techniques

The claim that strong verbal performance requires speed-reading techniques is not true.

• Most speed-reading techniques actually impede score improvements.
• Why they fail: they shift focus from comprehension to reading technique.
• It is unlikely you will improve both speed and comprehension in a matter of weeks.
• Don't confuse: speed is not the key to a good MCAT verbal score—finishing the section is within everyone's grasp if they follow the right advice.

📖 "Reading a lot"

• A favorite myth among MCAT students: copious amounts of reading will improve Verbal Section scores.
• Origin of the myth: years ago, one prep company with insufficient verbal practice materials suggested students "read a lot" rather than use other companies' materials; the myth has perpetuated ever since.
• Why it fails: "reading a lot" is probably the least efficient method of improving your verbal score.
• Time horizon: if you intend to take the MCAT four or five years from now, begin "reading a lot"; if you want to do well this year, use the strategies that follow.

🎯 The right approach

🎯 Complete commitment to expert advice

• Most smart students listen to advice, then pick and choose suggestions they find reasonable while disregarding the rest.
• This is not the most efficient approach for MCAT Verbal—in fact, it is quite counterproductive.
• The instruction is explicit: "Please abandon all your old ideas about verbal and follow our advice to the letter."

👥 Who to listen to (and who to ignore)

Source	Expertise level	Recommendation
Friends and family	Not MCAT Verbal experts	Don't listen to them
Humanities professors	Not qualified for MCAT Verbal	Avoid their classes
MCAT Verbal specialists	Experts at teaching students how to score well	Follow their guidance completely

• The excerpt emphasizes: "They are not experts at teaching students how to score well on the MCAT Verbal Reasoning Section. We are."
• Example: a well-meaning humanities professor may offer detailed literary analysis techniques, but these do not translate to eliminating wrong MCAT answers efficiently.

🔑 Why this matters

• The counterintuitive nature of effective MCAT Verbal strategies means students' intuitions about what "should" work often lead them astray.
• Selective application of advice undermines the integrated system of strategies.
• Don't confuse: what works for academic reading or English classes versus what works for MCAT Verbal—they require different skill sets and approaches.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Improvement on the MCAT Verbal Reasoning Section comes gradually through disciplined practice, just as mastery of any art form develops over weeks of coaching rather than after a single lesson.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Core analogy: Taking the MCAT verbal section is like learning an art form—improvement requires lots of practice over time, not instant mastery.
• What to expect: You won't become expert after your first lesson, but you will see dramatic improvements over weeks with consistent coaching.
• How to practice: Follow the directions exactly and practice repeatedly; improvement is gradual but real.
• Common confusion: Science majors may expect immediate results (like solving a physics problem), but verbal reasoning develops more like portraiture—through sustained effort over time.

🎨 The art-form analogy

🎨 Why verbal reasoning is called an "art"

Taking the MCAT verbal section is an art.

• The excerpt explicitly notes this is "not exactly what a science major wants to hear"—acknowledging that the mindset differs from typical science problem-solving.
• Art forms require gradual skill-building rather than formulaic application.
• The comparison is to portraiture taught by a great artist: you wouldn't expect to become a master painter after one lesson.

🕰️ The timeline for improvement

• Improvement comes "gradually with lots of practice."
• The excerpt emphasizes "weeks of coaching"—not days or a single session.
• Example: Imagine attending a portraiture class. After your first lesson, you are not a Raphael (a great artist), but after weeks you would expect noticeable improvement.

📈 What improvement looks like

📈 Dramatic improvements over time

• The excerpt promises "dramatic improvements over time" if you follow the directions exactly and practice.
• The key conditions:
  • Follow directions "to the letter" (exactly as given).
  • Practice consistently.
  • Be patient—results accumulate over weeks, not immediately.

🚫 Don't confuse: instant results vs. gradual mastery

• Not like: solving a single math problem where you either get it right or wrong immediately.
• More like: learning to paint—each session builds skill, and the full effect becomes visible only after sustained effort.
• The excerpt warns science majors specifically because they may expect the former when they need to adopt the latter mindset.

🧑‍🏫 The role of expert coaching

🧑‍🏫 Why follow the experts

• The opening lines emphasize: "Don't listen to your friends and family. They are not experts at teaching students how to score well on the MCAT Verbal Reasoning Section. We are."
• The implication: just as you would trust a great artist to teach portraiture, trust the test-prep experts for verbal reasoning.
• The advice is to "abandon all your old ideas about verbal" and follow the provided method exactly.

🔑 The instruction: follow directions to the letter

• Repeated emphasis on following directions "to the letter" (exactly, without modification).
• The excerpt suggests that many students try to pick and choose methods or listen to non-expert advice, which undermines improvement.
• Example: If a portraiture teacher gives you a specific brush technique, you practice that technique repeatedly—you don't invent your own method after the first lesson.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Finishing the MCAT Verbal section depends not on reading speed but on efficient question-answering strategies, including planned breaks, reading every word for the main idea, and using four specific tools to find answers.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Time allocation reality: Over two-thirds of your time is spent answering questions, not reading—so improving question efficiency matters far more than reading speed.
• The five-second break: Taking planned five-second breaks before each passage prevents random concentration lapses and wasted time from unfocused reading.
• Read for main idea, not details: The Verbal section tests your ability to understand the author's overarching point and ambiguities, not to memorize facts.
• Common confusion: Many think they can't finish because they read too slowly, but the real problem is spending too much time hunting for answers in the passage and re-reading multiple times.
• Four tools for answering: Use going back, the main idea, question stems, and answer choices as systematic tools beyond just passage comprehension.

⏱️ Time management realities

⏱️ Where your time actually goes

Time spent reading: less than one-third of 85 minutes
Time spent answering questions: over two-thirds of 85 minutes

• A very slow reader can read a 600-word passage in 3 minutes, leaving 58 minutes for questions (nearly one minute per question).
• If you doubled your reading speed, you'd only gain about 10 seconds per question—not enough to make a significant difference.
• Why people don't finish: They spend too much time hunting for answers in the passage and end up reading it many times over, not because they read slowly.

📊 Efficiency comparison table

Improvement	Time gained	Impact
10% faster reading	2 min 12 sec total (2.2 sec/question)	Minimal
10% more efficient answering	5 min 48 sec total	Enough to read two more passages

Don't confuse: Reading speed with finishing ability—the bottleneck is question-answering efficiency, not how fast you read words.

🧘 The five-second break strategy

🧘 Why breaks happen anyway

• No one has an 85-minute attention span; if you don't plan breaks, your mind will force them at random moments.
• Common pattern: Test-takers frantically start reading, realize they weren't concentrating after 20–30 seconds, then must re-read from the beginning.
• Mid-passage breaks: People suddenly stop, stretch, yawn, or crack knuckles because their mind demands a rest.

🎯 How to use the five-second break

Before each passage (including the first):

• Look away from the page for exactly five seconds.
• Remind yourself to forget the last passage and focus only on the current task.
• Sit up straight, stretch muscles, and prepare to give full attention.
• Think of it as a mini pep-talk before each passage.

Example: Instead of starting Passage 3 while still thinking "Did I get Passage 2 right?", take five seconds to reset: "Forget Passage 2. Focus now. Sit up. Concentrate."

