The first thing you'll want to do is pick a timeline for your exam. Many people use the summer between their junior and senior year of undergrad to study but everyone is different! I personally took the exam in January of my junior year because, at the time, I did not think I wanted to take a gap year.
According to the AAMC, applicants study an average of 300 hours for the exam. I know this seems absolutely insane but trust me it is very doable. I. personally started studying in October for a January exam. However, my friends that took the exam in August started studying in June. This worked for them because they were studying "full-time" while I was studying while taking classes.
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Ideally you want to have one month of dedicated time for practice tests. These can be difficult to do during the semester so I suggest taking the test at the end of a long break. For example, though I studied during my fall semester, I took the exam at the end of winter break.
Next, you'll need to decide whether you want to self-study or take a test-prep course. I personally choose to take an in-person Kaplan Test Prep course. Both Kaplan and Princeton offer in-person, online and self-paced courses. They will provide you with a more structured schedule and a support system but they can be very expensive.
If you are someone who needs help with motivation, gets anxious/overwhelmed at the thought of studying without a set schedule (this was me), or does not want to gather materials/schedules from various resources then I definitely suggest using a company. I loved having a teacher who could answer my questions, having a set schedule, and having materials readily available. However, this choice isn't for everyone.
If you're someone who would like to save money, is extremely self-motivated, or does not like to follow someone else's schedule then you should consider self-studying! This option is nice because it allows you to study on your own time. You can also use resources from a variety of sources to increase your exposure to test material. If you are self-studying you can purchase resources (including full-length tests) through Kaplan, AAMC, Next Step, Princeton, etc.
Lastly, you NEED to establish a study schedule. If you take a test-prep course, you will be given a broad schedule but you'll still need to schedule each day of studying yourself. If you self-study you have to create a weekly schedule as well as daily schedules. I cannot stress the importance of scheduled studying enough.
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| Example Self-Study Week |
Scheduling your study time by the hour reduces anxiety, increases your efficiency and keeps you accountable.
My #1 MCAT study tip is: Use Google Calendar to schedule all of your studying
Google Calendar is great because it allows you to move things around if you have to but gives you the opportunity to schedule each hour of the day. Your schedule should be as specific as possible. For example, avoid scheduling 4 hours of "psychology studying". Instead have something like this:
2-4pm: Psychology chapters 2-4
4-5pm: End of chapter quizzes and review
5-6pm: Psychology practice questions from test bank
That way you know exactly what you need to do and do not waste any time! As you can see in my schedule below - I scheduled everything including class, volunteering, review and laundry!
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| One week of my Google Calendar Schedule while I was studying |
MCAT study tip #2: Remember to take care of yourself physically and mentally during this time. For tips on self-care while studying for the MCAT check out my blog post titled "Self-Care While Studying for the MCAT"
MCAT study tip #3: Put sticky notes of formulas/facts you have trouble remembering on your bathroom mirror! This way you can read them while you brush your teeth and randomly throughout the day. I personally had trouble remembering the properties of different mirrors so I put them up in the bathroom.
MCAT study tip #4: Do NOT do practice questions and then just move on. Practice questions are a waste if you don't take the time to review them. You should make note of the ones you did not understand and try to do more problems like it.
MCAT study tip #5: Focus on topics that are difficult for you. It is completely natural to want to do practice problems on topics you know because it feels good to get them correct but this is not helping you improve. As frustrating as it is, you need to tailer your studying to the topics you have trouble with. If that means filtering the question bank to only give you physics questions then so be it. Drill those topics until they become easy. You don't have time to continue to review content you already know.
MCAT study tip #6: Do not over-do it with content review. Knowing the content is important but practice questions are so much more helpful. Definitely review the content at the beginning but after that don't go back to it unless you need it. Of course, if you are repeatedly getting questions about a certain topic wrong, go back and review that topic. Again, don't review content you already know. Trust yourself and focus on practice questions.
MCAT study tip #7: Mimic testing conditions as much as possible when taking full length exams. To be honest - I did not wake up at 6am to start the test at 7am. But, I did take my practice tests in the morning and in a quiet room. You should take the breaks as directed, drink your coffee beforehand, and remain in your seat the entire time. I also did not have water while taking practice tests because water is not allowed in the testing room!
MCAT study tip #8: Do NOT try to study after a full length. You will be brain dead. Take that night to relax. The day after a full length you should spend the ENTIRE DAY reviewing the test. Decide what areas you are confident in and what areas you need to focus on in the coming weeks.
MCAT study tip #9: The last 2-3 practice tests you take should be AAMC released tests. Ideally, you should take between 6-9 practice tests but the last 2-3 should be AAMC tests. Kaplan tests tend to be more difficult than AAMC tests so it is good to end with the real deal!
I hope that was helpful. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions!
Happy studying
xoxo
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