MCAT study schedule: how do you build one?
Plan about 300 to 350 hours over 3 to 6 months, counting back from your test date. A 3-month schedule means about 25 hours a week, a 6-month schedule about 12 to 15. Spend the first part on content review, the middle on practice questions, and the last 4 to 6 weeks on full-length practice exams, one a week, with a day to review each.
The MCAT is long: four sections, 230 questions and 6 hours 15 minutes of testing, about 7.5 hours with breaks. Each section is scored from 118 to 132, for a total of 472 to 528. So a good schedule builds stamina, not only knowledge. The 300 to 350 hour figure comes from the big prep companies. The AAMC itself does not set a number of hours.
The AAMC suggests starting with its free unscored sample test, then rating each area of the content outline as low, medium or high confidence. Put low-confidence topics early and give them more sessions. Do a few CARS passages most days from week one, because reading speed improves slowly.
Pick your test date first, then work backwards. Keep the last few days free of new content. If your full-length scores are far from your target four weeks out, moving the date is often smarter than forcing it.
| Phase | 3 months (about 25 h a week) | 6 months (about 12 to 15 h a week) |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Week 1: AAMC sample test, rate the content outline | Week 1: AAMC sample test, rate the content outline |
| Content review | Weeks 2 to 5: one science block a day, flashcards daily | Weeks 2 to 12: two or three subjects a week, flashcards daily |
| Practice | Weeks 6 to 8: passage sets and question banks, review every miss | Weeks 13 to 20: question banks plus light content review |
| Full-length exams | Weeks 9 to 12: one a week, review day after each | Weeks 21 to 26: one a week, review day after each |
| CARS | 2 to 3 passages most days | 2 to 3 passages most days |
| Final days | Light review and rest, no new content | Light review and rest, no new content |
- 1Choose your test date and count the weeks. Multiply by the hours you can really study each week and check that you reach about 300.
- 2Take the free AAMC unscored sample test and use its score report to rate each content area low, medium or high confidence.
- 3Block content review by subject, low-confidence topics first, and make flashcards for formulas, amino acids and key terms as you go.
- 4Switch to practice questions by the halfway point. Review each miss until you can explain why the right answer is right.
- 5In the last 4 to 6 weeks, take one full-length exam a week under real timing, including the official AAMC practice exams, and spend the next day reviewing it.
- 6Keep a short CARS habit all the way through and protect one rest day a week.
- 7Stop new content 3 to 5 days before test day.