Here is what Gianluca said in short note form: CARS method from Gianluca 1. Gather resources. Save AAMC tests till the end. 2. Improve accuracy. 3. Decrease Time. 4. Increase endurance (how many passages you can do without losing your marbles More detailed: Step 1. No time, 80% accuracy on passages. (One passage) Step 2. Introduce variable of time. 15 min/passage. 80% accuracy. (One passage) Step 3. Gradually decrease by 1 min, Increase by 1 passage for each time you reach 80%. End Goal: 9 passages in a row. Answer each passage in 10 min. Then, over prepare: 9 passages in a row. 90% accuracy. Answer each passage in 8.5-9 minutes.
That's a super helpful summary Davide, thanks for clearing it up a bit. This was my first video and I feel like I'm definitely improving my presentation as time goes by :)
No problem, I'm glad you found it helpful :) CARS is definitely one of the more difficult parts about the MCAT when it comes to studying, so I hope this method works for you too. Best of luck!
Aha thanks man 😅 I'm just trying to share what helped me out since the test is sooo important. It's no problem though! Hope this works for you and best of luck! 💪
Ha, honestly I was very thankful to have a great support system during my MCAT prep, but those 3 months definitely were not easy. It was totally worth it in the end though! And thanks man, I appreciate it :)
@@nxtgenmd I like your methods too, they were obviously more effective then mine; applying principles of progressive overload to studying. I went from a 122 to 125 in CARS, doing 1-2 passages every morning for 6-8 months, but I hit a plateau and never was able to break it. Ended up being my lowest section by over 2 points. It's always great to have people around you supporting you while you're studying for this beast of a test.
@@samuelsmithmed214 I hear you man, CARS is a stubborn section - but I'm glad that the rest of your sections were higher. Give this method a try if you ever needed to rewrite and let me know what you think. Personally, I find the intensity of 90 minutes per day works better than an 8 month schedule. And I couldn't have said it better. The test is a beast, but a little support goes a long way!
@@samuelsmithmed214 Ah dude that's awesome! Congrats :) can't wait to follow your med school journey too on your channel. All the best and see you around
For sure. Hopefully I'll get to it sooner rather than later! In the meantime, the khan academy has some worked CARS examples up on their site for free if you'd like :)
Thank you so much for the video! I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on what CARS material to use. Do you mind please sharing what CARS material you used when practicing and what did you think of each?
Glad it helped :) My favourite CARS material are the khan academy passages - they were very representative of the passages I saw on my actual test. I've linked a bunch of free passages in the description of this video if you're interested ua-cam.com/video/q8EY05EuO6Q/v-deo.html Additionally, I also bought the AAMC practice bank for CARS and the 4 AAMC practice tests (these were full tests but they are also the best CARS resources). Because official AAMC material is limited, as are the khan academy passages, you need to diversify your resources if you're planning to study every day 🤙
I've been practicing CARS passages for about 3 weeks now but I'm going to incorporate your method and see how it goes. Also, what medical school are you in?
Hey! Great use of progressive overload outside of the gym :) My one concern is that I will run out of passages. Did this happen to you? Also, how would you best use this system for a long-term study schedule (like +1 year). Thanks
Hey Billy, thank you! That's a very real concern when it comes to studying for CARS, especially with this method. Luckily there really are a lot of great resources out there - some free and others not. Tomorrow I'm doing another video where I talk about my 5 best tips for CARS and I'm also linking a bunch of free passages to help when prepping. Also keep in mind that on days when you're doing a practice test, those passages are your CARS prep for the day. In terms of long-term prep, I'm not really too sure if this system would be compatible. Personally, I found that the only way to crack the 130+ mark for CARS was to consistently hammer away at it every day and be conscientious in correcting my answers. By studying for a year, you would definitely run out of passages (at least I think so). My advice for long term studying would be to buy a book with 100+ passages and do a few per day/week depending on your schedule and then when test day is 3 months away, you switch over to a more intense schedule like this one or similar. Hope this helps :)
Thank you for this video! Did you use outlines or write down main ideas when reading passages? Also did you apply the preview questions before reading the passage technique? I've tried these things but they have not worked out to great. Any suggestions for actively reading cars passages?
