Preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a critical step on your path to medical school, and leveraging the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Official Prep materials is widely recognized as the most effective strategy. These resources, often called the “gold standard” of MCAT practice, are developed directly by the creators of the MCAT exam. However, navigating and utilizing these resources effectively can be challenging. This guide will clarify the components of the AAMC Official Prep materials, demonstrate how to integrate them into your study plan, and crucially, explain How To See Results Of Practice Questions Cars Diagnostic and other practice types to maximize your preparation and avoid unnecessary spending on supplementary materials.
Understanding AAMC Official Practice Resources
The AAMC, responsible for both creating and administering the MCAT and managing the AMCAS application portal, has produced a wealth of official practice materials over the years. These resources, available for purchase, consist of questions from previously administered MCAT exams, making them the most authentic practice available. For an investment of under $300, students gain access to nearly 3,000 questions encompassing full-length practice tests and subject-specific materials, representing exceptional value.
The term “AAMC resources” typically refers to the comprehensive AAMC MCAT Official Prep Online-Only Bundle or the AAMC MCAT Official Prep Complete Bundle, which includes a physical copy of The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam. This extensive bundle comprises 14 distinct resources, including practice exams, question packs, and focused question sets released since the MCAT’s 2015 format revision. While individual resources and smaller bundles are available, the complete bundle offers a cost saving of approximately 15%. Keep an eye out for new releases, typically in October or November.
A Breakdown of AAMC MCAT Practice Questions
As of early 2023, the AAMC official practice suite contains 2,849 questions, distributed across various resource types to cater to different study needs:
- Practice Exams: 1380 questions (6 exams x 230 questions each)
- Question Packs: 720 questions (6 packs x 120 questions each)
- Section Bank: 300 questions (3 sections x 100 questions each)
- Official Guide Questions: 120 questions
- Independent Question Bank: 150 questions
- CARS Diagnostic Tool: 179 questions
Let’s delve deeper into each resource to understand their specific purpose and how to best utilize them.
Practice Exams: Simulating Test Day Conditions
The AAMC offers two free practice exams – the unscored “Sample Test” and the scored “Free Practice Exam” – accessible to all students. Additionally, four scored practice exams (Practice Exams 1, 2, 3, and 4) are available for purchase. These are full-length, four-section exams with 230 questions, mirroring the actual MCAT in format and, except for the Sample Test, providing realistic score predictions upon completion.
The strategic use of practice exams involves taking one early in your preparation to establish a baseline score, identify areas of strength and weakness, and guide your study focus. Subsequent exams should be incorporated every one to two weeks leading up to your test date to track progress and build stamina under timed conditions.
Question Packs: Targeted Subject Review
Six question packs are available, each focusing on a specific subject area: Chemistry, Physics, two Biology packs, and two CARS (Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills) packs. Each pack contains 120 questions concentrated on its respective subject matter. The science question packs (Chemistry, Physics, and Biology) present a mix of passage-based and independent questions to reflect the MCAT’s structure.
It’s important to note that the AAMC interface presents each question pack as a single 120-question section. However, these packs are designed for focused practice sessions. Answer a manageable set of questions in each session, review your performance immediately to reinforce learning, and revisit the pack in subsequent study sessions. While this may involve navigating through previously seen questions, this is inherent to the AAMC’s platform design.
Section Bank: Mimicking Real MCAT Section Difficulty
The Section Bank comprises three blocks of 100 questions, each dedicated to one of the science sections of the MCAT: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys), Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (Bio/Biochem), and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psych/Soc).
Similar to question packs, the Section Bank features a blend of passage-based and independent questions. However, it more accurately represents the subject and skill distribution of a real MCAT science section. For instance, the Chem/Phys section bank includes questions from General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biochemistry, and assesses all four AAMC Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills.
Like other AAMC resources, the Section Bank loads as a continuous block of 100 questions. It is intended for multiple study sessions and repeated practice, even if it requires some navigation.
Official Guide Questions: Classic Practice Material
The “MCAT Official Prep Online Practice Questions from the Official Guide to the MCAT Exam,” or simply “Official Guide Questions,” offer four sets of 30 questions each, directly extracted from the AAMC’s book, The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam. These are among the oldest questions in the AAMC collection and may reflect a slightly older MCAT style. Nonetheless, they remain scientifically valid and test the core content and skills required for the current exam.
Independent Question Bank: Discrete Question Drilling
This resource features 150 science-section questions presented without passages, referred to by the AAMC as “independent” questions (commonly known as “discrete” questions in MCAT prep). While independent questions constitute about 25% of science section questions on the actual MCAT and full-length practice tests, this bank consists entirely of them.
The Independent Question Bank covers six science subjects – Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, and Biochemistry – with 25 questions per subject. These questions are formatted like real MCAT questions but are generally considered slightly simpler than those in scored practice exams, making them ideal for reinforcing foundational knowledge like definitions and formulas. Formerly known as “AAMC Online Flashcards,” this resource is a valuable tool for focused science content review.
CARS Diagnostic Tool: Deep Dive into Critical Reasoning and How to See Results of Practice Questions CARS Diagnostic
The CARS Diagnostic Tool is unique, offering features beyond just practice questions. It includes a diagnostic assessment of your CARS skills, a countdown tracker to your test date, and instructional videos. However, its primary value lies in providing 179 additional CARS practice questions. This resource represents the most recent dedicated CARS practice material released by the AAMC, which many believe aligns closely with the current MCAT CARS section. Given the critical importance of CARS performance, this tool serves as an essential, extensive CARS question bank.
How to see results of practice questions CARS diagnostic within this tool is straightforward. After completing a set of practice questions within the CARS Diagnostic Tool, the platform immediately provides a detailed performance report. This report typically includes:
- Score: Your raw score and potentially a scaled score or percentile rank, indicating your performance level.
- Answer Explanations: Comprehensive explanations for each question, detailing the correct answer and reasoning, as well as why incorrect answers are wrong. This is crucial for understanding your mistakes and learning from them.
- Performance Breakdown: Analysis of your performance across different CARS skills or question types, highlighting areas where you excel and areas needing improvement.
- Progress Tracking: The tool may track your performance over time, allowing you to monitor your improvement in CARS as you continue practicing.
By carefully reviewing these results, students can gain valuable insights into their CARS reasoning abilities, identify patterns in their errors, and tailor their study strategy to target specific weaknesses. The detailed answer explanations are particularly beneficial for understanding the nuances of CARS passages and question logic.
Accessing AAMC Official Practice Resources
AAMC Official Prep resources are available for purchase directly from the AAMC website. They are also frequently included in bundles offered by third-party MCAT prep companies. When considering prep options, carefully review the package details to determine if AAMC resources are included. For example, Sketchy’s MCAT Prep Essentials course integrates Sketchy’s review platform with AAMC resources and a study planner, even offering an MCAT score guarantee. Visit Sketchy’s MCAT site for more information.
Regardless of your chosen prep method, utilizing AAMC Official Practice materials and understanding how to see results of practice questions CARS diagnostic and across all resources is paramount for effective MCAT preparation and achieving your target score. We wish you success on your MCAT journey!
