Some Study Tips I Find Helpful For the MCAT

1. Include break days in your study plan. We all need study breaks and it’s best to preplan
them, so you don’t fall behind in your studies later.
2. Switch subjects for content review on a regular basis. You do not want to study one
subject at a time, as the MCAT will not test you on one subject at a time.
3. Make sure your study plan involves practice passages. Memorizing scientific facts alone
is not enough to get you your target score.
4. Do practice passages and questions in the morning. The MCAT starts at 8 AM and you
want to get your brain used to doing practice questions in the morning.
5. Make sure to complete all the AAMC practice questions before taking the MCAT. There
are no better practice questions than those written by the creators of the MCAT
6. Find a study buddy or tutor. They can provide motivation to keep you focused in your
studies.
7. Eat healthy and get exercise. Good nutrition will provide the energy you need to study,
and exercise will help you relieve stress.
8. Don’t expect score improvements immediately when trying new strategies. It takes time
to get used to new strategies, so it may be awhile before you start to see improvements.
9. Before reviewing the solutions to practice questions, try re-applying your strategies to all
the questions you got wrong. If your strategies still don’t work when you have unlimited
time when reviewing questions, you may need to adjust your approach.
10. High Yield General Chemistry Topics:
a. Periodic Trends. Make sure you know the trends of and can define each of the
following terms: effective nuclear charge/shielding, atomic radius, ionization
energy, electron affinity, and electronegativity.
b. Acid/ Base chemistry. Make sure you know the difference between strong vs.
weak acids/ bases, know what buffers are, and can calculate the pH of solutions.
c. Electrochemistry. Make sure you are able to recognize redox reactions and
understand how they are applied in electrochemical cells.
11. Learn how to use unit analysis. There are many lengthy calculation questions that can be
solved quickly and easily by analyzing the units.
12. Be careful of burn out. Studying for the MCAT is a tiring process and sometimes a break
can be more helpful than doing another practice test.
13. Don’t panic. If you get to a tough passage or question, take a few deep breaths to calm
yourself.
14. Remember that you are doing great! The MCAT is a hard exam and every step you take is
something to be proud of.
Additional Resources (if you would like to use)
● Download AnKi
○ https://apps.ankiweb.net/
● AnKi Reddit Link for MCAT Deck
 ○ https://www.reddit.com/r/AnkiMCAT/comments/lgxu6i/anking_mcat_overhaul_d
eck_v1/
● Psych/Socio Quizlet terms
○ https://quizlet.com/240872787/mcat-psychsociology-from-132-scorer-flash-cards/
● White Board (26.18)
○ https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-8-in-x-48-in-x-32-in-DPI-Markerboard-Panel-H
D31032481/205545029
● CARS Passages (free, daily free passages, with free access to previous passages)
○ https://jackwestin.com/
● Psych/Socio Khan Academy Transcription pdfs
○ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10Z12cQ2TuMjmfKiThlKFMyllAPB4CUP2?usp
=sharing
● Daily Questions with explanations and AnKi cards (free)
○ https://mcatdailyprep.com/
● AAMC Questions and Answers (Spreadsheet free from reddit)
○ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1S7zAc5IDFEz9064YU3A0ACm48Wqy
VvwJyGWtyxCX57Q/edit
● The MCAT Podcast (free, conversational review of content)
○ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mcat-podcast/id1140333666
● MileDown’s AnKi Deck Screenshots
○ https://imgur.com/a/BWtpjIK
● Blue Print (free half diagnostic, free practice exam, free study schedule maker)
○ https://blueprintprep.com/mcat/free-resources/free-mcat-practice-bundle
● BioChem Ninja Nerd Videos (free, simple terms, all material covered on MCAT)
○ https://www.ninjanerd.org/lecture-category/biochemistry
○ Recommended Videos: Metabolism- Glycolysis, Metabolism-Electron Transport
Chain: Overview
● MilesDown (90 page pdf review sheet, science section cheat sheets, formulas)
○ https://drive.google.com/file/d/12GGTfWWmj9bT-ejs4qAomV6Pat1tbDgj/view
● Kaplan MCAT Quicksheets (pdf free)
○ https://www.kaptest.com/static/pdf/ktp-mcat-quicksheets.pdf
● Kaplan MCAT Anki Decks
○ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lLd8y1Q9rlkyZAzjaV4c2YzZlWtN7Vjc