Np Ashley, glad you liked it :) I'll be putting together a new CARS video in the next few weeks about actively reading and answering passages. Briefly though, I didn't read the questions before the passage (tried it at first but it didn't work out for me), but I definitely took notes as I went through the passages. Not necessarily so that I could read them afterwards, but I just found that *brief, jot notes as I read through the passages helped to keep the information in my head long enough for me to finish the passages. I'd recommend reading the passage and trying to identify the tone* that the author is portraying. I'll talk more about this in detail later on, but basically are they supporting something, refuting something, mocking something, etc. Helps to eliminate possible option choices.
this is amazing, I have been practising CARS for 2 months (averaging 124-126 still), I only have 2 months left would this method still work to achieve 127+
2 months is a lot of time to notice improvement if you're using this method of studying! I would definitely say that 127+ is possible with 2 months left 🔥
Hey! I have over a month left before my exam and took some of the AAMC question packs on the cars passages. I found them ridiculously hard (I know the first couple are known to be the hardest on QPack 1 but even other passages I found difficult). I was wondering if when you started the Q packs (or when you recommend starting them) and how you found them? BTW thanks again for all the helpful videos!
No problem :) All of the MCAT Q packs were harder than the actual test imo. The best predictor of how I would actually do in each of the sections were the full length tests from the AAMC. I started doing the Q packs for each section (i didn't buy them all though) in my final month of studying. Good luck with your test though 🔥
No problem Nivetha :) I really liked the Jack Westin resources but found that Khan Academy questions were so so similar to the actual test. Ideally you should be using a variety of resources to get exposed to as much variety of possible. Best of luck!
could you by any chance go over your technique for reading CARS passages and answering questions? How long would you generally take to read a passage and then answer the questions? Would you read slowly (detail oriented) or focus more on the main idea and try to finish the passage as quick as possible and move on w/the questions? Thanks!
Definitely, if you think it would help then I can definitely give it a shot. :) You’re actually the second person who’s asked me for a video like that. Right now, I’m working on the “How to get into an Ontario Medical School” series of videos. So I’ll get around to it ASAP. When do you write the test? - Goodluck studying btw! Personally, by the end of my prep and by progressively overloading, I was reading very quickly and making small bullet notes as I went through. That way, if a question asked me for something specific, I could go back to that exact passage point and figure it out. Read at a speed that will allow you to understand how the author *feels* about the topic (support, refute, etc.) Short notes can be taken while reading to help with the specifics. Edit: personally, 4 minutes reading and 6 minutes for questions - give or take 1 minute on either end. I’ll explain this more in a video.
@@nxtgenmd oh I posted this: yes I'd love a video! I test in about a month and am nervous as hell for CARS because a) can't get my timing down perfectly and b) I'm inconsistent with accuracy. Sometimes CARS passages will feel effortless and other times I wanna bang my head against the wall after checking the answers. I agree with you on getting a feel of what the author feels. I usually do better when I have that down. But, could you expand on what you mean by making bullet points? Do you do that w/ every paragraph, or only specific ones? And do you make it on only specific things or every main idea presented? I'm definitely gonna try the method you recommended here. I have the potential to hit 130+ on the other sections but CARS is heavily stressing me out, especially because of its emphasis on ON med schools nowadays. Thanks :)
First of all, goodluck with the test! Keep the studying going strong into the final few weeks and I promise that I’ll have my fingers crossed for you :) So lets try and get a little in depth: a) as far as the timing goes, most students will feel as though timing is the issue when it comes to CARS. If youve tried my tips already, then focus specifically on “speed reading” the passage to train yourself. Give yourself 3 minutes to read and take as many notes on the passage as possible. This doesn’t necessarily need to be your plan for the actual test, but by training this way, it should help to increase your retention abilities. Do regular prep like youve been doing so far and on top of that, try working on speed reading. CARS NEEDS to be done 6 days a week for 90 min per day for the really high score improvements. Now as far as taking notes - I’m glad that youre already reading to try and understand how the author feels :) The notes should reflect this. As I was reading, I would write notes on my page that wrap up key points. I would do this without taking my eyes off from the screen. The very act of writing seemed to help engage my brain (studies also prove this) and helped me to better understand the passage. For example, if I had a passage on politics, and they gave an example of something that one of the former presidents did. I would read it and the quickly jot down a few words. “His actions were selfish and were poorly received.” Notes shouldn’t take too long, theyre just so that you can keep yourself interested in the passage and engaged. b) being inconsistent with accuracy is definitely something that can be improved. But remember that some passages are just going to be harder than others. Unfortunately, my only tips for accuracy were outlined in this video. I set goals for myself and then kept hammering away at passages. First 70 % then 80% then 90%. Before i went into the test, I was averaging around 90-95% on my passages... but every 4 passages or so I would come across one that I’d totally bomb 😅 maybe like 50-60%. I chose to treat this as outliers, but tbh, I think that these were just the result of a personal lack of focus. I personally work very well after I’ve had some coffee, (not the case for everyone). The day of my exam, I filled an entire 750mL bottle with black coffee and kept myself hyper caffeinated during the exam... I promise that there was no lack of concentration after that LOL. You need to find what works for you. The test is equal parts preparation and stress management on test day. You’re definitely right about the ON schools and CARS. I really hope this helped out a bit. Im going to try and get another CARS video up ASAP. But in the meantime, best of luck!
