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To get a good score on the MCAT, you must create an MCAT study schedule before you start studying. An MCAT study schedule includes a broad overview of what you need to study divided into manageable blocks of time.
Once you choose your MCAT test date, stick to a well-thought-out MCAT schedule for studying. Don’t wait to cram at the last minute — you don’t want to end up needing to retake the exam.
Many sources recommend at least 300 study hours to be prepared for the MCAT. In my experience, the average number of study hours begets an average MCAT score, somewhere around 500, which is not optimal.
Even though 500.7 is the average score of all test takers, 511.9 is the average score of medical school matriculants. To aim for a top-percentile score on the MCAT, your study schedule has to be rigorous, efficient, and well-planned.
The guide below will help you judge the amount of time you’ll personally need to study, create an effective study schedule, and determine what resources you’ll need for your MCAT test day.
Work with a MedSchoolCoach tutor to create a custom study schedule tailored YOUR needs and goals. Find out why our students raise their MCAT score by 12 points on average.
“Creating a schedule was one of the most important aspects of my MCAT preparation. Being able to adhere to a schedule with set blocks of time dedicated to different types of content review and practice passages works as a powerful force on two fronts: it not only provides the foundation for highly effective studying and concentrated preparation, but also enables a compartmentalization of time that gives you space to participate in extracurricular or leisure activities.”
How to Build the Perfect MCAT Study Schedule
To build the perfect MCAT prep schedule, you need to do the following:
- Assess your situation by taking a full-length practice test to determine your current readiness.
- Schedule your test date so you can divide study sessions over the course of however many months you have before your exam date.
- Use the first half of your time remaining for content review, including high-yield topics.
- Use the second half of your time for practice tests, sample passages, etc.
- Reassess your situation every week and make adjustments to your MCAT study schedule as needed.
Below, I’ll go into detail on each of these bullet points, and you can prepare your MCAT study schedule like an expert.
Read Next: How to Be a Standout Medical School Applicant
1. Assess Your Situation With a Practice Test
I strongly recommend taking a full-length practice test to identify your baseline. Any learning gaps that require more study hours will become more apparent, and you can plan ahead.
When your goal is to score at least 510, and you got a 500 on your diagnostic exam, then 300 hours will probably be sufficient to boost your score with a well-planned study schedule. If you scored closer to a 490 on your diagnostic test, aim for 400-500 study hours instead.
I’m not saying you can skip studying the topics you did well on, either. I simply mean you’ll know where to focus the bulk of your time and energy.
If you start with a full-length practice exam, you can also see the progress you’re making when you take additional practice exams down the line.
MedSchoolCoach practice exams are the most representative on the market. Save those AAMC exams for later – grab these for some extra practice.
2. Deliberately Schedule Your Test Date
Before you pick a test date, consider your other time commitments. Consider the following questions to help determine the amount of time you need to study and, therefore, when to schedule your exam:
- Are you working full-time, part-time, or volunteering? How many hours per week?
- Do you need to prepare other components of your medical school application?
- Do you have family responsibilities that will require your attention?
- Do you plan to take a rest day on occasion? (I suggest you do.)
- What is your current course load, and will your study time for classes interfere with MCAT studying?
How many hours a day should you study for the MCAT? I recommend spending a minimum of 1.5-2 hours a day studying for the MCAT. Some experts say to budget for at least 300 study hours before taking the MCAT, but I recommend 400-500 hours in most cases.
After you’ve calculated the time you’ll have outside of regular commitments, divide 500 (or however many hours you’ll need to study) by the number of hours per day (or week) you estimate to have for studying. The quotient will be an estimate of how many days (or weeks) in advance to schedule your test.
[Study hours needed]
/
[Hours per day you can study]
=
[How many days you need to study for the MCAT]
Don’t make this common mistake! Long study sessions are tiring and have diminishing returns. If your plan is to study more than six hours straight per day, you might want to reassess. Consider studying in four-hour blocks and pushing back your test date instead. Whatever you do, be realistic, stay focused, track your progress, and adjust your plan as needed.
The MCAT can be taken from January through September, with over 25 test dates for you to choose from. The latest you should take the MCAT is the end of May, the first year of your application cycle. For the 2025/26 cycle, the latest test date for the highest chance at acceptance is May 23, 2025.
Do not leave the MCAT test date open-ended by telling yourself that you’ll choose one when you’re done studying. This is a recipe for last-minute cramming, burnout, and inconsistent preparation.
