Which MCAT prep is most effective?

The best MCAT prep depends on your learning style, but top providers consistently include Kaplan (overall/live classes), Blueprint (video lessons/visual learners), and UWorld (Qbank/practice questions), with Princeton Review strong for books and Magoosh offering good value; essential resources also include official AAMC materials. For practice questions and detailed explanations, UWorld and AAMC materials are considered top-tier, while Kaplan and Blueprint offer comprehensive, structured courses.

Which MCAT prep is the best?

Table of Contents:

• Video Review: Which MCAT Course Is Best For You?
• Best overall MCAT Prep Course: Kaplan.
• Best MCAT Video Lessons: Blueprint.
• Best MCAT Written Study Materials: Princeton Review.
• Best Value MCAT Prep Course: Magoosh.
• Most Comprehensive MCAT Prep: Prep101.
• Most Personalized Instruction: Altius.

Which MCAT practice test is the most accurate?

The only thing that is guaranteed to be representative of the real MCAT exam is a practice exam from the company responsible for designing the real test—the AAMC. The 4 currently available AAMC full lengths are your best bet.

Is Kaplan or BluePrint better for MCAT prep?

Highlight: Live MCAT Classes

With small class sizes (typically fewer than 10 students), top-tier live lesson plans, and exceptional instructors, Kaplan is the clear choice if live classes are going to be a key part of your study plan.

What is the best resource for MCAT prep?

The best MCAT study resources combine AAMC official materials (essential practice) with high-quality third-party books (Kaplan, Blueprint, Princeton Review) for content, and platforms like UWorld, Anki, and Khan Academy for practice questions, detailed explanations, and spaced repetition, with Jack Westin offering daily CARS practice. Top choices often include AAMC question packs/full-lengths, UWorld Qbank, Kaplan/Blueprint books for content, and Anki decks (like MilesDown or Aidan) for efficient review, tailored to your learning style. 

SIMPLE MCAT Study Plan | How I scored a 520 (97th percentile) in less than 7 minutes

Is Kaplan or Khan Academy better for MCAT?

Khan Academy is the gold standard because the AAMC paid Khan Academy to make the only official prep videos. Khan Academy, therefore, had insider access to all the AAMC material.

Is 2 months enough for MCAT?

Yes, 2 months can be enough for the MCAT, but it's very challenging and depends heavily on your starting point, dedication (aim for 200-300+ total hours), and a highly structured, intensive study plan focusing heavily on practice tests and targeted content review, especially if you've recently taken your pre-med courses and remember the material well. For many, 3-6 months is more common, so 2 months requires extreme focus, good foundational knowledge, and avoiding burnout. 

Is Kaplan harder than actual MCAT?

Yes, Kaplan practice tests are generally considered harder than the real MCAT, often focusing more on detailed content knowledge and lower-yield facts, leading to deflated scores that are typically 5-10 points below actual AAMC performance, making them great for identifying content gaps but poor predictors of your real score. The official AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) materials, in contrast, better reflect the real exam's emphasis on critical thinking and reasoning, so your score usually jumps significantly on official tests. 

What is 90% correct on MCAT?

Getting 90% correct on the MCAT isn't a fixed score but roughly translates to a high 120s to low 130s per section, placing you in the 90th percentile (around 515 total score), making you a very strong candidate, though scores vary by section difficulty and question weighting, with 5-10 wrong often being a 128-130 range in practice tests. A 90% accuracy means around 5-10 wrong answers out of ~53 questions in a section, but precise conversions depend on the test's equating. 

What MCAT prep books should I buy?

Check out our top five MCAT prep books, each of which we have reviewed and ranked here:

• The Princeton Review MCAT Subject Review Complete Box.
• Kaplan Test Prep MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review.
• Examkrackers MCAT Study Package.
• Mometrix MCAT Prep Books.
• TPB MCAT Prep Books.

What score is 75% correct in MCAT?

A score that's 75% correct on the MCAT (meaning you're in the 75th percentile) translates to a total score of approximately 508-509, placing you above average and competitive for many mid-tier medical schools, though specific conversions vary slightly by testing year and section. This means you scored as well as or better than 75% of other test-takers. 

What is the most efficient way to study for the MCAT?

Practice the MCAT in Exam-Like Conditions

Set aside the time to take full-length practice tests. It's the most accurate way to simulate the test-day experience. That makes it the best way to study for the MCAT overall. This also means starting the exam at the same time as your actual test.

How deflated is Kaplan?

