Pick up your stethoscope, grab a pen or your laptop, and start testing your knowledge for the MCAT. Studying and knowing what to expect on the exam will equate to you doing well on this admissions test into medical school.
Register Early for the Exam
You will want to register for the MCAT early in order to:
- Leave plenty of time for your preparation
- Allow enough time to study
- Know your test date when you register for the MCAT, so that you can sign up for prep courses
Creating a timeline for preparation is an essential element of taking this test successfully.
Study for the MCAT
Developed and administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), you are required to pass the MCAT to get into a medical school. The Medical College Admission Test is a computer-based, multiple-choice, standardized exam which measures your content knowledge of:
- General chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- General biology
- Biochemistry
- Physics
- Psychology
- Sociology
The MCAT tests your critical analysis and reasoning skills and rewards students who can apply their critical reasoning skills to content-specific questions. The key to doing well is knowing how to interpret and solve complex problems.
Join a Study Group
By joining a study group, you’ll be meeting with other prospective medical students. This will give you an opportunity to help each other out by sharing tips and tricks you’ve learned, ask each other content questions and assess what areas you need to focus on. In a study group, you will also have the opportunity to test one another on the content.
The integrated content on the test is broken down into four sections:
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior
The study group may also help you learn how to apply your critical reasoning skills to the content.
Sign Up for a Prep Course
Signing up for a prep course is important to help you prepare to take the MCAT. You can either sign up for an online prep course or see if there is one you can take in-person. Or you can sign up for both and receive all the extra help and practice you need.
Prep courses will give you study tips, the best way to approach the exam and how to answer the questions efficiently. These courses will also offer a chance to be with others who are also taking the MCAT and can introduce you to people with who you can study with.
Take as Many Practice Tests as You Need
When studying for the MCAT, you should take as many practice tests as possible. If you sign up for a prep course, you will have access to more practice tests that you can take. By searching on the internet, you will also be able to find sample questions with the answers. A high score may be what you need to get into the school of your choice.
A high score on your MCAT will have a positive impact on your medical school application. Being fully prepared and well studied for the exam will help you ace the test and get into the school of your choice.