What, precisely, were you doing at 70% time? Did you switch from reading the passages to skimming them to identify the location of claims? I'm curious to know how your test-taking behaviour changed as you improved.
Hi Vivian :) I don't quite understand what you mean by what I was doing at "70% time." As time went on, I was able to read passages more efficiently and take shorter notes. Sometimes, information in a passage is just "filler" or is being used as a second or 3rd supporting detail of the same point. I found that towards the end of my preparation I was better able to pick out these lower-yield areas of the passage and spend less time on these areas relatively speaking. Hope that helps!
@@nxtgenmd it does! It’s as if you trained your dentate gyrus in a specific kind of pattern separation sorting details into relevant and irrelevant through experience 😮
Hey Gianluca, I've been practicing using your method and I am now at building endurance stage (doing 9 passage 90 minutes) but my accuracy dropped to 60%...I am 3 weeks out from my exam date, If you have any advice on how to get back to 80%, I would really appreciate it.
Hey John, extend your time spent on each passage until you can comfortably increase your accurately back to the range you’d like to be 🤙 a few students have told me that this worked for them this summer
As soon as you feel comfortable with the step that you're currently on :) Ideally, you'll be shooting for 80% accuracy during the progressive overload steps, but if you mess up on a few passages, don't worry about it too much! The majority of your tests should be accurate on whichever step you're on before you move up though
@@nxtgenmd Thanks so much! Just wondering how long did it take you to move to the next stage? I am really struggling to get over 80% sometimes. I feel like I can spend the whole time in the world on a passage and still get it wrong. I don't know if I am overthinking about it but CARS is really destroying my confidence. I am doing okay on all the other sections but I feel like I am doomed on CARS.
Thanks for the video. Can you please write down step by step how this approach is accomplished starting from 1 passage to 9 passages, just so that I am clear? Thank you
Also, some passages are 5 Q, 6 Q and 7 Q, requiring slightly different times (ranging from 9 min-12.5 min), how do you accommodate this? Check the clock every 30 min expecting 3 passages to be done?
Hi Farah, I'm going to borrow this summary from another comment on the video - hope it clears things up a bit :) "Step 1. No time, 80% accuracy on passages. (One passage) Step 2. Introduce variable of time. 15 min/passage. 80% accuracy. (One passage) Step 3. Gradually decrease by 1 min, Increase by 1 passage for each time you reach 80%. End Goal: 9 passages in a row. Answer each passage in 10 min. Then, over prepare: 9 passages in a row. 90% accuracy. Answer each passage in 8.5-9 minutes" In terms of different passages having different numbers of questions - the solution is called "banking time." I discuss it a little more in depth in my video "5 tips on how I scored a 131 on the MCAT." To summarize though, you never want to go over 10 minutes per question (absolute limit). As you progress through for each passage, you take the extra time that you didn't use and carry it over to the next section. That way on average* each passage takes 10 minutes, but by banking time you can spend slightly longer on passages with more questions or that are harder. I would highly recommend watching my other video for clarification.
Hi, thanks very much for the video, do you think it's possible for ESL students to do well on CARS. I have been doing 5 to 9 passages a day but I don't see much improvments, do you think it has to do with me learning Eglish 6 years ago when I was 17. Thanks for your videos.
