How to Study for the MCAT

Understanding the MCAT

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) exam is a computer based standardized test designed for students interested in applying to medical schools in the United States and Canada. The test was designed to evaluate a student's ability to actively problem solve situations, apply critical thinking, test their writing skills and knowledge of multiple scientific concepts and principles. The exam is offered several times during the year and has a completion time of 4.5-5 hours. The MCAT is broken into four categories: 1) Physical Sciences (PS)2) Verbal Reasoning (VR)3) Writing Sample (WS)4) Biological Sciences (BS)

Preparing for the MCAT

While there are many books and programs offered to prepare students for the MCAT, the best source of success comes from your own study habits and abilities. Consider the following areas when preparing for the MCAT.

Step 1: Evaluate your Strengths and Weaknesses

Many students either overestimate their abilities or underestimate their ability to perform well in a subject. Just like there is no magic pill that will give you six-pack abs, there's no means of studying that will guarantee a score of 43 on the MCAT. Each person has their own unique study style and is likely better at one set if material than another. Rather than spend days focusing on honing your writing skills when you are already an exceptional writer, or focusing on memorizing science facts that you have mastery over, consider taking a Practice MCAT to determine how your natural abilities add up to what the examination will test you on.

Step 2: Gather the Proper Study Materials

There are a myriad of MCAT test prep books on the market today. While all will boast that their book is better than the rest, any study guide is better than none. A reasonably priced test-prep book combined with text books in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Physics would make an excellent basis for your MCAT study materials. In many cases it may have been months or even years since you have reviewed the concepts of basic biology, so reviewing over textbooks to fully understand the material is a must.

Step 3: Make a Schedule and Stick to it!

One of the biggest misconceptions regarding preparing for the MCAT is that studying will consume your schedule and you will need to spend every waking second preparing for this exam. While the test is important, numerous researchers have found that more than 2-3 hours of study time a night can actually be detrimental to your success. Falling back on your ranked strengths and weaknesses, block out 2-3 hours each night, setting a timer allowing yourself a limited amount of study time for each section. Before digging into a new study topic, take a 10 minute break to allow yourself the time to recuperate and approach the next subject refreshed.

Step 4: Get Started Early

A common mistake of students is the thought that they can begin preparing for the MCAT days, or even hours prior to the exam. To successfully prepare for the MCAT you need to give yourself enough time to build and strengthen your knowledge base. A runner would not attempt to run a marathon with only a week's worth of training, so a prospective test taker should not attempt to take the MCAT with only a short period of preparation. Try to choose a test date at least 10-16 weeks in ahead of when you actually begin preparing for the MCAT.

The best source of success comes from your own study habits and abilities