Even for students starting off with high scores, taking practice tests is an essential step in preparing for your exam. However, it can be difficult to figure out which assessments are the best options and how to go about using them.
When I was studying for the MCAT, I would take a weekly full length where I would go through the exact same routine that I intended to implement on test day (i.e. I woke up at the same time, ate the same foods, etc.).
When I actually took my real exam, it almost felt like I was taking another practice test, and I attribute this to my taking practice exams under “real exam” conditions. After a certain point, the practice tests may not have been increasing my peak potential score, but they were increasing the probability of my achieving this peak.
So while frequent “real condition” practice tests can be harder to take as often on the new MCAT test due to the increase in the exam’s length, it is still something that should be done at least 3-4 times prior to your actual test day. Here are some pointers on maximizing the different assessments that are available:
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