While studying for any given course, students always look forward to excelling in a particular field. This guide will help you understand how to study for MCAT and excel incredibly. So, if you are a student looking forward to unveiling what MCAT is all about, keep reading, and we will answer most of the questions you may be asking yourself.
MCAT study guide: what is MCAT?
Simply put, the Medical College Admission Test- MCAT is a standard test students must undertake virtually as an entry requirement into the medical program. This is a program that takes place in the United States. The purpose of the MCAT is to analyze the student’s writing skills, problem-solving capabilities, critical thinking, ad general knowledge of science. The medical school admission board puts a lot of focus on the overall MCAT score before admitting any student. This means that whenever taking the MCAT, take it with the seriousness it deserves.
MCAT study guide: top questions and answers
Before taking an MCAT test, there are several questions many people ask, and some of them include:
How many questions are on the MCAT?
The MCAT test has four main sections, and these sections focus on different ideas and perspectives relating to different skills that students are tested on. The sections include:
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
Each of the mentioned sections has a set of questions between 53 to 59. However, the total number of questions in an MCAT is 230.
When do you take the MCAT?
Another common question students always wonder about is the appropriate period to undertake the MCAT test. Well, the ideal time to take the test will depend on the time when you want to enroll in the course. However, depending on your schedule in matters of time, job, and other activities, you can opt to take the test within the first four months of the year when you want to enroll in the month of August of the same month.
Note: The perfect time will always depend on the availability of the applicant.
How is the MCAT scored?
The MCAT test has four sections, as mentioned previously. When doing this test, be sure to answer all the questions since there is no crime if you give a wrong answer or fail to answer. However, the more questions you score correctly, the more your chances of excelling. When grading, they count the total number of correct questions, then convert them using an MCAT score scale, with a score of 118 being the lowest and 132 being the highest.
How to study for the MCAT: top tips
After enrolling in the MCAT, the next task is to ensure you excel after the study period. So, what measures or tips can a student put in place to ensure they succeed in their MCAT? Below are some of the tips.
Get the best MCAT prep books
Of course, studying requires adequate materials. Books are written by experts, and they are the best resources students can use when studying for an MCAT test. Be sure to check top recommendations from online platforms and the libraries.
Determine how many hours to study for MCAT
There is so much to cover when studying for MCAT. That is why it is effective to start planning the study hours as early as possible to cover everything before the day of the test. You will need to determine how many weeks you have before doing the test, then give each week adequate hours to cover different concepts. However, when planning the hours, take note of other activities you have to accomplish.
Conclusion
Are you almost sitting for your MCAT? Well, I hope this piece has given you some ideas on how to approach the whole paper and succeed well.