Read Next: How Long Does It Take To Get MCAT Results?
3. Start With the Content Review Phase
Dividing your study schedule into two phases will help you get an overall idea of how much time you will need to study. The first phase should focus on MCAT content review. Reviewing content means reading books and study materials to digest the subjects that are on the MCAT exam.
(The second phase is the MCAT practice test phase, and I’ll talk more about that in the next section.)
Half of the time you intend to spend studying should be on content review. To better plan how much time you will need for your study schedule, count how many chapters you’ll need to read for each subject. Consider your own reading pace and break up the content review phase into manageable blocks for your time and study abilities.
The MCAT is divided into 4 content areas:
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys): 59 questions focused on physics, biochemistry, biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psych/Soc): 59 questions focused on introductory psychology, sociology, and biology
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (Bio/Biochem): 59 questions focused on basic biology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and biochemistry
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS): 53 questions focused on reading comprehension of a variety of humanities and social sciences
Our MCAT experts painstakingly figured out exactly what topics and content areas had the highest yields based on extensive study of full-length MCAT exams. Spend 75% of your content review time on these 36 high-yield topics and devote the remaining 25% to other areas.
When planning what you’re going to study, be as specific as you can, and write the details down in a format that is both organized and helpful to you. The most common format is a table/calendar. For example, on January 12th you might choose to cover topics in genetics-maybe transcription, translation, and the post-translational modification of proteins.
MedSchoolCoach offers free resources like our MCAT Study Tips and MCAT Equations Sheet. And because you can’t use a calculator on the MCAT, I suggest you review MCAT math strategies to help you get through the necessary calculations without a calculator.
A good study plan should balance content review and practice questions. You’re not “sacrificing” one for the other. You should plan on comprehensively covering both for a good study plan.
WEBINAR: Everything You Need To Know About the MCAT
4. Finish With the Practice Test Phase
After the content review phase, the second phase of studying for the MCAT is the practice test phase, which involves plenty of practice passages, practice tests, reviews, and filling in learning gaps.
Many students do too much content review and not enough practice. About half of your study schedule should include doing practice questions (stand-along passages or full-length exams) to help you find knowledge gaps and test-taking issues.
The early weeks in the practice phase may be spent using non-AAMC practice questions to review your progress, as well as spending significant time with an MCAT tutor.
A tutor can help teach you content, plan your studying, go over your practice materials, and improve your test-taking ability. This will definitely reduce some of the stress of having to do everything on your own.
Once you’ve raised your score a few points from your baseline, start using the official AAMC practice materials.
Just remember that there are only six full-length MCAT practice tests offered by the AAMC. Two of these (the Sample Test and the Free Practice Exam) are free and can be used early in the study process as diagnostics. The four paid exams are the most realistic and should be taken at the end of your MCAT study schedule to prepare you to sit for the exam. In between, if you need more practice, you can use the AAMC’s question banks.
Just remember to add all this to your study schedule or calendar to keep yourself on track. Also, pro tip: give yourself a day off after taking any full-length practice exam to allow mental recovery. Work this into your study schedule ahead of time.
Resource: Self-Guided Learning to Ace the MCAT
5. Reassess Weekly and Make Adjustments
Setting a study plan that spans several weeks and months will give you plenty of time to adjust, cut, or repeat any steps. At the end of every week, reassess your situation and decide if you accomplished everything you needed to accomplish that week.
Even after you have covered all the study material you had hoped to, you should make room to go over any weak content areas.
You are in charge of your study plan and can make changes accordingly. If you find that you study better before a meal, adjust future weeks so that you read your chapters prior to lunch or dinner and do your homework in the morning.
Do what is best for you, but make sure to adjust your sleep schedule and other commitments accordingly. Do not sacrifice your physical and mental health to study — planning a study schedule is meant to avoid health deterioration.
One of the best ways I recommend studying for the MCAT is to download the MCAT Prep mobile app, which features a built-in scheduling function, as well as hundreds of MCAT science content videos, sample questions, and flashcards.
MCAT Study Schedule Templates
Following a template can be a helpful way to get started on your MCAT study schedule. A template can guide you through dividing your study topics and creating a visual to see if the schedule is realistic and manageable.
Below, I cover one-month, three-month, and six-month MCAT study plan templates.
