Leah here from leah4sci.com/mcat, and in this video we're going to look at a revised timing
strategy for the shorter Pandemic MCAT.
In my previous timing video linked below or on my website leah4sci.com/timing.
We looked at how to set up your timing strategy for the Science section and the CARS section
to make sure that you're always on track, never going too fast, and never running out
of time.
But that was for the standard, seven and a half hour MCAT where you have 95 minutes for
each Science section consisting of 15 discrete and 10 passages and a 90-minute CARS section
with 9 passages.
Since the shorter pandemic MCAT is only 5 hrs and 45 minutes we have to adjust the strategy
slightly given that you have 76 minutes for the science passages which now contain 12
discrete questions and only 8 passages and 81 minutes for the CARS section which now
also has just 8 passages.
In the previous video we allocated 1 minute per discrete question, 8 minutes for Science
passage and 10 minutes for CARS passage.
We'll apply the same logic for the shorter MCAT with one minute per discrete question,
8 minutes per Science passage and just over 10 minutes for the CARS passages.
We're going to use the same number approach and the same trick from the last video so
if you still haven't watched it, pause this one right now and click the link below or
go to leah4sci.com/timing to make sure that you understand what we're doing here, why
to do it, and how to apply.
Your table for the Sciences will be exactly the same with your left column by number,
meaning by the time I get to this passage number, time the clock should read this many
minutes.
I advise starting with the discrete questions first.
And when you start with 76 minutes minus 12 at one per discrete, you're left with 64 minutes,
that's where our table begins.
By number d, for discretes, by the time your discretes are done, the clock should read
64 minutes to go and then we have the Science passages.
By the time you're done with passage 1 through 8, the clock should read 56, 48, 40, 32, 24,16,
8, and 0.
Just like in the previous strategy, the numbers are easy when you identify the pattern because
the left column the tens place goes down by 1, 6, 5, 4, 4 is repeated, 3, 2, 1, 0, and
another 0.
The right column, the ones place goes up by 2, 4, 6 ,8, 0 which is 10, 2, 4, 6, 8, 0 which
is ten.
If you recognize the pattern it becomes easier but I still want you practice using the active
writing strategy linked below.
CARS is slightly more confusing because they came up with 81 minutes not 80, a number that's
easily divided by 10, 81.
On the bright side, you have a bonus minute and as you know on the MCAT, every minute
counts so let's use it wisely.
I have two options to consider here.
The first is the simpler option.
We have 81 minutes for 8 passages gives us about 10 minutes per passage which doesn't
divide perfectly but gives us two options with the numbers.
If you like to keep things simple, just do minus 10 for each one and that means by the
time you're done passage 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, the clock should read 71, 61, 51 , 41,
31, 21, 11, 0.
This right here builds in your last buffer minute at the very end because you're going
from 11 to zero.
If you wanna nitpick a little bit, I suggest after the 4, notice 4 is where things change,
so I suggest after the 4 to go with zeros, 30, 20, 10, and 0.
This gives you a buffer, a reset halfway through the CARS section, lets you collect yourself
for a minute or lets you catch up if you fell behind and then you just finish on the 10
all the way to the end.
If you're overwhelmed trying to keep up with all of the pandemic changes to the MCAT, I've
got you covered.
Complete with articles and videos on what changed, how to account for that, how to shift
your studying, and so much more.
First, make sure you give this video a thumbs up, then subscribe to my channel including
hitting that bell icon so you don't miss out on any new videos especially more on pandemic
updates and then visit the link below or go to my website, leah4sci.com/PandemicMCAT,
all one word, that's leah4sci.com/PandemicMCAT.