I know, taking a full-length practice test takes a lot of time, 7 hours and 27 minutes to be exact (breaks not included). So how many practice tests before MCAT are actually necessary? And how can they help you to boost your score over time?
We will cover all of that and more in this blog post, sharing the strategies that helped me get super confident for the MCAT! I will also share my own score progression which culminated in my personal target score of 516 on the test date.
This post is all about how many practice tests before MCAT.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.
How Many Practice Tests Before MCAT
Why are practice tests important?
First of all, why should you go through all the trouble while you could instead just use your flashcards and go through your usual (very effective) study routine?
Trust me, regular practice exams are one of the key strategies to reach your target score. I personally didn’t take my own advice for my Step 1 prep and paid dearly for it. I still passed with tears of joy, but it could have been much less stressful and nerve-wracking if I would have followed the same strategy that got my personal MCAT dream score of 516. An essential part of that? Regular full-length practice exams!
So here are a few reasons why practice tests will be an invaluable guidance during your MCAT preparation:
Tracking your progress
With such an extensive exam like the MCAT where you study for 3-9 months, it can be easy to get lost in the motions without actually knowing where you stand in your progress. Unless you schedule regular practice tests! They can help you to find out…
- when you are ready to move from one study phase to the next
- if you should adjust your study strategy, in case you don’t see meaningful progress over time
- if you might need to reschedule your test date because your score doesn’t improve as quickly as planned
- or if you are perfectly on track and should continue with your current study plan.
As an easily underestimated bonus, seeing your score increase over time gives you the confidence and motivation to stay consistent in your study routine, even on those really tough days.
Identifying your weak areas
Full-length practice exams are the best way to identify potential areas of weakness. Well, you might already know that CARS is most challenging for most students, but maybe you also find out a hidden strength in biochem and realize that you struggle much more with applying chemical equations than expected. Finding these knowledge gaps makes the difference between a generic study schedule with average results. This will also help you build a personalized strategy that actually gets you to that goal score!
Keep in mind that reviewing your practice exams and adjusting your study focus is vital for this. If you want a ready-made template to stay super organized and follow a clear structure, you can use my FREE review spreadsheet:
Getting familiar with the exam format
Just like training to lift that 60 pound weight in the gym, going through a 7 hour exam with full focus takes a lot of mental muscle. So apart from just testing your knowledge, this is also for testing your endurance and ability to focus for such a long duration.
Pro tip: The best way to approach full-length exams is to actually simulate testing conditions. This could look like scheduling your breaks exactly like the real test, no distractions, no other material than you would actually have available, same timing etc.
On top of that, a good amount of practice exams also allows you to experiment with different test-taking strategies like how you approach hard questions.
Practicing your timing
This is something I would suggest to already keep an eye on during your usual study routine by timing yourself on how long it takes you to answer questions. But taking a full-length makes it much easier to see where you might have trouble, especially in regards to managing your time.
How many practice tests before MCAT are necessary?
In general, I would suggest taking 7-10 full-length practice exams depending on your study duration and personal progression. I personally studied over 5 months and went through 13 full-length practice exams throughout this period. Here is how I strategically scheduled them based on my study phases:
- Before getting started: Taking 1 diagnostic exam
- Phase 1: Taking 2 practice exams (in the middle and at the end of content review)
- Phase 2: Taking 5 practice exams
- Phase 3: Taking 5 practice exams
If you are completely new to 3-Phase Studying for the MCAT, check out my Youtube video about The Perfect MCAT Study Plan to get the details:
Skipping the diagnostic exam?
Trust me, take a diagnosis exam on the very first day of your studying, before you even touch the cover of one of your prep books. This score will be your baseline and helps you to actually create a realistic study schedule. This will also help you get clear on areas that might need more attention and track your progress over time.
If you are thinking about skipping the diagnostic because you haven’t studied at all yet and might be a bit scared facing that kind of score…stop right there! This is a non-negotiable and you will thank yourself later for getting over this hurdle right away.
It doesn’t matter if there are tons of questions you don’t have even the slightest clue. Don’t worry at all if the score seems discouraging at first. This is just your starting point! If you follow the right steps and stay consistent you will soon see the beautiful results of your efforts.
MCAT Score Progression: My Example
Keeping a clear track of your score progression can be so helpful! Not only to give yourself a pat on the back for all the progress you have already made but especially to find out early enough if you are not progressing as planned.
Date | score | practice exam |
December 7 | 498 (diagnostic before any studying) | The Princeton Review |
February 2 | 502 (half way through content review) | The Princeton Review |
March 12 | 502 (end of content review) | The Princeton Review |
March 19 | 510 (half length) | Blueprint |
March 24 | 505 | Blueprint |
April 1 | 510 | Blueprint |
April 9 | 512 | Blueprint |
April 21 | 510 | Blueprint |
April 23 | (sample test, no number score) | AAMC |
May 13 | 516 | AAMC |
May 27 | 516 | AAMC |
June 5 | 517 | AAMC |
June 15 | 519 | AAMC |
You can often see a score jump switching from 3rd party exams (like Blueprint) to AAMC practice exams. This was definitely the case for me.
If your own score timeline doesn’t show notable improvements, it’s time to make an honest assessment of your study schedule and strategy:
- Are you consistent in your studying?
- Have you been properly reviewing your practice exams AND actually tackling your weaknesses afterwards?
- Are you fully concentrating during your study periods or giving in to distractions?
- Have you been focusing too much on quantity rather than quality and deep understanding?
- Are your study methods and used material the right fit for you?
Just to list a few of the questions that could guide you to an improved strategy. For in-depth support not only for creating the perfect, realistic study schedule for you but actually sticking to it – my online course MCAT Roadmap gives you the insights and tools you need. This also includes a Study Schedule Tool so when you wake up you know exactly what to study each day. You will also learn when to include practice exams and when to take a much needed day off.
4 Important Tips For Your MCAT Practice Tests
If you’ve ever gone through a heroic number of 80 questions and afterwards asked yourself “wait, did I actually pay any attention?” – the same can happen for your practice exams. So how many practice tests you take before the MCAT is important but it should still be quality over quantity. This is the only way to actually improve your MCAT performance over time.
Here are a few tips that can help you get the most out of your practice exams:
- Simulate test day as closely as possible: Same time, same break schedule, similar conditions – treating it like the real thing. This can also help to greatly reduce test anxiety on the day when it actually is the real thing.
- Review them thoroughly: Don’t just check your score and leave it. Instead, go through every single question and note down why you missed the correct answer. Find my exact strategy for this in my blog post How to Review MCAT Practice Tests.
- Adjust your study plan: Based on these insights you get from the review, make sure to actually implement changes into your study plan (e.g. learning new timing strategies, putting extra attention on specific concepts, finding extra resources for better understanding)
- Keep it positive: I know how frustrating it can be if your practice score doesn’t match all the hard work you put into this. Never, ever see a lower practice score as a failure though. This is a perfect marker to make necessary changes to actually create the progress you have been looking for. You got this!
Final thoughts
I hope by now you are excited to make regular practice exams a firm part of your MCAT study strategy – so you can see your study efforts pay off in continuous, steady score improvements. I know that MCAT is a beast and there is so much to do until you can shed your own happy tears when you find out that you reached your well-deserved goal score. So make sure to study smart and use strategies like these to get to the finish line much easier and with more confidence.
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