5 TIPS for the MCAT
After taking the MCAT three times I finally learned how to study effectively (at least I think so). My past scores weren’t a reflection of my intelligence, but rather a direct correlation to the study plans I built, the discipline I maintained, and the hard work I put in every day over the months.
A lot of it came down to learning the tactics and strategies that would bring out my highest potential. Here are a few things I wish I knew before ever taking the MCAT. Whether you are taking the MCAT for the first time or giving it a second go, give these suggestions a thought.
TIP 1 – Give yourself enough time
Give yourself enough time to prepare for this beast of an exam. At first, it seems like the most daunting task that you have to take on, but if you space out your studying over time and take it in bite-sized doses, it is completely manageable. I personally signed up for the Princeton Review MCAT Ultimate Course Online and gave myself 12 full weeks to study. Don’t try to cram everything into 3 weeks of studying because you are more likely to burnout. We’ll talk more about that in tip 3.
Not only should you give yourself enough time for the dedicated study period, but you should also take the MCAT for the first time way in advance to the beginning of your AMCAS application cycle. Let’s say the AMCAS application opens on June 1st and that is the first day you can submit it. Try to take your MCAT at least six months in advance.
This guarantees two things: (1) you will have your score well in advance of the application date and you can submit a complete application file as early as possible which gives you a better chance of getting interviews (2) if you don’t score as well as you would like then you have the time to enter a second study period and retake the MCAT before having to submit an AMCAS application.
TIP 2 – Avoid resource overload
There are so many resources out there when it comes to the MCAT. There are free study materials, Anki Flashcards, Khan Academy, costly Prep Courses, books by Kaplan, Princeton Review, UWorld and so much more. I remember being extremely overloaded by all of the options, being pulled in all directions, and trying to obtain as many books as I could. But in this case, more doesn’t mean better.
Pick one resource and stick to it! By eliminating the information overload you will reduce your stress and start working more diligently towards building a study plan rather than bouncing between different study materials. Personally, I was used to the Princeton Review books since I had used them during high school for my AP Exams, so that’s what I went with. I purchased The Princeton Review MCAT Subject Review Complete Box Set, 3rd Edition: 7 Complete Books + 3 Online Practice Tests, and built my study schedule around these resources.
These books were the only materials I used to prepare in addition to full-length practice tests. I did not supplement with flashcards or books written by other companies like Kaplan. With that being said, I would say that all of the prep books cover the MCAT content, just pick the one that you are more familiar with or that is of lower cost to you and get going with it. Don’t stress over the abundance of choices.
TIP 3 – Have a dedicated study period
This was one of my biggest mistakes when it came to taking my first and second MCAT. I had absolutely no dedicated study period. For MCAT one I was in the spring semester of Junior year, still taking full-time classes, working part-time jobs, and picking up study materials one week. Then, I would forget about them for a week, and go back to them later. Absolutely ineffective.
For MCAT two, I was on a shadowing program abroad, so when we had long days in the hospital I wouldn’t study at all, then other days I would do a practice exam for an hour. I was extremely inconsistent and didn’t set aside time for a dedicated study period. By MCAT three, I learned my lesson. I blocked off 12 full weeks that were dedicated to MCAT studying and nothing else. I was done with school, so I had no classes, and I wasn’t working any part-time jobs. I created an environment of minimal distractions for 12 weeks.
Try to find the time or create time for a dedicated study period. Whether that is 2 or 3 dedicated months, your main focus should be the MCAT. Don’t try to cram MCAT studying into three weeks, because you will get exhausted and burnout. Make a manageable schedule that will allow you to cover all the content in your review books. Make sure you can stick to this schedule for an extended period of time. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
TIP 4 – Maintain a daily schedule
Once you have blocked off a specific amount of time in your calendar that you will dedicate to the MCAT, then it is time to create your study plan. In my case, I took 12 weeks of dedicated study time. Once I knew exactly how many days I had to study, and when my exam date was, I set out to create two schedules.
The first schedule, I took all of my Princeton Review books and went through their table of contents. This allowed me to note how many chapters and pages I had to get through and then I could assign each day for the next 12 weeks to cover a tangible amount of information that would get me through all the books before my exam date. This meant I had goals I had to achieve on a daily basis and I made sure they were doable. Don’t assign yourself 200 pages of reading per day if you know that it’s a hefty goal.
The second schedule was my daily routine. Every day I maintained the exact same routine. Of course, I had break days or some days where I had to readjust because something unexpected came up. But, for the most part, I planned my days for 12 weeks, hour by hour. I’d wake up at the same time every morning, I’d eat lunch at the same time, give myself break times, and down-times in the evening. Everything was planned, and that reduced my stress because I had tangible daily goals that I could accomplish successfully.
I know we don’t all have the opportunity to designate a full 12 weeks to study as a full-time job. But you can still create a schedule for yourself that will accommodate your school, work, or whatever else task you have to accomplish.
TIP 5 – Don’t put off practice exams
I justified postponing practice exams because I felt like I hadn’t covered enough content review. The truth is, no matter how much content review you go through you will never feel 100% confident in your content knowledge. Part of the MCAT is content, but the other part is time-management, test-taking strategies, familiarity with the format, and fatigue tactics. You can only improve the latter by taking full-length, test-day simulation practice exams.
As you plan your schedule week-to-week study plan, you should think about how many practice exams you want to take and review before your exam date. For my 12 weeks of dedicated study, I would block off Saturdays as my full-length practice exam days. Again, don’t overload yourself by taking full-length exams every day. If I have 12 weeks, then every other Saturday I would take a full-length practice exam and as you get closer to the exam day then you can even do every Saturday. Pace yourself so that you don’t burnout.
It is important that as you do content review you do practice questions on a daily basis. But when you block off full-length exam days, you truly should run through the day as if it were the real MCAT. Start at the time that the testing center would start, take the allotted break times as you would on test day, and prepare the same meals and snacks that you plan to eat. This allows you to get into a natural rhythm and establish habits that will solidify by your exam date.
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and based on my personal experiences.
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you).
