MCAT Strategy for Pre-Med Students - Study Resources and General Advice

Aug 30, 2026

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MCAT preparation strategy for pre-med students centered on prioritizing official AAMC materials while leveraging vetted third-party resources across Chemistry/Physics, CARS, Biology/Biochemistry, and Psychology/Sociology. Provides a structured seven-point study plan covering minimum total hours, daily passage practice and review, flashcard usage, daily CARS work, test-day simulation with multiple full-lengths, and daily recovery through physical and mental unwinding. Includes guidance for selecting and sequencing science and QPacks, plus an evidence-consumer mindset emphasizing that results depend on experimentation and resource diversity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Recommended Resources by Section

Chemistry and Physics

CARS

Biology and Biochem

Psychology and Sociology

Extra Reference Texts & Websites

Seven Pieces of General Advice

Study time and focus

Passage practice and content review

Flashcards and daily CARS

Practice tests under test-day conditions

Daily unwinding and meditation

FAQ: Official MCAT coverage and resource approach

DISCLAIMER: Read and use at your own risk. The suggestions offered here do NOT guarantee success in any form. This document is not monetized (i. e. sold ata price), and should never be monetized. All words are OPINION, not fact. Recommended Resources: | | Chemistry and Physics | CARS | Biology and
Biochem | Psychology & Sociology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Excellent
(Assume that all official AAMC materials are Excellent and necessary for subject area, with exception to pre-2015 science question packs) | UWorld
The Berkeley Review General Chemistry and Physics books (content and passages)
ExamKrackersend-of-chapter 30 min passages & full-lengths
Altius full-lengths
NextStep full-lengths | The Princeton
Review Verbal
Reasoning Workbook and other Princeton CARS passages
Khan Academy CARS passages | UWorld
ExamKrackersend-of-chapter 30 min passages & full-lengths
Altius full-lengths
NextStep full-lengths
Kaplan biology and biochemistry content books | Khan Academy Psych/Soc Passages, Videos, and reddit notes (see pg.9)
UWorld | | Very Good | Khan Academy Chem, Orgo, and Physics passagesand videos | TestingSolutions’CARS passagesand 30-day CARS guide
UWorld CARS passages | The Berkeley Review Biology and Biochemistry books (content) | Altius full-lengths NextStep full-lengths | | Good | The Berkeley Review Organic Chemistry books (content and passages) | Kaplan CARS Passages | The Berkeley Review passages
Khan Academy Bio/Biochem passages and videos | | | Extra Reference Texts & Websites | Chem1 Virtual Textbook
([http://www.chem1.co](http://www.chem1.co)[m/acad/webtext/virtua](m/acad/webtext/virtua)[ltextbook.html](ltextbook.html)) | LSAT reading section passages | Molecular Biology of the Cell, by Alberts
Lippincott’s Illustrated Biochemistry Review | Master Introductory Psychology, by Corayer
DSM-5 Pocket Manual
The Brain From Top to Bottom
([http://thebrain.mcgill.c](http://thebrain.mcgill.c)[a/](a/)) | DISCLAIMER: Read and use at your own risk. The suggestions offered here do NOT guarantee success in any form. This document is not monetized (i. e. sold ata price), and should never be monetized. All words are OPINION, not fact. Seven Pieces of General Advice 1. Commit 400 hours total as an absolute minimum for MCAT studying. 2. Tackle experimental design passages with this strategy: “How to Approach MCAT Research-based Passages” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcNbOTAQCG8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcNbOTAQCG8) [3. Dedicate roughly 2/3](3. Dedicate roughly 2/3rds of total study time to passage practice and review of those)[rds](3. Dedicate roughly 2/3rds of total study time to passage practice and review of those)[ of total study time to passage practice and review of those](3. Dedicate roughly 2/3rds of total study time to passage practice and review of those)[ ](3. Dedicate roughly 2/3rds of total study time to passage practice and review of those)[passages](passages), and 1/3rd to rote content review. Bluntly: do more passage practice, and do it from the start alongside content review. 4. Use a flashcard app to practice and retain learned information every day. 5. Practice CARS every day. 6. Take a minimum of six practice tests under test day conditions, with all AAMC exams used. 7. Spend time daily to physically and mentally unwind. Meditation is highly useful. Assume that, unless otherwise indicated, all of the following FAQs are concerned with ONLY third-party resources. Official AAMC prep resources are the most representative under almost all circumstances. The only exception is the science question packs, which are derived from the pre-2015 MCAT and are on the easier side. Leave those Qpacks for last in your AAMC review. When in doubt and time is of the essence, always prioritize official AAMC practice. “Where can I find a definitive list of what’s on the MCAT?” [https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fastly.net/produc

FAQs

Where can I find a definitive list of what’s on the MCAT?

Download and print the official AAMC guide “combined mcat-content new.pdf” as a constant checklist during preparation. Also use AAMC’s public content list link referenced in the document.

What should be my approach to improve my chances of scoring well?

Adopt an informed, experiment-driven approach rather than relying on a single set of materials. Prioritize official AAMC practice, avoid betting everything on one vendor, and use a variety of resources that work best for the individual.

What is the #1 third-party resource to keep things simple?

UWorld is identified as the top third-party option because it is highly representative of the exam, offering question and passage practice with comprehensive explanations.

Aug 30, 2026

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