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Ryan Brownlee

– Founder of AspiringMD

A complete MCAT guide from a current medical student covering when to study, prerequisites, content review, Anki, CARS, practice exams, free resources, and full-length review.

Studying for the MCAT was one of the most overwhelming parts of being a premed for me, especially because I did not have anyone in my family who had gone through the medical school application process and could simply tell me what I was supposed to be doing. When I first started researching the exam, I found dozens of prep companies, huge Reddit threads, conflicting study schedules, hundreds of Anki decks, and students arguing over which question bank or practice test was supposedly the only one worth using.

I eventually built a study system that worked much better once I stopped trying to use everything at once. I started with a Blueprint diagnostic to figure out where I was weak, used Kaplan as the backbone of my content review, made UWorld my main source of day-to-day practice questions, completed five Blueprint full-length exams, used MileDown as my primary MCAT Anki deck with some JackSparrow, practiced CARS regularly with Jack Westin, used Khan Academy whenever I needed another explanation, and shifted heavily toward official AAMC materials as I got closer to the exam.

I also learned that how you review your mistakes matters just as much as how many questions you complete. During the later part of my preparation, I would take a full-length exam and then spend substantial time reviewing it, separating missed questions into content problems, reasoning problems, timing mistakes, and careless errors. I would then use those patterns to decide which topics needed more review and which Anki cards I needed to reinforce.

That basic approach has actually stayed with me into medical school. I still try to determine why I missed a question instead of simply memorizing the correct answer, because fixing the reason behind a mistake is much more useful than remembering one isolated question.

I built this MCAT section of AspiringMD to put all of those lessons and resources in one place. Whether you are a sophomore wondering when you should start studying, a student trying to decide between MileDown and JackSparrow, someone three weeks from test day trying to improve full-length scores, or a premed looking for free MCAT resources, you should be able to start here and work your way toward the specific guide you need.

Where Should I Start With MCAT Studying?

If you are completely new to the MCAT, I would not start by downloading fifteen Anki decks or purchasing a prep course. First, learn what the exam tests, make sure you understand the prerequisite material you should ideally have completed, choose a realistic test date, and determine approximately how much time you have available to prepare.

Start with my guide to what prerequisites you should take before the MCAT because it explains both the structure of the exam and the college courses that make studying much easier. Then read when you should start studying for the MCAT so you can build a timeline around your actual classes, work, research, clinical experience, and application year.

Once you understand the timeline, my complete guide to how I studied for the MCAT walks through the strategy I personally used. That article is where I would start if you want to understand how content review, questions, Anki, CARS, and full-length exams can fit together rather than viewing each resource separately.

My Basic MCAT Study Framework

If I were studying for the MCAT again, I would organize the process around four things: content review, active recall, practice questions, and full-length exams with detailed review. The amount of time devoted to each one should change as your test approaches, with content review occupying more of the beginning and timed practice becoming increasingly important later.

For content review, Kaplan worked well for me because the books gave me a predictable structure. I did not expect the books to make me remember everything permanently, which is where Anki and practice questions became useful. When something did not make sense from Kaplan, I frequently used Khan Academy or another video explanation rather than rereading the same paragraph five times.

UWorld became my primary question bank because I found the explanations incredibly useful for learning from missed questions. Blueprint was more of a secondary practice resource for me, although I also used its diagnostic and purchased five Blueprint full-length exams. You can read my complete experience in Should I Use Blueprint for MCAT Studying?.

Nearer to test day, I increasingly prioritized the official AAMC material because I wanted the final portion of my preparation to resemble the reasoning and wording I was most likely to encounter on the real exam. I would follow the same general sequence again today rather than trying to finish every third-party resource before touching AAMC questions.

Take a Diagnostic Before You Build Your Entire Study Plan

One of the best things I did early was take the Blueprint half-length diagnostic before I had seriously begun studying. I was not expecting a great score because the point was to see what the exam felt like and identify where my starting weaknesses were.

My CARS performance was relatively strong and my Biology foundation was decent, while Psychology/Sociology and Chemistry clearly needed more work. That immediately changed how I allocated my study time because I knew that spending equal amounts of time on every subject would not be particularly efficient.

I would recommend using a diagnostic the same way. Do not view your baseline score as a prediction of what you are capable of earning months later because its job is to show you where to begin.

