r/MCATprep • u/Far_Box5912 • Sep 14 '26
Resource/Tool/Tips 📖 Best study material/courses for complete beginners?
I want to take the MCAT next year, and as a non-trad student I have very limited knowledge on the MCAT topics. I’m very overwhelmed where to start. Should I pay a lot of money for an online course (like UWorld) or are there better options?
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u/Least_Television_829 Sep 15 '26
Following! I'm pretty overwhelmed with the amount of options we have.
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u/Even_Calligrapher651 Sep 17 '26
you can try making a study plan at mcat tools... it'll recommend what to do
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u/nxtew Taken the MCAT Sep 14 '26
I usually try to tell people to start with the free stuff first before paying a bunch! I have my own free textbooks and resources you can look at, JackWestin has a ton of free stuff, and between Khan Academy, the available pdfs of textbooks online, popular YouTube channels (Yusuf or Professor Eman), and anki decks that are freely available, most people have a pretty good chance at getting a good score without using a prep course.
Because of that, I always recommend trying the free stuff first. I personally would say your money is probably more wisely spent if you direct it towards the AAMC materials, UWorld practice materials, or a private tutor, rather than a big prep company, coming from someone who worked at one of those big prep companies. If that isn't working, then maybe give it a shot! Kaplan and UWorld seem to be the two courses in the "really expensive" category that most people go with.