🎯 15.6 Getting the Edge Using the CARS Question Types

15.6 Getting the Edge Using the CARS Question Types

15.6 Getting the Edge Using the CARS Question Types

One of the major turning points of any student preparing for the MCAT is learning to see the underlying structure and patterns of the test. Nowhere else is this advantage more pronounced than in the CARS section. Not only have you seen that the AAMC uses patterns in the passages, but in this chapter we focused on the patterns of the questions and answer choices themselves. To ensure you've developed the edge when attacking CARS questions, use this litmus test: from the question stem alone, can you plan how exactly how you'd attack that particular question? If so, that is a good indication that you're seeing the underlying question patterns in the CARS section.

Furthermore, as with all parts of the MCAT, the best way to improve your performance with the CARS questions is to practice and then effectively review. Systematic review of how you answer questions will help you determine weaknesses and formulate a study plan to ameliorate them. If you find that you are not improving steadily, take an honest look at your critical-thinking skills to determine what you need to do to improve your score. A helpful tool to self-diagnose the areas you need help with is deconstruction. For a missed question, try to identify the specific step of your Kaplan Method where you made a mistake. Did you miss the question behind the question? That's a Type and Rephrase issue! Did you return to the wrong part of the passage or not return at all? That's an Investigate (potentially a Read and Distill) issue! Did you fall for a wrong answer pathology? That's a Match issue! Once you have identified a specific step where your method needs improvement, spend time consciously working on it!