Preparing to take the MCAT once is a very daunting process. Now, imagine being in a situation where you ponder putting yourself through that process in order to take it again.
Should I retake the MCAT?
You may find yourself in the predicament of not scoring where you aimed for your goal score to be. You may have been consistently scoring higher on AAMC practice tests than the score you ultimately received on test day, or didn’t exactly meet a threshold you had set out to achieve. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind when considering whether to register for another MCAT test, is the cost: $300 if you don’t have access to an AMCAS fee assistance program (this is equivalent to about 2-3 future secondary submissions). The biggest risk to consider when retaking the test, however, is getting a lower score. Not to mention, sitting through another 8 hour exam is daunting. Are you willing to go through that again?
Before making any decisions, you should first take 1-2 third party practice tests and see if you score higher than you did previously on these types of full-length exams (or within your goal range if you add 10 points). For example, Blueprint exams are typically 10 points lower than AAMC scores, so if your goal score is within 520+, getting 510+ on them consistently may be an indicator that it's worthwhile for you to retake the exam. If you retake two full AAMC practice exams and score within your goal range consistently, this may indicate more strongly that you have a higher probability of scoring in your goal range the next time you take the exam. But the key word here is consistency. You want to make sure that back-to-back, one week apart, you score within a relevant range at least twice on third party or full-length AAMC practice exams, preferably ones you had not yet completed before the first exam you took. AAMC practice materials are always the best indicator of your performance on a future MCAT test, so rely on those to determine whether you should take the risk of retaking the exam.
I’ve decided to retake. What should I do differently this time?
The major pieces of advice I would give for how to approach the preparation process for taking the MCAT again may seem counterintuitive: take even more breaks to digest information and actually allow yourself to have fun.
As someone who leans on the more anxious side for standardized test preparation, test week anxiety was a huge factor and stressor for me. My test anxiety was best tackled through allowing myself more breaks and incorporating time to have fun with my friends and family. I would attribute my 8 point jump to my ability to actually pause doing practice questions the week leading up to the exam, allowing myself that week as a time of rest and relaxation. The first time I took the MCAT, I was doing AAMC practice questions all day and all night without any rest, and I would get worked up every time I got something wrong that I thought I had nailed down in my studying before. Prioritizing your mental health and wellbeing is actually one of the most important facets of MCAT prep, and honing this skill will enhanve your ability to handle medical school responsibilities in the future.
StructurE your study schedule to focus on practice
So, how do you prioritize studying differently this time around?
If you feel that your issue was more with timing, the answer is practice, practice, practice. For practice problems, I recommend doing or re-doing all UWorld questions in the timed untutored mode as 59 question sections. BluePrint has good practice questions for figuring out which areas you want to review via Anki cards, but their questions are often more difficult and involved than what would appear on the real AAMC exam.
My number one suggestion for any study schedule is to use your last month of studying to exclusively focus on AAMC materials: practice sections, question banks, and the 6 full-length practice tests. Although I had already taken all AAMC practice tests prior to my first test, I still re-took them before my second sitting instead of using third-party exams. This is because they are still the most representative tests, and even if you slightly remember questions from those exams and the score may thus be reflected as slightly higher than you would expect, those are the absolute best exams to use getting into test day mode.
Practice from diverse sources is key. As you drill through problems, be sure to applaud your strengths and highlight your improvement alongside reviewing questions you keep getting wrong. Again, focusing on the positive is very important to staying in a healthy headspace on test day.
Closing key content gaps
If you found your issue to be related to content gaps (my students might say that they felt like questions "came out of nowhere), it is important to devote the first month or two of your schedule for content review.
I used the Kaplan books for content review, and also found the questions on the website to review chapters helpful in drilling concepts. Research has found that students tend to do better when handwriting their notes instead of typing them, so I recommend writing and rewriting notes as a study tool. I myself rewrote all chapters of what I was learning in a 250+ page study guide that I would then re-read or annotate each weekend.
Others may find Khan Academy videos and other audiovisual resources more suited to their learning style. Either way, find what works for you and stick with it.
Be sure to put concepts that you have repeatedly struggled with into an Anki deck to review later. My single biggest change I made in terms of practice between tests was actually recording each and every mistake question in UWorld or AAMC. I put these mistakes into a “Practice Test Incorrects” deck on Anki, which I reviewed daily.
In conclusion
Retaking the MCAT is a doable thing with the right plan. Just be sure to refine your practice and review strategies before sitting for your next exam!
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