This AMA resource offers guidance for prospective medical students who are preparing for the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT).
Who should read: Prospective students who are preparing to apply to medical school and looking to build a thoughtful, effective study strategy.
Why it matters: The MCAT is a major component of the medical school admissions process. It evaluates natural, behavioral, and social sciences knowledge and analysis skills that are important for success in medical school. Because of its breadth, depth and passage-based format, preparation should be intentional and consistent.
When should I start preparing for the MCAT?
The right timing has to do with two factors: when you plan to apply for medical school and when you feel you will be ready. The MCAT exam is offered multiple times a year from January through September.
Some helpful steps to take:
- Choose your intended application cycle first.
- Work backward to pick an MCAT date when you expect to be fully ready.
- Register early enough to secure your preferred date and location. You can view specific dates through the AAMC MCAT Registration Portal.
Strong preparation will help you build the ideal study program to maximize your score.
How long should it take to prepare for the MCAT?
Plan to study for four to five months and dedicate somewhere between 300-350 hours to study prior to your test date. Keep in mind that the exact amount of time depends on your academic background, baseline score, schedule and target score.
Students with a strong foundation and more available study time may need a shorter preparation window. Students balancing school, work or additional content review may need longer. The key point is that readiness should drive timing, not just the calendar.
What is the exam format of the MCAT?
The MCAT is a computer-based exam with four sections. Three of the exam’s four sections—biological and biochemical foundations of living systems; chemical and physical foundations of biological systems; and psychological, social and biological foundations of behavior—require prior content knowledge. A fourth section, critical analysis and reasoning skills (commonly referred to as CARS), is based largely on inference.
The full exam day is lengthy (7.5 hours on test day), so stamina and pacing are also important parts of preparation.
What are the steps to prepare for the MCAT?
A strong MCAT study plan is best approached as an ongoing cycle: diagnose, study, practice, review and refine.
Take a diagnostic exam
Start with a diagnostic exam which will provide a vital baseline of where you stand. If you take a class as part of your preparation, the instructor will likely give you a practice test at the outset. The diagnostic exam will give you an idea about your strengths and weaknesses, and where these fall relative to the MCAT’s four sections.
Build a study calendar
From there you can build a structured, strategic study plan, focusing on your weaker content areas and high-yield topics that appear more often on the exam. In addition to reviewing material, practice questions and analyzing those you answer incorrectly will be a good use of time. Don’t neglect foundational topics that support advanced questions.
Section testing
Once you feel confident about where you stand on each section, you should begin taking simulated exams one section at a time. Take a section one day and spend the following day reviewing it. See what you got wrong and what you can do differently next time.
About halfway through your studying, it’s wise to take another full-length practice exam to gain an understanding of improvements and remaining weaknesses. Like you did with the individual section exams, tweak your studying to address remaining weaknesses.
Final simulations
As you close in on exam day, the simulated exams should be at the same time and day of the week as the actual exam. Your studying should conclude a day or two before you take the actual exam.
Remember, in planning out your study calendar, it’s important to account for personal and professional obligations, and plan to take a day off a week to avoid burnout. For a student testing about three months out, the average day of studying should be around three hours.
What type of test prep resources should I use in preparing for the MCAT?
There is a vast amount of MCAT prep material available, and you’ll want to select the format that best fits your needs. A good rule is to choose the option that helps you stay consistent for several months. Depending on your needs, that may include:
- Structured prep courses or tutoring for guidance, pacing and outside support.
- Self-study resources for flexibility and independent review.
- Practice exams and question banks to assess readiness and track progress.
- Advising support and peer insight to learn what has worked well for others.
A hybrid approach can also work well if you want structure along with flexibility.
Final takeaways
Though only one of several factors considered when applying to medical school, success on the MCAT shows that applicants have the problem solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine.
The best MCAT prep is a planned, data-driven approach:
- Start several months ahead
- Take a diagnostic exam
- Focus on weak and high-yield areas
- Do timed passage practice and full-length exams
- Schedule the real exam when your readiness and application timing align
AMA MCAT resources
The AMA has gathered expert advice to help you achieve your best MCAT score and boost your chances of medical school admission. That content includes a comprehensive list of MCAT stumpers, covering three of the four MCAT sections—biological and biochemical foundations of living systems; chemical and physical foundations of biological systems; and psychological, social and biological foundations of behavior.
Also check out the AMA pre-med glossary guide, which has the answers to frequently asked questions about medical school, the application process, the MCAT and more.
Have peace of mind and get everything you need to start medical school off strong with the AMA.
