Preparing for your MCAT during COVID

By Trinity Vey

Congratulations on choosing to write your MCAT! This is a huge step in your path towards a career in medicine. 

​The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized multiple-choice test required for admission to most North American medical schools.  Writing the MCAT can be overwhelming at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic. If you’re writing your test during COVID, check out the following tips to help you prepare.

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Define a study schedule 

Step 1: Book your MCAT. Booking your test will help you build a time-based schedule with an end-date in mind. 

I was fortunate to be able to study full-time from May to August 2021. Based on whether you’re studying full-time or part-time, your timeline may be very different from mine! If you’re studying full-time, 3-4 months usually works well. If you’re studying part-time, I would recommend not exceeding 6 months, as you’ll likely begin to forget information or become burnt out if your study period is too long. 

Within your schedule, dedicate initial time to reviewing content – this took me about 6 weeks. I planned two specific chapters to do each day, which helped keep me accountable. I suggest working on a mix of your strongest and weakest subjects every day to avoid frustration. For me, this meant I paired biology with biochemistry, organic chemistry with general chemistry, and psychology with physics. Once you have gone through the material, focus on practice questions and full-length tests.

Find the right resources for you

Thankfully, COVID doesn’t have to limit your access to resources; there is a wide range of online tools.

Companies that offer book sets and/or online prep courses include Kaplan, Princeton Review, and PREP 101. When deciding between a prep course or self-directed study, reflect on which study habits have worked best for you during your academic career. Do you learn best by reading alone, or being taught by others? Do you want some flexibility in your schedule, or would a course keep you on track? Do you have a background in sciences or is this all new content? People do exceptionally well with and without courses – it really depends on the person and their learning style! 

There are also many free online resources to support your studying. Khan Academy offers a great free online course with videos and practice questions. To strengthen your Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS), Jack Westin offers free daily passages. There are many MCAT-focused YouTube channels, such as Leah4sciMCAT, which helped me master math without a calculator.

I attribute a lot of my success to using the AAMC Official Prep Products, specifically the section banks, question banks, and full-length practice tests. The style of MCAT questions can take some getting used to, and practice makes perfect. 

Maintain motivation

It’s impossible to stay motivated all the time, especially given the monotony of the pandemic; don’t be too hard on yourself when you have off days.

Be proactive! Avoid burnout by taking regular breaks. Take at least one day a week completely off from studying. While planning your schedule, give yourself some wiggle room to take time off when you need it. 

If possible, mix up your study space by visiting coffee shops, libraries, or a friend’s house. If you’re stuck at home, try rotating between different rooms.

Filling time with hobbies and socializing will help you stay motivated. Not to mention, having other commitments can make you more productive. According to Parkinson’s Law, work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. If you give yourself all day to complete a chapter, odds are it will take all day! However, if you have a 3pm piano class or dinner plans at 5pm, you’re more likely to complete work in time. 

Remember that the MCAT is a “mile wide but an inch deep”. It's easy to get discouraged by how much content the MCAT covers. However, you’re not expected to know everything in extreme detail – it is multiple choice! 

Prepare yourself for COVID writing conditions 

Check out the COVID-specific regulations for your testing centre and prepare in advance. I completed all my full-length practice tests wearing a mask, so I was used to wearing one for the real thing. ​

I recommend trying to simulate real testing conditions as much as possible with your practice tests. The test itself is written in-person on a computer, and the online AAMC practice tests have the same look as the real exam.

​I wrote my practice tests within the actual time limit, starting at 3pm to mimic my scheduled time – a 7-hour exam takes some getting used to! Other ways to simulate testing conditions are to write without notes, a calculator, or your phone during breaks. I suggest spacing your practice tests out by about a week each and taking a full day after the test to review it.

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Do you have a favorite study tip? Let us know in the comments or @Scientista_Talk

Trinity Vey

Trinity Vey is a MSc student in Translational Medicine at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. She is a passionate Steminist and has been involved with Scientista since the beginning of her undergrad. Follow her on Instagram or twitter @trinityvey to connect! ​