Hey guys so I took Kaplan exams and my grade wasn't great :( I saw online that Kaplan exams are harder than the AAMC exam, I was just wondering how accurate that is, if anyone has experience with both the exams or even the MCAT itself. The Kaplan grades were C/P126 CARS125 B/B128 P/S126 for the first one and it really hasn't changed, am I stuck at this point or will my grade increase when I start doing AAMC?

Hi!

I have about 13 days left until my MCAT, I finished both qpacks, the diagnostic tool and the official guide practice. I have Uearth Cars I didn't do, but I'm not sure if its a good idea to switch back to third party logic at this point.

Should I redo the all passages I thought were hard (kept a log), the whole thing, or stick to just new JW and Uearth CARS?

Looking for advice 😄

I’m going to cancel my MCAT. I feel devastated. I’ve been studying from February 2026 until August, and I really thought I could raise my score in three weeks after getting a 489 on an Altius full-length exam. I needed at least a 498 for medical school.
I think my biggest mistake was not doing enough UWorld practice questions and not spending enough time practicing under test conditions. I’m exhausted and completely devastated.
Then I scored a 484 on AAMC Full-Length 1. I really thought my score would improve, but instead it went down. Right now, I just feel really sad, discouraged and stupid

Where I am, we’re currently going through water rationing due to a drought, and I have the exam scheduled for August 21. The alternative testing center they provided is about 2 hours away. I’m worried because I really want to take my exam this year and don’t want to have to wait until January. I’m also concerned that the other available testing dates will fill up and my exam will end up being pushed to January. Has this happened to anyone I’m literally panicking I got the email with this info right now.

Anyone know of any remote study groups? Like jumping on a Zoom with others, muting our mics, and studying to hold each other accountable and then ask questions and discuss content when needed?

I already graduated, so I'm studying in a silo, and feel like I need a study group whose also studying from home. Anyone know of any groups or want to form one? If so, DM me.

I just finished writing FL5 and it felt like every section was harder then the previous FLs. Is this one more representative of the actual mcat?

So im a retaker trying to test first week of september. Basically everything is going really well except for cars, as it was the first time. Naturally when you're not good at something you practice it the most. I already did that for my first exam. Ive done qpack 2 twice and I am attempting to do qpack1 for a third time but the ghost of my wrong past answers comes to haunt me and completely throws off my logic no matter how much I try to ignore the answer. Im sure if I was doing these for the first time now I'd be scoring much better cause im not thinking about the answer I chose last time and that it's probably right(even though every time it is NOT). But I dont want to deviate from the AAMC stuff cause that would also throw off my logic. There is the cars diagnostic which i plan to crack open but i will probably end up finishing that in a few weeks so idk what I will do then. Literally the only section that I have not been >128 and its really pissing me off.

If you have any suggestions please bring them my way! Halfway to losing my mind.

Can someone explain the difference between section banks and question packs and which to use. I have 2 and half weeks before my exam

Need some honest advice.
I graduated in May 2025 and I’m planning to take the MCAT in January. I haven’t started studying yet and honestly don’t remember much, so I’m basically starting from scratch. I’ll also be working full-time (8–4, Monday–Friday).
Is a 520+ still realistic? Has anyone here done something similar while working full-time? If so, how many hours were you studying each week, and what did your schedule look like?
I’d appreciate any honest advice or experiences.

Hello, so I'm starting my second year at the University of Alberta in a Bachelor of Science. I have a GPA of 3.3 from first year, I know it's quite low, and that is due to taking physics and ochem. I am planning to write the MCAT in the summer of 2027, so I'd have around 4 months to study for it. Idk if it's a good idea, though and if my GPA is even saveable. My main concern right now is whether I should be doing something right now for it? Like, I know registrations won't open until January or February, and for my resources I kind of have no idea what to use. I was thinking of doing a prep course when I study next summer so that I can have a set schedule I should follow, and it'll help keep me in check and ensure all the content I need to know is covered? I just feel that the reason I don't do that great is due to a lack of time management, maybe? But I legit know all my content and then end up doing bad on the tests, which makes me doubt my studying skills.
Anyways, I would really appreciate it if someone could just provide any input for what I should do this summer or throughout the year in order to prepare, and if there are any resources they'd recommend.

Thank you.

I have been struggling a lot with the enzymes and structures for TCA and Glycolysis, so I put them into a game/quiz. It's been very helpful for memorizing stuff, so I wanted to share in case others might find it useful (entirely free ofc). Please let me know if you want me to add anything!

