I’m kind of a nerd when it comes to studying for standardized exams. I just think there’s something so fun about taking a bunch of content, getting very analytical about your process, and just planning it out and executing the plan.
Anyway, I know I’m a nerd, but I did get a 516 on the MCAT. And now, I want to share everything I learned the hard way so you can crush your score! I’ve rounded up 13 of the most common mistakes to avoid when studying for the MCAT. Even if you’re not a nerd like me, these tips are easy enough for you to make the corrections and get your goal score.
This post is all about studying for the 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.
Ultimate Premed Guide: Studying For The MCAT
What Mistakes Should You Avoid When Studying for the MCAT?
Sometimes, it’s not about what you are doing with your MCAT prep but more about what you’re NOT doing. So, read through these “mistakes” and look for actions you may have unknowingly skipped or taken the wrong approach within your planning or study habits. These subtle shifts will make a massive impact on how well you score on the MCAT!
1. Not Giving Yourself Enough Months to Study (Or trying to juggle too much on top of MCAT.
If you don’t give yourself enough time, you probably aren’t getting the score you want on the practice exams. Even worse, you may not even have enough space in your schedule to take a bunch of practice exams!
Don’t rush the process of making a realistic study plan. When I first applied to medical school, I thought taking an extra year to get all my ducks properly in a row was the end of the world. Well, I’m just here to tell you it’s not. Please give yourself enough time!
I had zero commitments the first time I took the MCAT. I got to go to the library Monday through Saturday, eight hours a day, religiously. So, all I needed was three months to study. I got a 509 and was so proud and happy with that score. Then, sadly, before I applied the second time (because I didn’t get in the first time), my score had expired.
I did a lot of soul-searching and decided that I had to retake it, which meant starting from scratch. And so, the second time, I got a 516. Taking the MCAT again obviously worked in my favor. However, during my second round of studying, my life was completely different. Now, I was juggling working full-time as an EMT. Fortunately, I had a very flexible schedule of 12-hour shifts only three to four times a week versus an eight to five Monday through Friday. So, I only needed five months to study, which ended up being perfect for me.
Pro tip: Look at your life situations, decide how many commitments you have, and figure out how many months you’ll need to study. If you’re not sure, I have a post on How Long to Study for the MCAT? 3 Realistic Timelines (Perfect for Each Unique Situation) that includes a little quiz to help you figure out a study timeframe.
2. Skipping Content Review
I know it is so painful to go back and read every chapter or watch a video that correlates to every chapter. But this practice lays your foundation. And it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you’re potentially making it.
Of course, if you’re trying to take pages and pages and pages of notes for each chapter, it will be slow going. You’ll get through one chapter a day doing it that way! Instead, try to actively read or watch the content. Also, spend less time on the one you recently had a class on and more time on the one you’re unfamiliar with.
Just get through the content review any way you can to stay focused. You just gotta get it done. I always keep saying to myself, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” Don’t take too many notes, keep it to what’s the most important and be super picky about what deserves a note and what doesn’t. At this point, only tackle the practice questions at the end of each chapter and don’t dive into additional questions yet. This will help you to avoid overwhelm so that you can make continuous progress.
3. Taking Untimed Full-Length Exams/Not Simulating a Test Day
I recommend taking your full-length exams timed. If you take a total of eight practice exams, that amounts to eight full days of practicing under those exact conditions, which will help you feel more prepared on test day.
While there is an option to take practice exams untimed, I do not recommend this, especially if you’re a slow test taker like me. I had to start practicing my timing early, especially because during my first few tests, I definitely did not finish all the sections. I recognized that I needed to continue working on my timing.
Personally, I like to simulate test day. For me, this meant starting my practice exam at 8 a.m. because that was the timing for my actual exam (not considering COVID). I took the same breaks and maintained the same routine leading up to actual test day. Ate the exact same meals, went to bed at the same time, and followed the same routine I would on test day. I practiced this routine about five times before the actual test day, and I believe this helped immensely with execution. Again, I tend to get quite analytical about this, but I highly recommend it.