One-Month MCAT Study Plan
A one-month MCAT study plan is very ambitious, considering it would require more than a full-time schedule just to get your 300 hours in. This isn’t the best fit for the majority of students.
Can you study for the MCAT in 30 days? You may be able to study for the MCAT in 30 days if you have aced all your previous MCAT practice tests, have the bandwidth to study 8-10 hours a day, and have already read all of the test prep books.
To study in one month, use this as a general guide:
- Day 1: Take one of the free AAMC exams as a diagnostic. If you didn’t score within 10 points of your goal score, consider pushing your test date back to give yourself more time to study.
- Week 1-3: During this period, you’ll want to spend 5 days a week on science content review and CARS practice. Given the volume of material to cover, set aside around 8 hours a day to study. If you like daily variety, you can divide your day into four two-hour blocks: Bio/Biochem review for your first block, Chem/Phys review for the second block, Psych/Soc review for the third block, and CARS for your fourth block. Adjust the length of the blocks if you need more review in one subject versus another. At the end of the week, spend a day taking a full-length practice test to assess your progress, then take the next day off to recharge.
- Week 4: Schedule a final full-length AAMC practice test a few days before your test date. (If your exam is on a Saturday, maybe take your last practice test on Wednesday.) Spend the remaining days addressing content weaknesses and practicing for CARS if need be.This week is not about learning anything new; it’s about polishing off what you already know.
Looking for some extra MCAT practice? Try our ultra-realistic half-length MCAT exam for free.
Three-Month MCAT Study Plan
A 3-month MCAT study plan is the most common for a majority of my tutoring clients. Here’s how I recommend breaking up these weeks of studying:
- Day 1: Take one of the free AAMC exams as a diagnostic test.
- Weeks 1-6: This is the content-focused phase. Use the AAMC MCAT content outline and the results of your diagnostic test to figure out the science topics you need to review, then hit the books (or videos). You can plan your weekly schedule for this phase in a lot of different ways, but the one thing I’d recommend is to study a reasonable amount for 4-6 days a week rather than trying to cram all your studying into 2 days a week. Also, be sure to incorporate regular CARS practice into your studying. Lastly, even those this phase is content-heavy, I would still probably spend one day per week on practice passages and questions just to get a feel for the exam.
- Weeks 7-9-: This is the practice-focused phase of your MCAT study schedule. You should use this time to work through the AAMC question banks and aim to take one full-length practice test per week. (Spend the subsequent day reviewing questions you got wrong.) Save the official AAMC full-length practice tests for the final phase of your prep; instead, use realistic third-party practice exams during this phase.
- Weeks 10-12: This is part two of the practice phase. During these weeks, you should aim to take each of the AAMC practice tests, making sure you allott sufficient time to review each completed exam and address any outstanding content weaknesses. Take your last practice test at least a few days before your scheduled test date to give yourself some time to relax before the big day.
Is 3 months enough time to study for MCAT? A three-month study plan allots 3-5 hours of study per day, not including rest days, which is ample for most students. There are plenty of MCAT resources to add to your self-study plan, including flashcards, practice problems, and review books.
Six-Month MCAT Study Plan
A 6-month MCAT study plan is ideal for those with busy schedules (e.g. full-time students) who don’t have lots and lots of time each week to study. This plan allows you to pace yourself and really absorb the material. You don’t need to rush into practice tests each week to identify areas of weakness — although we still recommend an initial diagnostic for a baseline.
Just like the 3-month template, this schedule prioritizes content review in the beginning before shifting the focus to practice in the lead-up to the exam. Studying for 6 months is pretty much the same as studying for 3 months – you’ll just have a little more flexibility to study less when things get busy.
- Day 1: Take a free AAMC exam as a diagnostic test.
- Months 1-2: Review all the science content covered in the AAMC MCAT content outline. You can use books, videos – whatever medium you feel most comfortable with. You have 8 whole weeks to cover the content, so don’t feel like you need to study too much all at once – just proceed through the material at a slow and steady pace. Work some MCAT practice questions and CARS practice passages into your schedule once a week, just to keep things exam-focused. At the end of this period, take a full-length practice test to assess your progress. (Make sure it’s a third-party MCAT practice exam, not an AAMC official exam. Save the latter for the final weeks before your exam.)
- Month 3: Using your practice exam results, assess where there are still gaps in your understanding and review those areas closely. This month should really be focused on addressing the subjects you’re weakest in, as this is the biggest opportunity for score growth. Increase the number of MCAT practice questions and passages you’re completing to help identify remaining knowledge gaps.
