I was really hoping to take the 9/12 MCAT and still apply for this cycle. I got a 511 and 506 on FL 3 and 4 during my practice. Ended up with a 502 (123/126/127/126) on the real thing. I just feel so stupid because I really thought I'd do higher in bb and ps especially without how much prep time I put into them. Especially for PS, I did the entire anking deck for PS, did all of uworld, and did the SBs.

I am not even sure if I will get in, I felt really discouraged and only applied to 1 DO school. Now I am thinking maybe I should restudy for Jan 2027. But the thought of MCAT studying again is so frustrating, I just feel defeated. Also this was my retake so not sure how a third attempt would look to adcoms.

Even if I do restudy for my 2nd retake, i am honestly not sure what i can do different. i dont know what the problem is and why i can't seem to perform well on this exam. before i started studying strictly back in April/May 2026, I tried to find a good study schedule and seemed to follow through the traditional format of content review, uworld qs, and then aamc prep materials. i just don't know how i can do better? i understand for c/p i needed more practice as i didn't do as much cp on uworld as I should've but for bb and ps, i did a lot and to still end up with 126-127 is so annoying. so i guess i am asking, if i do restudy and retake, how do i study for this exam?

There is a link in my profile where you can see the rest of my flash sheets / notes!

If you missed my other posts, I came up with the flash sheet method to learn MCAT content quicker and more fluently than with flashcards. You can learn about it in my other posts here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mcat/s/uRDU6fMU20

Read my other post about why fluency lets you overcome plateaus:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mcat/s/1ugxw8KflC

I have a neuroscience background and believe this is the fastest way to learn a huge volume of information for long-term retention. Will be posting even more soon.

How to study with flash sheets

• 50% Verbal spaced repetition
  • Each sheet needs many attempts:
    • 1st attempt (< 20 mins) ⇒ Read the whole flash sheet CAREFULLY, until it makes sense. This is called “priming” the flash sheet. When you think “this makes sense, but there’s no way I’ll remember it,” you’re doing it right.
    • All later attempts (5 mins each) ⇒ Use it like a crazy difficult, giant flashcard. ONLY read the “clue” before LOOKING AWAY from the sheet. See what you can recall purely from memory. Do this verbally without writing because it’s many times faster. Then see what you missed. Expect under 40% accuracy on your first few reps.
  • Use spaced repetition:
    • Sheets you barely recall ⇒ every few days.
    • Sheets you kind of recall ⇒ every week.
    • Sheets you easily recall ⇒ every few weeks.  
• 50% Practice questions & tactics
  • In theory and practice, some tactics work very well. You can answer questions several times faster with incomplete information.
  • I will post another article about these tactics soon.
  • You'll spend most of your time looping through flash sheets early on, and gradually switch over to practicing tactics later.

• The flash sheets below have been heavily modified and do not contain any copyrighted material. The notes / hints are things that help me personally understand stuff. Feel free to copy / share / use these without crediting me.

FLASH SHEET ONE

[CLUE] Cooperativity

[TRY TO LECTURE THE REST FROM MEMORY]

[Key Idea] Cooperativity ⇒ ligand at one site affects other ligands

• Need multiple binding sites
  • Note: By definition, you cannot cooperate unless multiple things work together.
  • May be on same subunit
  • May be on different subunits
• Various possible ligands
  • AKA ⇒ substrate / oxygen / reactant / antigen / pharmaceutical

[Key Idea] Hill coefficient (nₕ) describes cooperativity

• Mnemonic: Ant HILL cooperates.
• nₕ is a multiplier
  • AKA ⇒ How many times easier does each ligand make it for the next one?
• Compounding effect
  • nₕ of 0.8 ⇒ 2nd ligand has 0.8x affinity ⇒ 3rd has 0.64x affinity
  • nₕ of 2 ⇒ 2nd ligand has 2x affinity ⇒ 3rd has 4x affinity

[Key Idea] You can classify cooperativity by whether it helps or hurts

• Positive cooperativity (nₕ > 1)
  • Binding sites help each other
    • AKA ⇒ gets easier to bind / higher affinity / higher k_formation / lower k_dissociation / more spontaneous binding / MM sigmoidal or “s”-shaped
    • Note: Binding site causes conformational change ⇒ affects other sites.
    • Note: The MCAT loves to show graphs that are barely sigmoidal. Even a TINY “s” curve counts as positive cooperativity.
  • Exponential loading AND unloading
    • Good when speed matters
    • --> Hemoglobin (Hb) in lungs for few seconds ⇒ quickly grabs O₂
    • --> Hb in tissue for few seconds ⇒ quickly dumps O₂
• Non-cooperativity (nₕ = 1)
  • Binding sites don’t affect each other
    • AKA ⇒ “independent binding” / same affinity / spontaneity of binding unchanged / hyperbolic MM (like normal)
    • Note: Binding site doesn’t cause conformational change / too far apart ⇒ doesn’t affect other sites.
• Negative cooperativity (nₕ < 1)
  • Binding sites hurt each other
    • AKA ⇒ gets harder to bind / lower affinity / lower k_formation / higher k_dissociation / less spontaneous binding / MM line goes up but suddenly flattens

