PCAT

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Now, have you registered for the PCAT?

This is the standardized test that will be the measurement of how smart you are by admissions committees. Yes they look at grades, but this is what they think is really a measurement of how well you will do in pharmacy school. With that said, don't just take the PCAT once, take it until you get a score you are happy with.

I recommend taking one or more review courses and getting all the books you can. They are put out by Barrons , Kaplan, and Cliff's to name a few. Personally, I found the review session at Midwestern University to be very high quality and was very valuable for me. I took tests out of all the books I could find. Sit down and actually take the tests in a timed manner like you would for the exam and don't allow any distractions.

Use the tests as a vehicle for your studying, if you got something wrong on the test review that material and make sure you understand it before you take another test. If you feel you just keep coming to the same few things, go back to your college professors and have them go over it with you, see if they can teach it a little bit differently so you can get it this time around. If you feel they are stuffy and unapproachable, find a TA or lab assistant or a tutor for that subject area.

I'm going to repeat myself from earlier here... Take the test multiple times, it gets easier each time you take it! You will score better every time. Some people say you can only hope to get 10 percentile higher if you take it again... that's 10 percentile higher than you were the first time and that's huge! I disagree with the 10 percentile statistic because I think 95% of statistics are make up. I personally scored 20 percentile higher the second time I took it. It's worth it to keep taking it!

The first time you take the PCAT you will be nervous, it is a fairly long test. Eat a good breakfast with plenty of carbs so you can get through it all without getting the rumblies in you stomach.

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