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MCAT Study Schedule
Choose your test date and weekly hours to get a week-by-week MCAT study schedule: content review across all four sections, daily CARS practice, full-length practice exams and a light final week.
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Set up your MCAT plan in the free StudyCoach Study Planner with every section and topic ready. It schedules daily tasks to your test date, tracks your progress and streak, and adds reminders to your calendar.
What's on the MCAT
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems | 59 questions | 95 minutes |
| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) | 53 questions | 90 minutes |
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems | 59 questions | 95 minutes |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior | 59 questions | 95 minutes |
About 6 hours 15 minutes of testing and about 7 hours 30 minutes in total with breaks. Each section is scored 118–132, for a total of 472–528.
How to study for the MCAT
- Start with a diagnosticTake a full-length practice exam (or an AAMC sample test) to see your starting point in each section before you plan content review.
- Review content, then practise passagesLearn a topic from your content resources, then do passage-based questions on it the same week. The MCAT tests applying science, not recall alone.
- Do CARS every dayTwo or three passages a day builds reading speed and judgement steadily; CARS improves with consistent practice more than cramming.
- Use AAMC practice exams as checkpointsTake full-length AAMC exams at test-day timing, then spend as long reviewing as you spent testing. Every missed question is a topic to revisit.
- Build staminaTest day is about 7.5 hours. Full-length practice on the same weekday and start time as your real exam trains focus for the last section.
How long should you study for the MCAT?
If you're starting content review from scratch, we suggest planning about 3–6 months at 15–25 hours a week. If you've finished most of your prerequisites recently, 2–3 months of full-time study can work.
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- This week-by-week plan, printable, no account needed
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- Focus timer, study streak and readiness by section
- Calendar reminders for one plan
- 3 AI roadmap builds and 3 quizzes or flashcard sets a day
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- Plan rebuilds automatically after missed days (one-tap catch-up)
- Spaced review of what you've learned (2, 7 and 21 days later)
- Every topic's readiness, with weak topics made top priority
- Calendar reminders for every plan, and holiday mode
- 100 AI builds, quizzes and flashcard sets a day, 50 lectures to notes a month
MCAT study plan FAQs
How do I study for the MCAT?
Take a diagnostic test, review content section by section while practising passage-based questions, do CARS passages every day, and take full-length AAMC practice exams as checkpoints, reviewing every one in detail.
How long should I study for the MCAT?
We suggest about 3–6 months at 15–25 hours a week if you're starting content review from scratch. Use your diagnostic score and target score to decide whether you need more or less time.
How long is the MCAT?
About 6 hours 15 minutes of testing across four sections, and about 7 hours 30 minutes in total including breaks and check-in.
How many practice exams should I take?
Plan a full-length practice exam about every two weeks in the final phase, and take the AAMC practice exams closest to test day, as they're the most like the real exam.
Is this MCAT study schedule free?
Yes. Make and print it without an account. Sign up free to turn it into a StudyCoach plan with daily tasks, calendar reminders and progress tracking.
StudyCoach isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the organizations that make the MCAT. Check the official website for test dates, registration and the latest format.
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