How far in advance should you 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.

Is 3 months enough to study for MCAT?

Kaplan recommends studying for the MCAT over a period of four to six months for a total of 300 to 350 hours. If you feel confident in your test-taking skills and aren't overwhelmed by the 25 hour per week MCAT study schedule, then three months can be enough time for you to study for the MCAT.

Is 10 months too long to study for the MCAT?

You need to plan ahead of time when it comes to taking the MCAT. As much as possible, you should start studying for the MCAT 3-6 months before the test day. This will give you enough time and preparation and help you achieve your target score.

How long before applying to med school should you take the MCAT?

In order to apply to medical school with one year in between, you would need to take the MCAT by early May of your senior year to get your score before submitting your application in June.

Is a year enough to study for the MCAT?

12 weeks, or 3 months, is generally sufficient time to spend studying for the MCAT at about 20 hours per week.

3 Month MCAT Schedule to ACE the MCAT (520+ MCAT Score)

What time of year is it easiest to take the MCAT?

There's no magical time period where the MCAT is easier. It's a challenging exam no matter the month you choose. Some feel prepared to take the MCAT after their sophomore year, while others decide to wait until their senior year of undergrad.

How bad does it look to take the MCAT 3 times?

Retaking the test more than twice may reflect negatively on your application, so consider all factors before moving forward. If you're unsure how to improve your initial score, consider hiring an experienced MCAT tutor to boost your results.

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.

Do med schools care if you take the MCAT more than once?

That's not the message you want to send to medical schools that you keep making mistakes over and over again. Again, medical schools don't care if you have multiple MCAT tests on your application.

Do med schools look at GPA or MCAT?

Because of the sheer volume of medical school applications they have to wade through, admissions officers have to make some initial screening decisions based largely on GPA and MCAT scores.

What is the easiest month to take the MCAT?

If I had to take a guess, I'd say January has the best curve. Most people will be focusing on finals during Nov/Dec, and only have a month of Christmas Break to really focus on studying for the MCAT.

Has anyone taken the MCAT without studying?

This may sound shocking to you but every year we meet students who took the MCAT without studying.

How do freshmen start preparing for the MCAT?

Start preparation and practice early.

“I would take the practice exams earlier. I would start the flash cards from the beginning.” He suggested taking practice exams early to give examinees time to address any knowledge gaps and to learn how to apply their knowledge to the MCAT exam style of questions.

Is Khan Academy enough for MCAT content review?

Although this Khan Academy material is sufficient as a stand-alone MCAT preparation, it should still be combined with lots of additional practice. Additionally, do not expect Khan Academy to provide the knowledge required to bring you entirely up to speed if you are bridging any knowledge gaps for the MCAT.

Are the Kaplan books enough for MCAT?

Aside from being comprehensive and with many detailed explanations, the questions are patterned and structured after the actual MCAT. Due to this, there is no question that most students recommend the Kaplan MCAT books list.

What is a perfect MCAT score?

A 528 is the highest MCAT score that you can achieve by scoring a perfect 132 in each of the four MCAT sections. Each of the four MCAT sections is scored from a 118 to a 132, and when you add these four sections up, you can score anywhere between a 472 and a 528.

Should I retake a 507 MCAT?

If you want to maximize your chances of achieving medical school acceptance, and if your overall application is not strong, we recommend you retake the MCAT if your score is 507.

Should I retake a 517 MCAT?

While going from 515 to 517 looks good, going from 498 to 501 looks great. So statistically speaking, unless you're already in the very highest tier of test takers, chances are that retaking the MCAT will result in a better score and will ultimately benefit your application.

Should I retake a 513 MCAT?

Was your actual MCAT score reflective of your ability? If you were averaging 510-512s on your practice AAMC exam but scored much lower on test day, this is a good reason to retake the MCAT. The lower score is more likely due to nerves, pressure, lack of sleep, or sickness than lack of knowledge and ability.

Is freshman year too early to study for MCAT?

The absolute earliest you should take the MCAT is in the summer of your sophomore year. If that sounds like something you want to do, we'd recommend you start studying in the spring. However, remember that your MCAT scores are valid at most institutions for three years after you take the test.

What year in college should I take the MCAT?

We sometimes get this variant of the "What is the earliest/latest I should take the MCAT?" question. While you can technically take the MCAT any time, you should take it during the summer after sophomore year at the earliest, and April of your application year at the latest.

What AP classes should I take if I want to be a doctor?

Taking higher-level science classes is so important when preparing to apply as a pre-med. We recommend AP biology, AP chemistry, and AP physics. And honestly, there is never enough science. If your school has science electives, take those as well.

Should I retake a 515 MCAT?

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 515? Generally, we recommend retaking the MCAT if the MCAT score is not balanced among the four sections of the MCAT or your target med-school has a higher cut-off. For example, if you scored 126/130/130/129, the 126 sticks out and can be a red flag to med-schools.

Should I retake a 502 MCAT?

If you want to maximize your chances of achieving medical school acceptance, and if your overall application is not strong, we recommend you retake the MCAT if your score is 502.

Do med schools see how many times you take the MCAT?

Also keep in mind, medical schools will be able to see all of your scored exams, and there are limits on the number of times you can take the exam. See the MCAT Essentials for more information about viewing your scores, releasing your scores to programs and lifetime limits.