Don't confuse: Planned five-second breaks with wasted time—all students take breaks during the section; planned breaks prevent longer, random concentration losses.

📖 How to read the passages

📖 Read every word

• Don't skim—if you don't understand much when skimming a novel, why would you skim on the most important test of your life?
• Don't read questions first—you won't remember even one question while reading (short-term memory holds only ~5 items, but passages have 6+ questions).
• Don't underline or circle words—this forces you to concentrate on details, interrupts flow, and distracts from the main idea (an old SAT trick inappropriately applied to MCAT).

🎯 Read like listening to a story

Read each passage like you are listening to a friend tell you a very interesting story.

• Let details (names, dates, times) "slip in one ear and out the other" while you wait for the main point.
• Ask yourself: "What is the author trying to say? What is his point? Is he in favor of idea A or against it?"
• Create a mental image of the author and use life experiences to stereotype them—this helps you make quick, intuitive decisions about how the author might answer questions.
• Note anything that doesn't fit your stereotype.

Example: If the passage discusses environmental policy with cautious language and multiple viewpoints, imagine the author as a thoughtful academic who values nuance, not an activist with a single agenda.

🚫 What NOT to do

Ineffective tactic	Why it wastes time	Better approach
Mapping/writing synopses	Boring, reduces comprehension, distracts from theme	Read as a single work with one theme
Trying to memorize details	Most questions aren't about details	Focus on main idea
Speed-reading techniques	Distracts from your goal	Read normally, the way you read best
Reading only first/last sentences	Passages aren't always well-written enough	Read every word

Don't confuse: The MCAT Verbal section with science questions—Verbal tests your ability to detect ambiguities and gray areas, not to find exact details. If you're highly certain of all your answers, you've probably fallen for traps.

💡 Constructing the main idea

💡 The twenty-second main idea

After finishing a passage:

• Take 20 seconds to mentally construct the main idea in one or two complete sentences.
• Don't write it during a timed exam (takes too much time).
• For practice after completing an exam: go back and write the main idea for each passage.

🎨 Main idea vs. details

• The main idea is about the passage as a whole, not a list of details.
• Passages are intended to be read in their entirety as a single work presenting one overriding theme.
• MCAT expects you to understand this theme; details within the theme are far less important.

Don't confuse: Concrete certainty (appropriate for science questions) with the "feel" for good MCAT answers—mastering Verbal is as much an art as a science.

🛠️ The four tools for answering questions

🛠️ Beyond passage comprehension

Most students use only about 50% of the information provided by the test—they rely solely on what they remember from the passage.

The four tools are:

1. Going back: Rereading parts of the passage to search for an answer
2. The main idea: Using your understanding of the author's overarching point
3. The question stems: Extracting information from how questions are worded
4. The answer choices: Using the choices themselves as clues

🎯 When to use "going back"

• Should be used only when you are regularly finishing the exam (implying strategic, not desperate, use).
• It only takes about 5 seconds to find a name, number, or key word in a 600-word passage.
• Use for rare questions about details you've forgotten, not as your primary strategy.

Don't confuse: "Going back" as a systematic tool with desperately searching the passage until an answer "jumps out"—the latter wastes precious time without a clear strategy.

📝 Answer based on main idea

• Attempt to answer questions based upon the main idea, not the details.
• Most questions are about the main idea of the passage and will not be answerable by searching for facts.
• Rely heavily on your main idea and give little weight to details.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Strategic tactics—including planned breaks, reading every word for the main idea, and using all four answer-finding tools—dramatically improve verbal section efficiency and scores more than reading speed ever could.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Time allocation reality: Over two-thirds of your time is spent answering questions, not reading; improving question-answering efficiency gains far more time than reading faster.
• The five-second break: Taking planned five-second breaks before each passage prevents random, uncontrolled concentration losses that waste more time.
• Read for main idea, not details: Read every word like an interesting story, letting details slip by while focusing on the author's central point—this matches what the test actually measures.
• Common confusion: Many think they can't finish because they read too slowly, but the real problem is spending too much time hunting for answers and re-reading passages multiple times.
• Four tools for answering: Use going back, the main idea, question stems, and answer choices as systematic tools rather than relying solely on passage recall.

⏱️ Time management reality

⏱️ Why reading speed doesn't matter

• A very slow reader can read a 600-word passage in 3 minutes.
• Nine passages × 3 minutes = 27 minutes reading, leaving 58 minutes for questions.
• Nearly one minute per question to answer questions—over two-thirds of your time.
• If you doubled your reading speed, you'd gain only about 10 seconds per question (70 seconds instead of 60).

📊 Time allocation breakdown

Activity	Time spent	Percentage
Reading passages	~27 minutes	Less than one-third
Answering questions	~58 minutes	Over two-thirds

🎯 Where efficiency gains really come from

• Increasing reading speed by 10% (a strong improvement) = 2 minutes 12 seconds total gain = 2.2 seconds per question.
• Increasing question-answering efficiency by 10% (a simpler task) = 5 minutes 48 seconds gain = almost enough time to read two additional passages.
• The real problem: Test-takers spend too much time hunting for answers in the passage and end up reading it many times over.

🧘 The five-second break

🧘 What happens without planned breaks

• Observe test-takers at the start: they frantically tear open booklets, read 20–30 seconds, pause, then begin rereading from the beginning.
• Why: They're thinking about what's happening to them ("I'm taking the real MCAT! Oh my God!") instead of what they're reading.
• They try to do two things at once—calm down and understand the passage—and accomplish neither.
• This loss of concentration also occurs at the beginning of each new passage when still struggling with thoughts of the previous one.

🛑 Your mind will force breaks anyway

• No one has an 85-minute attention span.
• If you don't allow yourself a break, your mind will take one—suddenly stopping, lifting your head, stretching, yawning, or cracking knuckles.
• You'll realize you weren't concentrating and have to start the passage over, wasting more time.

✅ The planned break method

Five-second break: Before each passage (including the first), take five seconds to focus your thoughts.

• Look away from the page.
• Stretch your muscles.
• Remind yourself to forget the last passage and all unrelated thoughts.
• Remind yourself to sit up straight, concentrate, and focus.
• Prepare to give full attention to the next passage.
• Think of it as a little pep-talk before each passage.
• Then begin and don't break concentration until you've finished all questions for that passage.

⚠️ Don't confuse with random breaks

• All students will take breaks during the verbal section.
• Most take them without realizing it, at inopportune moments.
• Planned breaks at intervals are far more effective for achieving your highest score.

📖 Reading the passage

📖 Read every word—don't skim

• Have you ever tried skimming a novel without reading every word? You don't understand much.
• Why would you skim on the most important test of your life, especially when it won't give you much more time to answer questions?
• Passages are intended to be read in their entirety as a single work presenting one overriding theme.

🚫 Don't use counterproductive techniques

Technique to avoid	Why it's counterproductive
Mapping/writing synopses	You'll fall asleep from boredom; understand less, not more; distracts from the single overriding theme
Reading questions first	You won't remember even one question while reading (short-term memory holds ~5 items, passages have 6+ questions); forces detail-reading; never learn main idea; waste time rereading
Underlining/circling words	Unlikely to help answer questions; forces concentration on detail (fine for SAT, not MCAT); read things twice; interrupts flow; distracts from main idea
Speed-reading techniques	Searching for meaningful words or reading entire phrases distracts from your goal; your reading speed won't change significantly in 10 weeks anyway

🎯 How to read: like an interesting story

Read each passage like you are listening to a friend tell you a very interesting story.