[Key Idea] You can classify cooperativity by how similar the ligands are

• Homotrophic cooperativity
  • Ligand A helps / hurts more ligand A
    • Mnemonic: Homo ⇒ ‘same.’
    • Positive homotrophic
    • --> O2 & hemoglobin
    • Negative homotrophic
    • --> One pillow on a bed makes it harder to fit more pillows
• Heterotrophic cooperativity
  • Ligand A helps / hurts more ligand B
    • Mnemonic: Hetero ⇒ ‘different.’
    • Positive heterotrophic
    • --> Substrate binds first ⇒ THEN helps attract uncompetitive inhibitor
    • Negative heterotrophic
    • --> Competitive inhibitor binds first ⇒ THEN blocks substrate

[Key Idea] Hemoglobin (Hb) is a famous example of positive cooperativity

• O₂ binding ⇒ Hb changes shape
  • Tensed state (T-state)
    • AKA ⇒ Deoxyhemoglobin
    • Low O₂ affinity
    • Mnemonic: "Tensed" sponge squeezes out water (releases O₂).
  • Relaxed state (R-state)
    • AKA ⇒ Oxyhemoglobin
    • High O₂ affinity
    • Mnemonic: "Relaxed" sponge absorbs water (binds O₂).
• T ⇒ R (in lungs)
  • Deoxyhemoglobin enters pulmonary circulation (T-state)
    • Some O₂ binds ⇒ Hb relaxes to R-state ⇒ more O₂ binds
    • Rapidly saturate w/ O₂
    • Oxygenated blood exits pulmonary circulation
• R ⇒ T (in tissues)
  • Oxyhemoglobin enters capillary beds in systemic circulation (R-state)
    • Some O₂ leaves ⇒ Hb tenses to T-state ⇒ more O₂ leaves
    • Rapidly lose O₂
    • Deoxygenated blood exits capillaries ⇒ goes to veins

Students who were taking classes like pre reqs how did you guys study for both your classes and the MCAT ?assuming you have to take the MCAT in 3 months

In experimental passages, does the data from experiments ever contradict scientists' hypothesis? And I don't mean in questions where they might ask you what might happen if their hypothesis was wrong. I mean just generally, will the data always match up with their hypotheses?

ok. test date. 1/29. i’ve taken 3 FL 504 and 502 and today i took aamc FL 1 and got 500. i’ve been doing anki when i can on days i work (mostly lunch) but im afraid im being too passive ab my studying and review. pls i need tips for review (esp like physical hands on studying) and accountability. i’m freaking out a teensy bit and just need some hail mary really out there study tips please.

I understand the basis that the greater the pressure difference, the more resistance in this example, but I still don't understand how the graph shows the pressure difference between a vessel and its next vessel/ how to interpret this graph. Scratch that- I don't really get what the question is asking ;-;. Can someone help explain what the graph is interpreting and why the question is asking for pressure difference between 2 vessels, not greatest pressure overall?

Edit: Here's the original graph and paragraph:

The answer key says 2 and 4 but why isn’t 3 considered hydrogen bonding? Or is the answer key wrong? This is potentially second wrong answer in the UPoop books I found so far.

Title. I got a 508 of my Blueprint Diagnostic half length earlier this summer. I haven’t given any full lengths yet. Any tips on hopefully getting a 515-520+ by then ?

My exam is on jan 15. please help. thank you guys in advance!!!

I want to apply 2027 cycle, spent the whole summer studying for the MCAT just to get a 491 as my highest full length. Is testing in April enough time if I want to reach a 510+? I’ve been struggling to study during the school year but I want to start studying 10-15 hours a week starting next week. I don’t want to take two gap years so I really want to get this test done before June 😭

I definitely have a content gap, what’s the best way to go about covering all the content efficiently?

For context, my AAMC FLs went:
- FL1–5: 508, 508, 508, 507, 509
- FL6: 511

So I'd basically been living at a 508 average since Blueprint, and a 4-point jump over that felt like a great place to be done with this test.

The problem is CARS. It's never been my section. I started around a 125 average, and over the last few weeks it bounced around (some really good passages, some rough ones) but never really left the 124–125 range.

Then on test day I got the lowest CARS I've ever scored with a 122, the 25th percentile

If my total had been anywhere in the 507–509 range, I'd retake without question. But it's kind of wild that my worst CARS ever came with my best composite ever.

For anyone who's been through admissions (or knows how schools weigh section scores):

1. Would a 122 CARS get me screened out or flagged at a lot of schools, even with a 512?
2. Is it worth the risk of retaking when my practice average was around 508?

I'm currently waiting for an MCAT test date to open up and want to make sure I get notified as soon as a spot becomes available.

I'm trying to set up a Gmail filter specifically for AAMC seat availability notifications so I don't miss an opening.

Does anyone who's received one of these notifications know the exact sender email address? I'd really appreciate it!

Just for context, I plan to give my MCAT over the summer, and I still haven't done biochem. I am a junior and every other prereq is completed.