Hi Fazad, no problem :) I can definitely see how the CARS section would be much harder for you if english is not your first language. This wasn’t the case for myself, but I’ve had friends who have expressed similar concerns. The important thing to remember here is that although you will be at a disadvantage initially, you *should* still be able to improve from your original score with enough efficient practice - and the principles that I discuss in this video should still apply for you. The process however, may take longer than for a native English speaker . How long have you been practicing for CARS?
@@nxtgenmd Hi thanks very much for replying to me. I have been reading google articles for two years now since I knew I had to do this exam, and I did CARS in the past summer for 6 weeks doing all the AAMC practice passages and some exam crackers and next step and I scored 122 in my full length AAMC practice test. Then I started again beginning of January doing AAMC, Khan Academy, Exam Crackers, U World as well as Economics articles. I can say I do feel now that my speed is higher and my understanding is better but still don't think I have passed a 124 yet but I am still practicing. Your video is really on point trying to first focus on accuracy and then speed, and I am trying to follow your suggestion of doing 90 mins of CARS everyday. Thanks very much again for making this helpful video.
@@farzadfahimi18 I'm glad that you liked it. And that does sound like a lot of preparation that you've done for CARS so far - its great that you've been so dedicated! I think that a more consistent schedule will definitely pay off for you . My advice would definitely be to focus on accuracy first. I'm 100% sure that you will be able to break a 125 given your previous preparation if you follow this schedule, but I hope that it will go up even more than that. Try 90 minutes per day, 6 days per week for a few weeks and let me know if you notice any improvement. Best of luck studying. Keep up the great work :)
@@nxtgenmd Thanks very much for the advice. I have been doing 90 minutes of CARS now for the past 10 days and I can see that my endurance and comprehension have improved but I still struggle with timing, my problem is that I don't get to finish 9 passages in 90 minutes, I usually finish 6.5 passages in 90 minutes, I am hoping my timing will improve by doing more practices.
@@farzadfahimi18 Its no problem Farzad. I'm going to be making a more detailed video about the CARS section and how I would read passages sometime in the beginning of March. I'll try to include anything else that I can think of that will help you.
Hi. I tried searching for an email in your about me, but couldn't find one, as I thought it would be a better idea to send you a DM. Is there an email I can reach out to you with? Thanks in advance :)
Hi Parnia :) currently I only have a school email which I keep separate from UA-cam. You are more than welcome to message me on Instagram @NXTgenMD if you'd like though
Doubtful.. this is the best Canadian premed channel out there. Also, if you didn’t find it helpful within the first few minutes, why stick around?? Take responsibility for your own time management
Here is what Gianluca said in short note form:
CARS method from Gianluca
1. Gather resources. Save AAMC tests till the end.
2. Improve accuracy.
3. Decrease Time.
4. Increase endurance (how many passages you can do without losing your marbles
More detailed:
Step 1. No time, 80% accuracy on passages. (One passage)
Step 2. Introduce variable of time. 15 min/passage. 80% accuracy. (One passage)
Step 3. Gradually decrease by 1 min, Increase by 1 passage for each time you reach 80%.
End Goal: 9 passages in a row. Answer each passage in 10 min.
Then, over prepare: 9 passages in a row. 90% accuracy. Answer each passage in 8.5-9 minutes.
That's a super helpful summary Davide, thanks for clearing it up a bit. This was my first video and I feel like I'm definitely improving my presentation as time goes by :)
thank you Davide!
Gianluca puts so much work into every video.. you can just tell he wants to help premeds achieve their goal
Thank you Vijai :) I try my best and really appreciate it
"help me help you :)" 🥺 ty mcat tom cruise
LOL one of my favourite comments in a while. The Jerry Maguire reference was totally unintentional, but I'm glad it still got through :)
studying it rn, video is goated. hope med school is going well
You got this buddy 🔥 Just graduated LOL. Time flies, you'll see for yourself. Best of luck!
This was super helpful. I didn't know how to start studying/practicing for CARS, so I'm going to give this a shot! Thanks for making this video :)
No problem, I'm glad you found it helpful :) CARS is definitely one of the more difficult parts about the MCAT when it comes to studying, so I hope this method works for you too.
