r/MCATprep

Hello everyone, I’m looking for some guidance on how to better approach studying for the MCAT.

I took my first Blueprint half-length diagnostic in June 2025 and scored a 488 (120/121/122/125 for C/P, CARS, B/B, and P/S). At the time, I was planning to take the exam in March, but I honestly wasn’t studying as seriously or strategically as I should have been, so I pushed my exam back to August 2026.

Now I’m trying to approach studying in a much more disciplined and intentional way, but I still feel like I don’t really know how to study proactively or consistently. I guess my biggest question is: how do people stay consistent throughout this process without constantly burning out or falling behind mentally?

I work part-time two days a week doing 12-hour shifts, but outside of that, studying is really my main responsibility right now. Today I took another Blueprint diagnostic and scored a 483 (119/121/120/123). I know I have major content gaps, so I understand the immediate next step is to thoroughly review the exam and identify weak areas. But after that, what should my plan look like?

Should I restart content review from the beginning? Right now my studying mainly consists of videos (Professor Eman and Chad’s Prep), Anki, and Jack Westin passages. I also know I definitely need to start incorporating a lot more practice problems because I think that’s one of my biggest weaknesses right now.

My goal score is a 510. Is that still realistically achievable by August if I become consistent and structured starting now?

I know this post probably sounds all over the place, but I’m honestly really stressed and discouraged after this diagnostic. I know practice exams are meant to expose weaknesses and guide studying, but right now I just feel very lost in the overall process and I’m getting in my head about my future.

Edit: Rereading this has me freaking out lol

Hi, I am desperate for a B/BC and C/P tutor!

I’m starting my junior year in college. And I still have to take biochem and physics. Are these resources good for me to still take the mcat because I am planning on going to medical school directly after college. Please give any tips and suggestions🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

I was wondering if I should redo the AAMC FLs or take other ones instead. Which other FLs felt the most similar to AAMC for you guys?

i’m a upcoming sophmore (freshmen summer) yes I know it’s early I get told that a lot. I really do plan on buying a book later in the summer or during my sophomore year!

Hi everyone, I’ve been using AAMC materials and UWorld for CARS practice, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to score above 120–123 on my full-length exams. This really brought down my overall MCAT score, and I ended up with a 122 in CARS.

Since English is my second language, I find this section especially challenging. I’ve read others’ experiences, and it seems like I might be missing something or need a different approach. I would really appreciate any guidance or advice from those who have been in a similar situation or if anyone would be willing to study CARS together.

Thank you in advance!

I know a lot of you are probably gonna say “don’t do it while working full time.” I kind of have to 😭 Like… respectfully, if I stop working, I’ll have no place to live and no food to eat lol. It’s just me in life, so taking time off really isn’t an option.

Please be kind because I genuinely just need help making this work.

I’ve taken the MCAT 3 times now, and on my 3rd attempt I still didn’t get the score I needed (127/119/127/127). I know people will say “take time off” or “maybe medicine isn’t for you,” but I really can’t hear that right now. I know I can do this. I KNOW I can. I’ve always been good at standardized tests, which honestly makes this even more confusing. I have no idea what’s going on with me and the MCAT. Maybe life stress? Maybe being alone in life? Idk. But I also don’t like blaming outside factors because at the end of the day, it’s still on me and I need to figure out how to fix this.

For my last attempt, I actually used a tutoring program that included both a course and a private tutor, and it still didn’t go well. I want to say this respectfully because I genuinely think they’re good people and I’m not trying to trash the program at all. I won’t name it for that reason. The program itself was kind and supportive, but at the end of the day, it just didn’t work for me personally, so going back to that specific program probably is not the move.

Anywaysss 😭 I work full time in research and my hours are basically 8 AM to 6 PM including commute. I want to keep the gym because it’s my biggest stress reliever. During my first MCAT attempt I sacrificed the gym, gained 20 lbs, got depressed, and still failed so… fat, depressed, AND failed was not a good combo y’all lmao .-. So the gym stays.

I’m willing to do literally anything at this point. I just need help building a realistic but intense study schedule for someone working full time. If you worked full time and improved significantly, PLEASE tell me exactly what you did. I basically want someone else’s schedule lol.

Resources I’ve already used: UWorld and AAMC material. I finished both. I’m okay with restarting because I honestly don’t remember most of the questions anymore.

I also actually like Anki, and I’m planning to basically start over content-wise because I don’t remember much. I kind of want Anki to be my main content review, so if you have specific deck recommendations, please drop them.

Also, if anyone recommends a course or tutoring program that literally tells me what to do every day and makes the schedule for me, I’m open to spending money on it. I saved up for this. BUT I’m a little hesitant because I already did a tutoring program before and it didn’t end up helping me improve, so I’d love to hear from people who genuinely felt something worked for them.