4. Making More Flashcards Than You Can Get Through in a Day
I probably made this mistake the most, even in medical school, studying for Step 1. (I usually follow the same study process for all standardized exams I’ve taken, flashcards included.) With the MCAT, I did everything right though. Then, with Step 1, I couldn’t keep up with the flashcards very well. I skipped them, then tried to catch up later, and it just wasn’t working!
So, if you find yourself not getting through your set of flashcards, you should set a daily limit on how many new ones you can create. Or make zero new ones until you’ve gone through your current ones three to five times. Then, once you start making new flashcards, give yourself a daily limit of about 25 new ones, or 10, or whatever number you need to get back on track with your existing cards.
Falling into the trap of creating too many can easily happen if you’re using Anki. For the MCAT, I used handmade flashcards, which provided a built-in check, a hard stop, since you can only write so many flashcards by hand. However, with Anki, you need to be more intentional to keep track of how many you’ve created.
5. Not Getting a Qbank (Uworld or the AAMC Bundle) to Save Money
I have to emphasize that Qbank is one of those resources that’s absolutely essential, especially the AAMC bundle. However, before you use the AAMC content, I highly recommend investing in a third-party Qbank.
My top recommendation is UWorld. However, I can’t argue if you prefer Kaplan or another option, such as the Qbank from Blueprint. Both of these companies also offer great products.
However, if your reason for not getting a Qbank is to save money, I will take a stand. Consider that the cost of the MCAT itself is $345 at the time of this post. Now, if you’re willing and able to find $345 to take the exam, then you should be able to scrounge up all the pennies and extra money you can. Ask for Christmas and birthday money, or look for any opportunities to secure the proper resources to give yourself a chance at success.
Your MCAT score is by far one of the biggest factors that can help you get into medical school, so don’t be short-sighted and think, “Oh, I’m going to save $300 by not getting this.” Instead, save in other areas, such as cutting back on Starbucks or whatever else you spend money on.
What’s more expensive (and super frustrating)? Having to retake the MCAT and spending another $345 because you weren’t well enough prepared.
6. Not Taking Enough Practice Exams
The first time I took the MCAT, I was really happy with my score. However, I probably only took three or four practice exams. When I had to start from scratch and prepare again, I realized I hadn’t done many practice questions or nearly enough passage-based practice, whether in standalone passages or full-length exams.
The second time around, I took 13 practice exams, perfect for the five-month period I had to study. I completed three during the beginning, middle, and end of the content review phase. Then, I took a half-length exam, followed by four more during phase two of my studying. Finally, I took five more from the AAMC bundle. This approach worked perfectly for me. It gave me enough time (about ten days between practice exams) once I was really in the thick of it to make the exact improvements in my weaknesses before each next practice exam.
Even though I scored a 519 on my last practice exam despite getting a 516 on the real MCAT, I felt very comfortable taking practice exams, which is how you want to feel without burning out.
7. Not Having a Routine and Study Schedule Planned in Advance
I believe one of the top success factors for me was that every morning, I woke up and started promptly at 8 a.m. I would open my planner at 8:44 a.m. and already know what questions I was tackling, the topics I was studying that day, and when my lunch break was.
This way, I was not walking into my office or study space at 8 a.m. and then spending the next hour and a half wondering, “Oh, what should I study today?” I might think, “Well, Ochem was really difficult on the last exam; maybe I should focus on that,” or “Those physics concepts were tricky, too. Perhaps I should work on those.” Before I knew it, an hour and a half had passed, and I was hungry and needed a snack.
To avoid this wasted time, eliminate all that indecision and plan everything in advance.
Don’t know where to start or how to possibly map out your entire MCAT study plan? In my course MCAT Roadmap you get step-by-step instructions for creating your customized plan that works for your personal timeline, schedule and pace. The integrated Study Schedule Tool will make this so much easier for you – so you can wake up every morning knowing exactly what to tackle that day.
8. Taking Practice Exams Back to Back
I understand that sinking feeling when you’re like, “Oh my gosh, I’m not scoring where I want to. I just need to take more practice exams. Can’t rest. I can’t take any days off. I can’t possibly make my study sessions shorter. Need to study more. I need to do more practice tests because that’s the only way to improve my scores.” However, that kind of thinking is misguided.
