13.1 Reading the Passage
13.1 Reading the Passage
One of the worst things you can do as a test taker is to approach a physics passage with an attitude such as the following: “I’m going to read this entire passage, memorizing all of the details and data points as I go along, so that I won’t need to waste time referring to the passage while I answer the questions.” This approach results in a tremendous amount of time lost. No points are granted on the MCAT for reading and memorizing the passage. Trust the questions to dictate what details you need from the passage beyond the major takeaways. The passage will always contain information that appears testable but is simply not tested. Remember, the MCAT is asking you to apply what you know to the topic at hand. For some questions, the topic of the passage won’t even be important; you’ll simply need to apply your knowledge.
Passage Types
The MCAT features two types of passages in the physics section as described in Table 13.1. Identifying the type of passage you are reading helps you to predict what is going to be important for the questions.
Information Passages
- Read like a textbook or journal article.
- Usually describe natural or synthetic phenomena.
- Often provide definitions of new terms.
- Commonly include diagrams of an apparatus.
Experiment Passages
- Consist of an experiment or multiple experiments conducted.
- Generally a variable is manipulated, a parameter is measured, and a conclusion is formed.
- A table or graph with data from the experiment may be presented, and you will likely be asked to interpret the data.
- When multiple experiments are performed, the similarities and differences between the experiments are likely to be tested.
- If making a small change to an experiment creates a radically different result, expect a question that requires you to interpret the results.
As you prepare for the MCAT, remember that your skill at identifying and absorbing what is important within a passage and skimming over what is not important directly translates into time saved and more points on Test Day.
Table 13.1.MCAT Physics—Passage Types
Information Passages Experiment Passages
Goal To present information To summarize an experiment performed
Contents Information about some phenomena, information presented in a predictable way, a new equation, considerable detail that may or may not be important A hypothesis, a procedure, data (often in the form of charts and/or tables), a new equation; may consist of two or more experiments
How to read passages Quickly identify where the details are located but no need to memorize; get the gist of each paragraph and move on to the next Pay attention to the hypothesis behind the experiment, the procedure, and the outcome; if two experiments are conducted with drastically different results, pay attention to the differences between the experiments
Similar to Textbook, journal article Lab report
Reading and Distilling the Passage
Regardless of how the passages in this section differ from those found in the other sections, the same Kaplan Method should be applied across all sciences. Read the passage quickly and efficiently; apply the Distill method best suited to the kind of information being conveyed.
- Preview for difficulty
- Note the structure of the passage, the location of the paragraphs, and any figures such as charts, graphs, tables, or diagrams.
- Determine whether the passage is an experiment or an information passage.
- Determine the topic and the degree of difficulty.
- Identify whether this passage requires a large time investment.
- Decide whether this passage is one to do now or later.
- Choose your approach
- Using information from the Preview step, Choose an appropriate Distill approach for the passage (Interrogate, Outline, or Highlight).
- Interrogation should be chosen for experiment passages.
- Outlining should be chosen for information passages that are dense or detail heavy.
- Highlighting should be chosen for information passages that are light on details.
- Read and Distill key themes
- While reading the passage, your aim is to distill the major takeaway of each paragraph and identify testable information using one of the following approaches.
- Interrogate: Thoroughly examine the experiment passage by identifying the key components of experimental design and interrogating why specific procedures were done and how they connect to the overall purpose of the experiment.
- Outline: Create a brief label for each paragraph that summarizes the contents of the paragraph, allowing you to return quickly to the passage when demanded by a question.
- Highlight: Highlight one to three terms per paragraph that can pull your attention back to testable information when demanded by a question.
Physics passages often have paragraphs that describe equations. If there is an equation, determine its purpose as part of your Read and Distill step. This will allow you to return to it when needed. You can find the purpose of equations by asking, What does this allow me to solve for? In addition, if there is a paragraph that describes only variables, make a note of this as you will likely need this information later.
13.3 Getting the Edge in Physics
13.3 Getting the Edge in Physics
Obtaining an elite score on Test Day requires you not only to understand the fundamental concepts of physics but also to have the ability to apply these concepts and perform the required mathematical or critical-thinking operations. This ability starts with your foundation in physics. Memorizing the equations and hoping that the section will be all “plug and chug” is not enough. You need to know the equations and have a conceptual understanding of the physics behind the equations.
On Test Day, there will be two types of physics passages: information and experiment passages. On an information passage, the questions mostly focus on the information in the passage. You are likely to see many questions that do not require information from the passage. On experiment passages, a complete understanding of the experiment is required; this includes the hypothesis tested by the experiment, the details of how the experiment was done, and how to interpret the data obtained from the experiment. The questions accompanying an experiment passage likely require you to use information found in the passage as well as draw conclusions and make predictions based on the data provided.
A systematic method for answering questions is required to maximize your points on Test Day. In physics, the Kaplan Method helps you avoid making unnecessary mistakes while also maximizing your potential. Remember that correct answer choices match the appropriate sign and units for that particular vector or scalar quantity.