My goal is 520+ (yes, ambitious lol). I know people might roll their eyes at that with my score history, but I don’t really understand aiming low. My mindset is aim for a 520+ and if I land at a 510+, I’ll still be happy.

Please be brutally honest but also constructive. I just really need help figuring out a plan that actually works.

Hello,

I’m a registered nurse planning to write the MCAT next year, but I’m feeling quite overwhelmed with where to start. I don’t really have a strong background in the sciences outside of high school, especially in chemistry and physics. So far I’ve mainly studied biology and used Anki, but with the other subjects I feel lost and all over the place.

I’ve tried watching YouTube videos, but I think the lack of structure is making it harder for me to stay consistent. I would really appreciate recommendations for one solid resource, course, or study approach that helped beginners build a strong foundation for the MCAT sciences.
If anyone started from a similar position or has advice on how to approach studying effectively, I’d be very grateful. Thank you!

Hello,

I’m a registered nurse planning to write the MCAT next year, but I’m feeling quite overwhelmed with where to start. I don’t really have a strong background in the sciences outside of high school, especially in chemistry and physics. So far I’ve mainly studied biology and used Anki, but with the other subjects I feel lost and all over the place.

I’ve tried watching YouTube videos, but I think the lack of structure is making it harder for me to stay consistent. I would really appreciate recommendations for one solid resource, course, or study approach that helped beginners build a strong foundation for the MCAT sciences.
If anyone started from a similar position or has advice on how to approach studying effectively, I’d be very grateful. Thank you!

I’m so stuck. I don’t have a background in anything except for biology so I spend hours on one chapter.

Any tips or tricks would be appreciated

I know a lot of you are probably gonna say “don’t do it while working full time.” I kind of have to 😭 Like… respectfully, if I stop working, I’ll have no place to live and no food to eat lol. It’s just me in life, so taking time off really isn’t an option.

Please be kind because I genuinely just need help making this work.

I’ve taken the MCAT 3 times now, and on my 3rd attempt I still didn’t get the score I needed (127/119/127/127). I know people will say “take time off” or “maybe medicine isn’t for you,” but I really can’t hear that right now. I know I can do this. I KNOW I can. I’ve always been good at standardized tests, which honestly makes this even more confusing. I have no idea what’s going on with me and the MCAT. Maybe life stress? Maybe being alone in life? Idk. But I also don’t like blaming outside factors because at the end of the day, it’s still on me and I need to figure out how to fix this.

For my last attempt, I actually used a tutoring program that included both a course and a private tutor, and it still didn’t go well. I want to say this respectfully because I genuinely think they’re good people and I’m not trying to trash the program at all. I won’t name it for that reason. The program itself was kind and supportive, but at the end of the day, it just didn’t work for me personally, so going back to that specific program probably is not the move.

Anywaysss 😭 I work full time in research and my hours are basically 8 AM to 6 PM including commute. I want to keep the gym because it’s my biggest stress reliever. During my first MCAT attempt I sacrificed the gym, gained 20 lbs, got depressed, and still failed so… fat, depressed, AND failed was not a good combo y’all lmao .-. So the gym stays.

I’m willing to do literally anything at this point. I just need help building a realistic but intense study schedule for someone working full time. If you worked full time and improved significantly, PLEASE tell me exactly what you did. I basically want someone else’s schedule lol.

Resources I’ve already used: UWorld and AAMC material. I finished both. I’m okay with restarting because I honestly don’t remember most of the questions anymore.

I also actually like Anki, and I’m planning to basically start over content-wise because I don’t remember much. I kind of want Anki to be my main content review, so if you have specific deck recommendations, please drop them.

Also, if anyone recommends a course or tutoring program that literally tells me what to do every day and makes the schedule for me, I’m open to spending money on it. I saved up for this. BUT I’m a little hesitant because I already did a tutoring program before and it didn’t end up helping me improve, so I’d love to hear from people who genuinely felt something worked for them.

My goal is 520+ (yes, ambitious lol). I know people might roll their eyes at that with my score history, but I don’t really understand aiming low. My mindset is aim for a 520+ and if I land at a 510+, I’ll still be happy.

Please be brutally honest but also constructive. I just really need help figuring out a plan that actually works.

So I recently have taken a month break from studying the MCAT. I studied almost all last year and plateaued around the 500 mark. I took my exam and was not happy and decided to take a little time off and to recreate a game plan. I want to start a content review up again. My last content review was 1.5 years ago when I did blueprint videos but that was my only intense content review session. Since then it’s been all practice and anki trial and error. I’m looking for suggestions on how to start content review again. I think I have above average knowledge on content from all my studying but I’m not where I need to be and believe I have some gaps I need to fill but would benefit from a overall systematic review. What is the best way to do this and what have you all done? I would prefer not to purchase any subscription or 3rd party for content review rn. I do have all of the uworld books. Any ideas?

