How long should you study before the MCAT?

Most people need 10–15 hours per week to study for the MCAT over a period of at least four to six months .

How long before MCAT should I start studying?

How long should I study for the MCAT? Believe it or not, most students who do well on the MCAT spend between 200 and 300 hours preparing for the exam. When you start your prep will be determined by your test date and by what other work and academic commitments you have—usually 3 to 6 months before your exam.

Is 2 months enough time to study for the MCAT?

As the official MCAT prep of the AMSA, Kaplan recommends that you spend 300-350 hours studying so you can be above average. If you're planning on taking the MCAT in two months, you'll need to put aside a significant amount of study time each week for in order to be able to score competitively.

Is 12 weeks enough for MCAT?

12 weeks, or 3 months, is generally sufficient time to spend studying for the MCAT at about 20 hours per week. This can be compressed or extended based on your schedule.

Is 7 weeks enough for MCAT?

Top tips for preparation

If possible, take some time to dedicate to only studying for the MCAT^® exam. Multitasking while studying for the exam is really hard. Give yourself enough time to study, at least 4-5 weeks full time.

How long should YOU study for the MCAT?

Is a 500 MCAT score good?

in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 500 on the MCAT means you performed in the 53% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

Should I start studying for the MCAT in freshman year?

If you get anything less than a 4.0 freshman year, you're never getting into medical school. Start studying for the MCAT the summer before you enter college. By the time junior year rolls around, you should finally be ready.

Is pre-med the hardest major?

1 spot as the hardest college course. This course is often referred to as the “pre-med killer” because it actually has caused many pre-med majors to switch their major. Like all the others, this class requires a strong commitment to consistent and serious studying.

What college year is the hardest?

There is no question that the first semester of the freshman year of college is the most critical. Many studies show that freshman year is the time when students most likely drop out of college – if not permanently, then temporarily.

Is MCAT hard to pass?

The MCAT is especially challenging for several reasons, according to test prep experts. It is extremely lengthy and covers multiple subjects, addresses technical aspects of certain fields and occasionally requires test-takers to combine knowledge from disparate academic disciplines.

Is GPA or MCAT more important?

But, the easy answer is: MCAT. Some med schools believe that GPA is a better indicator of future success because it measures your work ethic and determination. However, your MCAT score is the only factor that is completely objective. It is the only factor that can compare all students evenly.

Should I retake a 512 MCAT?

If you were averaging 510-512s on your practice AAMC exam but scored much lower on test day, this is a good reason to retake the MCAT. The lower score is more likely due to nerves, pressure, lack of sleep, or sickness than lack of knowledge and ability.

What's the lowest MCAT score accepted?

Your correct answers in each section are converted to a scaled score ranging from 118 (lowest possible score) to 132 (highest possible score). The scores for all four sections are added together. This means that the lowest possible MCAT score you can get is 472 and the highest is 528.

How many people get a 528 a year?

Since this method is not perfect, we'll leave you with a range; between 30 and 70 students every year achieve a perfect 528 MCAT. This is out of the nearly three hundred thousand students who take the exam.

Is 490 a good MCAT score?

Is 490 a bad MCAT score? in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 490 on the MCAT means you performed in the 20% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

Is 505 a good MCAT score?

Although the mean total MCAT score among all test takers is 505.9, most successful MD applicants typically achieve an MCAT total score at or above the 65th percentile (i.e., 506+). Moreover, the average MCAT score among successful applicants lands around the 83rd percentile and continues to trend upwards each year.

Do schools that accept low MCAT?

If your scores are simply too low to be competitive at American allopathic med schools, you might pursue osteopathic medicine, which evaluates applications more holistically and considers lower MCAT scores than allopathic schools. You might also investigate foreign medical schools, including Caribbean programs.

How hard is it to get a 509 on the MCAT?

Attaining a score of 509 on the MCAT means you performed in the 82% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

Is 495 a good MCAT score?

Is 495 a bad MCAT score? in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 495 on the MCAT means you performed in the 35% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

Will a 4.0 GPA get me into med school?

"However...they don't need to have a 4.0.” While perfect grades are not required for medical school admission, premeds "would want to be in the mid-3.0 range and higher to feel relatively competitive," Grabowski says. Still, it is possible to get into med school with a mediocre or low GPA.

Is 3.9 GPA good for med school?

A GPA of 3.5 is the “average” for medical school so any GPA of 3.6 or above would be above average and hence, competitive.

What is the hardest subject on MCAT?

The Most Difficult MCAT Test Section

Many students report that the most difficult section is CARS, and the average scores reported by AAMC back that up. The lowest average section scores overall and for matriculants are in CARS.

Are MCAT questions tricky?

It's tricky.

Like other standardized tests, the MCAT is also particularly tricky. The phrasing and construction of their questions are made to be a bit confusing to test your reading comprehension and analyzing skills. Combined with certain topics, they're also made to gauge your critical thinking skills.