By: Ryan Kelly
We have a jokey expression we like to use with pre-meds: “The MCAT Cave.”
It sounds a bit depressing, but the idea is that you isolate yourself in “the cave” and focus exclusively on MCAT prep for an extended period of time (ideally 3-6 months).
As we’ve expressed in other articles, one of the biggest mistakes pre-meds make is not giving themselves enough time/space to properly study. Believe it or not, most students who do well on the MCAT spend about 500 hours preparing (or 200-300, depending on whom you ask).
One MCAT instructor we interviewed recommended no less than four months, but we understand that such a time-frame might not be possible for all applicants.
Consider this as a reference: if you treat the MCAT as “a full-time job” (~40 hours/week), it’ll take you a little over three months to cover those 500 hours.
However, our MCAT instructor friend also emphasized how important it is to “know thyself.” Part of “knowing thyself” involves having self-awareness about how much time YOU’LL need to achieve YOUR target score.
So, a study schedule is a subjective, personalized entity.
But we figured we’d give you a starting point by providing three different study schedules (for one, three, or six months).
Our general philosophy towards MCAT prep comes down to three factors: courses (develop your knowledge base), practice tests/materials (hone your execution/speed), and tutoring (achieve mastery by correcting mistakes).
With this in mind, our study schedules will incorporate these factors within the different time constraints.
The earlier, the better. The applicant pool grows more crowded as the admissions season approaches. Even if you complete everything else for your application early, the majority of schools will not consider you until they have your MCAT scores.
If you take the MCAT during spring of your junior year (after completing your pre-reqs), you’ll have time to retake it in the summer or following fall, if necessary. But again, we’re speaking in ideal terms here.
View the 2020 MCAT test dates so you can start making your study schedule.
Note: we recommend taking at least three to six months when possible.
If you have very limited time (one month or less), you’ll need to focus on isolating your weak spots and quickly learning from your mistakes.
Start by finding your baseline score, or the score you’d receive if you took the exam today. Before studying for the MCAT, take a free, full-length practice test. The results will guide your prep by showing you which areas to focus on the most.
Courses:
Most of the popular MCAT courses last longer than a month, but you can still opt for MCAT prep books as a substitute.
Practice Tests/Materials:
The Examkrackers Complete Study Package seems to be a good option if you’re pressed for time and need to master the essentials. If that’s too pricey, there are some free study guides and resources online.
Tutoring:
There are paid companies you can use, like MedSchoolCoach, Next Step, and Princeton Review. It’s likely that you’d be able to find tutors from these companies in your local area who can accommodate your time constraint, but not guaranteed. If they’re available, try to find reviews that mention your specific local tutors.
If you’re a current student, there MIGHT be free MCAT prep on your college campus. Some of our past students volunteered for Your MCAT Friends at UC San Diego, so do some exploring to see what’s available to you. Your biology/pre-health department or career services might also offer something similar.
If costs permit, you’ll want to meet with a tutor at least once or twice per week.
Week 1
*Fill your calendar with study blocks, planning to study for a minimum of three hours per day, six days per week. Take one day off to recharge.
*Start by taking a practice test or question set that covers all the topics from the MCAT to familiarize yourself with the test and establish your baseline. Besides the practice test link above, there are also free online practice tests from Kaplan.
*Use your test results to determine what areas to work on. For example, if you did well on molecular biology, you might only study those topics briefly and spend more time on a subject you struggled with, like anatomy or physiology.
FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW EVERY WEEK:
*Using your available study materials, devote one full day this week to each of these:
● Biochemistry (amino acids, enzymes, lipids)
● Biology (cell biology, reproduction, embryogenesis, genetics, evolution)
● General Chemistry (atomic/molecular structure, periodic table, bonding, interactions, stoichiometry)
● Organic Chemistry (nomenclature, stereochemistry, bonding)
● Physics (mathematics, dimensional analysis, kinematics, force, energy)
● Behavioral Sciences (sensation, perception, learning, memory, cognition, consciousness, language)
*In addition, study for the CARS section on a daily basis. Use the AAMC’s sample questions and sections to work on passage-related questions. Jack Westin offers a free daily CARS question that will be helpful as well.
