I honestly don't remember much from MCAT content review yet I'm still scoring okay on practice exams

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LuluLovesMe

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Should I still go back and try to memorize all the content or should I focus on test taking abilities and strategy?

I don't remember pretty basic stuff like the henderson hasselbach equation, bernouli's equation, the acidic/basic amino acids, solubility rules ect.

I just took the AAMC Test #3 and Gold Standard #1 and I got 12/11/10 and 12/10/12 respectively. Honestly, everything I needed to answer the questions were plain given to me in the passage.

How do you suggest I approach my studying? Will the real MCAT surprise me with stuff I should have memorized?

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Since you're doing well on practice exams, you likely don't need a ton of content review, BUT you will definitely encounter questions on your official MCAT that rely on memorized info. Some of the topics you mention could absolutely be tested without giving information in a passage (Henderson-Hasselbalch, etc.).

However, that doesn't mean you need to go back and review all of the content, or use up a large amount of valuable time! One good way to study content is to really analyze the practice tests you take. Even for questions that you got correct, ask yourself if you were missing any information that could've sped up the process. For the ones that you get wrong, go back and read the relevant chapters of whichever content book you have - that way you spend time on the topics you're least familiar with that ALSO happen to be high-yield :)
 
At this point I think your test taking ability is fine. If you are not having trouble with timing and you have taken the most recent exams, it is time for you get the free points and memorize the things you dont know. I would look at the analysis of your test and determine which material you are getting wrong. Make sure you do the most recent exams as well. I took the exam last year and reached a similar score on the practice test. I boosted my scores by just memorizing the annoying things.
 
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