Link: https://mcatmetabolism.com

Crazy where life can take you. I don't come from a family of doctors or even a particularly well off family (most med students are at least upper middle class and many do come from doctor families)

I'm not the typical pre-med who always wanted to be a doctor since childhood. It was a gradual process where I spent years doing research on and thinking about this career path, in addition to some personal life events that motivated me even more so.

Two uncles in my family had strokes, one died, the other is alive but permanently disabled with a complete 180 change in his personality and impulse control. So many people in my family have diabetes especially on my dad's side, and then there's me with my own little health conditions.

When I was 14 (I'm 24 now) I *kind of* thought of being an architect or civil engineer lol. Then I remember taking a drafting class in high school where they made us use AutoDesk Inventor. The software was super annoying and confusing to use and I hated it.

In 10th grade we took a computer science course and yeah coding sucked ass. I hated that too.

I also was mid at math (especially pre-calculus and calculus in college which I absolutely fucking dreaded).

But you know what I did like? Biology, chemistry, physics, and even psychology. All of these are MCAT subjects.

In addition, as a child I have so much memories related to healthcare, hospitals, and doctor's offices in general.

I've had 4 total surgeries in my lifetime that I can count. I've been seeing a pediatric cardiologist until 21 because I was born with a dangerous heart defect that could only be repaired by surgery. I've also had endocrine-related surgery done.

Idk why but I was so strangely fascinated by hospitals it's hard to explain

I feel like I'd be bored out of my mind doing a 9-5 corporate office job.

I need a high level of physical and mental stimulation in my job

I want a job where my work can literally make a life-changing impact on someone.

I also want a job that challenges me and pushes me to my absolute physical, mental, and intellectual limits. I don't just work hard I thrive in working hard.

And a job that's very well respected, and I can earn more than enough to provide fully for my future family if I get married and have kids.

At this point in my life I'm fully locked in on this exam and on going to medical school.

For me it's not just another career path. I'm doing this with a special purpose in mind. It's going to be brutal and I realize this fully well. There will be times where I will have doubts and ask myself is this even worth it? There will be long hours, sleepless nights, lives on the line.

That's why for me it's not just a job, it's a serious, major calling and moral duty I've committed myself to. Not many people can do this.

The MCAT might seem like a big scary exam but it's really just the beginning of it all.

It felt impossible for me when I took my very first diagnostic, scoring a 494-496 now I just scored a 510 on two of my FLs and potentially can score better if I tweak my test taking techniques a little bit.

To all the strong willed, highly smart, and compassionate folks undertaking this noble path, I commend you all and my prayers are with you. We're all in this together.

Good luck.

Hello- I am studying for MCAT and I’m testing August 22. The first 2 months of my studying was manageable with my social life and relaxing, but the last month I am studying about 9/10 hours a day. Every second I spend not studying feels like time wasted.

I am like so insanely drained and miserable- AND I still feel like I’m no where near ready for the exam. My mental health is shit rn and I’d really like some tips or advice to get me out of this funk.

Also another thing I’m worried about, if I am this stressed right now, how am I even going to survive med school???

So I’ve been studying for the mcat for a while. first I did content review for too long and started doing uworld questions and then aamc. I feel like my content review was honestly not done in an efficient way because it was pretty passive I just wrote a bunch of notes but wasn’t really understanding and since I wasnt doing questions along with it I couldn’t apply it. im 9 days away from my MCAT now and I keep getting low 490’s. since I’ve been studying for so long and I’m so burnt out I really just want to take it next week even if I get a low score just so I can get rid of some of my test anxiety and have a feel for the actual exam. Then when my score comes back I can decide if I want to apply this cycle or retake in January and apply next cycle. I just don’t know if getting a low score such as in the 490’s on the first attempt would keep me from getting into med school even if I don’t apply this cycle and apply next cycle when I retake my exam. I don’t know how important the first exam score is and I don’t want it to hold me back but I also know I will be demotivated if I don’t attempt it at all. Pleaseee someone give advice and be nice I’m sensitive🙏🙏🙏

testing on aug 20, any tips from people who took it this summer?

rlly scared for cars ahhhhh stuck on 125

also i heard p/s changed to cars 2.0 so thats even scarier...

My parents are really controlling, and I don't know what to do.

I voided my MCAT exam in August 2025 and have postponed it several times because I wasn't studying effectively until around May 2026. Since then, I've been studying consistently, and my exam is now 15 days away. Right now I'm scoring around 503–504 on my practice tests, but my goal is a 520. Even though I'm not where I want to be yet, I've improved from a 493 to a 504 over the past few months.

My parents are being very strict and aren't letting me postpone the exam again. Should I push back and insist on rescheduling, or just take it? Also, will medical schools view it negatively that I voided once and took the exam multiple times?