While the MCAT® is a passage-based test, it is building on your knowledge of core concepts in science and other related fields. Even if you did well in your prerequisite courses, take the time to relearn the material in relation to the test. There may also be some additional information that was not covered in your courses that could show up on the test!
It helps familiarize you with the types of questions you are going to see, and gets you comfortable with reading long passages and having the endurance to last 7 hours.
One of our recommendations is to take at least two to three practice tests during content review. While it may be hard to work on practice tests when you haven’t covered all of the material yet, these practice tests can help you continuously apply what you’ve learned to the format of the test.
It’s great to check your answers to see where you are at, and most of them will provide some sort of score or percentile range, but make sure to review the material!
Try to review the day after taking the test because it’s easy to forget to do it and it can be helpful to remember how you struggled with the problem when you look at the answer.
When reviewing your practice tests, it can be extremely helpful to keep a notebook that includes small bits of information from questions that you missed and questions that you got right that didn’t understand/guessed on.
Not only is it helpful to write this down to keep track of what you still need to review, but it is also helpful to review these notes in the week or two leading up to the exam as a way to summarize information that you struggled with before.
Flashcard decks with spaced repetition can be very useful to remember points you keep missing. There are free online flashcard applications that used varied repetition to ensure you remember content you've reviewed in the past. Remember, your mastery of a subject corresponds with your ability to easily recall information!
Additionally, students at many undergraduate institutions typically take biochemistry later on (and for some, that might mean you would take biochemistry after taking the MCAT®). While you will most likely do just fine with whatever MCAT® pre materials you use, we do recommend either taking the course or at least sitting in on a few biochemistry lectures just to familiarize yourself with the content. It is useful for both the Chem/Physics section as well as the Bio/Biochem section!
It’s also completely okay if you haven’t taken psychology or sociology! Most prep materials will provide you with all the relevant information for doing well on the Psych/Soc section.
It's hard to carve out time to solely dedicate for one exam, but the MCAT® is one of those tests that is best suited to this commitment. If you can, set aside 8-10 weeks of dedicated study time without work, academic classes, or intense extracurricular commitments. Most bosses, PI's, volunteer coordinators, and peers in your clubs will be understanding if you tell them you need to set aside time to study for the exam!
It might also help to give yourself a goal for each each day (which topics you want to cover, how many practice questions you aim to complete, etc.). Whether you prefer to treat studying for the MCAT like a 9am-5pm job, would rather space out your studying throughout the day, or even switch between the two, do your best to stay on track with your goals for content review and practice tests.
If you must or would prefer to maintain commitments, stretch out your study time and change the hours accordingly. For example, 4 hours/day for 20 weeks. The most important thing is that you stay mindful of your study plan so that you give yourself enough time to complete content review or take practice tests.
Finally, remember to take breaks! The best way to retain information is to step away from it and let your brain absorb the material. Breaks will also allow you to gauge if you've actually understood and stored the information for long-term usage and recall.
Applying to medical school is, unfortunately, very expensive. One of the major costs is preparation for the MCAT, as the test itself costs around $300 per sitting, and many prep courses start at $2,000. We've compiled a few really helpful free resources that can help you prepare for the exam if you don't have access to these courses or you want some extra free practice:
AAMC MCAT Official Prep Resources:
Free MCAT content review website (does not include everything you need to know but it is GREAT):
Kaplan Quicksheet (great summary of content review for all sections):
https://www.kaptest.com/static/pdf/ktp-mcat-quicksheets.pdf
Khan Academy MCAT Prep videos:
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDkK5wqSuwDlJ3_nl3rgdiQ
AK Lectures (great for biochemistry, a lot of information but breaks down all of the concepts really well):
https://www.youtube.com/user/mathdude2012
MCAT Question of the Day (there are many of these, and most send a question for free to your email inbox every day! Check the App store on your phone for more):
https://kaplanquizzes.com/mcat/
http://mcatquestionoftheday.com/
https://www.motivatemd.com/mcat-question-of-the-day/
Test Prep Company Free Questions and Diagnostic/Practice Exams (most prep companies have at least one free test available if you make a free account, check these out!)
https://www.princetonreview.com/medical/free-mcat-practice-test#!practice
https://www.kaptest.com/mcat/free/20-minute-workout
https://www.kaptest.com/mcat/free/mcat-practice
https://blueprintprep.com/mcat/free-resources/free-mcat-practice-bundle
Additionally, check with your undergraduate institution (pre-health or career counselor) for free resources on your campus! Many schools host free practice test sessions from different test prep companies (such as Kaplan) so keep an eye out for those. Also, most college career centers and school libraries have copies of medical school admissions books and MCAT prep books that you can use for free and borrow. If you are not currently in school but still need these resources, most public libraries have test prep books, and if they do not, you can typically request that they purchase it for their collection!
Mid-June - Took First Practice Test (Diagnostic Exam)
The student took Princeton Review’s free online diagnostic exam to get a general idea of where she stood going into studying.
July 1 - Started Content Review with Princeton Review Self-Paced Online Course
Sample weekly schedule for one week of studying during content review:
o Monday: Take Practice Exam
o Tuesday: Review Practice Exam
o Wednesday: Physics Class
o Thursday: Biology Class
o Friday: Organic Chemistry or General Chemistry Class
o Saturday: Psych Class
o Sunday: Rest or a little bit of content review
Mid-August - Practice Tests Every Other Day
Sample Schedule for one week of studying during practice test review:
o Monday: Take Practice Exam
o Tuesday: Review Practice Exam
o Wednesday: Take Practice Exam
o Thursday: Review Practice Exam
o Friday: Take Practice Exam
o Saturday: Review Practice Exam
o Sunday: Rest/Light review of practice test notes
At the start of taking practice tests, the student eased into building endurance for the long test. She would take a longer lunch and half an hour breaks in between sections instead of the allotted 10 minute breaks. Over time, she gradually began to follow the exact test day schedule, with the actual length of breaks given.
On practice test days that she had other commitments, she would do two sections on one day and then two sections the next day.
End of August - AAMC Section Bank
In lieu of full practice tests, the student went through the AAMC Section Bank Questions and Question Packs. She tried to mimic the actual test and complete long stretches of each section before taking a break. At the end of each section bank, she would review and take notes on what she missed and what she guessed on.
Early September/Week of Exam - Wrap up Practice Exams and Final Content Review
The student finished taking practice exams by the Sunday before her Saturday test and did content review for the rest of the week using her notes from practice tests and http://mcat-review.org/.