I’ve been there, and because of it, I think I passed Step 1 with the skin of my teeth. However, during that time, I was juggling many commitments. I was in my third year of advanced science courses, attending clinical duties, and preparing for exams in my other courses. I only had about two hours, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., to study for Step 1 for three months.
If I had just taken a chill pill, focused on the quality of my studying over the quantity, and taken fewer practice exams, I likely would have performed better. My practice exam scores would have gradually improved, and I wouldn’t have felt like I was barely above passing.
So, if you’re really busy, be aware that you’re more likely to make this mistake. Please, study less when you sense you’re heading in that direction and get the rest you need to study more effectively in the brief amount of time you have.
9. Not Reviewing Every Single Question and Understanding Why You’ve Gotten a Question Wrong
For the MCAT, you better believe that I reviewed every single question, even if I got it right. Why review it even If you got it correct? Well, you might have guessed or gotten lucky, but that still doesn’t mean you actually know that content.
If you analyze your performance objectively, taking emotions out of the equation to focus on the data and identify your weaknesses, you can effectively target your study efforts. That’s key for improvement between exams. Create a table of different categories for why you got specific questions wrong. Then use it to help you identify what to focus on between now and the next practice exam. (Grab my free template for this below!)
And it compounds if you make a habit of doing this from the beginning. My practice exam scores consistently increased because I was consistent with reviewing every single question. So when you’re doing practice questions, you can tell yourself, “Hey, I took the time to review that and learn it when I was going over that exam. Therefore, I know this one now.” It’s such a gratifying experience. I promise.
10. Not Timing Yourself During Practice Questions
When you’re taking a full-length practice exam or studying with a question bank that’s about a year old, you should be doing timed mode.
I think it’s perfectly acceptable not to use timed mode in the beginning when you’re just transitioning from content review to phase two (passage-based questions). However, at some point, you need to switch to always using timed mode before starting with the AAMC material.
11. Not Making Adjustments If Your Practice Scores Aren’t Where You Want Them to Be
During my Phase One of studying, I scored a 498 on my diagnostic test. Then, I got a 502, and I thought, “Well, cool. I’m happy with that; I broke 500.” However, on the third exam, at the end of my content review, I got a 502 again. I was surprised because I didn’t improve at all, even after completing 50% of the content review.
So, I went back to the drawing board and completely changed my plan, pushing back my test date. I also incorporated passage-based questions into my study plan instead of moving into the AAMC material. I got the UWorld QBank and bought four more blueprint practice exams to add to my Phase Two of studying.
So I turned around my whole study approach when I realized I wasn’t making the progress I wanted, and, in the end, it made such a huge difference. So, don’t be afraid to make changes. It’s a big tip!
12. Not Enough Passage-Based Practice
As I mentioned, I didn’t go through phase two of passage-based questions during my first attempt at the MCAT. I did some content review, worked on practice questions, and used the AAMC materials. I would confidently estimate that I completed over 90% of the UWorld QBank. Additionally, I’m quite certain I answered 95% or more of all the practice questions in the AAMC bundle.
However, during my second attempt, I probably doubled or tripled the amount of passage-based practice I completed, which definitely contributed to my higher score.
13. Stop Stressing Over Your Diagnostics Number
I probably should have mentioned this tip first because taking a diagnostic test is the first thing you do when you study for the MCAT. But I saved it for last:
STOP stressing over your diagnostic score!
Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if you’re thinking, “Oh, Maggie said she got a 498 and I got a 477.” It’s irrelevant. Again, it’s just numbers. Take the emotion out of it.
Write down that number so you have something to track, and then you can compare it to your next score, and the next one, and the next one. Over time it will improve. You are smart, so don’t stress. It doesn’t matter how low your diagnostic score is because it will go up. Remember that this is just your starting point.
The Bottom Line on Avoiding These Mistakes When Studying for the MCAT
It’s nearly impossible to get it perfect right out of the gate, especially when it’s the first time you’ve ever attempted something. However, when the stakes are as high as the MCAT, you may not want to learn the hard way (like I did!).
So, I hope you learned a ton, caught a mistake (or two or several – LOL) that you’ve been doing, and now you’re back on track to crush your MCAT!
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