How many hours did you study for MCAT 2015?

[bluepeach9]

How many hours did you study for the new exam and what was your total score?

If it was something like 150 hours and a 520 score, do you think its because you're a genius or did luck play a role?

I would really appreciate this info! Thanks =)

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[CHoge25]

6-12 hours a day for 4 months. So I would say 600-800 hours. Took it feb 3rd so score TBD


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[Lucca]

I'll tell you my score in a week but I must have spent somewhere between 300-400 hours total and I feel that is a typical amount when you study over the summer and/or winter break. Scored a 520 on the scored practice.

 

[Palindr0me]

Studied approximately 25-30 hours a week (sometimes more/less) for 4 months -- so roughly 400-500 hours total. Took an in-person Kaplan course at the beginning of studying which was mainly just helpful for the practice tests and Q-bank.

Score: 520.

Set a realistic goal, like "Get above XXth percentile"; for me it was to score above 90th% and I made sure that I wouldn't settle for less! The preparation is really what takes the most out of you -- sitting for 7 hours and then leaving is the easiest/most fulfilling part!

 

[bluepeach9]

I'll tell you my score in a week but I must have spent somewhere between 300-400 hours total and I feel that is a typical amount when you study over the summer and/or winter break. Scored a 520 on the scored practice.

Studied approximately 25-30 hours a week (sometimes more/less) for 4 months -- so roughly 400-500 hours total. Took an in-person Kaplan course at the beginning of studying which was mainly just helpful for the practice tests and Q-bank.

Score: 520.

Set a realistic goal, like "Get above XXth percentile"; for me it was to score above 90th% and I made sure that I wouldn't settle for less! The preparation is really what takes the most out of you -- sitting for 7 hours and then leaving is the easiest/most fulfilling part!

Those are great scores! Did you both have a solid foundation in the pre-reqs and research material? It seems like you studied less than average people do to get the same score, so I'm curious…

Unfortunately, for me, I had a lot of pre-req reviewing to do as the material is not fresh in my mind 🙁

 

[Lucca]

Those are great scores! Did you both have a solid foundation in the pre-reqs and research material? It seems like you studied less than average people do to get the same score, so I'm curious…

Unfortunately, for me, I had a lot of pre-req reviewing to do as the material is not fresh in my mind 🙁

Yah, I had a strong pre-req foundation (didn't touch OChem or practice Verbal beyond what was done during all of the practice exams I took and just refreshed my other knowledge. Straight up learned some physics from the ground up though even though none of it was on my exam lol). I've been doing research since freshman year so reading papers and data was also familiar. I feel like a lot of people I know study around this amount. The MCAT is not precisely a "more hours = higher score" test although making sure that you don't have any content deficits is necessary (but not sufficient) for a high score. I got that number counting like 30 days of dedicated study at ~10 hrs/day on average with break days interspersed here and there. I guess the number might be higher if you count some content review over the summer as well but ehhhhhh. Take whatever I say with a grain of salt until next Tuesday though....lol. I hope I scored what I did on the practice or better but my score is just slightly less imaginary than yours at this point.

 

[Mr. Beefy Lion]

8-10 hours a day for 30 days so somewhere between 240-300 hours. Got a 519

 

[trimethylpurine]

I studied 35 hours a week for about 3.5 months and got a 514. No prep course.

I'm a pretty average student when it comes to grades, so I really believe if you're not a "genius", then hardwork, determination, and discipline can power you to a good score.

 

[mistafab]

1 hour a day, 5 days a week, for 2 months. I put in 4 full length practice exams on as well, one every other week.

Edit: Total was 72 hours, in case you didn't feel like adding that up.

 

[Gingy]

About 1-4 hours a day for 3 months, using mostly old MCAT prep materials and Khan Academy's online practice passages. Aim to do something everyday but avoid burn-out at all costs.

I ended up with a 515. Marathon study sessions made it harder to retain information so, if you're the same way, I highly recommend quality/efficiency over quantity.

 

[Lucca]

Addressing the burnout thing: over the summer where I was doing much less than winter break but also doing research I was a lot more exhausted of and annoyed by MCAT studying. When I was doing 10 hours a day over winter break it actually was not that bad although I was tired of studying in general I could definitely keep going without fizzling out.

 

[ChrisMack390]

Somewhere around 600-700 hours. I got a 518. I think that is about right.

 

[mr.mkitty]

I studied for just under 4 months.. The first 2 months I only studied about 3 hours a day; the last 2 months I studied for about 8 hours each day. Ended up getting a 517.
No test prep course.

 

[radioactive15]

Sorry to get a bit off topic here, but do you still remember any/most of the material you studied some time after taking the MCAT?

 

[Lucca]

Sorry to get a bit off topic here, but do you still remember any/most of the material you studied some time after taking the MCAT?

No I worked hard and drank a lot to make sure I didn't. Jk I still know the biochemistry but that's because I'm just taking more biochemistry courses for my degree lol.

 

[BoysWhoCry]

Yah, I had a strong pre-req foundation (didn't touch OChem or practice Verbal beyond what was done during all of the practice exams I took and just refreshed my other knowledge. Straight up learned some physics from the ground up though even though none of it was on my exam lol). I've been doing research since freshman year so reading papers and data was also familiar. I feel like a lot of people I know study around this amount. The MCAT is not precisely a "more hours = higher score" test although making sure that you don't have any content deficits is necessary (but not sufficient) for a high score. I got that number counting like 30 days of dedicated study at ~10 hrs/day on average with break days interspersed here and there. I guess the number might be higher if you count some content review over the summer as well but ehhhhhh. Take whatever I say with a grain of salt until next Tuesday though....lol. I hope I scored what I did on the practice or better but my score is just slightly less imaginary than yours at this point.

Wow this is really insightful, thank you. Do you feel your pre-req classes and the retention in them were the deciding factor for your great MCAT score? Also, how well did you do in them if you don't mind me asking, like GPA wise?

 

[Lucca]

Wow this is really insightful, thank you. Do you feel your pre-req classes and the retention in them were the deciding factor for your great MCAT score? Also, how well did you do in them if you don't mind me asking, like GPA wise?

I have all As except for a couple of A-s. I dont know if there was any single deciding factor. I learned the material well the first time around and that makes studying significantly easier. I focused on practice and I think practice is the best way to get a good score. I also believe that not having to spend time improving my CARS section greatly helped because it meant I could focus on the sciences and psych and sociology (I never took psych or soc so I learned all of the important terms from scratch via flashcards and reading). Also, I would like to reiterate that I do not yet have an MCAT score lol. That was the scored practice exam. I could have a much lower score for all I know.