![]() In my opinion taking practice tests is by far the most important aspect of MCAT preparation. Having this many tests allowed me to take one per week and tailor my content review to the style and demands of the test. Finally, their Psychology book was a great resource and gave me enough knowledge to at least make a very informed guess on everything on the real test.Īccess to the 10+ Princeton Review (TPR) practice tests was invaluable. ![]() As a biology major I didn't glance in the Biology book much. ![]() Their Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry books were concise and great for review if you have taken those courses before. Know that their Physics book is slightly outdated and still contains a lot of classical physics which isn’t tested much, if at all, on the new MCAT. ![]() The books are incredibly thorough, and it would be nearly impossible to remember all their content. Since I did the Princeton Review class I exclusively used their 2016 edition MCAT set for content review. I’m a fairly motivated student though, and the class structure may help some students stay on schedule in content review. The actual classroom portion wasn't the most efficient use of time for me as it is hard to balance the needs of 20+ students during specific content review, and I found that self studying allowed me to tailor my study time to be most effective. My school offered a Princeton Review Prep Course for a nominal fee, and it was a great opportunity to get their study materials for a low price. I aimed to take one practice test per week and spend the day after reviewing it carefully to correct any errors in logic while making notes of concepts that I was weak in. It’s optimal to take as many practice tests as possible (more than 8), since learning the style of questions and timing of the test is arguably more important than pure content review. I’ve also heard of people prepping for 6+ months doing just a bit of work everyday, but I’d be careful with this as you’re more likely to forget material learned earlier in the studying if it isn’t reviewed frequently. It seems like most people consider 2-3 months of uninterrupted study to be adequate, but this timeline may need to be extended if full-time studying isn’t possible due to school obligations or another job. I aimed to study for 7 hours per day, but usually hovered around 5-6 hours of solid study time (about 250 - 300 hours total). Despite the drop in some section scores I can say it feels awesome to know that I really put my all into this test, so there aren't any regrets.įirst off, acquaint yourself with the basics of the MCAT. I ended up studying 5 days a week for around 10 weeks in the spring. Typically people score slightly higher on the actual test compared to the AAMC practice test, but this just goes to show that things are variable and anything can happen. Here’s my score breakdown on the real MCAT and the AAMC Practice Test. I ended up with a 517 on the test, which certainly isn’t wizard-level like a 525, but I think the techniques I used helped me greatly in getting this score despite forgetting much of the basic sciences from early undergrad. Finally, the study aids mentioned are ones I personally used to prepare for the MCAT. This small income helps pay for hosting and design on the site, and it doesn't cost you anything. Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. Additionally, for anyone out there with MCAT tips or questions, please post them below in the comments! I just recently finished the MCAT journey in May 2016, and wanted to write this as an informal guide to help future test takers. The good news is that a few months of focused study will give you the basic tools to handle even the most complicated looking questions. The new MCAT (2015 MCAT) is by far the most intensive and extensive test of the undergraduate career.
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