I'm going to be retaking the MCAT this cycle. I got the same score twice, and I am trying very hard not to let it happen again.
What I'm doing:
Going through ALL the subject material again. Doesn't matter what book, as long as it's a textbook-worth of information.
Marking areas I know I need improvement on. I'm hot stuff in Genetics and some other sections, so all I do on those is note the concepts that I should have. I can do Test-crosses blind (ha ha), for example, so all I need to know is that, yes, I have skimmed Test Crossing, know it's there, and am prepared for it. Areas I am terrible at, such as Orgo, I devote extra time to. Formulas, reactions, other stuff I do not remember, I add an arrow sticky to. Important concepts, such as magnetism, that I do not remember, I add a giant chapter sticky to.
Also add giant stickies to pages that summarize stuff. I giant-stickied the hormones chart in my book for review.
Once I have all of these, I review each section until I am sure that I have mastered, before beginning a practice test regimen. Practicing before then removes a practice test that you could have saved for later when you need to see where you need to review, rather than to point out areas you already knew you need to review.
That's for all the science sections.
My writing Sample was an S, so I disregarded that, though if you want practice, just google a Quotations Index or an Idioms Index, and have at it. Pick one at random a day, if you have to, write away, follow all the timing, etc., until you're sure you can handle it.
Writing Section - You can't... study for this persay, but you CAN practice it.
Verbal Book. Kaplan, PR, EC, whatever. Go to the question types if you don't know them, and remember them. Take a practice test, find EVERY question you did wrong, understand the answer you chose was wrong, and then write down why you picked the wrong answer. Also note the problem type, a la "Comprehension, Logic, etc."
Once you do that, you'll have a nice summary of what problems throw you off.
Now, since Verbal is on the fly non-subject related, my book recommended I read from the following places:
Archaelogy
SciAm
PopSci
NYT Op/Ed
Economist
Pick an article, or as many as you want, and map it out as you would on the MCAT. Topic, Scope, Purpose, what you're looking for. Look for any quirky sentences, and try to figure out what they are placed there for. What is the author trying to say? Does the author have some underlying tone? Why did the author use the phrase "The alligator is a banana" and so on.
While Kaplan says one article a day, I find it more well-rounded and world-informative to just pick one from each, given time (some of these don't update for a week
)
5 separate topics, none preferably from the biology-chemistry section if possible, each reading should take about 5-10 minutes max, so during a coffee break, during a meal, before bed, whenever, sit down, read, map, comprehend.