*Take a full-length practice test at the end of the week to gauge your progress. Meet with your tutor 1-2 times to go over problem areas together.
*Make a “Mistake Log” where you write down errors and solutions to reinforce the concepts moving forward.
Week 2
*Using your available study materials, devote one full day this week to each of these:
● Biochemistry (lipid/amino acid metabolism, membranes, DNA structure, replication, repair, RNA structure, transcription, translation)
● Biology (nervous system, endocrine system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, blood)
● General Chemistry (kinetics, equilibrium, solutions, acids, bases)
● Organic Chemistry (substitution reactions, oxidation, reduction, spectroscopy, separations, amino acids, ATP, biochemical compounds)
● Physics (hydrostatics, fluid dynamics, waves/sound, light/optics, atomic/nuclear phenomena)
● Behavioral Sciences (motivation, stress/emotion, identity/personality, psychological disorders, social processes, attitudes/behavior)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 3
*Using your available study materials, devote one full day this week to each of these:
● Biochemistry (carbohydrates, glycolysis/glucose metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, electron transport chain, bioenergetics)
● Biology (immune system, digestive system, homeostasis, excretory system, musculoskeletal system)
● General Chemistry (thermochemistry, gases, oxidation/reduction, electrochemistry)
● Organic Chemistry (alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids/ reactions)
● Physics (thermodynamics, electrostatics, magnetism, circuits)
● Behavioral Sciences (social interaction, social thought processes, social structure, demographics, social stratification)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 4
*Using your available study materials:
Spend extra time reviewing CARS by re-reading the passages to determine what information you actually needed and what you didn’t.
Focus on the material that you struggled with the first time through but that you think you can master with a little more time.
*Repeat weekly steps
*Take the day before the test completely off! Eat healthy, balanced meals and get a full night of rest. On test day, wake up with time to spare and eat breakfast before leaving. Good luck!
PHEW! If that seemed like a LOT to cram into one month, that’s BECAUSE IT IS.
Start by finding your baseline score, or the score you’d receive if you took the exam today. Before studying for the MCAT, take a free, full-length practice test. The results will guide your prep by showing which areas you need to focus on the most.
Courses:
If you choose to do a course, that might alter the schedule we have constructed below. For a three-month schedule, your best bets for courses will be Kaplan, Magoosh, and Adapt Prep. But you may need to accelerate your course schedule or forego certain aspects to fit your time window.
Practice Tests/Materials:
Beyond Kaplan, the Sterling Test Prep Books let you create your own package on Amazon for about the same price as Kaplan. Sterling’s “high yield” question books each have 1200+ questions on specific subjects, which is ideal since the best way to prepare for the MCAT is to take similar tests over and over again.
If these are too pricey, there are some free study guides and resources online.
Tutoring:
There are paid companies you can use, like MedSchoolCoach, Next Step, and Princeton Review. It’s likely that you’d be able to find tutors from these companies in your local area who can accommodate your time constraint, but not guaranteed. If they’re available, try to find reviews that mention your specific local tutors.
If you’re a current student, there MIGHT be free MCAT prep on your college campus. Some of our past students volunteered for Your MCAT Friends at UC San Diego, so do some exploring to see what’s available to you. Your biology/pre-health department or career services might also offer something similar.
If costs permit, you’ll want to meet with a tutor at least once per week.
Week 1
*Fill your calendar with study blocks, planning to study for a minimum of two hours per day, six days per week. Take one day off to recharge.
*Start by taking a practice test or question set that covers all the topics from the MCAT to familiarize yourself with the test and establish your baseline. Besides the practice test link above, there are also free online practice tests from Kaplan.
*Use your test results to determine what areas to work on. For example, if you did well on molecular biology, you might only study those topics briefly and spend more time on a subject you struggled with, like anatomy or physiology.
