Thought preparing for the SAT was stressful? You're probably realizing right about now that it was a walk in the park compared to the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). This standardized test is a requirement for admission to medical school, making it one of the most important tests that you will be faced with during your educational career. The purpose of the test is to assess your competency in skills that you will need to be successful in medical school, but it can feel like one more arbitrary hurdle placed in your way.
Luckily, there are many MCAT preparation options available that can help you to succeed. On the downside, so many options can feel overwhelming when you haven't even started your preparation yet. Use these tips to help you choose a preparation course that's a good fit for your needs, but remember that the most important thing you can do is to simply start studying. Good luck!
How Specialized is the Preparation Course Company?
There are a seemingly endless number of test preparation companies, and many develop courses for just about every standardized test under the sun. While a company that makes courses for a variety of tests is not necessarily bad, you should be extra critical when examining their MCAT preparation options. Be sure that their courses are developed by experts in the field, and not by generalists who write materials for a range of standardized tests.
What Types of Material Are Available?
As with any type of standardized test preparation, MCAT preparation courses come in all shapes and sizes. This means that you will find preparation courses which offer only reading material and practice quizzes, as well as courses with full online lectures. Of course, there are also plenty of in-person preparation classes available as well.
Digging through the wealth of options here is perhaps the most difficult part of choosing a course. It is important to evaluate your own learning style to pick a course that fits your needs. Do you learn best with direct instruction? If so, an in-person course or online course with solid instructor interaction will probably help you the most. If you are an independent learner, you should consider courses that offer a wide range of materials for you to study on your own, including practice quizzes, flash cards, and sample questions.
Can You Supplement the Course with Free Options?
The MCAT is important enough that it is worth purchasing at least one paid course as your main study focus, but you should consider whether the course you choose can be supplemented by free resources. Many well-regarded sites offer MCAT test prep, and these free options can be invaluable to your study. If you notice that a course you are particularly interested in is missing some key features, determine if freely available test prep materials can help to fill in that gap.
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