• Allow details (names, dates, times) to slip in one ear and out the other.
• Wait with baited breath for the main point.
• The funny thing: When you practice this type of reading, you can't help but remember most of the details anyway.
• Even if you forget some details, it only takes about 5 seconds to find a name, number, or key word in a 600-word passage.

🧠 What to think about while reading

Ask yourself:

• "What is the author trying to say? What is his point?"
• "Is he in favor of idea A or against it?"
• "If this author were sitting right in front of me, would he want to discuss idea A or is his real interest in idea B?"

👤 Create an author image

• Creating an image of the author in your mind helps you understand him.
• Use your life experiences to stereotype the author—this helps you make quick, intuitive decisions about how the author might answer each question.
• Make careful mental note of anything the author says that may not fit your stereotype.
• Use the stereotype to guide your intuition on the questions.

⚖️ Embrace ambiguity, not certainty

• The test writers know most test-takers are scientists who like to find exact answers.
• They know you'll probably choose answer choices with exact words from the passage—don't fall for this trap.
• The Verbal Section tests your ability to detect and understand ambiguities and gray areas, not details.
• If you are highly certain of all your answers, you probably have fallen for all its traps.
• Mastering this section is as much an art as a science.
• With practice, you'll develop a 'feel' for a good MCAT answer.
• Don't expect the concrete certainty you get with science questions.

🎨 Topic variety challenge

• Some topics will fascinate you, some will bore you.
• The challenge: forget the fascinating ones as soon as you move to the next passage, and pay close attention to the boring ones.
• Train yourself to become excited and interested in any and every passage topic—this increases comprehension.
• However, don't become so engrossed that you slow your pace.

🔑 The biggest mistake

The biggest mistake you can make on the verbal section is to consciously attempt to remember what you are reading.

• The vast majority of questions will not concern the details of the passage.
• Most will not be answerable by searching the passage for facts.
• Most questions are about the main idea of the passage.
• The main idea will not be found on a list of details.
• To learn the main idea, the passage as a whole must be understood.
• Concentrate on the main idea, not the detail.

🍲 Experience the whole

• Like a great soup: you do not taste the salt and each spice separately.
• You must experience the whole soup as a single, wonderful consommé.
• (This metaphor applies to reading passages as unified wholes, not collections of details.)

💡 The main idea

💡 Construct a one- or two-sentence main idea

• When you have finished reading a passage, take twenty seconds and construct a main idea in the form of one or two complete sentences.
• On a timed MCAT, writing the main idea requires too much time.
• You should spend 20 seconds mentally contemplating the main idea before you begin the questions.
• For practice: After you've completed an entire timed exam, scored yourself, and taken a break, go back to each passage and write the main idea.

🎯 Use it to answer questions

• Attempt to answer the questions based upon the main idea and not the details.
• Rely heavily on your main idea and give little weight to details.

🛠️ Four tools for answering questions

🛠️ The four tools

In addition to your understanding of the passage, there are four tools that you should use to help you answer the questions.

1. Going back
2. The main idea
3. The question stems
4. The answer choices

🔍 Why you need these tools

• Most students use only about 50% of the information provided by the test.
• They read a question, choose an answer based on the passage, eliminate choices, search the passage for information, and repeat until they give up and guess randomly.
• This happens about 50% of the time with this method.
• When you can't identify an answer, "thinking harder" (whatever that means) is not an effective solution.
• Nor is searching the passage until the answer jumps out at you—both use up precious time.

📊 Beyond passage understanding

• These four tools go beyond your understanding of the passage.
• They force you to consider additional information presented in the question stems and answer choices.
• This information is often overlooked or noticed only on a subconscious level.

🔙 Going back (tool #1)

'Going back' refers to actually rereading parts of the passage to search for an answer.

• 'Going back' should be used only when: [excerpt cuts off here]
• (The excerpt does not provide the complete conditions for when to use this tool.)

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Most test-takers rely too heavily on rereading the passage to find answers, but the question stems and answer choices themselves contain abundant information that can guide you to correct answers more efficiently.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• The common mistake: Most students only use about 50% of available information—they read, reread, and search the passage repeatedly, wasting time and often still guessing.
• Four tools beyond passage comprehension: going back, the main idea, the question stems, and the answer choices—each provides distinct information.
• Question stems reveal the passage: Even without reading the passage, question stems disclose the topic, comparisons, the author's stance, and key arguments.
• Common confusion: "Going back" feels productive but is the most time-consuming and least useful tool; it should be used sparingly an

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Recognizing typical distracter patterns and correct-answer characteristics allows test-takers to distinguish right answers from wrong ones even without always referencing the passage or question.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What distracters are: three wrong answer choices written specifically to confuse, versus one correct answer written to answer the question directly.
• Five distracter categories: Round-About, Beyond, Contrary, Simpleton, and Unintelligible—each represents a different way an answer choice can mislead.
• How correct answers differ: they typically contain "softeners" (words like most likely, seemed, had a tendency to) that make them true under more circumstances.
• Common confusion: Simpletons vs. correct answers—easily verifiable, extreme-wording choices (always, never) are highly suspect because correct MCAT answers are vague and ambiguous, not simple and direct.
• Simplification technique: restate complex questions and answer choices using the simplified main idea to make evaluation faster and clearer.

🎯 Understanding the answer-choice structure

🎯 How answer choices are created

• The excerpt explains that when a verbal question is written, the correct answer is written first, then three distracters are created.
• The correct answer is written to answer a specific question; distracters are written to confuse.
• With practice, a skilled test-taker can sometimes distinguish the correct answer from distracters without even reading the question or passage.
• This is a difficult skill gained only through sufficient practice.

🧩 What makes distracters effective

Effective distracters may be:

• A statement showing a subtle misunderstanding of the main idea
• A statement using the same or similar words from the passage but taken out of context
• A true statement that does not answer the question
• A statement that answers more than the question asks
• A statement relying on information commonly considered true but not given in the passage

🚫 Five distracter categories

🔄 Round-About

A distracter that moves around the question but does not directly answer it.

• Round-Abouts may be true statements and may even agree with the passage.
• They just don't offer a direct answer to the question.
• Example: like the answer you expect from a politician on a Sunday morning talk show—a lot of convincing words are spoken but nothing is really said.

🌐 Beyond

A distracter whose validity relies upon information not supplied by (or information beyond) the passage.

• Beyonds supply information beyond what is given in the question and passage without substantiating its truth.
• When you read a Beyond, you typically wonder something like "This answer sounds good, but this passage was on the economics of the post Soviet Union, I don't remember anything about the Russian revolution."
• Beyonds can also play upon current events—e.g., a passage on AIDS may have an answer choice about cloning (a hot topic in the news) even though cloning wasn't mentioned in the passage.
• Don't confuse: a Beyond with an answer choice that directly asks you to assume information as true.

