How hard is the MCAT? Very hard! Most students will know that the MCAT is an important medical school requirement. In this blog, I'll share what I found most challenging about the MCAT, and tips to prepare for this tough test. Understanding how hard the MCAT is will help you to craft an effective study schedule and approach.
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How Hard Is the MCAT? The Facts
The MCAT is a notoriously difficult entrance exam – quite possibly the hardest entrance exam out there. The MCAT in my opinion was designed to be difficult in the sense of requiring large amounts of information to be comprehended and regurgitated within a set time-frame. The information itself is relatively not difficult, however, the comprehensive nature of the exam attached to the time restraints, allows for a difficult exam that requires meticulous preparation.
The MCAT was by far the most comprehensive test that I have taken prior to medical school. Therefore, the first challenge was un-learning my prior test prepping methods and learning new and more efficient methods that complimented my learning style. Below are my reasons that make the MCAT difficult.
What Makes the MCAT Challenging?
Achieving a competitive MCAT score is certainly within reach with diligent preparation. So why is the MCAT viewed as such a difficult test?
Reason #1 – The MCAT is Long
The MCAT is a long standardized exam, in fact, the exam length is 7.5 hours including breaks. Therefore, stamina is a baseline requirement for optimal performance. Other standardized exams including the SAT, ACT, DAT, NAPLEX and others, are nowhere near as long as the MCAT, which is why many are ill-prepared.
Personally, after four practice tests, I started to develop the endurance to complete a full-length test without feeling exhausted mid-way through the exam. Contrary to my first MCAT diagnostic test, where I felt exhausted less than mid-way through. This is why it is advantageous to take plenty of full-length practice tests frequently under timed conditions.
Reason #2 – The MCAT Includes Many Questions, Covering Many Different Subjects
The MCAT is unique in that it tests you on various subjects and skills such as general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, reading comprehension, biology, biochemistry, psychology and sociology. This allows for the test to be a vast comprehensive exam that covers a lot of material. So, it goes without saying that you must be able to retain and recall of the various principles that will be covered in order to be successful! Optimal preparation will include utilizing credible resource content and understanding how to apply the content to MCAT style questions and passages.
Learn how to increase your MCAT score fast!
Reason #3 – The MCAT is Passage-Based
To get a strong MCAT score, you will need to know how to review MCAT CARS. For starters, you will not just be regurgitating facts and information that you previously memorized. You will need to read each passage critically, pull together several pieces of information from the passage to fully understand it, then answer questions that combine details from the passage with your knowledge base.
A passage-based exam requires you to use many skills at once: reading comprehension, critical reasoning, data analysis, and more. For these types of questions, you may want to consider an MCAT CARS prep course or an MCAT coach. If you aren’t interested in these types of services, you can also look into MCAT prep books.
The MCAT will bombard you with a large amount of data to simulate diagnostic scenarios and will include questions and formatting intended to trick test-takers. This is done to assess your capacity to ascertain which details are important and whether you have the knowledge and critical analysis skills needed to be a successful physician.
Reason #4 – The MCAT Has a Time Limit
The first challenge is performing under timed conditions. Three out of the four sections have 59 questions with the allotted time of 95 minutes to complete. This essentially means that in order to be successful you will have less than 1.5 minutes to read multiple passages and answer each question. The CARS section has 53 questions with the allotted time of 90 minutes to complete. This essentially means that in order to be successful you will have less than 1 minute to answer each question.
Therefore, to become successful at completing the test in an efficient manner, I had to complete scores of practice tests under timed conditions. This allowed me to begin to build time-management skills along with efficient test-taking strategies.
The true challenge is developing the skills required to read MCAT graphs, tables, passages and articles within the allotted time while answering the questions efficiently. Again, practice questions helped me to build the skills necessary to accomplish this daunting task.
How Hard Is the MCAT? The Data
Here is a breakdown of the mean MCAT score data for successful matriculants to medical school:
20% of MCAT test-takers score a 509 or above on the test. And only around 10% of test-takers score better than a 515. Considering the average MCAT score of successful matriculants to medical schools sits around 511.7, earning a competitive MCAT score IS hard.
How Can I Do Well on the MCAT?
In retrospect, the MCAT prep process was a good indicator of the preparation required for the intermittent comprehensive medical school exams that you will encounter once medical school commences. Here's how I recommend preparing for the MCAT:
1. Use the Right MCAT Prep
Initially, I approached the MCAT exam in terms of preparation how I approached any other exam. (Meaning I read the recommended didactic material and attempted MCAT style questions after reading).
