Let’s just get this out of the way: I had major MCAT test anxiety. Like, the kind that keeps you up at night, makes you second-guess yourself, and leaves you feeling like your entire future depends on a seven-hour test. Sound familiar?
For me, the anxiety came from a few places. First, the pressure to perform at my absolute best—not just “good,” but best. Then there was the unpredictability of the test itself. You study for months, but there’s still the fear that you will face something on test day that you don’t recognize at all.
And on top of all that, there’s the comparison game. It felt like everyone else was studying 24/7, crushing practice MCAT exams, and somehow always a few steps ahead. It really started to feel like this one test would make or break my entire career.
But, I found a way to deal with test anxiety. I was able to overcome many of these worries and fears to perform at my best on test day. So, I want to share my MCAT test anxiety strategies in case any of them help someone else in the same boat.
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How To Overcome MCAT Test Anxiety
1. Create A Study Schedule That Actually Works for You
One of the most important things I did early on was create a study schedule that worked specifically for me. It was structured enough to keep me accountable, but flexible enough to be sustainable. I stopped trying to follow other people’s plans I found on online forums or trying to cram in 12-hour study days just because I thought that’s what I “should” be doing. Instead, I made a schedule that included breaks, shorter study sessions when I needed them, and days completely off.
What surprised me was how much less anxious I felt when I knew I deserved my breaks. When they were part of the plan, and I had worked hard in my scheduled study time, I could actually enjoy my time off instead of feeling guilty for not studying.
2. Focus on Strengths, Not Just Weaknesses
As test day got closer and closer, my MCAT anxiety started shifting toward performance. I was worried I would mess up the basics. I also thought I had already peaked and was beginning to forget things I had studied at the beginning of my prep time.
Instead of panicking and trying to patch every little gap in my knowledge, I started leaning into what I was good at in the last weeks before the exam. I reviewed high-yield content that I already felt pretty solid on to sharpen those areas even more.
This mindset shift helped a lot. I was more confident going into the test. I felt like I had a strong foundation to stand on instead of feeling like I had failed to conquer a bottomless pit of material.
The MCAT isn’t about perfection and knowing everything—it is about critical thinking and readiness. Provided that your strengths include high-yield content, this approach can be really useful as you near test day.
3. Putting the MCAT in Perspective
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that one MCAT score defines your entire path to medicine. However, it helped me a lot to remind myself that it is not uncommon to take the test more than once. It’s not ideal, of course, but most certainly not the end of the road.
Reframing the exam this way helped lower the emotional pressure. Instead of viewing it as a single, high-stakes pass-or-fail moment, I began to see it as one step—an important step, but still just one step—on a much longer journey.
4. Sticky Notes and Mantras
This was something small, but surprisingly impactful against my test anxiety. I put sticky notes everywhere – on my bathroom mirror, on my laptop, in my car. They said things like “All you can do is your best,” and “You’ve prepared for this.”
It might sound cheesy, but when your brain is spiraling, sometimes those little reminders are exactly what you need to hear. They grounded me and helped me keep my self-talk a little more positive—or at least a little less panicked.
5. Confidence Builds Progress, and Progress Builds Confidence
I believe that confidence is not something you just magically have. Rather, you build it through consistency. For me, that meant showing up for my study sessions not trying to be perfect, but just putting in steady effort day in and day out.
Then, once I started seeing progress, I started to feel a little more confident. That confidence made me more motivated and focused, which helped me learn more efficiently.That’s how I created a positive feedback loop. This only worked when I approached my MCAT prep in a way that I could maintain over time (with breaks and realistic study goals). Burnout does not build confidence; consistency does.
6. Finding Joy Outside of Studying
Finally, one of the most important lessons I learned while trying to deal with test anxiety was to keep space in my life for things that brought me joy. For me, that meant running, cooking, and staying connected with friends. When the rest of the day feels like an uphill battle of never-ending CARS passages and practice MCAT questions, having little moments of joy can go a long way.
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling anxious about the MCAT and dealing with test anxiety, you’re not alone. It is hard, it matters, and it is a little scary. But you are capable of handling this, and you don’t have to be perfect to succeed.
Build a routine that supports your brain and mental health, and remind yourself that your future is not determined by one single test. Focus on the wins, even the small ones, and don’t forget to live along the way.
You are doing great! You’ve got this.
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