⛔ Contrary

A distracter that is contrary to the main idea.

• If the question is not an EXCEPT, NOT, or LEAST question, the answer choice is extremely unlikely to contradict the main idea.
• Most answer choices support the main idea in one form or another.

🎈 Simpleton

A distracter that is very simple and/or easily verifiable from the passage.

• If correct answers were simple, direct, and straightforward, everyone would do well.
• Instead, correct answers are vague, ambiguous, and sometimes debatable.
• An answer choice that is easily verifiable from a reading of the passage is highly suspect and often incorrect.
• Simpletons are not always wrong, but you should be highly suspicious when you see one.
• Typical characteristic: extreme wording like always and never.
• Example: "In mid-afternoon in December in Montana, the author believes that the color of the sky most closely resembles: B. cotton balls floating on a blue sea." If this were the answer, everyone would choose it—unlikely to be correct.

🤔 Unintelligible

A distracter that you don't understand.

• Whether it's a vocabulary word or a concept, avoid answer choices you don't understand—these are likely traps.
• Many test-takers are likely to choose an answer that confuses them, apparently because the MCAT is a difficult test so students expect to be confused.
• Test writers sometimes purposely use distracters with obscure vocabulary or incomprehensible diction to appeal to test-takers who find comfort in being confused.
• General rule: don't choose an answer you don't understand unless you can positively eliminate all other choices.
• Be confident, not confused.

✅ Identifying correct answers

🧷 Softeners in correct answers

Softeners are words that make the answer true under more circumstances, such as most likely, seemed, had a tendency to, etc.

• Typical correct answer choices contain softeners.
• An answer choice with a softener is not necessarily correct; it is just more likely to be correct.

🔍 The look and feel of correct answers

• Besides identifying distracters, you should become familiar with the look and feel of a typical correct answer choice.
• Correct answers are vague, ambiguous, and sometimes debatable—not simple and direct.

🧮 Simplification technique

🧮 How to simplify questions and answer choices

• It is often helpful to simplify the question and answer choices in terms of the main idea.
• The excerpt provides an example: a passage with the main idea "Great fiction provides a richness of language and feeling that is difficult to recreate in film. Contemporary authors emulating film have lost this richness and their audience with it."
• This complete main idea can be difficult to understand all at once, so simplify it:
  • There is past fiction, current fiction, and movies.
  • Past fiction is good.
  • Current fiction is bad.
  • Current fiction is like movies.

🔧 Applying simplification

• When analyzing questions and answer choices, restate them in terms of these simplified ideas.
• Keep in mind that this is a simplification.
• Example: a reference to "a great, forceful novel" or "a line-by-line description" can be replaced by "past fiction."
• "The passage suggests" can be replaced by "the author thinks."
• This is much like using the concept of an ideal gas to approximate the behavior of a real gas and then adding the characteristics of a real gas for the detailed work.

📋 Comparison table: original vs. restated questions

The excerpt provides a detailed comparison showing how seven AAMC questions can be restated using the simplified main idea. For example:

Original	Restated
"The author of the passage believes that the fiction written by the current generation of authors: A. lacks the significance of fiction written by previous generations..."	"The author believes current fiction is: A. not as good as past fiction..."
"The overall point made by the passage's comparison of movies to fiction is that: C. great fiction provides a richness of language and feeling that is difficult to re-create in film."	"The author compares movies to fiction in order to show that: C. movies aren't as good as good fiction."

📝 Summary and tool integration

📝 Four tools for finding the correct answer

The excerpt reminds us that you have four tools:

1. Going back (to the passage)
2. Main idea
3. Question stems
4. Answer choices

• To get your best MCAT score, you should use all of them.
• Your fourth tool (answer choices) is the most difficult to master.

⚠️ Important reminders

• When evaluating answer choices for distracters, keep in mind that there are no absolutes, just suspects.
• The five distracter categories are a guide to assist you in finding the correct answer, not an absolute test.
• It is unlikely, but not impossible, that the correct answer choice might also fall into one of these categories.
• When necessary, restate complicated questions using the simplified concepts from the main idea.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Correct answer choices typically contain softening language that makes them true under more circumstances, whereas wrong answers often fall into predictable traps like contradicting the main idea, being too simple, or using confusing vocabulary.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Beyonds: wrong answers that introduce information not mentioned in the passage (e.g., outside knowledge or current events).
• Contraries: wrong answers that contradict the main idea (extremely unlikely unless the question asks for EXCEPT/NOT/LEAST).
• Simpletons vs. softeners: easily verifiable answers with extreme wording (always/never) are suspect; correct answers tend to use qualifying language (most likely, seemed, had a tendency to).
• Common confusion: don't mistake a beyond for an answer that explicitly asks you to assume information as true.
• Unintelligibles: avoid answer choices you don't understand—they're often traps designed to appeal to confused test-takers.

🚫 Types of wrong answer choices

🌍 Beyonds

A beyond introduces information not mentioned in the passage or question.

• These distractors rely on outside knowledge or current events rather than passage content.
• Example: A passage on post-Soviet economics includes an answer about the Russian revolution—if the revolution wasn't mentioned in the passage, it's a beyond.
• Another example: A passage on AIDS has an answer choice about cloning because cloning is a hot news topic—but if cloning wasn't in the passage, be very suspicious.
• Don't confuse: A beyond is different from an answer choice that directly asks you to assume information as true (those are legitimate).

⚔️ Contraries

A contrary contradicts the main idea of the passage.

• Unless the question explicitly asks for EXCEPT, NOT, or LEAST, an answer is extremely unlikely to contradict the main idea.
• Most answer choices support the main idea in one form or another.
• If you see a contrary in a standard question, it's almost certainly wrong.

🎯 Simpletons

A simpleton is an answer choice that is easily verifiable, simple, direct, and straightforward.

• Why they're suspect: If correct answers were simple and direct, everyone would do well on the test.
• Instead, correct answers tend to be vague, ambiguous, and sometimes debatable.
• Typical warning signs: extreme wording like "always" and "never."
• Example: "In mid-afternoon in December in Montana, the author believes that the color of the sky most closely resembles: B. cotton balls floating on a blue sea." If this were the answer, everyone would choose it—making it unlikely to be correct.
• Important: Simpletons are not always wrong, but you should be highly suspicious when you see one.

🌀 Unintelligibles

An unintelligible is an answer choice you don't understand—whether due to vocabulary or concept.

• Avoid these choices; they're likely traps.
• Why they work: Many test-takers choose confusing answers because the test is difficult, so they expect to be confused.
• Test writers sometimes purposely use obscure vocabulary or incomprehensible wording to appeal to test-takers who find comfort in being confused.
• General rule: Don't choose an answer you don't understand unless you can positively eliminate all other choices.
• Be confident, not confused.

✅ Characteristics of correct answers

🛡️ Softeners make answers more likely correct

Softeners are words that make an answer true under more circumstances.

• Examples of softeners: "most likely," "seemed," "had a tendency to."
• Why they work: They allow the answer to be correct in more situations without being absolute.
• Important caveat: An answer choice with a softener is not necessarily correct; it is just more likely to be correct.
• Contrast with simpletons: Extreme words (always/never) narrow the circumstances under which an answer is true, making it easier to disprove.

