MCAT Prep

There are two major questions that students normally ask when beginning to study for the MCAT: 

1. How much time should I study for the MCAT? 

2. How should I study for the MCAT? 

The answers to these questions are related. Generally, you should expect to spend 250-350 hours studying for the MCAT. Most people study 10-15 hours per week over a period of four to six months. The best way to figure out how much you need to review is to take a practice test as soon as possible. 

There are several places where you can get free full length practice tests:

• Kaplan

• Princeton Review

• AAMC

There are also several places where you can get free half length practice tests:

• ExamKrackers

• Blueprint

To get the most accurate picture of your abilities you need to make sure that you take a FULL practice test which will last about 7 hours. You need to score a minimum of around a 504 (with no scores below 126 in the four sections) to have a good shot at getting into legitimate medical schools. Obviously, the higher your score, the better chance you will have. 

How should I study for the MCAT?

This is not a one size fits all question. There are a lot of different resources out there to study for the MCAT. There are several commercial test prep companies that have a variety of courses and prep materials, most for a fee. There are also some low cost and free resources out there. You have to decide what works best for how you learn. 

What are the commercial MCAT prep courses like?

There are several commercial MCAT prep courses available. 

• Kaplan

• Princeton Review

• ExamKrackers

• Blueprint

• UWorld 

Using Kaplan as an example. Kaplan offers four types of prep courses that range from $1799 to $3599. The instruction varies by on demand/pre-recorded lectures, live online, in-person and live online + private tutoring. With these courses you get a structured study plan, question banks, 17 full length practice tests, book set and much more. 

Alternative to a commercial MCAT prep course: 

• A Centre Alumni working at Xavier University organizes an online prep course every spring. They meet three times a week using this example schedule. The current cost of the course, which includes access to KrackU (Exam Kracker’s online platform) is $800. 

• ProtonGuru - MCAT Ladder has two options for online test prep (on-demand ($1100) and instructor led ($2143) but also offers scholarships for interested students.

Advantages of Test Preparation Courses

• They know what material is likely covered on the current year's test and will only teach you about that.

• They have a tremendous amount of practice material for you.

• They have a lot of experience preparing students and a good record of success

•  If you are paying all that money, you are more likely to be motivated to stick to a schedule.

• If you are not satisfied with your scores, you can retake the course for free.

Disadvantages of Test Preparation Courses

•  They are expensive.

• They generally do not spend a lot of time teaching about strategy.

How should I prepare on my own for the MCAT?

If you decide to prepare on your own, you should decide what resources you need and get a study plan together during the fall term. DO NOT study for the MCAT by going over old notes or looking at textbooks. The vast majority of material you have learned in your courses is not covered on the MCAT. If there is a concept you do not understand from reading the review books, then you might want to look at a textbook or talk to a professor. Otherwise, only look at the Kaplan, Princeton, or Exam Krackers review books to see what will be on the test. You should pay careful attention to the math review in the prep books because you do not get calculators on the test.

Advantages of Preparing on Your Own

• It is much cheaper.

• You can set your own schedule. CentreTerm is ideal for intensive study.

• You can focus on the areas that you are weak in instead of wasting your time going to review sessions on stuff you know well.

• You will be more likely to interact with your peers at Centre to discuss strategy and share information.

• You can start preparing early, instead of cramming your preparation into a few months.

Disadvantages of Preparing on Your Own

• You must motivate yourself to set an early schedule and stick to it.

• It will take time and effort to locate all of the materials you will need.

Resources for Preparing on Your Own

• Book sets: Princeton Review, Kaplan, Exam Krackers, Blueprint, and UWorld all have book sets you can purchase. 

  • Drs. Paumi, Young and Wachter all have books in our offices you can check-out to study 

• Flash cards: Anki - MCAT Milesdown deck is popular among students studying for the MCAT. 

• Free Resources through AAMC: Study plan guide, free sample test, and free practice tests with explanations

• Pay Resources through AAMC: Complete bundle ($294, 4 practice exams, several question banks)

• UWorld: Question banks separate from their prep courses for a fee

• King of the Curve: Question banks, passage based questions, timelines, and other resources. Sliding scale fee.

• Other free resources are available through most major test prep company and other places: 

• Blueprint - study planner, question of the day, content checklist/other guides, flash cards

• Kaplan - question bank, learning modules for each section

• Princeton Review - webinars

• Exam Krackers - amino acid game, study guide

• Jack Westin - daily CARS and question banks

• MCAT Khan Academy - content videos