When it comes to preparing for the MCAT test, as a fresh graduate, you may come across tons of conflicting advice. As a result, it won’t be a wonder if you are confused and cannot figure out how much time you should allocate for the preparation and how long you should be preparing for the exam.
Though the time frame actually varies from one student to another, many experts suggest that you should plan for at least 3 months before you sit for the MCAT exam. Now, let’s have a look at how you should approach the MCAT test within that time frame in our following discussion.
First Phase: Get to Know the Basics
If you have signed up for MCAT Prep Courses offered by any of the reputed institutes in the sector, you probably have access to the course materials by now. At this phase of your MCAT prep journey, your job is to review the course contents you need to study for the exam.
Take your time to review each content carefully other than just reading the chapter and moving on to the next. Besides, make sure to solve the practice questions which most of the prep companies include at the end of each chapter.
However, at the same time, remember not to take too much time to review the contents in the first phase. You have way to go and prepare hard so that you can qualify the test at your very first try.
Second Phase: Practice A Lot and Review
Now, when you are done with the first phase and developed an overview of the contents, it’s time to get started with the actual preparation for MCAT. At this phase, make sure to go through every single chapter once again and focus more on full-length exams as well as passage-style questions. Make sure to allocate at least 6 to 8 weeks for this phase and render your best effort possible.
Along with going through the passages, take your time to review and solve as many practice questions as you can. You will find many websites that offer free tests for MCAT prep. This will help you to find out your weakness and provide you with the opportunity to focus more on to those areas.
Final Phase: Cover Your Weakness
At this stage of your MCAT preparation journey, your duty is to cover the weakness and wrap up with a solid preparation. However, before you do so, make sure you have developed the understanding of overall contents you need to know as on the course plan.
Remember, the more practice questions you solve the more chances you have to score well in the real test. And, on top of all these, practice exams can familiarize you with the pattern and style of real test which can indeed be your best bet to crack the MCAT exam at your first approach.
Author Bio:
Hi! I’m James Edge and the founder of https://crushtheusmleexam.com. I graduated from Southern New Hampshire University in 2015. Upon receiving his M.B.A, he began working in the test prep industry, reviewing and analyzing major providers of test prep tools and services. Our mission is to provide the most thorough and informative review of the top USMLE review courses available in a simple and digestible format.