🔧 Simplification strategy

📝 How to simplify complex passages

• When a main idea is difficult to understand all at once, break it down into simpler components.
• Example from the excerpt: A passage about fiction and film has the main idea "Great fiction provides richness that's hard to recreate in film; contemporary authors emulating film have lost this richness and their audience."
• Simplified version:
  • Past fiction is good
  • Current fiction is bad
  • Current fiction is like movies

🔄 Restating questions and answers

• When analyzing questions and answer choices, restate them using your simplified terms.
• Example: "A great, forceful novel" or "a line-by-line description" can be replaced by "past fiction."
• "The passage suggests" can be replaced by "the author thinks."
• This is like using an ideal gas to approximate real gas behavior, then adding real characteristics for detailed work.
• Purpose: Makes it easier to match answer choices to the passage's core ideas without getting lost in complex wording.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Simplifying questions and answer choices by restating them in terms of the passage's main idea makes it easier to identify correct answers and avoid confusion.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Core technique: Restate complex questions and answer choices using simplified concepts from the passage's main idea.
• How it works: Replace detailed references with broader categories (e.g., "a great, forceful novel" becomes "past fiction").
• Analogy provided: This simplification is like using an ideal gas model to approximate real gas behavior before adding detailed characteristics.
• Common confusion: Don't mistake the simplification for the complete idea—it's a tool for analysis, not a replacement for the full main idea.
• When to use: Apply this technique when questions and answer choices feel overwhelming or difficult to process all at once.

🔄 The simplification process

🎯 Starting with the main idea

The excerpt demonstrates the technique using a passage about fiction and film with this main idea:

"Great fiction provides a richness of language and feeling that is difficult to recreate in film. Contemporary authors emulating film have lost this richness and their audience with it."

• This complete main idea is accurate but can be "difficult to understand all at once."
• The solution: break it down into simpler components.

🧩 Breaking down into simple categories

The excerpt shows how to simplify the main idea into three categories and their relationships:

Category	Simplified characterization
Past fiction	Good
Current fiction	Bad
Movies	Current fiction is like movies

• These simplified labels capture the essential relationships without all the nuance.
• They serve as shorthand for analyzing questions and answers.

🔧 Applying simplification to questions

📝 Restating question language

The excerpt explains how to replace complex phrasing with simplified concepts:

• "A great, forceful novel" → replace with "past fiction"
• "A line-by-line description" → replace with "past fiction"
• "The passage suggests" → replace with "the author thinks"

Why this works:

• Reduces cognitive load by using consistent, simple labels.
• Keeps focus on the core relationships rather than surface-level wording.
• Makes it easier to spot which answer choices align with the passage's argument.

🎬 Example comparison

The excerpt provides seven original AAMC questions alongside their simplified restatements. Here's how the technique transforms them:

Original Question 1: "The author of the passage believes that the fiction written by the current generation of authors:"

Simplified Restatement: "The author believes current fiction is:"

• The restatement strips away unnecessary words ("of the passage," "written by the current generation of authors").
• It focuses on the core concept: the author's judgment of current fiction.
• Answer choices are similarly simplified (e.g., "not as good as past fiction" vs. "lacks the significance of fiction written by previous generations").

⚖️ Maintaining the core meaning

Important caution from the excerpt:

• "Keep in mind that this is a simplification."
• The simplified version is a tool for analysis, not a complete replacement.
• After using simplification to narrow choices, verify your answer against the full passage language.

🔬 The analogy to ideal gases

🧪 How the analogy works

The excerpt compares simplification to a scientific modeling technique:

"This is much like using the concept of an ideal gas to approximate the behavior of a real gas and then adding the characteristics of a real gas for the detailed work."

What this means:

• Step 1: Use the simplified model (ideal gas / simplified main idea) to understand basic behavior.
• Step 2: Add back complexity (real gas characteristics / full passage details) for precise work.
• The simplified model isn't "wrong"—it's a useful approximation that makes analysis manageable.

🎯 When simplification helps most

The technique is "often helpful" but particularly valuable when:

• The main idea contains multiple moving parts or comparisons.
• Questions reference specific details that relate to broader categories.
• You feel overwhelmed trying to hold all the passage nuances in mind at once.

Don't confuse: Simplification is not about ignoring details—it's about organizing them under clearer conceptual umbrellas so you can process questions more efficiently.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

A systematic marking system for answer choices helps test-takers track their reasoning, make better guesses, and avoid bubbling errors when completed immediately after each question.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Four-symbol marking system: use distinct symbols to record your confidence level for each answer choice (absolutely wrong, probably wrong, no idea, possibly correct).
• Why marking helps: saves time by tracking your thoughts and guides your instincts for more accurate guessing.
• When to bubble: circle and bubble each answer immediately after deciding—do not wait to bubble multiple answers at once.
• Common confusion: bubbling several answers at a time feels efficient but is actually the most common source of bubbling errors.
• The 5-second break: not a productive time for bubbling; bubble as you go for speed and accuracy.

✏️ The marking system

✏️ Four symbols for four confidence levels

The excerpt describes a system where you mark each answer choice letter with one of four symbols as you evaluate it:

Symbol	Meaning	What it signals
Diagonal line through letter	Absolutely incorrect	You have dismissed this answer with certainty
Small x to the left	Probably incorrect	You feel the answer is wrong but aren't certain
Small horizontal line to the left	No idea	You have no inclination whether it's right or wrong
Small circle to the left	Possibly correct	You like the answer but aren't certain it's correct

Example from the excerpt:

• A with diagonal line: Absolutely incorrect
• B with small x: Probably incorrect
• C with horizontal line: No idea
• D with small circle: Possibly correct

🎯 Why this system works

• Saves time: you don't have to re-evaluate answer choices you've already considered; your marks remind you of your previous thinking.
• Guides instincts: recording your impressions helps you make more accurate guesses when you're uncertain.
• Externalizes reasoning: by marking your thoughts next to each letter, you create a visual record of your decision-making process.

Don't confuse: this is not about making random marks—each symbol has a specific meaning that reflects your level of confidence in that answer choice.

🔘 Bubbling strategy

🔘 Bubble immediately after deciding

When you decide upon an answer, circle the correct letter and bubble in the answer on your test immediately.

• The excerpt emphasizes: DO NOT wait until you have answered several questions and then bubble in several answer choices at a time.
• Bubble as you go, one answer at a time.

⚠️ The most common bubbling error

The excerpt identifies waiting to bubble multiple answers as "the most common way that bubbling errors occur."

Why immediate bubbling is better:

• Fastest: no need to relocate questions or re-track your place
• Most accurate: you bubble while the question is fresh in your mind
• Most efficient: eliminates the risk of misaligning your bubbles with question numbers

⏱️ Don't save bubbling for breaks

The excerpt specifically warns: "Bubbling in answer choices is NOT a productive way to spend your 5 second break."

• The recommended method is to bubble immediately after circling your answer.
• This approach is described as "the fastest, most accurate and efficient method."