This method did not last long as I quickly realized that I was not performing well while attempting the questions. I had trouble retaining the material and applying the material to MCAT style questions.
Hence, I sought professional help to guide my studies. I consulted my colleagues for recommended resources and purchased material which included content material and practice tests. It was also recommended by my colleagues to establish a study schedule and become disciplined to this schedule. Lastly, I became conditioned to learn that my learning style was reading material, contrary to my once belief of listening to lectures. Therefore, adjusting my preparation to reading scores of material was challenging.
All said, my preparation started with my understanding of my inefficiencies. This understanding progressed to a cry for help. I embraced the advice of my colleagues and sought professional guidance for MCAT prep. I utilized a reputable source and resources to complement a disciplined study plan while reading MCAT content vigorously. I implemented my newly realized learning style for an optimal outcome.
And you know what? It worked!
Once I changed my study habits, I started to notice an improvement in my score, however, I found it initially more stressful to adjust to my study habits. Therefore, I realized that I had to get more sleep in order to have the stamina to maintain my new study habits. This actually reduced my stress levels and helped me to be more engaged.
2. Cover Your Weakest Subjects
Dating back to the years in undergraduate education; physics was not my strongest subject. Therefore, this weakness showed in my preparation and diagnostic practice tests.
Overcoming these challenges took consistent practice; it’s impossible to be great in every subject, after all. I developed a well-organized study schedule and plan while becoming highly disciplined to my plan.
3. Don't Neglect Your Mental Wellness
High stake exams naturally bring about stress that seems to be unavoidable at baseline. Personally, I felt an overwhelming amount of pressure to get a high score because I knew that this one test would impact my medical school decisions. Therefore, the key is to be aware of modifiable stress factors and avoiding this type of stress at all cost.
I focused on my immediate family and I also maintained a healthy work-out schedule and good eating habits; I prioritized my needs as a student preparing for the MCAT. I find it helpful to shrink your social circle to only a select few of people that will only bring peace to your environment during this stressful time. Lastly, in my experience, avoiding preventable illness, eating, exercising and sleeping well, and limiting social media will also reduce your stress.
FAQs
1. What is a good MCAT score?
“I got 97th percentile on the MCAT. Getting a high score broadened the number of schools I could apply to and increased my chances of admission to medical school.” - Dr. Neel Mistry, MD
In general, you want to score in the 90th percentile on the MCAT.
2. What can I do if I need help organizing my study time?
“My main advice is ensuring you study all the sections regularly, with an emphasis on the section you are weakest in. It is also important to take time off in the week to ensure you are not burned out as studying for the MCAT can be mentally exhausting.” - Dr. Neel Mistry, MD
The sheer number of hours that you will need to study for the MCAT can make it pretty daunting. If you need help creating a study schedule that progresses from in-depth content review to intensive MCAT practice, you can always look at hiring an MCAT tutor or enrolling in a prep course.
3. When should I take the MCAT?
Not sure when you should take the MCAT? When you consistently score in the 90th percentile or above on each section, at least 3 times in a row, you can feel confident that you are ready for the real thing.
4. How can I approach MCAT passages effectively?
To ace the MCAT, you will need to have a solid knowledge base in the content areas that the MCAT covers; however, , you will also need to think critically and learn how to apply information to novel questions, as the MCAT is passage-based.
5. Does the MCAT require knowledge from upper-level science courses?
According to the AAMC, you only need an introductory level of knowledge in each of the main content areas, such as physics, organic chemistry, and sociology.
6. Is the CARS section really that hard?
Compared to the other MCAT sections, CARS comes with an additional mental hurdle. The good news: as you prepare for the CARS section of the MCAT, you will also be refining the skills needed to do well on the other sections of the MCAT.
7. CAN I RETAKE THE MCAT?
“Be realistic, and don't compare yourself to others. Taking the time to learn and prepare for the exam with a schedule that is realistic and fits your learning style is way better! If you are someone who needs more than one summer to study for the MCAT, that is okay!” - Dr. Shaughnelene Smith, DO
There are ways to recover if you don’t receive the desired score. You can always retake the MCAT next year and prepare differently.
8. I am just not improving on CARS. What do I do?
Be patient and ensure you are doing reading AND passage-based practice. This means that you cannot simply practice with MCAT CARS passages alone. You need to be reading challenging materials regularly. Improvements will take time, and small improvements are steps in the right direction.
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