Too early/too much?

[walkhome071590]

Hey guys, I'm about to write my MCATs this summer and I have a question regarding when exactly to study for the MCATs. I heard from one guy who took it this past summer that theres a sort of "optimal" amount of time you can study for the test, and afterwards any additional time may not neccesarily increase your score. Would studying for over 3 or 4 months be redundant, or is it the case where the more time you put in, the better the chances your mark will be higher?

[cardiomegaly]

The MCAT is a "test taking" and critical thinking exam - content can only help you so much.

 

It also depends on your own background, for example if you've already taken a first year bio, chem, phys, ochem and second year biochemistry and physiology, the content part is simply review. You'll need to master standardized testing and passage based questions, rather than focus on memorizing formulas and whatnot. Can you apply your previous knowledge?

 

On the other hand, if you're missing the above "recommended prerequisites" of course you'll need more time to learn.

 

My situation was the former and I was able to write the exam after 1 1/2 months (not working full time) with a 35+ balanced score. But it's all about how you approach the exam, the strategies, critical application of knowledge and how well you deal with that test day anxiety.

[thatonekid]

I think it depends on what you define as "studying". For example, I'll tell someone that I studied for about 3-4 months, however I only spent the 1st half of that time actually reviewing the content from a book. The 2nd half of that time I did practice tests. To answer the question, I consider +/- 3 months to be a reasonable amout of time to study.