Example: If you finish Question 10 and decide the answer is C, circle C and bubble it in right then—don't wait until you've finished Questions 11 and 12 to bubble all three at once.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Bubbling in answers immediately after deciding on each question—rather than batching several at once—is the fastest, most accurate, and most efficient method that prevents common bubbling errors.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• When to bubble: circle the correct letter and bubble in the answer on your test immediately after deciding.
• What NOT to do: do not wait until you have answered several questions and then bubble in several answer choices at a time.
• Why it matters: batching bubbles is the most common way that bubbling errors occur.
• Common confusion: some test-takers think batching saves time, but bubbling during 5-second breaks is not productive—bubble as you go instead.
• Best practice: one answer at a time is the fastest, most accurate, and efficient method.

⏰ The timing principle

⏰ Bubble immediately

• As soon as you decide upon an answer, take two actions in sequence:
  1. Circle the correct letter on the test booklet.
  2. Bubble in the answer on your answer sheet right away.
• Do not defer the bubbling step.

🚫 Why batching fails

The most common way that bubbling errors occur: waiting until you have answered several questions and then bubbling in several answer choices at a time.

• Batching creates opportunities for misalignment: you may skip a line, bubble the wrong row, or lose track of which question corresponds to which bubble.
• The excerpt emphasizes this is the most common error source, meaning it is a frequent and avoidable mistake.

🎯 What counts as efficient

🎯 One answer at a time

• The excerpt explicitly states: "Bubble as you go, one answer at a time."
• This approach is described as the fastest, most accurate, and efficient method.
• Don't confuse: it may feel like batching saves time, but the risk of errors and the need to double-check actually slow you down.

🛑 Don't use break time for bubbling

• The excerpt warns: "Bubbling in answer choices is NOT a productive way to spend your 5 second break."
• Break time should be used for rest or mental reset, not administrative tasks.
• Example: if you save bubbling for a break, you are using cognitive energy on a mechanical task when you should be refreshing your focus.

📋 Summary of the method

Step	Action	Why
Decide on answer	Circle the correct letter in the test booklet	Marks your choice clearly
Bubble immediately	Fill in the corresponding bubble on the answer sheet	Prevents misalignment and errors
Repeat for each question	One at a time, no batching	Fastest, most accurate, most efficient

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The main idea—a one- or two-sentence summary capturing the author's opinion and the passage's emphasis—is central to answering roughly 90% of Verbal Section questions, and must be constructed actively while reading rather than searched for afterward.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What the main idea is: a statement about the passage topics that includes the author's opinion and reflects the passage's emphasis, not a list or outline of topics.
• Why it matters: approximately 90% of Verbal Section questions concern the main idea in some form.
• Common confusion: the main idea cannot be found by going back to search for details; you must concentrate on it while reading the entire passage.
• How questions mislead: questions are designed to subtly redirect your thoughts away from the true main idea toward "insidious pseudo-themes."
• When to construct it: pause for 20 seconds after reading a passage to construct the main idea in your head; practice by writing it out a few days after practice exams.

📝 What the main idea is (and isn't)

📝 Definition and scope

The main idea is a summary of the passage in one or two sentences. It should reflect the author's opinion (if presented or implied), and it should emphasize minor topics to the same extent as they are emphasized in the passage.

• It is not a list of topics discussed in the passage.
• It is not an outline of those topics.
• It is a statement about the passage topics, and includes the author's opinion.

🚫 Don't confuse: topic list vs. statement about topics

• A topic list: "The passage discusses X, Y, and Z."
• A main idea statement: "The author argues that X causes Y, while Z is less important."
• The main idea captures what the author is saying about the topics, not just what the topics are.

🎯 Why the main idea is critical

🎯 90% of questions depend on it

• In one form or another, 90% of the Verbal Section questions will concern the main idea.
• This means the vast majority of questions test your understanding of the passage's central message, not isolated details.

🔍 You can't find it by searching for details

• The main idea cannot be found by going back to the passage and searching for details.
• You must concentrate on the main idea while you read the entire passage.
• If you read for detail or try to remember what you have read rather than process what you are reading, you will have to guess at 90% of the questions.

Example: If you focus on memorizing facts ("The passage mentions three experiments"), you miss the author's argument ("The author uses three experiments to challenge the prevailing theory").

🛡️ How questions try to mislead you

🛡️ The importance of a clear concept before reading questions

• It is important to have a clear concept of the main idea before reading any questions.
• MCAT Verbal Section questions are designed to take your inchoate (not fully formed) thoughts concerning the passage and subtly redirect them away from the true main idea.

🎭 "Insidious pseudo-themes"

• Each successive question embellishes on insidious pseudo-themes, steering unwary followers into an abyss from which there is no return.
• Like a faithful paladin, your clearly stated main idea unmasks these impostors and leads you toward the holy grail of Verbal Section perfection.

Don't confuse: A pseudo-theme may sound plausible because it touches on passage topics, but it misrepresents the author's actual emphasis or opinion.

⏱️ When and how to construct the main idea

⏱️ During the exam: 20-second pause

• While taking the exam, make a 20-second pause after reading a passage, and construct the main idea in your head.
• Bubble in answer choices as you go, one at a time (this is unrelated to the main idea but mentioned in the excerpt as efficient practice).

✍️ During practice: write it out

• Writing the main idea on paper is an important step toward improving your ability to find the main idea; however, it requires too much time while taking the exam.
• Instead, a few days after taking a practice exam, go back to each passage and write out the main idea.

🚨 Common mistake: waiting too long to practice

• Most students resist writing out their main idea until they are halfway through the course and the materials.
• At that point they begin to realize how important the main idea is, but unfortunately they must start from scratch and begin writing out the main idea with only four weeks until the MCAT.
• Don't do this. Start now by going back to used passages and writing out the main idea.
• It's very painful at first, but it will get easier, and it will dramatically improve your score.

🔧 Constructing the main idea (partial guidance)

🔧 Step 1: Write down the main topics

• A good main idea can be formed as follows:
  1. After reading the passage, write down the main topics. Each topic should be from [the passage].
• (The excerpt cuts off here; further steps are not provided.)

Note: The excerpt begins to describe a method for constructing the main idea but does not complete the list of steps.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Constructing a clear main idea—by identifying key topics, relating them, and including the author's opinion—is essential because 90% of Verbal Section questions test understanding of the main idea rather than isolated details.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Why the main idea matters: 90% of Verbal Section questions concern the main idea; it cannot be found by searching for details.
• Common confusion: reading for detail vs. processing for the main idea—trying to remember facts instead of understanding the author's central claim leads to guessing on most questions.
• How to construct it: write down main topics, relate them in short phrases, then connect into one or two sentences that reflect the passage's emphasis and the author's opinion.
• Practice method: after practice exams, go back and write out the main idea for each passage; during the real exam, pause 20 seconds to construct it mentally.
• Why students resist: most students delay practicing main-idea construction until halfway through their course, then must start from scratch with only four weeks left.

🛠️ The construction process

🛠️ Step 1: Identify main topics

• After reading the passage, write down the main topics.
• Each topic should be one to four words.
• This step extracts the core subjects without detail.

🔗 Step 2: Relate topics in short phrases

• Choose the most important topics, two or three at a time.
• Write a short phrase that relates them to each other and to the passage.
• Example: if topics are "elasticity," "substitutes," and "taxes," a phrase might be "elasticity depends on substitutes and affects tax burden."