Best of luck!
Hey great advice! You are kind of funny in how you goof about the MCAT's ridiculousness, but I really believe in your advice. Thanks a lot!
Aha thanks man 😅 I'm just trying to share what helped me out since the test is sooo important. It's no problem though! Hope this works for you and best of luck! 💪
Very well laid out plan of attack for the CARS!
Thanks! It seemed to have made all the difference for me. Hopefully it helps some other people out too 💪
bro, your channel is UNDERRATED! Awesome content all around in your channel. Awesome job my friend!
Thanks so much bro :D appreciate it!
BLESS!! I am feeling much more confident with the CARS section using your tips.
Glad to hear that! Good luck with it 🔥
3 months straight 90 mins a day on CARS, how did you not go insane? Subbed btw.
Ha, honestly I was very thankful to have a great support system during my MCAT prep, but those 3 months definitely were not easy. It was totally worth it in the end though!
And thanks man, I appreciate it :)
@@nxtgenmd I like your methods too, they were obviously more effective then mine; applying principles of progressive overload to studying. I went from a 122 to 125 in CARS, doing 1-2 passages every morning for 6-8 months, but I hit a plateau and never was able to break it. Ended up being my lowest section by over 2 points. It's always great to have people around you supporting you while you're studying for this beast of a test.
@@samuelsmithmed214 I hear you man, CARS is a stubborn section - but I'm glad that the rest of your sections were higher. Give this method a try if you ever needed to rewrite and let me know what you think. Personally, I find the intensity of 90 minutes per day works better than an 8 month schedule.
And I couldn't have said it better. The test is a beast, but a little support goes a long way!
NXTgenMD fortunately got in so I won’t have to retake, but will be sending friends to this video when they want to improve on CARS
@@samuelsmithmed214 Ah dude that's awesome! Congrats :) can't wait to follow your med school journey too on your channel.
All the best and see you around
This is absolutely genius.
Aha thanks Alayna :) hope it works out for you 🤙
Really cool channel!! Thanks for making this video!
Thanks Malek :D No problem and best of luck!
Homeboi, that's such a good method, thanks!
No worries dude! Hope you kill this thing 💪
Haha. Thanks for bench press analogy. Really helped.
Ahah, it's no worries - really helped me out when I was studying too 😂
Thank you! It helps me a lot
I'm glad to hear that! :D Good luck with the exam
Can you do a video on how to approach difficult CARS passages? Like philosophy passages for example
For sure. Hopefully I'll get to it sooner rather than later! In the meantime, the khan academy has some worked CARS examples up on their site for free if you'd like :)
thank you so much! very helpful :)
Thank you! Good luck on your test 💪
thank you man!!!!!
Thank you!
thanks man, take care :)
Right back at you my friend :)
I will try this thanks
No problem :) Best of luck studying!
YOU ARE WITH THE TOP MCAT ADVICE.... !! GREATT THANK YOU !!!! I WORK IN A HOSPITAL
Thanks! Glad you liked the video. Best of luck with studying :)
Thank you so much for the video! I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on what CARS material to use. Do you mind please sharing what CARS material you used when practicing and what did you think of each?
Glad it helped :) My favourite CARS material are the khan academy passages - they were very representative of the passages I saw on my actual test. I've linked a bunch of free passages in the description of this video if you're interested ua-cam.com/video/q8EY05EuO6Q/v-deo.html
Additionally, I also bought the AAMC practice bank for CARS and the 4 AAMC practice tests (these were full tests but they are also the best CARS resources). Because official AAMC material is limited, as are the khan academy passages, you need to diversify your resources if you're planning to study every day 🤙
I've been practicing CARS passages for about 3 weeks now but I'm going to incorporate your method and see how it goes. Also, what medical school are you in?
Glad to hear it Simi :D hope it works out for you!
I'm at McMaster In Ontario
Hey! Great use of progressive overload outside of the gym :) My one concern is that I will run out of passages. Did this happen to you? Also, how would you best use this system for a long-term study schedule (like +1 year). Thanks
Hey Billy, thank you! That's a very real concern when it comes to studying for CARS, especially with this method. Luckily there really are a lot of great resources out there - some free and others not. Tomorrow I'm doing another video where I talk about my 5 best tips for CARS and I'm also linking a bunch of free passages to help when prepping. Also keep in mind that on days when you're doing a practice test, those passages are your CARS prep for the day.
