Do you want to get admission to medical college? Do you know how you can be selected to be a part of the medical field? You can’t directly take admission to any medical college without qualifying for it. If you want to get your dream program, you face a hurdle named MCAT. University of Melbourne is one of the best and oldest medical school in Australia. It is known for its wellbeing exploration and its consideration of all significant fields of medication, also its accentuation on rustic wellbeing.
Passing the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is a gateway towards medical institutions. It is basically a national standardized test taken by nearly every medical college worldwide to evaluate students for entry into medical professions.
Particularly, by taking MCAT, examiners assess the student’s knowledge of science, analytic, critical thinking, problem-solving, and writing skills. Students with high scores in the MCAT are more likely to get selected for the medical institutions (doing well on the MCAT is mandatory otherwise you’ll be disqualified for this profession).
What is on the MCAT?
National standardized test, the MCAT consists of four divisions (Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, and Writing). Multiple choices within these sections are dependent on the time like Biological Sciences section contains 52 multiple-choice questions which should be done in under 70 minutes, Physical Sciences section consists of 52 multiple-choice questions which must be done within 70 minutes. Then comes the Verbal Reasoning section of the exam which includes 40 multiple-choice questions and must be done within 60 minutes. Lastly, the two essays in the Writing Sample section must be done in 60 minutes.
Here are seven tips for preparing for your MCAT Exam:
1.Know what you’re getting into
The foremost you need to understand what the MCAT is about and how it is beneficial for your medical college admission, what is the role being played by MCAT in the medical profession? Getting answers to all these questions will be one of the best techniques to get ready to take the test (MCAT is its own beast). If you have already done with other standardized tests with a good score, doesn’t mean you can qualify for MCAT easily. Still, you should go in-depth to study thoroughly for MCAT.
“It’s a year’s worth of organic chemistry, a year’s worth of general chemistry, a year’s worth of physics, a year’s worth of general biology, a semester’s worth of upper division biochemistry, and topics from introductory psychology and sociology — there’s simply a lot of content that’s coming into play.”
2.Do practice problems
It is believed that old adage has always endured so long like “practice makes man perfect” has so many things within to learn for.
Without practice, you can’t pass any exams whether it is MCAT or other tests. Try to boost your learning skills and your confidence level, test your skills by doing MCAT problems. However, there are several e-learning platforms that offer MCAT practice problems, your college career services also offer test series for MCAT to polish your skills. Start preparation for at least 6-8 weeks before your MCAT exam, so you get satisfied with the format of the exams.
3.Use good materials
Good material is what you really need for MCAT. Because having a complete concept about a certain subject will accomplish you for sure. Resources are available at any e-learning website (for the pre-med programs), so students can learn and practice material better. Those websites offer past exam question papers, which can be really beneficial for students to take concepts.
4.Have a plan
Planning before anything is vital because it will lead you to your comfort zone. And when it comes to MCAT, having a proper plan is one of the finest ways to deal with it. Break down your study into sections, and think about the resources like what time do you have or what time do you need to memorize the data? You might be confused without scheduling your study routine, but having a plan will tell you where to put your energy.
5.Self-assessment
Do some self-assessment, (including capabilities, weakness, and strength).
“Know what your strengths and weaknesses are in terms of studying. Correct weaknesses by seeking out help.”
Studying for an extensive test like MCAT is not a cup of tea, sometimes it will bog you down but you have to stand firm and overcome your weakness to perform better.
6.Start with the basics
“Forget what you know and start with the basics. Pretend you don’t know anything and start from the beginning.”
Always start from the beginning to learn everything in detail to find out solid foundation within your studies. By learning your basics, you get prepared for MCAT.
7.Set goals for yourself
Be unstoppable, and think that you are somehow preparing for a marathon (because studying for MCAT is just like that). You can’t climb on a mountain in one jump, so that preparation for the MCAT, is not about one day of study. You need to be managed and scheduled preparation in steps, in short set goals to achieve it. Be thoughtful about the study material, like in what span of a week certain selected study material would be completed, how many hours you are spending on it, and what score target you’d have to accomplish? You need to put your attention when it comes to your MCAT exam because it’s not easy as you think. Nevertheless, make sure that you have a good understanding of your study, you set time aside to study, and find approaches that work for you.
If you are still going through a hard time while preparing for your MCAT exam, hire any of our experts at Tutoring Lounge. They not only guide you with guidelines to ace your MCAT exam but also make sure you meet the medical college admission criteria.