📝 Step 3: Connect into one or two sentences

• Combine the phrases into one or two sentences.
• The sentences should:
  • Still concern the most important topics.
  • Incorporate the other topics as well.
  • Include the author's opinion if it was given or implied.
  • Emphasize each topic to the same extent it was emphasized in the passage.
• This final product is your main idea.
• Over time, you will be able to construct the main idea in your head without writing.

⚠️ Why detail-reading fails

⚠️ The trap of searching for details

• The main idea cannot be found by going back to the passage and searching for details.
• You must concentrate on the main idea while you read the entire passage.
• Don't confuse: "reading for detail" (trying to remember what you have read) vs. "processing for the main idea" (understanding what the author is saying).

🎯 Questions are designed to mislead

• MCAT Verbal Section questions are designed to take your vague thoughts about the passage and subtly redirect them away from the true main idea.
• Each successive question builds on misleading pseudo-themes, steering unwary test-takers into confusion.
• A clearly stated main idea acts like a guide, unmasking these impostors and leading you toward correct answers.

🏋️ Practice strategy

🏋️ Writing vs. mental construction

• Writing the main idea on paper is an important step toward improving your ability to find it.
• However, it requires too much time during the actual exam.
• During practice: a few days after taking a practice exam, go back to each passage and write out the main idea.
• During the exam: make a 20-second pause after reading a passage and construct the main idea in your head.

🚫 The common mistake

• Most students resist writing out their main idea until they are halfway through the course and materials.
• At that point, they begin to realize how important the main idea is.
• Unfortunately, they must start from scratch and begin writing out the main idea with only four weeks until the MCAT.
• Don't do this: start now by going back to used passages and writing out the main idea.
• It's very painful at first, but it will get easier and will dramatically improve your score.

🧠 Understanding the author

🧠 Create a mental picture

• You must become familiar with the author.
• Ask: Who is he or she? Is the author young or old; rich or poor; male or female; conservative or liberal?
• Take a guess; create a picture of the author in your mind.
• Use your prejudices to stereotype the author.

🔍 Why harsh judgment helps

• Your harsh judgment of the author is everything to understanding what he or she is trying to say.
• The better you understand the author, the easier the questions will be.
• Read with emotion and judge harshly.
• Don't confuse: this is not about being fair; it's about building a clear mental model of the author's perspective to predict their reasoning.

💪 Confidence when passages seem hard

💪 Don't panic over incomprehensible passages

• Often on the MCAT, passages seem incomprehensible—don't get bent (don't panic).
• Remember: most questions are answered correctly by 60% or more of test-takers, and only two or three are answered incorrectly by less than 40%.
• No group of questions will be that difficult.

🚫 Don't reread obsessively

• Have the confidence to keep reading.
• Don't reread a line or paragraph over and over until you master it.
• If a line or paragraph is incomprehensible to you, it is probably incomprehensible to everyone else.
• Understanding it will not help your score.

✅ Focus on general sense

• Instead, continue reading until you get to something that you do understand.
• Just get the general sense of what the author is trying to say.
• Chances are good that this will be enough to answer all the questions.
• Remember: after you read the passage, you have four tools beyond your understanding of the passage to help you answer the questions.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

When MCAT passages seem incomprehensible, test-takers should maintain confidence and keep reading rather than rereading difficult sections, because most questions are answered correctly by the majority of test-takers and understanding will come from grasping the general sense rather than mastering every detail.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Difficulty is shared: most questions are answered correctly by 60% or more of test-takers, and only two or three questions per passage are missed by more than 40%, so no question set will be overwhelmingly difficult.
• Don't reread obsessively: if a line or paragraph is incomprehensible to you, it is probably incomprehensible to everyone else, and understanding it will not help your score.
• General sense is enough: continue reading until you reach something you understand; getting the general sense of what the author is trying to say is usually sufficient to answer all the questions.
• Common confusion: students often think they must master every detail before moving on, but the excerpt emphasizes that comprehension of difficult sections is not necessary for success.
• Beyond the passage: after reading, you have four tools beyond your understanding of the passage to help answer questions (the excerpt mentions this but does not list them here).

🛡️ Maintaining confidence when passages are hard

🛡️ Why incomprehensible passages shouldn't worry you

• The excerpt acknowledges that "passages seem incomprehensible" on the MCAT.
• The key instruction: "Don't get bent!"—stay calm and confident.
• Statistical reassurance: the excerpt provides concrete numbers to justify confidence:
  • Most questions are answered correctly by 60% or more of test-takers.
  • Only two or three questions are answered incorrectly by less than 40% (meaning more than 60% get them wrong).
• Implication: "no group of questions will be that difficult."
• Example: if a passage feels overwhelming, remember that the majority of test-takers will still answer most questions correctly, so the difficulty is manageable.

🚫 What not to do with difficult sections

The excerpt does not define "incomprehensible" formally, but uses it to mean sections that are very hard to understand on first reading.

• Don't reread obsessively: "Don't reread a line or paragraph over and over until you master it."
• Why not: "If a line or paragraph is incomprehensible to you, then it is probably incomprehensible to everyone else."
• Key insight: shared difficulty means understanding that section will not differentiate your score from others.
• The excerpt explicitly states: "understanding it will not help your score."
• Don't confuse: this is not about skipping the entire passage, but about not getting stuck on one difficult part.

📖 The right reading strategy

📖 Keep reading forward

• Core instruction: "Have the confidence to keep reading."
• Instead of stopping at a difficult line or paragraph, "continue reading until you get to something that you do understand."
• The goal: "Just get the general sense of what the author is trying to say."
• The excerpt reassures: "Chances are good that this will be enough to answer all the questions."

🧰 Tools beyond passage understanding

• The excerpt mentions: "after you read the passage you have four tools beyond your understanding of the passage to help you answer the questions."
• The excerpt does not list these four tools in this section (section 3.3).
• Implication: even if your understanding of the passage is incomplete, other strategies and tools will help you succeed on the questions.

🎯 Summary of the confidence mindset

Situation	What students often do	What the excerpt recommends
Passage seems incomprehensible	Panic, reread obsessively, try to master every detail	Stay confident, keep reading forward
A line or paragraph is very hard	Stop and reread until understood	Recognize it's hard for everyone; skip to something clearer
Worried about answering questions	Fear that incomplete understanding will hurt score	Trust that general sense + four other tools will be enough

• The excerpt's tone is reassuring and practical: difficulty is normal, shared, and manageable.
• The statistical evidence (60% correct rate, only 2–3 very hard questions) is meant to build confidence.
• Example: if you encounter a dense paragraph about a technical concept, don't stop—move on to the next paragraph where the author may restate or clarify, and you'll likely grasp enough to answer the questions.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Understanding the author's identity, perspective, and motivations is the key to answering passage questions correctly, because the right answer is the one the author would give.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What "knowing the author" means: creating a mental picture of who the author is—demographics, values, personality—even if you have to guess.
• How to build this picture: use stereotypes and prejudices to form a vivid, emotional impression of the author.
• Why it matters: the better you understand the author, the easier the questions become; the correct answer is how that author would answer.
• The decision rule: when answering a question, ask "If this author were right here in front of me, how would he answer this question?"—that is the correct answer.
• Common confusion: don't treat the passage as a neutral information source; instead, read with emotion and judge the author harshly to understand their perspective.