*Set up a rotating schedule for these topics:
Biochemistry
Biology
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Physics
Behavioral Sciences
Start with the fundamentals of each, and split your time between different topics each day. Spend at least an hour to an hour on each topic.
Sample weekly calendar:
Sunday: Full length test
Monday: Test review
Tuesday: Biology, Biochemistry
Wednesday: General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry
Thursday: Physics, Psychology, Sociology
Friday: Tutoring session on problem areas
Saturday: Day off
Content areas for Week 1:
Biology (cell biology)
Biochemistry (amino acids, peptides, proteins)
General Chemistry (atomic structure, periodic table)
Organic Chemistry (nomenclature)
Physics (dimensional analysis, basic math, statistics)
Behavioral Sciences (biological basis of behavior)
FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW EVERY WEEK:
*Study for the CARS section on a daily basis. Use the AAMC’s sample questions and sections to work on passage-related questions. Jack Westin offers a free daily CARS question that will be helpful as well.
*Take a full-length practice test at the end of the week to gauge your progress. Meet with your tutor to go over problem areas together.
*Make a “Mistake Log” where you write down errors and solutions to reinforce the concepts moving forward.
Week 2:
● Biology (reproduction, embryogenesis, development)
● Biochemistry (protein structure and function)
● General Chemistry (bonding, chemical interactions)
● Organic Chemistry (isomers)
● Physics (kinematics, translational motion)
● Behavioral Sciences (sensation, perception)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 3:
● Biology (nervous system)
● Biochemistry (enzymes)
● General Chemistry (compounds, stoichiometry)
● Organic Chemistry (bonding)
● Physics (work, energy)
● Behavioral Sciences (learning, memory)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 4:
● Biology (endocrine system)
● Biochemistry (carbohydrate structure and function)
● General Chemistry (chemical kinetics)
● Organic Chemistry (alcohols, ethers)
● Physics (thermodynamics)
● Behavioral Sciences (cognition, language)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 5:
● Biology (respiratory system)
● Biochemistry (lipid structure and function)
● General Chemistry (equilibrium)
● Organic Chemistry (organic oxidation, reduction)
● Physics (fluids)
● Behavioral Sciences (emotion, stress)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 6:
● Biology (cardiovascular system)
● Biochemistry (DNA, replication)
● General Chemistry (thermochemistry)
● Organic Chemistry (aldehydes, ketones)
● Physics (electrostatics)
● Behavioral Sciences (identity, personality)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 7:
● Biology (immune system)
● Biochemistry (RNA transcription, translation)
● General Chemistry (the gas phase)
● Organic Chemistry (carboxylic acids)
● Physics (magnetism)
● Behavioral Sciences (psychological disorders)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 8:
● Biology (digestive system)
● Biochemistry (biological membranes)
● General Chemistry (solutions)
● Organic Chemistry (carboxylic acid derivatives)
● Physics (circuits)
● Behavioral Sciences (social processes, behavior)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 9:
● Biology (musculoskeletal system)
● Biochemistry (carbohydrate metabolism)
● General Chemistry (acids, bases)
● Organic Chemistry (nitrogen/phosphorus-containing compounds)
● Physics (waves, sound)
● Behavioral Sciences (social thought processes)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 10:
● Biology (homeostasis, excretory system)
● Biochemistry (lipid/amino acid metabolism)
● General Chemistry (oxidation, reduction)
● Organic Chemistry (spectroscopy)
● Physics (light, optics)
● Behavioral Sciences (social structure, demographics)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 11:
● Biology (genetics, evolution)
● Biochemistry (bioenergetics, regulation of metabolism)
● General Chemistry (electrochemistry)
● Organic Chemistry (separation, purification)
● Physics (atomic and nuclear phenomena)
● Behavioral Sciences (social stratification)
*Repeat weekly steps
Week 12
*Using your available study materials:
Spend extra time reviewing CARS, re-reading the passages to determine what information you actually needed and what you didn’t.
Focus on the material that you struggled with the first time through but that you think you can master given just a little more time.
