How far in advance should I study for the MCAT?

Believe it or not, most students who do well on the MCAT spend between 200 and 300 hours preparing for the exam. When you start your prep will be determined by your test date and by what other work and academic commitments you have—usually 3 to 6 months before your exam.

How early should I start studying for MCAT?

You should give yourself plenty of time to make a full pass through your resource(s) of choice, and factor in days off and practice exams. For someone who is still in school or someone working full time, I may recommend they start studying 4-5 months before they take the MCAT.

How far in advance should I schedule MCAT?

You should plan to take the MCAT for the final time between January and April of your application year. For instance, if you'd like to enroll in medical school in August 2025, you'll want to take your MCAT during the first four months of 2024—that is, no later than April 2024.

Is 2 months enough to study for MCAT?

For most students, two months is not enough time to spend studying for the MCAT. As the official MCAT prep of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Kaplan recommends that you spend 300-350 hours studying so you can earn a good MCAT score.

Can I study for the MCAT a year in advance?

Yes, studying for the MCAT for a year can be beneficial. There are many students who underestimate the exam and get a poor score because they didn't have enough time for the exam. If you study for a year, it will give you ample time to comprehensively review all of the science...

SIMPLE MCAT Study Plan | How I scored a 520 (97th percentile) in less than 7 minutes

What time of year is the MCAT the easiest?

You want to make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare and study everything you've learned throughout your undergrad so you have a strong foundation for medical school. There's no magical time period where the MCAT is easier. It's a challenging exam no matter the month you choose.

What month is too late for MCAT?

When Is the Latest I Can Take the MCAT? You can technically take the MCAT as late as mid-September, the last time it's offered in any given cycle, but it's not a good idea to wait that long. We generally do not recommend students applying to medical to take the MCAT in August or September.

What is a 520 score on the MCAT?

Attaining a score of 520 on the MCAT means you performed in the 98% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 130 (C/P) 130 (CARS) 130 (B/B) 130 (P/S).

Is Khan Academy good for MCAT?

The Khan Academy MCAT prep course is a good resource for students who not only have a tight budget but want an MCAT prep course that is AAMC-approved. With thousands of practice questions to help you study for the MCAT, you might not need to look for other supplemental MCAT resources.

How long do most students study for the MCAT?

Most people need 10–15 hours per week to study for the MCAT over a period of at least four to six months . In total, you should aim for at least 200 to 300 hours of MCAT study time.

What year of college should I take the MCAT?

Most traditional students take the MCAT either during the Spring of their Junior or Senior year of undergraduate. The earliest you can take the MCAT is after your Sophomore year. MCAT TIP: Seek to take the MCAT early in the year. Preferably prior to mid-May to best fit with the AAMC Application Cycle.

Do you take the MCAT junior or senior year?

The MCAT is something that requires planning and should not be taken on a whim. The ideal time to take the MCAT is the spring of your junior year of college, if you plan to attend medical school immediately following graduation.

Should I take a full-length MCAT before I start studying?

Two Weeks Before the MCAT

Having a solid schedule will ensure that you accomplish your goals. Plan on taking at least one, and no more than three, full-length practice MCAT exams during this time period. You should not take a full-length test in the three days leading up to your real MCAT.

At what age do most people take the MCAT?

Most people take the MCAT during or right after their junior year of college. For example, if you want to start medical school in fall 2025 (after your senior year), you may want to take your exam during spring 2024.

Can you do well on the MCAT without studying?

A 511 on the MCAT currently corresponds to the 81st percentile, meaning that fewer than 20% of testers achieve a 511 or higher. Clearly, scoring well on the MCAT is hard if you do not study properly.

Is a 500 MCAT score good?

The MCAT scale is centered so that a 500 represents the mean score. AAMC recommends that med school admission committees consider applicants near the center of the range, rather than placing the most emphasis on the higher end of the scale.

Has anyone got a 528 on MCAT?

Since this method is not perfect, we'll leave you with a range; between 30 and 70 students every year achieve a perfect 528 MCAT. This is out of the nearly three hundred thousand students who take the exam.

Why did Khan Academy get rid of MCAT?

Khan Academy covertly announced that they are dropping the MCAT product from there lineup of products and services and all of the amazing free resources they have. They claim that it's a lack of bandwidth, a lack of financing, and other issues to keep the product up-to-date and refreshed and the support needed.

What MCAT score makes you competitive?

A good MCAT score is 511 or higher out of the 528 maximum score. Specifically, 128 out of 132 in any one section represents the 50th percentile nationally for students accepted to US MD programs in recent years. The maximum MCAT score possible is 528 and the minimum MCAT score is 472.

How rare is a 525 MCAT?

Attaining a score of 525 on the MCAT means you performed in the 100% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 131 (C/P) 132 (CARS) 131 (B/B) 131 (P/S).

Is 494 a bad MCAT score?

Attaining a score of 494 on the MCAT means you performed in the 32% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

Is it bad to submit secondaries after 2 weeks?

Just like the primary application, the earlier you submit your secondaries, the better. Most schools are on rolling admissions, so the sooner you complete your primary and secondary, the sooner you are eligible for an interview. You should submit your secondary applications within 1-2 weeks of receiving them.

How fast do MCAT seats fill up?

It's crucial that you check the registration dates for the date you want to test ahead of time. Historically, testing seats fill up very quickly—some in less than 24 hours— and we expect the same to occur this year.

Is May 10 too late to take the MCAT?

Taking the MCAT on May 24th allows enough time for your score to be processed to be sent to admissions committees as early as possible. If you take the test any later than May 24th, your score will be processed after June 30th, which means schools won't be able to consider your application until later.