The MCAT {Medical College Admissions Test} is one of the biggest hurdles a premed student has to conquer. Your MCAT score definitely does not define you, but it can open doors for you.
The MCAT is a 7.5 hour long exam consisting of 4 sections: chemistry/physics, biology/biochemistry, critical analysis and reading skills {CARS}, and psychology/sociology. It is so vast that many students have no idea where to even start; that is where I come in!
Disclaimer: this post contains some affiliate codes. If you use the code, I’ll get a little share of what you spend at no extra cost to you! For more information, look at my disclosure policy.
My Personal MCAT Story
I first took the MCAT spring of my junior year of college. My test date was in March and wanting to give myself as much time to prep as possible, I started studying in June.
I signed up for an online, self-paced test prep course from a test prep company. It consisted of online videos and practice questions as well as a set of review books and it laid out my study schedule for me.
This was nice because I did not have to come up with my own schedule but since I started studying so early {10 months before my test date}, I did not feel a sense of urgency and I studied at a slow pace.
Also when it came to a few weeks before my test date, I had forgotten what I studied at the beginning of my prep!
Needless to say, I did not get a good score when I took the MCAT.
MCAT Round 2
I gave myself some time to cry about my low MCAT score and get a game plan together. I had to change my course of action and take a gap year after graduating because I would have to apply in the spring of my senior year in order to give myself enough time to retake the MCAT.
First thing I did was plan my study schedule over the course of 4 months. This was over my summer break when I did not have to worry about balancing school studying with MCAT studying.
I went with a different prep company this time, Examkrackers. Their review books more closely matched my study style and were easier to read and understand than the first prep company I used.
I felt they read more like a magazine than a textbook and they had helpful tips throughout the book. You can use the code MEDANDMOSCATO to get 10% off of some of their products and services! Including their entire MCAT prep course as well as the review book set I used!
Scheduling My Studying
Before I even began studying, I took a diagnostic full length exam to get a baseline of where I was starting. Many test prep companies provide these for free, you just have to enter your email address!
Then I bought a dateless planner to write out everything I would study each day. Everyday I read 1 chapter from 1 review book and then switched which book I’d read each day. {Ex: chemistry on Monday, biology 1 on Tuesday, etc.}
After reading a chapter and taking notes on it, I took a lunch break and then did the questions at the end of the chapter. Examkrackers gives the answers to the questions in the back of the book and they also give explanations as to why a certain answer is right/wrong.
When correcting my answers, I wrote little notes by the questions explaining what I did wrong and if it was a silly mistake or a lack of understanding.
Then I would make online flashcards of what I learned and then review the previous days flashcards.
At the end of the day, I tried to do a CARS passage {I’ll admit, sometimes I got lazy and I should have done more passages than I did}
One resource I wish I had used was Examkrackers 101 CARS passages. This would have been so useful to me! To avoid my mistake, you can get $29 off of Examkrackers 101 workbook set and get 101 passages for every section! Just use the code MEDANDMOSCATO when you check out!
Practice Exams
One major mistake I made the first time I studied for the MCAT was not taking enough practice exams. Counting my diagnostic exam, I took 3 practice exams.
The second time around, I purchased 3 practice exams from the AAMC {the company that writes the MCAT} and found some more free practice exams from various test prep sites.
My Examkrackers books had half practice tests that I started doing at week 7 of my studying. I also found some online half tests which I started doing at week 9.
A month away from my test date, I did 1 full length exam per week. The day after the practice exam, I reviewed every question and took notes on what I got wrong and why.
Looking back, I should have focused more on reviewing the exam than I actually did.
The Results
When I took the MCAT the second time, I did 2 points better than the first time. I was still disappointed but upon talking to my advisor, we decided to not retake it again and apply as planned in the spring of my senior year.
What I Would Improve
Looking back on my MCAT experience, I know what I could have improved on. I should have read the review books more thoroughly and supplemented the information with online videos.
I also should have spent more time reviewing practice questions and full length exams. The reviewing is just as important as taking the exam!
CARS is no joke. I have always been great at the english sections of standardized tests. But CARS is not like other tests; it is a whole different ballgame. I should have gotten a 101 passages book for CARS and committed myself to doing 1-2 passages a day.
What was your MCAT study plan like? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a comment below or DM me at @medicineandmoscato! Click the button below to share with your MCAT study buddies!