*Repeat weekly steps
*Take the day before the test completely off! Eat healthy, balanced meals and get a full night of rest. On test day, wake up with time to spare and eat breakfast before leaving. Good luck!
Start by finding your baseline score, or the score you’d receive if you took the exam today. Before studying for the MCAT, take a free, full-length practice test. The results will guide your prep by showing which areas you need to focus on the most.
Courses:
If you choose to do a course, that might alter the schedule we have constructed. For a six-month schedule, your best bets will be Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Gold Standard. But you may need to accelerate your course schedule or forego certain aspects to fit your time window.
Practice Tests/Materials:
Beyond Kaplan, the Princeton Review MCAT Complete Box Set would be a nice, affordable comprehensive option for a six-month study schedule. For an added bonus, you could add the MCAT Psychology and Sociology book from Next Step.
If these are too pricey, there are some free study guides and resources online.
Tutoring:
There are paid companies you can use, like MedSchoolCoach, Next Step, and Princeton Review. It’s likely that you’d be able to find tutors from these companies in your local area who can accommodate your time constraint, but not guaranteed. If they’re available, try to find reviews that mention your specific local tutors.
If you’re a current student, there MIGHT be free MCAT prep on your college campus. Some of our past students volunteered for Your MCAT Friends at UC San Diego, so do some exploring to see what’s available to you. Your biology/pre-health department or career services might also offer something similar.
If costs permit, you’ll want to meet with a tutor at least once every other week.
Week 1
*Fill your calendar with study blocks, planning to study for a minimum of one hour per day, six days per week. Take one day off to recharge.
*Start by taking a practice test or question set that covers all the topics from the MCAT to familiarize yourself with the test and establish your baseline. Besides the practice test link above, there are also free online practice tests from Kaplan.
*Use your test results to determine what areas to work on. For example, if you did well on molecular biology, you might only study those topics briefly and spend more time on a subject you struggled with, like anatomy or physiology.
*Set up a rotating schedule for these topics:
Biochemistry
Biology
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Physics
Behavioral Sciences
Start with the fundamentals of each, and split your time between different topics each day. Spend at least a half hour on each topic.
Sample weekly calendar:
Sunday: Full length test
Monday: Test review
Tuesday: Biology, Biochemistry
Wednesday: General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry
Thursday: Physics, Psychology, Sociology
Friday: Tutoring session on problem areas
Saturday: Day off
Content areas for Week 1:
Biology (cell biology)
Biochemistry (amino acids, peptides, proteins)
General Chemistry (atomic structure, periodic table)
Organic Chemistry (nomenclature)
Physics (dimensional analysis, basic math, statistics)
Behavioral Sciences (biological basis of behavior)
FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW EVERY WEEK:
*Study for the CARS section on a daily basis. Use the AAMC’s sample questions and sections to work on passage-related questions. Jack Westin offers a free daily CARS question that will be helpful as well.
*Take a full-length practice test at the end of the week to gauge your progress. Meet with your tutor to go over problem areas together.
*Make a “Mistake Log” where you write down errors and solutions to reinforce the concepts moving forward.
Weeks 2-22
*Refer to our three-month study schedule (see above). For weeks 2-11 in that schedule, multiply each by two, so that Week 2 becomes Weeks 2-3, Week 3 becomes Weeks 4-5, and so on. We’ve already scaled the amount of studying time accordingly, but feel free to study more than is required.
*Repeat weekly steps each time
Weeks 23-24
*Using your available study materials:
Spend extra time reviewing CARS, re-reading the passages to determine what information you actually needed and what you didn’t.
Focus on the material that you struggled with the first time through but that you think you can master given just a little more time.
*Repeat weekly steps
*Take the day before the test completely off! Eat healthy, balanced meals and get a full night of rest. On test day, wake up with time to spare and eat breakfast before leaving. Good luck!
Remember: it’s all about finding the study schedule, materials, and tutors that work best for YOU.
Still have questions about MCAT prep? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll respond to you personally.
