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All About the MCAT®



I cannot afford expensive test preparation courses. Are there resources to help me prepare for the MCAT®?

Expensive test preparation courses aren’t the only way to get prepared for the MCAT. Your undergraduate school might have a learning center that offers classes or workshops to build test-taking skills. In addition, check with your prehealth advisor about free or low-cost programs on and off campus that help students prepare for the MCAT. This includes summer enrichment programs, such as medical-school prep programs. There are also minority/diversity affairs officers at medical schools that sponsor MCAT preparation programs.  Another approach is to form an MCAT study group with other students who also want to go to medical school. 

The AAMC publishes a variety of materials, including study aids and a previously administered test at no charge. A more extensive series of practice examinations is available for purchase ( $35 each) – at MCAT Practice Online. If you don’t have enough money to pay for taking the MCAT, consider applying for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP). This program reduces the registration fee from $210 to $85 for potential medical school applicants who meet eligibility requirements and who would be unable to take the exam without financial assistance.

For More Information:

  • Preparing for the MCAT® - Free Resource!
    Created to replace the Student Manual, Preparing for the MCAT compiles updated FAQs as well as information on the test sections and the transition to the computerized exam.

  • 2007 MCAT® Essentials (PDF, 24 pages) - Free Resource!
    Considered required reading for all MCAT exam candidates, the AAMC’s MCAT Essentials provides critical information regarding preparation and administration of the exam.

  • Sample MCAT® Items & Essays - Free Resource!
    This Web site provides links to sample MCAT passages, multiple-choice items, and Writing Sample essays, along with links to MCAT practice test materials.

  • MCAT® Practice Online 
    This Web site includes free access to a single, full-length MCAT with all the features of MCAT Practice Online.  And, for a fee ($40 each), you can also access hundreds of additional MCAT items, including several full-length practice tests.  MCAT Practice Online provides examinees with a test-taking experience that is very similar to the operational Computerized MCAT.  Additional features include automated scoring, diagnostic reports, and daily test-taking tips.

  • Enrichment Programs on the Web - Free Resource!
    This Web site includes a database resource to help undergraduate students locate summer enrichment programs on medical school campuses.

  • Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP) - Free Resource!
    This Web site includes information on this free, six-week, residential summer program that provides highly motivated first- and second-year college students from diverse backgrounds with intensive and personalized preparation.

  • AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP)  - Free Resource!
    The Fee Assistance Program (FAP) helps students with extreme financial limitations whose inability to pay the full MCAT® fee or American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®) fee would prevent them from taking the examination or applying to medical school.