How long do you guys prep?

[cnhoslcher]

Hey guys,

I think I am going to re take the MCAT and it has been two years since. I was wondering how long do people usually prep for the mcat in general. Would two months be adequate? Thanks

[shannn]

Having rewrote it before, I found that 2 months was suffice. A couple more weeks would have been better though, but 2 is good for a rewrite.

[cnb88]

Last time I wrote, I basically gave myself about 5 or 6 weeks, but I wasn't studying everyday. Definitely underestimated the time it would take to get through everything well. Especially with physics (grr... I hate physics). This time I'm giving myself 2 months of studying at least a bit everyday. Hopefully it will be enough to crank out an extra few points in each section......

[drhm]

I started for 3 months before the exam date. But I started slowly..just a few days a week and then studied more towards the end. I think 2 - 2 1/2 months would be a comfortable length of time.

[runningdoc]

Base it off a few things:

 

1 - How do you normally study. If it takes you 1-2 days to prep for a mid-term while you deal with the material every day because you focus on the prep-studying, it might take less time. If you are someone who needs 1-2 weeks to study for a mid-term, adjust your scheduling for the MCAT accordingly.

 

2 - When was the last time you touched MCAT material. If you graduated 2 years ago and have been working at Tim Horton's or Starbucks, some of your basic science knowledge might be slipping out of your head. If you are still in undergrad/grad school/working in a degree-related field it might be a lot easier.

 

3 - How did you score last time. If you scored well on parts of the exam, you probably don't have to study as hard, and maybe you need to focus more on the material/sections you did struggle on this time.

[dr_horrible]

I studied for about 2.5-3 months. Buttt I did not study every day until a week or two before the MCAT. Before that, I gave myself weekends off, and worked every weekday til 4, so I would study for 3-4 hours a night after this.

 

I did well on the MCAT, but even up to writing it, I felt I could have prepared/studied more. But I think since there is so much material to cover, it's normal to feel that way.