If you are unsure whether the amount of studying you have planned is even realistic, you can also use my MCAT Study Hours Calculator to compare your test date, weekly availability, and total planned hours.

How I Approached MCAT Content Review

I used Kaplan as the main structure for content review, but I never wanted one company to become my only explanation of every topic. Some concepts clicked immediately from a Kaplan chapter, while others made much more sense after watching somebody explain them visually.

Khan Academy was especially useful for that. I would use its MCAT videos when a concept needed clarification, and I sometimes listened to videos covering familiar material while driving because I had long drives between school and home. I also completed the Khan Academy practice questions that were available, although I considered resources such as UWorld, Blueprint, and eventually AAMC questions more representative of the actual style I needed to master.

You can access my complete free Khan Academy MCAT course and practice-question collection and my guide to the best MCAT YouTube channels if videos work well for you.

I would also keep the AAMC MCAT Topic List beside your study plan. It gives you a much better framework for deciding what belongs within MCAT preparation than randomly chasing increasingly obscure details because somebody mentioned them in an online discussion.

Use a Content Review Tracker Instead of Studying Randomly

One problem with MCAT content review is that it can feel as though you are making progress while repeatedly returning to the topics you already know. You read another biology chapter because biology feels comfortable while the physics section you dislike quietly waits for another week.

That is why I like having a written system showing which topics have actually been completed and which ones still need attention. My free MCAT Content Review Tracker Spreadsheet lets you track content by topic while also recording Anki, videos, and practice progress.

The exact spreadsheet was built after my own MCAT studying, but it formalizes the system I used. I maintained running lists of topics that needed additional review and continuously adjusted my studying based on what appeared in questions and practice exams.

The Free MCAT Review Documents I Would Use

You do not necessarily need another giant textbook when you want a fast refresher. Condensed resources can be especially valuable once you have already learned the material and need something you can move through quickly.

The MileDown 90-page MCAT review sheet is a good general review resource, while the Kaplan MCAT Quicksheets provide another compact summary of major concepts.

For Psychology and Sociology, I personally used the longer Khan Academy document earlier in my preparation and the shorter version near test day. My Khan Academy 86-page, 100-page, and 300-page Psych/Soc document guide explains how I would choose among them.

I also maintain an MCAT equation and formula sheet, an MCAT mnemonics and acronyms guide, and the IWantAHighMCATScore lab techniques guide for topics that benefit from more focused review.

How I Used Anki for the MCAT

MileDown was my primary Anki deck during my own preparation. I liked that it was manageable enough to maintain while still leaving me time to complete questions, review passages, and study the underlying material.

I also used some JackSparrow. I liked how comprehensive it was, but I found the cards substantially longer and more strenuous to work through, which is why I never think the answer to choosing an MCAT deck is simply finding whichever one contains the most cards.

Looking back, I think there is value in a middle ground between the efficiency of MileDown and the depth of something like JackSparrow. That is part of the reason I have spent so much time reviewing newer and older MCAT decks on AspiringMD, because the best deck depends heavily on your timeline and how much content support you actually need.

If you have no idea where to begin, start with my Best MCAT Anki Decks Comparison. I compare MileDown, AnKing, JackSparrow, Mr. Pankow, Aidan, Abdullah, Bouras, Ortho528, BenzKing, Premed95, ReBopBeBop, and several other decks there so you can choose one before downloading everything you find.

Which MCAT Anki Deck Should You Choose?

For most students, I would rather see you choose one main deck and actually use it consistently than repeatedly switch because somebody online claims another deck is more comprehensive. Every time you restart with a new comprehensive deck, you add duplicated cards and lose time that could have been spent practicing questions.

MileDown remains a good option when you want something efficient and manageable. JackSparrow gives you considerably more depth but requires a larger time commitment, while AnKing is useful when you want a modern and highly organized system.

Mr. Pankow and PsychAnswer4U are more focused on Psychology and Sociology, while extremely large options such as Aidan V2 or Abdullah make more sense when you have a long timeline and genuinely want that level of detail. Captain Hook is interesting because it attempts to sit between several existing resources, and I think it may appeal to students who want something more comprehensive than MileDown without approaching every deck exactly the same way.