In terms of long-term prep, I'm not really too sure if this system would be compatible. Personally, I found that the only way to crack the 130+ mark for CARS was to consistently hammer away at it every day and be conscientious in correcting my answers. By studying for a year, you would definitely run out of passages (at least I think so). My advice for long term studying would be to buy a book with 100+ passages and do a few per day/week depending on your schedule and then when test day is 3 months away, you switch over to a more intense schedule like this one or similar.
Hope this helps :)
Thank you for this video! Did you use outlines or write down main ideas when reading passages? Also did you apply the preview questions before reading the passage technique? I've tried these things but they have not worked out to great. Any suggestions for actively reading cars passages?
Np Ashley, glad you liked it :) I'll be putting together a new CARS video in the next few weeks about actively reading and answering passages. Briefly though, I didn't read the questions before the passage (tried it at first but it didn't work out for me), but I definitely took notes as I went through the passages. Not necessarily so that I could read them afterwards, but I just found that *brief, jot notes as I read through the passages helped to keep the information in my head long enough for me to finish the passages. I'd recommend reading the passage and trying to identify the tone* that the author is portraying. I'll talk more about this in detail later on, but basically are they supporting something, refuting something, mocking something, etc. Helps to eliminate possible option choices.
this is amazing, I have been practising CARS for 2 months (averaging 124-126 still), I only have 2 months left would this method still work to achieve 127+
2 months is a lot of time to notice improvement if you're using this method of studying! I would definitely say that 127+ is possible with 2 months left 🔥
@@nxtgenmd thank you so much!
Hey! I have over a month left before my exam and took some of the AAMC question packs on the cars passages. I found them ridiculously hard (I know the first couple are known to be the hardest on QPack 1 but even other passages I found difficult). I was wondering if when you started the Q packs (or when you recommend starting them) and how you found them? BTW thanks again for all the helpful videos!
No problem :) All of the MCAT Q packs were harder than the actual test imo. The best predictor of how I would actually do in each of the sections were the full length tests from the AAMC. I started doing the Q packs for each section (i didn't buy them all though) in my final month of studying.
Good luck with your test though 🔥
Thank you for making this video! I was wondering if Jack Westin is a good resource before using the AAMC (I do not want to waste it)?
No problem Nivetha :) I really liked the Jack Westin resources but found that Khan Academy questions were so so similar to the actual test. Ideally you should be using a variety of resources to get exposed to as much variety of possible. Best of luck!
could you by any chance go over your technique for reading CARS passages and answering questions? How long would you generally take to read a passage and then answer the questions?
Would you read slowly (detail oriented) or focus more on the main idea and try to finish the passage as quick as possible and move on w/the questions? Thanks!
Definitely, if you think it would help then I can definitely give it a shot. :) You’re actually the second person who’s asked me for a video like that.
Right now, I’m working on the “How to get into an Ontario Medical School” series of videos. So I’ll get around to it ASAP. When do you write the test? - Goodluck studying btw!
Personally, by the end of my prep and by progressively overloading, I was reading very quickly and making small bullet notes as I went through. That way, if a question asked me for something specific, I could go back to that exact passage point and figure it out. Read at a speed that will allow you to understand how the author *feels* about the topic (support, refute, etc.) Short notes can be taken while reading to help with the specifics.
Edit: personally, 4 minutes reading and 6 minutes for questions - give or take 1 minute on either end. I’ll explain this more in a video.
hey Dexite, I think your reply got deleted somehow, I can't see what you said. Feel free to post again or message me on instagram if you want
@@nxtgenmd oh I posted this:
yes I'd love a video! I test in about a month and am nervous as hell for CARS because a) can't get my timing down perfectly and b) I'm inconsistent with accuracy.
Sometimes CARS passages will feel effortless and other times I wanna bang my head against the wall after checking the answers. I agree with you on getting a feel of what the author feels. I usually do better when I have that down. But, could you expand on what you mean by making bullet points? Do you do that w/ every paragraph, or only specific ones? And do you make it on only specific things or every main idea presented?
I'm definitely gonna try the method you recommended here. I have the potential to hit 130+ on the other sections but CARS is heavily stressing me out, especially because of its emphasis on ON med schools nowadays.