🎭 Building the author profile

🎭 What to imagine

The excerpt instructs you to ask:

• Who is the author?
• Demographic traits: young or old, rich or poor, male or female?
• Ideological stance: conservative or liberal?
• Your emotional reaction: do you love or hate this author?

"Create a picture of the author in your mind. Use your prejudices to stereotype the author."

• This is not about accuracy in an objective sense; it is about forming a working model of the author's voice and stance.
• Example: if the passage discusses social policy with cautious language, you might picture a conservative, older author; if it uses passionate, reform-oriented language, you might picture a younger, liberal author.

🧠 Why stereotyping helps

• The excerpt says: "Your harsh judgment of the author is everything to understanding what he is trying to say."
• Stereotyping and emotional engagement make the author's perspective memorable and predictable.
• Don't confuse: this is a test-taking strategy, not a claim about real-world fairness; the goal is to internalize the author's viewpoint quickly.

🔍 Using the author to answer questions

🔍 The decision rule

When you reach a question:

• Ask yourself: "If this author were right here in front of me, how would he answer this question?"
• The way the author would answer is the correct answer.

🔍 Why this works

• The excerpt emphasizes that understanding the author makes questions easier.
• Questions test your grasp of the author's argument, opinion, and reasoning—not neutral facts in isolation.
• Example: if the author is skeptical of a theory, an answer choice that endorses that theory uncritically is likely wrong; the author would choose a more cautious or critical response.

🔥 Reading with emotion

🔥 How to read

• "Read with emotion and judge harshly."
• Don't treat the passage as a detached information dump; engage with it as if the author is speaking directly to you.
• Form strong opinions about the author's stance, tone, and biases.

🔥 Why emotion matters

• Emotional engagement helps you remember the author's perspective and predict their answers.
• A vivid, even exaggerated, mental picture of the author is easier to recall under time pressure than abstract facts.
• Don't confuse: this is not about your own opinions on the topic; it is about inhabiting the author's perspective fully.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Focusing on the author's main message—the "big picture"—rather than memorizing passage details is the key to answering most questions correctly.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Why ignore details: Details can be found quickly if needed and are rarely important for answering questions.
• What to focus on instead: The big picture—what the author is trying to say, the author's main point or "beef."
• How this helps: The author's main idea is the key to answering 90% of the questions.
• Common confusion: Don't mistake memorizing facts for understanding the passage; understanding the author's purpose matters more than recalling specifics.

🎯 The core strategy

🎯 Why details don't matter

• The excerpt states there is "no reason to remember the details of a passage."
• Details can be located in seconds when needed.
• They are "rarely important to answering a question."
• Don't confuse: being able to recall a detail ≠ being able to answer questions well.

🔍 What the big picture means

The big picture: what the author is trying to say; the author's main point or "beef."

• Instead of memorizing facts, ask yourself: "What is the author trying to say to me? What's his beef?"
• The "beef" is the main idea—the central message or argument the author wants to communicate.
• Example: If a passage discusses multiple scientific theories, the big picture might be the author's opinion on which theory is most valid, not the technical details of each theory.

🔑 Why the big picture matters

🔑 It answers most questions

• The excerpt claims the author's "beef" (main idea) is "the key to answering 90% of the questions."
• Questions are designed around the author's purpose and main argument, not around isolated facts.
• When you understand what the author is trying to communicate overall, individual question answers become clearer.

🧭 How to apply this approach

• While reading, constantly ask: "What is the author's main point?"
• Don't get stuck trying to memorize every detail or technical term.
• If you need a specific detail to answer a question, you can quickly scan back to find it.
• Focus your mental energy on grasping the author's overall message and perspective.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The most effective way to improve your MCAT Verbal Reasoning score is to analyze questions and answer choices independently of the passage first, then match them to a precisely worded main idea, rather than studying explanations of correct answers.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Why studying correct-answer explanations is ineffective: it teaches you about passage topics but not what to do differently next time; it falsely suggests answers are found in specific passage locations.
• Common confusion: most MCAT answers require understanding the passage as a whole, not proof from one specific place in the passage.
• The recommended method: examine questions/answers without the passage first, then write out the main idea and match it to all questions and choices.
• What doesn't work well: reading articles without questions, or relying on brief explanations that don't build comprehension skills.
• Time investment: the analysis process should take at least 30 minutes per passage to be effective.

❌ Why traditional study methods fail

❌ The problem with studying explanations

Studying the correct answers to many verbal questions in order to discover why they are correct is probably a waste of your precious time.

• You may learn something about the passage topic, but you do not learn what you can do differently next time to improve your score.
• Most explanations justify answers by pointing to a specific place in the passage claimed to support or prove the correct answer.
• Danger: this practice can even lower your MCAT score by giving you the false impression that answers can be found in a specific place in the passage.
• Most MCAT answers require an understanding of the passage as a whole and cannot be proven correct by reading from one place in the passage.
• Most verbal materials provide explanations that are too brief and not particularly insightful; reading them is doubtful to increase your reading comprehension skills.

📚 Other ineffective approaches

Method	Why it's not optimal
Book clubs / reading groups	Not particularly practical for most premeds; only effective if there are strong, insightful readers in the group
Reading magazine/newspaper articles alone	Significantly less effective method for improving reading comprehension skills
Reading articles without questions	At the very least, you should be spending your reading time doing verbal passages followed by questions

✅ The recommended study method

📋 The eight-step process

The most effective method of study to improve your MCAT verbal score involves the following steps:

Phase 1: Initial testing

1. Take a verbal test under strict timed conditions and score yourself.
2. Take a break from verbal for at least one day.

Phase 2: Question analysis (without the passage) 3. Take the set of questions for the first passage in the verbal exam that you recently finished and examine the questions and each answer choice as if you had never read the passage, as was done in Lecture 2 of this book.

• Time check: If this step takes you less than 30 minutes per passage, then do it again because you missed quite a bit.

4. Repeat step 3 for each passage.
5. Take a break from verbal for at least one day.

Phase 3: Main idea analysis 6. Carefully read the first passage in the same verbal test, and write out a precisely worded main idea in one or two complete sentences being certain that your main idea expresses the author's opinion or stance on the issues. 7. Match your main idea to each question and all the answer choices and see what insights you gain into answering MCAT questions as was done in Lecture 3 of this book. 8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for each passage.

⏱️ Timing and breaks

• Strict timed conditions for the initial test simulate real exam pressure.
• At least one day break between phases prevents burnout and allows mental processing.
• 30 minutes minimum per passage for question analysis ensures thorough examination; less time means you're missing important insights.

🎯 What makes this method effective

• Step 3 focus: examining questions and answer choices independently (as if you had never read the passage) builds the skill of understanding what questions are really asking.
• Step 6 focus: writing out a precisely worded main idea that expresses the author's opinion or stance trains you to capture the passage's core argument.
• Step 7 focus: matching the main idea to each question and all answer choices reveals patterns in how MCAT questions relate to the passage as a whole.
• Don't confuse: this is not about memorizing passage content or answer explanations; it's about learning a repeatable process for approaching any passage.