The MCAT is the first of many steps in the long road for a pre-medical student. The test score will be used to filter out the students that do and do not get a chance for an interview. The higher the score the better the chances. Here are some of the strategies I used to improve my MCAT score.
The first section of the MCAT consists primarily of chemistry and physics. In order to tackle this section, I looked at the question first and then skimmed over the passage to acquire the necessary information I needed to make an informed guess on what I thought would be the right solution. Before starting this section, I wrote down any relevant equations that I would be able to refer to such as the notes I took for optics in how to differentiate between converging and diverging and lens and mirrors. Remember to answer the question asked. Highlight the particular phrase on the question that will lead you to the answer.
The second section of the MCAT is the CARS consisting of critical reading. The strategy I used in this section was to first read the initial paragraph. Then I skimmed the questions asked for the passage and then went through and analyzed the entire passage while taking notes. I used those notes as references to map out where to pay attention to when answering the question. In addition, I looked at the in-depth meaning implied by the author through the passage rather than the superficial comments made explicitly in the passage.
The next section consists primarily focusing on biology. As an engineer, this is not my strong suit. Before starting this section, I wrote primary notes on amino acids that could be helpful as well as the metabolic pathways that would come in handy. In order to tackle this section, I would first read the passage taking notes and then use the knowledge provided by the passage to answer the questions.
The final section of the MCAT is the psychology and sociology section. The main part of this section that needed to be learned was the definitions of the terminology tested. The hard part of this section is the exhaustion from your brain in processing and analyzing so much information for this 7.5-hour test. In order to tackle this section, I read the passage and then used what was stated to answer the specific question.
These are just the strategies that worked best with my study habits. Everyone is different and has a different way to tackle the MCAT and no one I spoke to previously used the same strategies as I did. Rather than verbatim take what is written, practice by yourself on what works and how to tackle the test based on your cognitive abilities and strengths.