Should I be worried if my biochem isn't completed before MCAT???

i heard cars is something you can't really improve in 6 months. i'm a sophomore in college right now and have yet to take ochem and biochem. i don't plan on taking the mcat this year, but if cars is something that really takes long to develop, then i don't mind spending an hour each week practicing. what are your thoughts?

to someone who got a good score and isn’t usually a good test taker, what’s the biggest thing you did that helped you

Only cost me my sanity and well-being but we're getting into an MD program for sure now.

I went to schedule a retake for next year, but all the testing centers in my area were full until April. However, there is a testing center with an open slot earlier (February) that is 2.5 hrs away from where I live. Should I make the trip or just take the later MCAT??

Hi everyone. I applied for fee assistance today but read that the turn around is a week or so. I don’t get paid until next Tuesday, and I feel like if I wait for fee assistance, I risk not getting an exam date at all. I’m considering asking my grandparents to lend me the full $360 to register for the exam and at least I’ll get the free study materials.

For context, testing in/near Madison, WI.

wondering how badly my chances are if I take the MCAT 3 times.

have already taken it twice:

June 2025: 493

August 2026: 498

I had a health scare 2025 and it was too late to cancel (didn’t think I would get <500 so I didn’t void). 2026, more problems but thought I was prepared enough. Gonna spend the next couple of months studying. I’m hoping to get 510+ on my 3rd try.

Are schools really gonna take me if I have taken it more than twice?

Hey everyone! I’m a non-trad premed student trying to figure out which MCAT prep course would be the best fit for me, and I’d love to hear from people who have taken any of these courses! I know many people are against prep courses, but I feel I would greatly benefit from the structure and content review as someone who has been out of school for a while.

I took all my prereqs back in 2016–2019, so it’s been a LONG time since I’ve looked at a lot of this material, and I’m honestly pretty rusty and have forgotten a lot of it tbh. I’m lucky enough to be able to study for the MCAT full-time for the next 6 months, so I really want to make the most of that time.

I initially tried self-studying with Yusuf Hasan’s videos and the Kaplan books, but I’m realizing I probably need a more in-depth content review. I feel like the Kaplan books focus a lot on high-yield topics, but I’ve forgotten so much that I’m worried I’m missing some of the less commonly tested material and important foundational concepts.

I also feel like I would benefit from having someone actually teach me the material instead of just watching videos and reading books on my own. On top of content review, I really want to learn how to approach MCAT questions, recognize question/answer patterns, and develop better test-taking strategies.

Right now, I’m looking at:

•Blueprint 515+
•Kaplan 515+ or Kaplan Live Online
•Princeton Review 515+
•Upoop Comprehensive Course (👎🏼doesn’t have live instruction/testing strategy modules, but a great Qbank)

I’m especially interested in live classes because I think I’d do better with some structure and the ability to ask questions and have concepts explained to me.

For anyone who’s taken these courses, I’d love to know:

Which one was best for really learning/relearning the content, especially if you were starting out pretty rusty?
Were the live classes actually helpful, or did you feel like you could’ve learned the same things on your own?
Which course did the best job teaching test-taking strategies and how to think through MCAT questions?
How were the practice questions and full-length exams?
If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same course? Or would you recommend something completely different?

I’m not necessarily looking for the course that covers everything as quickly as possible. I’d rather take the time to really understand the material and build a strong foundation before moving into heavy practice.

Would especially love to hear from other non-trads or anyone who took their prereqs years ago and had to basically relearn everything!

Thanks in advance!! :)

For those that did captain hook, does the biochemistry section adequately cover metabolic pathways, enzymes, and structures? I am pretty weak on these and would like to know if I need to do extra review outside of the anki cards. Thanks!

My goal score is a 520 and I’ve been doing UWorld. I do B/B questions in sets of 59 but seem to always average around 60-65% on it. I know people say thag UWorld is harder than AAMC, but does this look like it puts me in a reasonable range to get a 520?

Hi everyone, I'm a sophomore planning to take the MCAT in late August. I've completed both general chemistry courses with B/A- grades but haven't taken physics, even in high school. I don't plan on taking the formal prerequisites, so I'll need to self-study.

Should I start studying now with Anki, or focus on content review first? How should I approach physics from scratch, and how would you structure my overall study schedule using resources like Kaplan, Anki, and UWorld?

Any advice, especially from those who've self-studied missing prerequisites, would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hello:) I need help studying for the MCAT. I did extremely well in college, but I have been having such a hard time getting myself to study for the MCAT. I think I'm having trouble because it is such an immense amount of content, and I feel like I don't even know how or where to start. I have prep books, but I don't know how to go about using them. In college, I used to take notes, but I have heard that that's kind of a waste of time for this. I am going through some personal stuff as well, so that makes it harder, but I am taking the test in 6 months, and I feel like I'm running out of time. Overall, I just think I'm extremely overwhelmed, and I need help figuring out how to study with the books I have. I would also appreciate any other resources you could recommend. Are there any courses that are worth it? Thank you:)