Where to Find MCAT Practice Questions

If you are planning to apply to medical school, it will be essential for you to take and do well on the Medical College Admissions Test, better known as the MCAT. Regardless of what courses you've completed, your college GPA, or how early you submit your application, most medical schools will not even waste time reviewing your application until you have submitted your MCAT scores (AAMC, 2009).

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) describes the MCAT as "a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess the examinee's problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine." Because of the significance of this exam to your getting into medical school, advance preparation is highly recommended so that you can do your very best. Familiarize yourself with the exam by completing as many practice questions as possible.

Among the best places to find MCAT practice questions are the following websites:

#1: The Princeton Review

This website provides a great starting point because it enables you to take a diagnostic practice test in order to see how prepared you are for the official MCAT. In doing this, you can determine how much work you have to devote to getting ready for the actual test. Benefits of The Princeton Review's practice MCAT include:

-It's computer based
-It's a full-length test
-You will receive a score report upon completion of the test, indicating your areas of strength and the areas in
which you need the most work.

#2: Kaplan

Similar to The Princeton Review, Kaplan offers a free MCAT practice test with 135 questions that are evenly divided between three sections: physical sciences, verbal reasoning and biological sciences. Each section is timed, giving you an opportunity to see how well you perform under pressure. After you are done with the exam, you will be taken to an exam analysis page, where you can go over the questions and read explanations.

#3: E-mcat.com

If you don't mind spending money to increase your chances of doing well on the MCAT, you can order online practice tests for $35 each that contain questions used on previous versions of the official exam. The practice tests come directly from the AAMC and the website offers you a variety of additional prep services with a free membership.

Practice Makes Perfect!

Try not to get discouraged if you do not do as well as you had hoped on your first practice test or two. The more you practice, the more familiar with the test you will become and the more confident you will eventually feel in answering questions in each category. You are already taking a step in the right direction by getting ready early!

Sources:

Association of American Medical Colleges (2009). About the MCAT Exam.

Internet Testing Systems, LLC (2001). MCAT Practice Online. E-mcat.com

Kaplan (2005). MCAT Test Change Resource Center.

The Princeton Review (2009). Free MCAT Practice Test.