Kaplan MCAT tests are generally considered somewhat deflated, with a common estimate being that you can add about 10 points to your Kaplan score to get closer to your real AAMC score, though this varies by individual and some users find recent tests less deflated or even inflated due to difficulty. The main difference often lies in content focus, with Kaplan testing obscure details while the AAMC emphasizes critical thinking, making Kaplan useful for content gaps but not always a perfect predictor of final scores.
 

Are the Kaplan books enough for MCAT?

Yes, Kaplan books are generally considered sufficient for content review and building a strong foundation for the MCAT, covering most necessary topics thoroughly, but they aren't enough on their own for top scores; you must supplement with extensive practice, especially the official AAMC materials (Question Packs, Section Banks, FLs), as Kaplan's questions can be harder and some content gaps exist. They're praised for detail but might be overly detailed in some areas, while AAMC materials are crucial for understanding the real test's style and difficulty.
 

Is UWorld harder than the actual MCAT?

There's one main drawback: the difficulty. UWorld passages are often very difficult, and on average you should expect your scores to be noticeably lower on UWorld than they would be on the AAMC. With my students, I often see a difference of 10-20%.

Has anyone ever gotten a 528 on the MCAT?

Yes, people have achieved a perfect score of 528 on the MCAT, the highest possible score, though it is extremely rare and represents the 100th percentile, making the test-taker a highly competitive applicant for any medical school. Many individuals who have scored a 528 share their strategies online, emphasizing rigorous study schedules, extensive practice with AAMC materials, building strong content knowledge, and developing critical thinking skills through tutoring or teaching. 

How many questions can you miss on MCAT to get 520?

To get a 520 on the MCAT, you generally need to miss very few questions, often only a handful in total, aiming for around 128-130 per section (out of 132), which means getting maybe 1-3 wrong in some sections and a few more in others, as scoring is percentile-based and depends on test difficulty, but you must be in the top few percentiles overall. While a perfect score (528) might allow for a few missed questions, a 520 requires near perfection, potentially missing only 5-10 questions across the entire exam, or even just a couple per section on easier tests, say Reddit users. 

Is 512 MCAT too low?

No, a 512 MCAT score is not bad; it's a strong, competitive score, generally around the 84th percentile, meaning you scored better than most test-takers and are competitive for many MD programs, with averages often around 511-512 for admitted students, though higher scores (515+) boost chances for top-tier schools. It's a solid score that allows for broad applications, but consider your overall profile (GPA, experiences) and target schools, as very selective programs may prefer scores above 515. 

What is a top 1% MCAT score?

A top 1% MCAT score generally falls around the 515-520+ range, though the exact score shifts slightly with each testing year's percentiles, with scores like 475-477 often representing the 1st percentile on the total score chart, but a 99th percentile is closer to 520+, requiring near-perfect section scores (131-132) for the highest ranks, with 528 being perfect. 

What's the hardest section on MCAT?

A majority of examinees say that CARS is the hardest MCAT section. CARS requires precise critical analysis of verbose, lengthy passages that often cover non-medical subjects. Is the MCAT all multiple-choice? The MCAT is made up of 230 entirely multiple-choice questions.

Does MCAT outweigh GPA?

For some applicants, a higher MCAT score can help balance out a lower GPA—especially when that GPA reflects earlier academic struggles. In medical school admissions, a strong MCAT shows that you're academically ready for the demands of med school, even if your transcript is less than perfect.

Which MCAT full lengths are best?

Full-length MCAT practice tests (from AAMC and other high-quality sites) are the gold standard for MCAT prep. Couple these practice tests with content review videos on each subsection, and you'll be on your way to a great MCAT score and increased odds of med school acceptance.

Are blueprint MCAT exams accurate?

Yes, overall we found Blueprint Prep's mock MCAT exams to be realistic in terms of structure and content, albeit slightly more difficult than the real test.

How many hours a day should I study for MCAT?

So, where should you start? Most people need 10–15 hours per week to study for the MCAT over a period of at least four to six months . In total, you should aim for at least 200 to 300 hours of MCAT study time.

How rare is a 528 MCAT?

A 528 MCAT score is extremely rare, representing a perfect score achieved by only a handful of students (around 30-70) out of hundreds of thousands who take the test annually, placing them in the 100th percentile, but it's not a necessity for medical school admission as many accepted students score significantly lower. It signifies flawless performance with perfect scores (132) on all four sections (CARS, CP, BB, PS) and is statistically a near-impossible feat, though achievable by dedicated planners.