If you want to compare the individual decks more closely before choosing one, I have complete guides to many of the most popular options. You can start with the MileDown MCAT Anki deck, which was the main deck I personally used, or look at the more detailed JackSparrow MCAT Anki deck if you want deeper content review. Students who want an extremely comprehensive deck can also read my guide to the original Aidan MCAT Anki deck or the newer Aidan V2 MCAT Anki deck, while the latest AnKing MCAT deck may be a better fit if you want a modern, organized system built around AnkiHub.

For Psychology and Sociology specifically, I have separate guides to the Mr. Pankow MCAT Anki deck, PsychAnswer4U MCAT Anki deck, and Premed95 MCAT Anki deck. If you are comparing some of the older or less commonly discussed comprehensive decks, you can also read my guides to the Bouras MCAT Anki deck and ReBopBeBop MCAT Anki deck.

I also reviewed the Captain Hook MCAT Anki deck, which may be especially interesting if MileDown feels too condensed but you do not want the same style or workload as JackSparrow. I would still recommend choosing one primary comprehensive deck rather than trying to complete several overlapping decks at the same time. The goal is to use Anki to support your MCAT studying, not allow flashcard reviews to replace practice questions, passages, and full-length exams.

The deck is still only one part of your study plan. No number of flashcards can replace passage interpretation, experimental reasoning, CARS practice, timing, and full-length exams.

How I Studied for MCAT Psychology and Sociology

Psychology and Sociology was one of the areas that needed more attention based on my diagnostic, so I intentionally put extra work there. I used the 300-page Khan Academy document during my earlier content review alongside MileDown cards, then used the shorter 86-page version about two weeks before my MCAT as a final refresher.

If I were doing it again with the options students have now, I would seriously consider using a more dedicated Psych/Soc deck such as Mr. Pankow. MileDown gave me a useful foundation, but a dedicated behavioral-science deck can give you more detail when Psych/Soc is a weak section.

You can compare the Mr. Pankow MCAT deck, PsychAnswer4U, and the original and modified Premed95 deck if behavioral science is where you need the most help.

How I Studied for MCAT CARS

CARS was different because there was not a content textbook I could memorize. Improvement came from repeatedly reading passages, committing to an interpretation, answering questions, and understanding where my reasoning differed from the explanation.

I used Jack Westin CARS regularly, including daily passages during portions of my preparation. I liked having a low-friction way to practice consistently instead of feeling that every CARS session needed to become a full section.

My complete thoughts are in Should I Do Jack Westin CARS Passages Daily?. I would still recommend beginning CARS early enough that you can build the skill gradually instead of trying to dramatically change your reading process during the final two weeks.

Practice Questions Were Where My Studying Became More Useful

Content review can make you feel comfortable because the information looks familiar while you are reading it. Practice questions are where you discover whether you can actually retrieve and apply that information when it is hidden inside an unfamiliar experiment or passage.

UWorld was my primary question bank for exactly that reason. I cared as much about the explanations as the questions themselves, and I often turned the topics I missed into targeted review or additional Anki cards.

Blueprint became my secondary source of practice and full-length exams. I completed five Blueprint full-lengths and found them challenging, but the difficult questions and detailed explanations were useful preparation before I shifted more heavily into official AAMC materials.

The important part is reviewing the questions carefully. Completing 100 questions and quickly reading the correct answer is very different from understanding why you selected the wrong option, what information you missed in the passage, and what you need to change the next time the same concept appears.

Full-Length Exams Should Change Your Study Plan

A full-length score should not simply make you happy or ruin your afternoon. It should tell you what the next week of studying needs to look like.

My Complete MCAT Full-Length Practice Exam Guide covers when to begin full-lengths, how often to take them, how I think about score trends, and what to do when your scores plateau.

At one point in my preparation, I would take a full-length on Friday and spend Saturday reviewing it. I tried to determine whether every miss came from a content gap, reasoning problem, timing problem, or careless mistake, then adjust my studying accordingly.

I also tried to simulate test day while taking practice exams by following similar timing, breaks, food, and routines. Looking back, I actually wish I had been even stricter with that simulation because becoming comfortable with the length and rhythm of the exam is part of MCAT preparation too.

Use an Error Log Instead of Repeating the Same Mistakes

I have created several free spreadsheets around full-length review because this is the part of MCAT studying I think students most often underuse. You can choose whichever format best matches how detailed you want your review to be rather than trying to maintain every spreadsheet simultaneously.

