MCAT study plan by test date
Your weeks, your hours
Enter a test date and your hours
Questions people ask
How many hours should I study for the MCAT?
Our course budgets 300 hours, for example 12 weeks at 25 hours or 24 weeks at 12.5. That is a planning reference, not an official figure; your baseline decides how much you need.
How many full-length practice tests should I take?
This plan places up to four through the second half of your preparation, none in the final week, and gives each one as much time for review as for the test itself.
When does 2027 MCAT registration open?
AAMC opens registration for the whole 2027 testing year October 20 to 22, 2026, by test-center location. Check the AAMC calendar for your date and its score release.
Can I study for the MCAT while working full time?
Yes, if the plan starts from hours you can really keep. Enter them honestly: at 12 hours a week the reference plan needs about 25 weeks.
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How we work this out
What it does
Your test date and the hours you actually have each week, turned into a week-by-week plan with full-length rehearsals placed.
The course in teaching order (7 foundation lessons, 150 science lessons in 31 chapters, 9 CARS lessons and 8 rehearsal modules), against a reference budget of 300 hours: 12 weeks at 25 hours or 24 weeks at 12.5.
Method
- Weeks are counted from your start date to your test date.
- Every week keeps 15% of your hours for CARS and 20% for passage practice and review.
- Full-length rehearsals are placed through the second half of the plan (up to four), never in the final week, each with about 12 hours for the test and its review.
- The lessons run in teaching order through the weeks that have room. If your hours fall short of the 300-hour reference, each lesson's time shrinks evenly and the plan says by how much.
- The final week holds no new lessons: it repairs logged mistakes and sets the test-day plan.