Is 400 hours enough to study for the MCAT?

How long does it take to prepare for the MCAT? Your goal in prepping for the MCAT should be to get somewhere between 300–400 hours of study time, depending on your academic foundation, skill with standardized tests, and other factors.

Is 400 hours enough for the MCAT?

You'll often see an average recommendation of 300 study hours in order to be prepared for taking the MCAT. In my experience, the average number of study hours risks an average MCAT score, somewhere around 500, which is not optimal. After all, 511.9 is the average score of medical school matriculants.

How many hours should I spend studying 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.

Is 350 hours enough for 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. Reviewing all of the material you'll need to know for the MCAT in just two months is difficult, but not impossible.

Is 3.5 months enough time to study for the MCAT?

Three months is the minimum amount of time most students should study for the MCAT. With just a few months before test day, you'll need to spend a good amount of time studying each week if you want to score competitively on the MCAT.

How I Consistently Study with a Full Time Job: My Scheduling Formula

What if I have 2 months to study for the MCAT?

If you have two months to study for the MCAT, we recommend studying 5–6 hours per day. With two months of prep time, you can devote much more study time to test content, though you'll still want to prioritize test strategy, as strategy will likely have a greater influence on your score.

What is the shortest time to study for the MCAT?

Many students prepare for the MCAT while juggling at least 2 full-time demands including negotiating school work and family. 15 hours per week is the bare minimum I recommend students spend preparing for the MCAT. At a minimum, this comes to just over 2 hours per day every single day.

Does the MCAT actually take 7 hours?

For almost every student, the MCAT exam will be the longest test they have ever taken. The actual MCAT is over 6 hours long. But allowing times for breaks, check-in, and arriving early at the exam center, expect it to take at least 8 hours on your test day.

How long do most people study for the MCAT?

How long 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.

Does taking the MCAT 4 times look bad?

1. Will It Look Bad On My Application If I Retake the MCAT? If you retake the MCAT only once, even twice, and improve your score each time, it won't impact your chances of admission. However, retaking the MCAT excessively or scoring lower each time you take it may negatively impact your application.

What is a competitive MCAT score?

To have a highly competitive position for admissions, you need to be in the top 25% of MCAT test takers. That means, you have to get a total MCAT score range of 508-513 which requires getting 127-128 in the four sections. This score range puts you in the 75th percentile (and above).

Is 6 months too long to study for MCAT?

Yes, for most students six months is enough time to study for the MCAT. Kaplan recommends studying for the MCAT over a period of four to six months for a total of 300 to 350 hours. Getting started on your MCAT studies early means you'll have more time to focus on each subject area and overall MCAT test strategy.

Is Khan Academy enough for MCAT content review?

Khan Academy's MCAT resources are an excellent and comprehensive tool for students preparing for the MCAT exam. The program covers all MCAT topics, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology/Sociology, and provides detailed video lectures, practice questions, and practice exams.

Is MCAT harder than LSAT?

If you're an experienced test-taker used to memorizing complex facts and information ahead of time, the MCAT may be a bit easier for you. Meanwhile, the LSAT could be the simpler option for proficient readers and writers with logical, analytical minds.

Is the real MCAT harder than the practice tests?

There is a lot of debate on this topic and it largely depends on who you ask. Some students find the AAMC practice exams to be more difficult than the actual MCAT, while others find them to be a good predictor of what they will see on the test day.

Is the MCAT harder than the SAT?

The MCAT is way more complex and considered a very challenging standardized test for med school. Also, the contents and structure of the MCAT are more advanced than the SAT. In contrast, the SAT is used as a standardized college and university admission exam.

At what age do most people take the MCAT?

You can take the MCAT as early as you want, but most medical schools want a score from within the last 3 years. Ambitious test takers can take the MCAT after their sophomore year, but it's often better to wait. At what age can you take the MCAT? There is no age requirement for taking the MCAT.

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.

Is the MCAT a lot of memorization?

Yes, the MCAT involves a lot of memorization. Subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and sociology require memorizing important details and principles.

Can I chew gum during MCAT?

Can you chew gum during the MCAT? Nope. You are not allowed to chew gum when you are in the physical testing room in front of the computer. You can, however, chew gum when you are on any of the three breaks.

Do medical schools care how many times you take the MCAT?

Medical schools are unlikely to care about up to 3 attempts if your score improves with each test. But decreasing or consistently low scores may indicate that you don't have an appropriate grasp of the necessary materials to successfully complete medical school.

Do medical schools know 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.

Is one year too long to study for MCAT?

Well… not always, and certainly not in the case of the MCAT. It might seem logical to spend as much time as possible studying for the MCAT — one year, even two. However, spending too much time studying won't do much to improve your score and will probably even lead to burnout.

How early is too early to study for the MCAT?

When should I start studying for the MCAT? There are a lot of factors that can affect your start date, but try to give yourself around 6 months between your diagnostic and your test date if you are studying for about 10 hours a week. This means that if your test date is in July, you should start studying in January.

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

We've hammered this point home a few times now, but it's worth repeating one last time in closing: you absolutely must take a full length MCAT diagnostic test before starting your exam preparation. And not just any practice exam!