Imagine a scenario in which you no longer dread CARS. A scenario in which CARS is your best section on the MCAT. Perhaps, you even look forward to it. This could be you.
CARS is notoriously the section with the most mystery and confusion surrounding it. You might wonder how you can ever make sense of a convoluted passage on dresses in Victorian times, for example. Having taken the MCAT and now as someone helping other students master the CARS section, I have seen countless students succeed by applying a few simple strategies. These strategies have helped many of my students break into the 130+ range for CARS.
Dissect a Passage—or Maybe Ten
If you’re like me, you’ll want to dive right into practicing CARS passages, focusing on the number of questions you get right. Instead, give yourself 1-2 weeks to analyze a CARS passage a day without answering any of the associated questions. Break down each sentence and paragraph, asking yourself questions like
- “What is the purpose of this sentence/paragraph?”
- “How does this sentence/paragraph compare or contrast to a previous idea?”
- “Is this providing evidence for the author’s claim?”
You’ll start to notice patterns and understand how sentences and paragraphs are constructed, which will significantly improve your comprehension.
Move On
There will inevitably be sentences within a passage—particularly those with multiple clauses—that you get stuck on and feel the need to re-read multiple times. Most of the time, you don’t need the information in that sentence to understand the main idea of the passage or answer the questions. Often, by reading the next sentence, the convoluted sentence will suddenly make sense. The same goes for questions in the CARS section. If there’s a question that is taking you too long to answer, flag it and move on. Your time is better spent on the easier questions, and you can always come back to the difficult ones later.
Get Excited
At the start of every passage, take 5 seconds to get yourself excited about the passage. Imagine that it is the most important text you have ever read. If it is a text on economic policy, pretend you need this information to make an informed decision for millions of people. If it’s about a classical composer, embody the mindset of a music enthusiast and absorb every word of the text.
Read Beyond CARS
You can make the CARS section feel easier by broadening your reading. Search online for articles on your weakest topics, be it philosophy or art history. The more complex and convoluted, the better. Take time to read and dissect an article every day. You might even consider writing your own AAMC-style questions to test yourself on whether you truly understand the logic of the CARS section.
By following these strategies, you can transform CARS from a dreaded challenge into your best-performing section on the MCAT. Happy studying!
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