- Months 4-5: This is where the focus should really shift away from content to practice. Start working through the AAMC question banks and aim to take one practice exam every couple of weeks. Continue to seek out third-party MCAT practice tests, but at the end of month 5, take the second free AAMC test to start your transition towards AAMC official full-lengths.
- Month 6: Take each of the AAMC official practice tests (one per week) and spend the remaining time reviewing the questions you got wrong. Schedule your last AAMC full-length 1 week prior to your actual MCAT. That way, you get plenty of time to recuperate before Test Day.
Read Next: A Guide to Medical Schools That Don’t Require the MCAT
20 Expert Tips to Stay on Track & Avoid Burnout
Studying for the MCAT will push anyone to their limits and can cause test anxiety. You need a study plan to stay on track. Make sure to give yourself enough time to rest and recharge. Burnout is real, and even if you think you’re fine, your brain will appreciate the break.
Here are a few tips that will help you avoid burning out:
- Create a study plan. The MCAT is a big deal and not a test you want to take without an action plan. We’ve given you the roadmap to get started!
- Identify your target score. Check out the MCAT scores for your top choice medical schools to determine your goal score.
- Take multiple practice tests. It’s helpful to know how far you are from your target score and which MCAT sections will require extra attention. Include full-length practice tests so you get a feel for the 7.5-hour MCAT exam.
- Give yourself ample time to prepare. Plan out how much time you’ll need. If you realize you won’t have enough time to study, consider pushing back your test date.
- Break days are a MUST in your study plan. We all need study breaks, and it’s best to pre-plan them so you don’t fall behind in your studies later.
- Ask your pre-med peers for personal study tips. It’s great to get advice from others who have conquered the MCAT exam!
- Front-load your studies. Studying hard early on is much less stressful than cramming later on.
- Make sure your study plan involves content review. Let’s be honest — you’ve forgotten a lot of content from your college courses. Review is essential.
- Switch subjects for review on a regular basis. Don’t study one subject for too long at one time, as the MCAT will not test you on one subject at a time.
- Make sure your study plan involves practice passages. Memorizing scientific facts alone is not enough to reach your target score.
- Consider doing your practice passages and questions in the morning. The MCAT starts at 8 AM., so get your brain used to doing practice questions in the morning.
- Ensure test day conditions when taking full-length practice tests. Do your best to recreate test day conditions, including waking up at the same time you’re going to wake up on test day, using a computer (not a cell phone) with a mouse (not a trackpad), and following all the breaks between the sections.
- Pick up a set of MCAT books. College textbooks are great but contain too much information that you don’t need to know for the exam. Study guides are going to be your best friends.
- Time yourself. When doing practice passages and full-length practice tests, set a stopwatch on your watch or phone to time how quickly you complete the passages and test. The MCAT is a timed exam, so you need to get used to doing timed questions.
- Make sure to complete all the AAMC practice questions. There are no better practice questions than those written by the creators of the MCAT.
- Find a reliable study partner. A study buddy can provide motivation to keep you focused in your studies.
- Help yourself by teaching your study buddy. You know you understand the material well if you can effectively explain it to someone else.
- List out unknown terms. Toward the beginning of your studies, go through the AAMC MCAT Content Outline and make a list of any unfamiliar terms. The AAMC MCAT Content Outline contains a comprehensive list of all the topics tested on the exam.
- Eat healthy and get exercise. Good nutrition will provide the energy you need to study and exercise will help you relieve stress.
Consider getting an MCAT tutor. The MCAT is a tough exam to prepare for and getting a tutor to guide you through the process can be tremendously helpful.
FAQ
Considering the amount of study material to get through and the other obligations you may have on your plate, most students need between 3 and 6 months to prepare.
In addition to giving yourself a few months to study, you’ll also need to dedicate enough daily study time to prepare so that you are consistently in “study mode.” This will help you stay motivated and on track while keeping the content fresh in your mind.
There’s no hard and fast rule for how long you should study for the MCAT. I recommend tailoring your study plan to your specific needs and preferences. A tutor with plenty of experience teaching pre-medical students can also help you plan effectively.
The number of daily hours you spend studying for the MCAT exam will depend on what you determine is best for your learning preferences.
An MCAT study schedule with a full time job or for a student going to school may look more like 2 to 3 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 5 to 6 months. Those planning to study full-time, on the other hand, may end up studying 6 to 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 2 to 3 months.
