Studying for the MCAT is no easy feat and requires months of studying, at the minimum. Read accounts of any perfect scorer on the MCAT and you’ll discover that creating a solid study plan and dedicating a solid chunk of your day towards MCAT prep on a consistent basis is the key to yielding a high score. You may see articles online that can get you prepared for the MCAT in under a month, but be cautious about such bold claims. To do well on the MCAT, you must cover all the MCAT material before taking the test, and there is enough material on this marathon of a test to keep you busy studying for well over a three to four-week period.

I write about the MCAT as well as create study guides for standardized tests and I want to share with you some of the top study tips that I have come across for the MCAT. Read on if you want to know how to do well on the MCAT by utilizing the most proven and effective study methods available.

6 Key Study Tips for the MCAT

These ten study tips should not be your only method of tackling the MCAT. I recommend choosing a high-quality MCAT comprehensive book set or MCAT prep course that will outline your study plan based on the amount of time you have until the test day as well as identify and strengthen your weaknesses.

1. Take a Diagnostic Test

First and foremost, before you start studying concepts or purchase any MCAT prep materials, you must take a diagnostic test to know what your baseline score is. A baseline score, in layman’s terms, is simply the score you would receive if you showed up at an MCAT testing center and took the test right now.

How do you take diagnostic test?

To take a diagnostic test, you need to have a full-length MCAT practice test. You can find one of these tests on Princeton Review’s site that you can take online. Once this test is graded, you can see what areas you need to work on more and other areas that you already seem to have pretty squared away in your mind.

2. Simulate Test-Day Conditions

When you take your first diagnostic test as well as other practice tests, it’s extremely important to simulate real MCAT test day conditions. This means only taking breaks for snacks during official test breaks as well as working through entire sections before taking your few minutes of rest.

3. Study with Coursework when Possible

Optimally, you’ll be taking college classes that align with what you should be studying for the MCAT. Building a solid background on the key concepts such as chemistry, biology, psychology, and physics. If you have the chance to progress into even more higher-level classes in biology or chemistry, you are even better off!

4. Create a Study Schedule and Stick to It!

If you plan on taking the MCAT in 6 months, then you should be studying 20 hours per week. That would be nearly 4 hours per day during the workweek. A good way to make sure you stick to this schedule is to map out your days as well as fill in any other activities you may have to participate in, such as family or school events. If you know you will not want to study after dinner, then schedule your 4 hours during the daytime. Similarly, if you do not think you will have the self-discipline to study over the weekends, then do not schedule time to study on Saturday or Sunday. Creating a study schedule is all about you and how you study. Understanding yourself and when is best is a completely personal task.

5. Self-Evaluate Often

When studying for the MCAT, it is important to take as many practice tests and practice as many official questions as possible. But simply answering the questions and looking at your score is not enough. You must go through the answers and understand why you got the question wrong and use the time to figure out how you can improve upon these incorrect answers. This is the only way to learn from your mistakes and come out stronger as a test taker.

6. Build Endurance

The MCAT is over 7 hours long, so stamina is a huge factor in doing well on test day. You can build this stamina during your practice by working up to longer periods of time of uninterrupted study and practice. This many mean working on longer passages and not taking a break in-between. You may start at twenty to thirty consecutive minutes and work your way up to an hour to an hour and a half without breaks. Remember, preparing for the MCAT is like training for a marathon. Building your endurance can take months of training until you are able to work at a pace suitable for crossing the finish line.

If you are able to follow these key study tips for the MCAT, you are well on your way to rocking the MCAT! Don’t forget to have a good night’s rest before test day and keep in mind that if you did your best during studying and practicing over the months, then there is nothing to be stressed about on test day.

About the Author

Kristine Thorndyke is a passionate teacher and test prep blogger. She writes about the MCAT, ACT, and everything in-between!