The majority of students who do well on the MCAT put in between 200 and 300 hours of study time. studying for the exam, believe it or not. Your test date, as well as other work and academic commitments, will determine when you begin your prep—usually 3 to 6 months before your exam. Exam dates for the MCAT can be found here, so you can start planning your study schedule.
Ensure you have a lot of time to study and practise.
You may feel at a disadvantage if you compare yourself to peers who can study full-time for the MCAT with no distractions. After all, who can devote more than 40 hours per week to the MCAT preparation will be prepared in less time than someone who already has a full schedule.You’re not at a disadvantage, so don’t worry. In fact, the kind of long- term planning you will require to do now will come in handy later on in medical school. (For example, you’ll have to balance USMLE preparation with medical school and residency commitments.) Plus, have you ever heard the phrase, “Ask a busy person if you want something done?” You’ll become more productive and efficient than ever before. if you can effectively manage your concurrent commitments.
If you haven’t studied the material in a while or if you have a particular area of weakness, you should plan to devote even more time to it. Because it’s always easier to work toward a specific goal, go to the AAMC website’s MCAT registration section and pick a test date that’s About a six-month wait. If the current test schedule does not allow for that, into the future, look for dates in the current year that are similar (the testing schedule remains relatively consistent).
Is there a good time to take the MCAT?
You’ll do better if you take the MCAT as soon as possible. As the admissions season progresses, the applicant pool becomes increasingly crowded. Even if you finish the rest of your application early, the vast majority of medical schools will not seriously consider your candidacy until they receive a copy of your MCAT scores.
In the summer, you’ll have time to retake the MCAT following fall if you take it in the spring of your junior year (once you’ve completed your pre-reqs). For more information on how to plan your medical school application, see our Medical School Admissions Timeline.
One Week Prior to the MCAT
Adjust your sleeping time so that you go to bed and wake up at the same times the night before the MCAT and the morning of the MCAT. Prioritize getting a sufficient amount of sleep in the days leading up to the test.
Make a trip to the test centre at least a day or two before your scheduled test date so you can locate the building and room easily on test day. This will also allow you to assess traffic and determine whether you require funds for parking or other unplanned expenses. This type of information will assist you if you know it ahead of time feel less stressed on test day.
See what your test center’s cell phone policy is. Some centres will not even let you keep them in your locker with your other personal belongings.
Don’t study too hard the day before the test. This isn’t a test you’ll be able to cram for! At this point, your goal is to rest and relax so that you can be in good physical and mental shape on test day.
Eat healthily. Caffeine and sugar in excess should be avoided. Ideally, you should experiment with foods and practise tests in the weeks leading up to the actual test to see which foods give you the most endurance. During the test, drink sports drinks, eat peanut-butter crackers, eat trail mix, and so on to maintain a steady blood sugar level. Make tasty snacks for your lunch and break.
Let’s get started. While the MCAT isn’t strictly a science knowledge test—you’ll also need a lot of critical thinking skills to pass—you’ll need a good understanding of the core MCAT sciences to pass. At least one year of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics labs is required. You’ll also need to have taken some biochemistry courses, as well as introductory psychology and sociology courses. The more familiar with the science topics covered on the MCAT, the more time you can devote to studying strategy and timing.If you’re fresh out of college or never majored in science, on the other hand, you’ll need to give a lot more time to content review.
WHAT STYLE OF STUDY DO YOU PREFER?
You already know you won’t be able to cram for the MCAT (hopefully), but how do you learn and absorb information the most effectively? Do you prefer to study in shorter bursts throughout the day, or will your schedule force you to do so in fewer, longer chunks?
It’s not realistic (and certainly not recommended) to base your exam preparation on studying for 8-12 Hrs OR 7 days a week for months on end. For starters, you probably don’t need that much time, and you shouldn’t put yourself through that.
The number of hours you think you’ll be able to prep per day and the number of hours you actually can or will prep per day can be quite different. Keep things in perspective and err on the side of caution.
Level of Anxiety
So, how worried are you about the next big thing?
The mental and emotional aspects of the MCAT are the most common reasons students fail. This is in addition to not understanding your content or having strong critical reasoning/reading skills.
This is best handled on an individual basis, but I wanted to bring it up because if you become anxious, it may be difficult for you to study or progress.
(Are you unsure if this is applicable to you? This is a good indicator if you have trouble keeping track of time, either too fast or too slow. Or if you’ve just given up or feel like you’re making a lot of mistakes).
Commitments Already Made
Your commitments play a significant role. Taking a full-time course load while also taking the MCAT can be intimidating. In the general guidelines section, I explained why.
I’ve seen ten students succeed in this endeavour for every one who has failed.
Those who succeed usually set aside some time in their schedule to focus solely on the MCAT.
Others had such a strong foundation that they only needed to study for a few weeks and were able to spread it out over several months during classes.
Similarly, if you work full-time, it will take twice as long because you will only have a few hours of study time, which will be of low quality and energy.
Your desired result
A person aiming for a 505 has a completely different schedule expect your score to rise by 1 point per week.
It’s a safe bet that if you start with a 500 and want a 515, you’ll be compared to someone who wants a 515. (or a perfect MCAT score).
While this isn’t a perfect estimate, it’s a good place to start.
Please keep in mind that this formula is NOT linear. There will be times when you jump a lot and times when you don’t move at all.
With a lower starting score, you’ll need more time to build a strong foundation, and vice versa with a higher starting score.
For example, a student who was retaking the exam with a 512 (his CARS score was too low to get in) came to me and improved to a 522 in less than a month.
This is due to the fact that his base was solid except for one area. We were able to make the changes he required quickly.
However, there are numerous factors that influence score increases.
If you’re nervous or have reached a plateau, and especially if you’re retaking, I’d recommend consulting with a pro for the most efficient and effective strategy.