Thanks :)
First of all, goodluck with the test! Keep the studying going strong into the final few weeks and I promise that I’ll have my fingers crossed for you :)
So lets try and get a little in depth: a) as far as the timing goes, most students will feel as though timing is the issue when it comes to CARS. If youve tried my tips already, then focus specifically on “speed reading” the passage to train yourself. Give yourself 3 minutes to read and take as many notes on the passage as possible. This doesn’t necessarily need to be your plan for the actual test, but by training this way, it should help to increase your retention abilities. Do regular prep like youve been doing so far and on top of that, try working on speed reading. CARS NEEDS to be done 6 days a week for 90 min per day for the really high score improvements.
Now as far as taking notes - I’m glad that youre already reading to try and understand how the author feels :) The notes should reflect this. As I was reading, I would write notes on my page that wrap up key points. I would do this without taking my eyes off from the screen. The very act of writing seemed to help engage my brain (studies also prove this) and helped me to better understand the passage. For example, if I had a passage on politics, and they gave an example of something that one of the former presidents did. I would read it and the quickly jot down a few words. “His actions were selfish and were poorly received.” Notes shouldn’t take too long, theyre just so that you can keep yourself interested in the passage and engaged.
b) being inconsistent with accuracy is definitely something that can be improved. But remember that some passages are just going to be harder than others. Unfortunately, my only tips for accuracy were outlined in this video. I set goals for myself and then kept hammering away at passages. First 70 % then 80% then 90%. Before i went into the test, I was averaging around 90-95% on my passages... but every 4 passages or so I would come across one that I’d totally bomb 😅 maybe like 50-60%. I chose to treat this as outliers, but tbh, I think that these were just the result of a personal lack of focus. I personally work very well after I’ve had some coffee, (not the case for everyone). The day of my exam, I filled an entire 750mL bottle with black coffee and kept myself hyper caffeinated during the exam... I promise that there was no lack of concentration after that LOL. You need to find what works for you. The test is equal parts preparation and stress management on test day.
You’re definitely right about the ON schools and CARS. I really hope this helped out a bit. Im going to try and get another CARS video up ASAP. But in the meantime, best of luck!
What, precisely, were you doing at 70% time? Did you switch from reading the passages to skimming them to identify the location of claims? I'm curious to know how your test-taking behaviour changed as you improved.
Hi Vivian :) I don't quite understand what you mean by what I was doing at "70% time." As time went on, I was able to read passages more efficiently and take shorter notes. Sometimes, information in a passage is just "filler" or is being used as a second or 3rd supporting detail of the same point. I found that towards the end of my preparation I was better able to pick out these lower-yield areas of the passage and spend less time on these areas relatively speaking.
Hope that helps!
@@nxtgenmd it does! It’s as if you trained your dentate gyrus in a specific kind of pattern separation sorting details into relevant and irrelevant through experience 😮
What if ur always getting 50 or 60% on every cars passage to start? I wish i was guaranteed a minimum 125 lol... such a person still has hope?
Hey Gianluca, I've been practicing using your method and I am now at building endurance stage (doing 9 passage 90 minutes) but my accuracy dropped to 60%...I am 3 weeks out from my exam date, If you have any advice on how to get back to 80%, I would really appreciate it.
Hey John, extend your time spent on each passage until you can comfortably increase your accurately back to the range you’d like to be 🤙 a few students have told me that this worked for them this summer
thanks, great video! When do you start to move to the next step
As soon as you feel comfortable with the step that you're currently on :) Ideally, you'll be shooting for 80% accuracy during the progressive overload steps, but if you mess up on a few passages, don't worry about it too much! The majority of your tests should be accurate on whichever step you're on before you move up though
@@nxtgenmd Thanks so much! Just wondering how long did it take you to move to the next stage? I am really struggling to get over 80% sometimes. I feel like I can spend the whole time in the world on a passage and still get it wrong. I don't know if I am overthinking about it but CARS is really destroying my confidence. I am doing okay on all the other sections but I feel like I am doomed on CARS.
Thoughts on using solely Jack Westin and ka instead of a prep book?
