{"id":29412,"date":"2021-05-09T13:12:36","date_gmt":"2021-05-09T13:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=29412"},"modified":"2023-08-16T17:11:13","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T17:11:13","slug":"top-10-mcat-study-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/top-10-mcat-study-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 MCAT Study Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div   data-autoplay='1'  data-interval='5'  data-animation='fade'  data-hoverpause='1'  class='avia-testimonial-wrapper avia-grid-testimonials avia-grid-2-testimonials avia_animate_when_almost_visible   '>\n<section class ='avia-testimonial-row'><div class='avia-testimonial av_one_half flex_column no_margin avia-testimonial-row-1 avia-first-testimonial' ><div class='avia-testimonial_inner'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia-testimonial-image'  itemprop=\"image\"  ><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-content '  ><div class='avia-testimonial-markup-entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Here are our top 10 tips to streamline your MCAT prep.<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These will help you make the most of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/how-long-does-it-take-study-for-the-mcat\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hundreds of hours<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you\u2019ll spend studying.&#8221;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-meta'><div class='avia-testimonial-arrow-wrap'><div class='avia-arrow'><\/div><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-meta-mini'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><strong  class='avia-testimonial-name'    itemprop=\"name\" >Aeri Kim, MCAT Instructor<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_testimonials  el_before_av_sidebar '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue83e' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >1) Make space for the MCAT<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>It\u2019s very common to see students just tack on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/whats-tested-on-the-mcat-2\/\">MCAT<\/a> studying to their full-time jobs and\/or school obligations, and this is likely the number one reason why students either unexpectedly extend their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/mcat\">MCAT prep<\/a> or repeat their MCAT studying. Consider making arrangements with your job so that you have larger chunks of time for studying, or choose to study for the MCAT when you\u2019ve got a lighter course load. Additionally, make mental space; it\u2019s tough studying for the MCAT when you\u2019ve got really challenging courses you need to study for at the same time. Finally, you need space for yourself. It\u2019s not healthy to be always on the go!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue808' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >2) Don\u2019t just study for the MCAT \u2014 strike a balance<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other spectrum are students who clear their schedule and only study for the MCAT. This type of student is often plagued with guilt any time they\u2019re not studying, possibly because they (or their support system) have had to make sacrifices to do so. It\u2019s not reasonable to expect yourself to study 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Treat it like a full-time job, and make sure there are breaks and days off. For example, consider adding some time volunteering to help with your application. Also, sleep is NOT a break but a necessity, like eating.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue8d7' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >3) Self-reflection is key!<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be honest with yourself. Does your tried-and-true \u201cmake flashcards for everything\u201d technique really work? Does reading a chapter and taking extensive notes actually help you with understanding content? The MCAT is very different from your undergraduate classes. Be honest with what works for you, and be open to changing comfortable study techniques so that you\u2019re always working towards progress.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue843' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >4) Plan out your study blocks<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/how-to-study-for-the-mcat-in-6-months\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is helpful for a number of reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>a)<\/strong> You won\u2019t waste time figuring out what to do every time you sit down to study<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>b)<\/strong> You stay on track with timelines, which is really important for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/when-should-i-take-the-mcat\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">test-dates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/how-to-plan-your-medical-school-application-timeline\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">application deadlines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>c)<\/strong> It gives you a sense of progress beyond just the percentages you get from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/mcat\/free\/pop-quiz\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quizzes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/mcat\/free\/20-minute-workout\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">practice tests<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, make the blocks specific, attainable, and have a time-limit. A block that says \u201cOptics\u201d isn\u2019t quite enough\u2014how do you know when you\u2019re done? Instead, make your tasks like this: \u201cMonday 9-10am: Watch this video on optics, take notes\u201d or \u201cBlock 3 (1 hour): Memorize these equations, then do these 10 practice questions and review.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue81c' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >5) Use practice questions with your content review<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nothing feels worse than spending time and effort studying a topic in great detail, only to find out that the MCAT doesn\u2019t really ask for those details, or you need to think about the topic in a different way. Get your hands on as much MCAT practice questions you can, and use them not for assessment purposes, but to help you see what details you\u2019re missing, and to practice test-taking strategies outside of practice tests. With Kaplan\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/mcat\/practice\/mcat-prep-qbank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MCAT Qbank<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you get access to over 2000 questions and in-depth explanations.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue849' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >6) Use multiple practice tests to build endurance, and space them out!<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 7+ hour test is no joke! Just like you don\u2019t just decide to run a marathon one day, taking the MCAT without having built up stamina is a bad idea. Similarly, prepping by running a full marathon every day of race week will only burn you out. Start those <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/mcat\/practice\/mcat-practice-exam-pack\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">practice tests<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> early to give yourself a chance to build up endurance, and space them out (ideally once a week!) so that you\u2019re gaining the maximum benefit from the review process.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue82a' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >7) Focus on the quality of review, not the quantity of practice done<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bulldozing your way through as much practice as you can will help to a certain extent, but savvy test-takers will spend equal amounts of time (if not more!) reviewing the explanations, memorizing, and thinking about different ways to connect the content to the questions. The review process will help you generate appropriate takeaways so that you\u2019re not making the same mistake again!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue84f' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >8) Make sure your content review is appropriate for its yield<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The beginning of your MCAT journey can seem overwhelming if you consider the vast array of topics in each section. However, it\u2019s not all equally tested, and it\u2019s rather rare for the MCAT to require a lot of detail for a particular topic. Shortcut your work by doing some digging into what is important for the MCAT, instead of studying all topics with equal emphasis. Your undergraduate textbooks are just too packed with details, which will waste your time and efforts. Get your hands on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/mcat\/books\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">material specifically made for the most recent version of the MCAT<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue8c9' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >9) Do your research on med school MCAT score requirements<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical schools have a huge range in MCAT score requirements, making it tricky to have just one set goal score for everyone. AAMC\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/students-residents.aamc.org\/applying-medical-school\/applying-medical-school-process\/medical-school-admission-requirements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lets you search and compare information about U.S. and Canadian medical schools. Your goal score will help you make decisions like how long you should be studying, what test-date you should be aiming for, how many hours per week you should set aside, and when you\u2019re ready to take the MCAT. Consider this your \u201cone and done\u201d MCAT.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue8a8' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >10) Take the MCAT only when you\u2019re within range of your goal score<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t walk into the test day and hope that you get lucky. If your practice test scores don&#8217;t indicate that you&#8217;re within range of your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/whats-a-good-mcat-score\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">goal score<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you&#8217;re not ready. Remember, even though schools use one score, they see all the scores on record, so there\u2019s no sense in taking the test when you know you\u2019re not going to get something that will help you get into medical school.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\n[\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/mcat\/free\/pop-quiz\"><strong>KEEP STUDYING:\u00a0<\/strong>What&#8217;s your MCAT Score? Take our Pop Quiz!<\/a> ]<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_sidebar '><div id=\"text-72\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><code><br \/>\n<span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"412169cd3aa9977143b6f06c0fae300dfc947b95c5705249ca54c9f4a812a953\"><\/span><br \/>\n<\/code><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><div id=\"text-73\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><code><br \/>\n<span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"69112752ce12d39d65c983f7db76907ae236d4cb30c38eaf7538c5f1d3530ae0\"><\/span><br \/>\n<\/code><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[\u00a0KEEP STUDYING:\u00a0What&#8217;s your MCAT Score? Take our Pop Quiz! ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[3],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29412"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29412"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48449,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29412\/revisions\/48449"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}