Best MCAT Materials and Resources
Here’s the thing about MCAT study and practice material: you will find thousands of questions and numerous study guide sets, videos and practice exams that range every single topic that can be found on the exam. But not all of the material you find will be of quality!
If you spend copious amounts of time working with weak material that isn’t similar (or identical) to the AAMC-style of MCAT questions and testable content, this is essentially wasted time!
So what do you need to study for the MCAT and do well? Two things:
- Excellent content review
- Stellar practice questions in the form of targeted practice and mock exams
Content Review Materials
The science tested on the MCAT covers mostly first-year university-level biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology. This means that you can find this content in first-year textbooks, lecture notes and a wide-range of MCAT content books created by test prep companies.
When picking the ideal content review, we recommend avoiding university-level textbooks or content that wasn’t specifically created for the MCAT. Why? These sources are often too-detailed and go beyond the scope of the MCAT exam, by trying to cover the material in such sources you will probably spend far more time on unnecessary content review and leave yourself short on time to practice – this is what will earn you a great score!
There are many test prep companies that have created study guides and sets based exactly on the AAMC MCAT syllabi and these materials range in terms of what they offer. Before you make any purchases, do some research to determine what is best for your study style. Are you a science expert and know most of the material inside and out? If so, perhaps something concise that reviews topics are best for you. If you’re an individual who has never taken a science course or it has been many years since, maybe, you’re best with a review set that is more detailed.
If you are enrolling in a course be sure to check out the materials they use and ensure that you will be able to learn from them. If you are studying solo, we recommend that you preview available study packages. The best way to do this is to read excerpts of study guides on Google Reviews or other websites or go to your local library and skim through different sets of materials. Even if you don’t find the most recent edition, you’ll be able to develop a good understanding of the style of writing and whether it suits your learning style.
Practice Materials
There is also a range of practice materials available and you may choose different sources for content and practice materials – this is completely ok!
Choosing practice questions is a little bit easier than selecting content review materials. Why? The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), the board which administers and writes the exam offers a wide variety of practice materials – from practice tests, Question Pack and Section Banks. Every topic is covered and in a variety of formats (stand-alone questions to full exams) and can be used to solidify knowledge topic by topic.
BEFORE YOU READ MORE, READ THIS:
Whether you take a course, hire a tutor or go it alone, it is in your best interest to use all of the AAMC material. Remember, these are questions and solutions written by the same authority that will have written your actual exam – YOU CANNOT GET BETTER PRACTICE THAN THIS!
In addition to official AAMC content, there are a variety of test prep companies that offer diagnostic exams, practice questions and mock full-length exams. If you’re taking a course, chances are that the test prep company which offers the course will have already provided you with more than enough questions to supplement your studies.
If you are looking for additional practice, we recommend doing some research. It is a known fact amongst experts that not all questions are created equal. Some companies miss the essence of the AAMC-style questions. Reading through reviews from MCAT experts and examining other test-takers’ views on Reddit or Student Doctor Network will give you a fair description of what’s available.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Do not complete all of the AAMC materials right at the beginning of your studies. Pace yourself! The idea is to obtain mastery of the content through doing pre-readings and practice questions earlier in your studies and focusing on AAMC materials midway and towards the end of your studies. This way you’ll be able to gauge your performance on test day better. Exhausting official materials at the beginning of your studies when you do not have mastery of the content will leave you with a shortage of quality questions from which to evaluate your progress at the end of your studies when you’ve mastered the content!