For CARS I definitely think you can do well without a prep book - granted that you do other passages instead 🤙
Thanks for the video. Can you please write down step by step how this approach is accomplished starting from 1 passage to 9 passages, just so that I am clear? Thank you
Also, some passages are 5 Q, 6 Q and 7 Q, requiring slightly different times (ranging from 9 min-12.5 min), how do you accommodate this? Check the clock every 30 min expecting 3 passages to be done?
Hi Farah, I'm going to borrow this summary from another comment on the video - hope it clears things up a bit :)
"Step 1. No time, 80% accuracy on passages. (One passage)
Step 2. Introduce variable of time. 15 min/passage. 80% accuracy. (One passage)
Step 3. Gradually decrease by 1 min, Increase by 1 passage for each time you reach 80%.
End Goal: 9 passages in a row. Answer each passage in 10 min.
Then, over prepare: 9 passages in a row. 90% accuracy. Answer each passage in 8.5-9 minutes"
In terms of different passages having different numbers of questions - the solution is called "banking time." I discuss it a little more in depth in my video "5 tips on how I scored a 131 on the MCAT." To summarize though, you never want to go over 10 minutes per question (absolute limit). As you progress through for each passage, you take the extra time that you didn't use and carry it over to the next section. That way on average* each passage takes 10 minutes, but by banking time you can spend slightly longer on passages with more questions or that are harder. I would highly recommend watching my other video for clarification.
Hi, thanks very much for the video, do you think it's possible for ESL students to do well on CARS. I have been doing 5 to 9 passages a day but I don't see much improvments, do you think it has to do with me learning Eglish 6 years ago when I was 17. Thanks for your videos.
Hi Fazad, no problem :) I can definitely see how the CARS section would be much harder for you if english is not your first language. This wasn’t the case for myself, but I’ve had friends who have expressed similar concerns. The important thing to remember here is that although you will be at a disadvantage initially, you *should* still be able to improve from your original score with enough efficient practice - and the principles that I discuss in this video should still apply for you. The process however, may take longer than for a native English speaker .
How long have you been practicing for CARS?
@@nxtgenmd Hi thanks very much for replying to me. I have been reading google articles for two years now since I knew I had to do this exam, and I did CARS in the past summer for 6 weeks doing all the AAMC practice passages and some exam crackers and next step and I scored 122 in my full length AAMC practice test. Then I started again beginning of January doing AAMC, Khan Academy, Exam Crackers, U World as well as Economics articles. I can say I do feel now that my speed is higher and my understanding is better but still don't think I have passed a 124 yet but I am still practicing. Your video is really on point trying to first focus on accuracy and then speed, and I am trying to follow your suggestion of doing 90 mins of CARS everyday. Thanks very much again for making this helpful video.
@@farzadfahimi18 I'm glad that you liked it. And that does sound like a lot of preparation that you've done for CARS so far - its great that you've been so dedicated! I think that a more consistent schedule will definitely pay off for you . My advice would definitely be to focus on accuracy first. I'm 100% sure that you will be able to break a 125 given your previous preparation if you follow this schedule, but I hope that it will go up even more than that. Try 90 minutes per day, 6 days per week for a few weeks and let me know if you notice any improvement.
Best of luck studying. Keep up the great work :)
@@nxtgenmd Thanks very much for the advice. I have been doing 90 minutes of CARS now for the past 10 days and I can see that my endurance and comprehension have improved but I still struggle with timing, my problem is that I don't get to finish 9 passages in 90 minutes, I usually finish 6.5 passages in 90 minutes, I am hoping my timing will improve by doing more practices.
@@farzadfahimi18 Its no problem Farzad. I'm going to be making a more detailed video about the CARS section and how I would read passages sometime in the beginning of March. I'll try to include anything else that I can think of that will help you.
Hi. I tried searching for an email in your about me, but couldn't find one, as I thought it would be a better idea to send you a DM. Is there an email I can reach out to you with? Thanks in advance :)
Hi Parnia :) currently I only have a school email which I keep separate from UA-cam. You are more than welcome to message me on Instagram @NXTgenMD if you'd like though
I wasted my time by watching this video.
Doubtful.. this is the best Canadian premed channel out there. Also, if you didn’t find it helpful within the first few minutes, why stick around?? Take responsibility for your own time management
Thank you!
No problem Roya! Good luck :)