The MCAT Full-Length Tracker is useful for tracking score and section trends across exams. The MCAT Full-Length Review Template provides a more detailed structure for reviewing individual questions, while the Free MCAT Full-Length Review and Error Log gives you another streamlined way to identify patterns in missed questions.

I also maintain the MCAT Explanations for Every Full-Length Exam Answer Spreadsheet, which brings review resources together for AAMC and third-party full-lengths.

The specific spreadsheet matters less than using a consistent system. The goal is to reach a point where you can say something much more specific than “I need to study chemistry more.”

Free MCAT Practice Exams and Score Tools

If you are trying to find practice tests without immediately purchasing multiple prep packages, start with my Free MCAT Practice Exam Link Master Document. It organizes free full-length and diagnostic options so you can see what is available before spending money.

If you take the unscored AAMC sample or another exam where you want to estimate what the raw result might correspond to, you can also use my AAMC Sample MCAT Score Calculator. Treat any unofficial conversion as an estimate rather than obsessing over whether one raw question changes the predicted score by a point.

You can find these alongside my other trackers, calculators, documents, and study tools in the Free Premed and MCAT Resources Hub and the Free Premed and MCAT Spreadsheet Collection.

Do Not Collect MCAT Resources Instead of Studying

This is probably the biggest warning I would give a student browsing this page. AspiringMD now has a lot of MCAT resources because I want you to be able to choose what fits you, but you absolutely do not need to use everything linked here.

You do not need to complete fifteen Anki decks. You do not need three separate error logs. You do not need every available commercial prep course, and you do not need to read the same content in six different books before you begin questions.

A reasonable starting system might be one structured content resource, one main Anki deck, one strong question bank, regular CARS practice, official AAMC material, and a consistent full-length review system. Add something else only when you can explain the specific problem that the additional resource is solving.

That was the lesson I learned during my own MCAT preparation. My studying became much more productive once every resource had a defined purpose instead of simply existing because another premed recommended it.

What to Do if Your MCAT Score Will Affect Your Application Timing

The MCAT eventually connects directly with your medical school application, so you also need to think about when the score will arrive and how much it could change your school list.

If you are waiting for a score near the beginning of the application cycle, read my guide on submitting AMCAS without an MCAT score. I explain when submitting before score release can make sense and when uncertainty about the MCAT should make you more cautious.

I would not let fear of taking a gap year or submitting a little later push you into sitting for an MCAT when your full-length scores clearly show that you are not ready. The exam is important, but one of the best strategic decisions you can make is recognizing when additional preparation is more useful than protecting an arbitrary test date.

Complete AspiringMD MCAT Article and Resource Library

The guides below are organized so you can jump directly to whatever part of MCAT preparation you are working on. I would start with the general study guides, choose your core resources, and then use the more specialized pages only when they solve a particular problem.

How I Would Use This MCAT Guide if I Were Starting Again

If I were beginning MCAT preparation again, I would first take a diagnostic and decide how many months I realistically had. I would then choose one primary content source, one Anki deck, a question bank, and a way to track the topics I was reviewing.

I would begin CARS relatively early and start practice questions before I felt completely finished with content. Waiting until you think you know everything before answering questions is tempting, but the questions themselves are part of the learning process and will expose weaknesses much faster than rereading material you already recognize.

As my test approached, I would shift progressively toward timed questions, full-length examinations, and official AAMC material. I would protect enough time after every full-length to understand the misses instead of immediately taking another exam in hopes that the score magically improves.

I would also be stricter about simulating test day than I was the first time. The MCAT is not only a test of science knowledge because it also requires you to maintain concentration and decision-making for hours, and practicing the same timing, breaks, food, and morning routine can make the real day feel much less unfamiliar.

Most importantly, I would avoid turning preparation into a competition over who owns the most resources. I used Kaplan, UWorld, Blueprint, MileDown, some JackSparrow, Khan Academy, Jack Westin, and AAMC resources because each one had a specific role in my study plan. I did not need every MCAT course, every deck, or every PDF available online, and neither do you.

Use this page as a map rather than a checklist. Start with the part of the MCAT you are working on right now, choose the guide or resource that solves that problem, and then get back to studying.

That is exactly what I wish I had available when I started.

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