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MCAT Tips & Strategies

Come into the test with a plan
Spend enough time preparing for the test, that you know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. You know you’re going to get electricity questions in the Physical Sciences section; are you strong with currents and electric fields, and weak with circuits? Having this kind of understanding can help you decide where to focus your energies on test day. Why spend 8 minutes stressing out over a question when there’s a good chance you’ll get it wrong, no matter what? The only way you’ll be able to use your time wisely on test day is to know what your strengths and weaknesses are beforehand.

Come into the test well-rehearsed
Practice makes permanence! If you set aside some time in a quiet place to take some practice MCAT exams, you’ll be ready for the rigors of sitting in a chair and focusing on test material for several hours. Since this skill doesn’t come naturally to most people, why not practice? You can also use this opportunity to assess where you need to spend more time studying.

Know your science
Make a concentrated effort to determine what you don’t know that might be tested. MCAT questions will often ask you to apply and interpret what you know. If you don’t have the basic knowledge and understanding, then you won’t be able to apply that understanding in different situations and problems.

Practice applying what you know
Remember, MCAT science passages will usually present an application of basic principles. Learning what’s in a textbook isn’t enough – you’ve got to have practice applying it in different ways. If a complicated circuit were drawn in front of you, would you be able to analyze the current flow? If a complex organic molecule were diagrammed, could you identify it, and its major components?

Make sure you answer all the questions
You don’t get penalized for incorrect answers, so always choose something, even if you have to guess. If you’re running out of time, pick a letter and use it to answer all the remaining questions.

Don’t study during the lunch break
You need that time to recuperate and rest. Eat a light lunch, avoid the people discussing the test sections, and relax!