Feeling very overwhelmed as there so many different things to do should I do AAMC, anki, Kaplan books, videos etc trying to study max 4-5 months but have no idea where to even begin or what’s worth my time and what’s not also don’t want to spend the thousands of dollars if it can be avoided

Looking for someone that can help tutor me. Ideally under $20/hour as I am tight on money

hey guys watch out for a user named u/kasertich he will say he selling a uworld account and you send the money and he blocks you , be CAREFUL! i lost money but its fine

Help!

I studied for 2 years — where did I go wrong?

I completed:

• 7 review books
• Anki
• UWorld ×5
• AAMC all Full-Lengths ×5 times
• AAMC Section Bank ×5 times
• Reviewed every passage thoroughly, including using ChatGPT for explanations
• Over 2000+ hours of preparation
• cars 1000 passage summaries every Paragraph

But somehow, I still can’t break 500.I Tried Everything for the MCAT… What Am I Missing?

https://preview.redd.it/ubm9hwyvpw0h1.jpg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2136f23a5b9068f3766eeae6d899812af4348c9c

For context, I am a psychiatric nurse with 7 years of experience, a degree, GPA: 3.6, one publication, 2 conference abstracts, and experience in training and coaching. Eligible for the NP track, with the goal of pursuing Psychiatrist and caring for patients through different clinical roles.

 

I’ve been wondering whether part of my difficulty stems from English not being my native language. Although I studied and work in English daily, during the MCAT I often feel that I am simultaneously processing the language itself while also trying to decode the exam’s reasoning framework and passage logic.

To test this hypothesis, I translated a CARS passage into my native language. I was able to process the passage within minutes, identify the author’s intent with clarity, and answer every question correctly. It made me realize that my challenge may not be purely content-related, but also cognitive load from navigating both language comprehension and MCAT-style reasoning at the same time.

 

I was genuinely driven to identify where the gap lay, partly out of a researchers’ curiosity.

Timeline

 

Jan 2024 – May 2024: Part-time studying (~500 hours)

Sept 2024 – Jan 2025: Part-time studying (~500 hours)

Apr 2025 – Jun 2025: Six weeks of full-time studying; reached a plateau

Jun 2025 – Apr 2026: Returned to part-time studying and gradually experienced cognitive fatigue

 

Study Approach

 

Completed 7 review books, videos, and Anki for in-depth content retention

UWorld: Completed 20+ blocks with detailed passage and question analysis (AI-assisted), then repeated the same process multiple times over several months

AAMC FLs and Section Bank: passage-by-passage and question-level review repeatedly over time

CARS: Summarized each paragraph, compared interpretations with AI, and discussed reasoning patterns extensively

Key Difficulties Identified

I rely heavily on AI-assisted coaching for MCAT passages, especially BB and CARS. AI helps me dissect AAMC FL passages — understanding experimental design, figure interpretation, and quickly recognizing what each question is testing.

 

However, when I revisit the same passage weeks later, I often cannot reproduce the reasoning independently. It feels like I understand the logic only with AI guidance but have not truly internalized the MCAT thinking process myself.

Repeating similar mistakes despite repeated exposure

Even after multiple repetitions, many FL questions still felt unfamiliar

Difficulty identifying what the question was truly testing within the passage

I feel like i’m burning myself out and i haven’t even been studying for 2 weeks yet. I’ve been studying for 10+ hours a day and it’s really tiring me out.
Everyday i do:
- 1 JW CARS passage
- 2 kaplan chapters + watch the corresponding yusuf hasan vids
- kaplan chapter questions
- anki of the topics i studied the day before

I feel like getting through 1 chapter takes me at least 3-4 hours and even then I feel like i’m not truly grasping 100% of the topics. And if i study less than that, i feel like i actually don’t know anything.

Any suggestions or advice?? I really don’t wanna burn myself out considering my exam is august 21st and I’ll be studying for another 2.5 months.

About to officially start 3 months of studying on Monday and am currently planning my study schedule. For content review, I have the UWorld Core materials and have looked through Khan Academy. I’m definitely going to use Anki as well, but I was wondering what mixing and matching of resources worked best for you all for content review (to actually make it stick). There’s a lot of resources out there but I didn’t want to be inefficient in using my time if the materials are too redundant.

Here are my questions:

1. If I use all of the UWorld Core materials, including reading the textbooks, is it worth watching the Khan Academy videos? Or should I just do the practice passages?

2. How long should I wait to do qbanks and sections after starting content review?

3. Does it matter what order I review the content? My weakest subject was physics in the diagnostic test, but most of the example study schedules I’ve seen put biochem/biology first.

Thanks in advance