A daily schedule for studying during the content review phase may look something like this:
- 7:00 AM-8:30 AM — Have breakfast, check emails, and get ready for the day.
- 8:30AM-11:30 AM — Start reading the biochemistry chapter of the day.
- 11:30 AM-1:30 PM — Head to the gym or go for a run, cool down, and have lunch.
- 1:30 PM-4:00 PM — Continue reading the chapter, go over notes and diagrams, and start the second chapter for the day if it is a two-chapter day.
- 4:00 PM-6:00 PM — Take a break. Watch a TV show, check in with friends, and have a snack.
- 6:00 PM-7:00 PM — Finish the second chapter if it is a two-chapter day, review the content you’ve read, make flashcards if they are helpful to you, and note any areas you think you want to review with your tutor.
- 7:00 PM-10:30 PM — Make dinner and take time to unwind and relax until bed.
- 11:00 PM — Brush your teeth and go to bed.
A daily schedule during the practice test phase may look like this:
- 7:00 AM-8:30 AM — Have breakfast, check emails, and get ready for the day.
- 8:30 AM-10:00 AM — Look over some flashcards and do a rapid-fire study session.
- 10:00 AM-5:30 PM — Take your practice exam.
- 5:30 PM-7:00 PM — Watch a little TV or go for a walk, have dinner or a snack.
- 7:00 PM-9:00 PM — Review your practice test and make notes for what areas you want to improve.
- 9:00 PM-10:30 PM — Check your social media accounts and meal prep for tomorrow.
- 11:00 PM — Brush your teeth and go to bed.
Depending on your baseline score on a diagnostic test, you should plan on studying for 300-500 hours to be prepared for the MCAT. These study hours can occur over a small number of long days or spread over the course of a 6-month MCAT study schedule.
You can study for the MCAT while working full-time by planning to study for 2-3 hours after you get off work or before you go into your shift. You can also plan more study time on your off days. Find a minimally stressful way to work study time into your lunch or dinner break.
Generally speaking, if you can’t devote as many hours in a day to studying, you probably have to spread out your study schedule to 4 or 6 months.
If you’re working full-time, honestly assess how many hours a day you can study (let’s say 3 hours on average), and honestly assess how many hours in total you need to study for the MCAT (let’s say 400 hours). Divide that number (400) by your first number (3), and you get 133.3 — indicating you need about 134 days or 4 ½ months of study time before your exam in this unique scenario.
100 days is a little over three months to study for the MCAT. For many, this will be an adequate amount of time, but for others with differing commitments, it may be too short. If you’re following a 50/50 split between content review and practice questions, this will give you about 7 weeks for each phase. Plan ahead and cater to your unique situation.
Essential Resources for MCAT Prep
With so much to study, you’ll need the best MCAT resources and prep books for high performance. Fortunately, plenty of these resources are readily available online for test-takers:
- MCAT Prep by MedSchoolCoach, the top-ranked MCAT mobile app featuring science content videos, lecture notes, and flashcards
- MCAT Go by MedSchoolCoach, an audio MCAT prep course that allows you to study MCAT science anytime and anywhere
- CARS Mastery by MedSchoolCoach, a video course that teaches you expert-developed strategies for maximizing your CARS score
- MedSchoolCoach MCAT Practice Exams, the most realistic practice exams on the market
- AAMC practice questions and section banks for sample questions direct from the company who administers the MCAT
- AAMC full-length MCAT practice tests for your final phase of studying
- MCAT Score Conversion Calculator to get a scaled score from your AAMC practice exam
If you work with one of our expert MCAT tutors, you’ll gain easy access to all of these resources and more. You’ll also get personalized tips, advice, and insights that are proven to boost your MCAT score.
Looking to add 12 points to your MCAT score? That’s the average score improvement for MedSchoolCoach tutoring clients. Partner with a tutor and unlock your full MCAT potential!
Ken Tao, PhD
Ken is the Director of MCAT at MedSchoolCoach. He is an alumnus of UC Berkeley and Harvard University, boasts degrees in Bioengineering, Molecular and Cell Biology, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Ken previously worked with undergraduate students at Princeton Review where he was the only tutor certified in all subjects. Ken was one of the highest rated MCAT tutors ever and a teacher trainer. He founded Magoosh's MCAT division and has written content for dozen's of MCAT books and guides.
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