My Guide to Acing the MCAT
- Vikasni Mohan
- Feb 26, 2021
- 5 min read
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Written By: Vikasni Mohan
Position, Member Since: Executive Administrator, Joined Fall 2018
Major & Track: Medical Geography Major, Health Disparities in Society Minor Pre-Med
Current Year: 3rd Year
Premed students need to take MCAT before applying to and getting into medical school, but where do to start? Taking the first step can be daunting but there are so many resources out there to help you! Here’s my short guide to tackling the MCAT.
I started studying for the MCAT after I took all the prereqs (general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics 1 and 2, biochemistry, and biology) in September while taking 12 credits the fall semester, and I carved out time to do a full-length practice exam every other week in the beginning and then weekly as my exam date approached. I tested mid-January of my junior year, so I used winter break to study full time. I did not take any prep courses and I self-studied for the exam, trying to use as many free resources as possible.
About the MCAT
So what is the MCAT? The medical college admissions test is a roughly seven-hour computer-based exam consisting of four sections:
Chemistry/Physics (C/P)
CARS (reading comprehension)
Biology/Biochemistry (B/B)
Psychology/Sociology (P/S).
All the science sections are an hour and 35 minutes long each and each section has 59 questions. The CARS section has 53 questions and is an hour and a half long. Most of the content should be covered by your undergrad classes, and I would strongly recommend taking biochemistry before the MCAT. The exam is scored on a scale of 472-528, with each section being scored on a scale of 118-132 (adding all four section scores gives you the total score). In terms of cost, check out the AAMC’s Fee Assistance Program (FAP) and apply if you meet the criteria because it saves a lot of money!
Refining your Study Strategy
Before starting content review take a half-length diagnostic exam and see where you stand and what you need to brush up on. As you go through your studying process, refine your learning techniques: I started off taking notes in a notebook and then switched to using flashcards and drawing out information. Be flexible and do what is best for you! Make a schedule suited for your needs and stick to it (there are a ton of sample schedules online that other people have made and used if you need help making one yourself).
In terms of studying, pick a few resources and stick to them – it is much easier and cost effective since there’s only so many ways you can explain the same topic! I used the Kaplan 7-book set to start. Do NOT try to memorize everything and spend too much time on content review! There will be things that you will not know on each practice exam or the actual exam. Part of the studying process is learning what you do and don’t know and focusing on improving. Instead of spending a ton of time on content review, start doing practice questions, as this really helps to reinforce topics and will help you know what you don’t know so that you can study more effectively. Some great resources for practice questions are Khan Academy and UWorld (while it is pricey their explanations are amazing – I personally learned so much through doing UWorld practice problems). Half of the exam is about knowing the content and the other half is being able to think critically and process and apply the information presented on the exam. Knowing every little obscure fact won’t help you get a perfect score, so spend time thinking like the AAMC test makers and do as many practice questions as you can to get good at interpreting the information in passages and answering questions based off of them in the time given.
Use online resources to your benefit! I used reddit to find resources (r/MCAT) – there are so many resources and study guides that I consulted throughout my prep period. I also recommend printing the MilesDown 100 page study packet and downloading the MilesDown anki deck or any other anki deck for daily practice if you find it helpful. You can also make your own on topics that you keep getting incorrect. Additionally, once you start doing AAMC MCAT practice materials using reddit to search up explanations for why an answer is correct or not can be useful (since AAMC materials tend to not have detailed explanations). The Kaplan quicksheets also came in handy the last week before the exam. Do avoid posts that brag about their scores and keep in mind that the majority of people don’t score a 528!
Speaking of the AAMC, save their practice exams for the end as they are the best and more representative materials for the actual exam since the test makers write them. I would suggest starting AAMC materials 1-2 months before your actual exam date, except for CARS which I would suggest you do every day. CARS is a long haul, so start early with Khan Academy or Jack Westin and then transition to AAMC material once you feel comfortable. For psychology/sociology, I would recommend going through the 300 page or 86 page document and using flashcards or anki to learn the terms. For C/P do as many practice problems as you can and really review them well and learn from your mistakes.
One thing that is essential to do well on the actual exam is taking as many full length exams as possible – first focus on material like Blueprint, Altius, Kaplan, or the Princeton Review, and then transition to AAMC exams a month before the real deal. Sit down and take the whole exam with the same timings to build your stamina, since it takes a while to keep your brain on for nearly seven hours to constantly process information. I remember working my way up from barely being able to look at a computer screen for a few hours to taking the actual exam without feeling too tired at the end. Take practice exams like the real deal - I practiced with a mask on the whole time and it helped me on test day when I didn’t even think twice about it. On exam day don’t panic, but if you do take a few deep breaths and treat it like another practice exam. Don’t be caught up by anything you don’t know and when you move on to the next section forget about how you felt about the previous section. Just put your best foot forward and give it your all!
Finally, be kind to yourself and listen to your body. Don’t pull all-nighters to cram; instead get a good night’s sleep and exercise. Trust me, it will help you do so much better! Remember to take breaks and relax because your mental health comes first. Don’t be discouraged or upset if you don’t reach your studying goals or if you plateau on a score range – progress is slow but it will happen just keep chugging on! If you aren’t meeting your goal score range it is okay to reschedule and take the exam when you feel more prepared. Reach out if you need help and remember that there are so many people who went through this process before you and are willing to help!
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at vikasnimohan@ufl.edu – I am here for you!
Resources
Here are some of great online resources. I linked them here so you can find them easily!
Khan Academy Resources (only available until 9/30/21)
MCATBros Resources (includes 86 page and 300 page P/S review documents)
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