I got a 527 on the MCAT and this is how

[macandsuccess]

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so i know what you're thinking... another "i got a 527" post *eye roll* but hear me out. i was a *solid* 505 scorer not long ago. how did i transform into a 527 beast? well, here's the tea, folks:

1. anki - yeah, yeah, we all know this one. i put those spaced repetition magic cards to work EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
   
   
2. fl practice - all the AAMC practice exams you can get your hands on. i basically lived inside those practice tests.
   
   
3. uearth (don't know if I'm allowed to say the real name of this on this platform) - did every single question. twice. didn't even know it was possible to hate a website so much.
   
   
4. CARS - read more philosophical nonsense than i care to admit. but it got me to consistently kill it in the section.
   
   
5. QuizScreen - now here's the kicker. found this app that makes me do bio questions to unlock instagram and answer chem problems before i can scroll tiktok. basically turned my phone addiction into MCAT practice. daily streaks gamified my studying and blocked all distracting apps until i completed subject quizzes. honestly a life (and score) saver.

so yeah, that's how a 505 turned into a 527. i guess if you can't beat the procrastination, just trick yourself into thinking it's productive. good luck out there, my fellow mcat victims. you'll make it through. eventually. Let me know if anyone has any questions, I wanted to keep this post short on purpose.

 

[Toffifay]

Congrats on the great score!

What was your timeline for the increased score? How many months did you prepare and how many hours per day? How did you organize the use of these study aids? Did you find reviewing AAMC materials to be as important as anything else? Many attest to that being a key in getting a feel for the types of questions asked.

 

[macandsuccess]

Congrats on the great score!

What was your timeline for the increased score? How many months did you prepare and how many hours per day? How did you organize the use of these study aids? Did you find reviewing AAMC materials to be as important as anything else? Many attest to that being a key in getting a feel for the types of questions asked.

appreciate you!! 🙏 and yep, totally valid questions, here’s the full scoop:

timeline wise was 6 months of studying, give or take. first 2 months were me kinda dabbling in content review while pretending i wasn’t already overwhelmed. months 3–4 were when i got serious - like, study planner, full anki commitment, daily practice questions, the whole deal. last 2 months? straight-up test simulation mode. FLs every week, review sessions like i was training for the olympics.

Started at like 3–4 hrs on weekdays and 6+ on weekends. by the end, i was doing 6–8 hrs daily. not sustainable long-term, but i treated those last weeks like my final boss battle.

how i used study aids:

• anki: daily non-negotiable. never skipped, even if it was just to keep the streak alive.
• uearth (don't know if I'm allowed to say the real name of this on this platform): sprinkled in after each content block, then became the main dish once content review was done.
• FLs: weekly starting month 3, reviewed in painful detail.
• CARS practice: every day, no exceptions. even when i wanted to throw my laptop.
• QuizScreen: my productivity sidekick which blocked social media unless i answered quiz questions. kinda like bribing myself with dopamine (if you're someone who uses social media or your phone a lot, this one is complete game changer)

In terms of AAMC review, ABSOLUTELY clutch. nothing mimics the MCAT vibe like AAMC stuff. i treated those like sacred texts - read every question explanation like it held the secrets to life. even if i got it right, i’d ask “why was this better than the other choices?” until i internalized their logic. it’s all about learning how they think.

so yeah, it was a grind. but structured chaos + knowing where to focus = game changer. hope that helps!