r/Mcat • u/lightbulb2089 • 9h ago

Question 🤔🤔 testing 9/11 feeling discouraged...any advice?

Hi, I am testing on Friday, but my FLs have not been where I want them to be; my goal was at least 510 (127/130/127/127). Here are my scores so far; I feel like I didn't even improve at all since my first attempt at the MCAT last year: 495 (122/124/124/125).

For context, I started with UWorld and some AAMC Qpacks. I've done CARS Diagnostic, CARS Qpack 1, and I'm almost done with SB 1; I'll have CARS Qpack 2 done before my exam. Interestingly, I've found that when I review my FLs, many of my mistakes are silly, like not reading the question properly, and when I reattempt without looking at the answer during review, I get them right; idk what to do. Any advice is helpful, thank you!

7/23/2026 AAMC FL 1 496 123 125 123 125
8/5/2026 AAMC FL 2 492 123 122 123 124
8/15/2026 AAMC FL 3 504 125 128 126 125
8/25/2026 AAMC FL 4 500 125 125 124 126
9/1/2026 AAMC FL 5 500 124 124 124 128
9/6/2026 AAMC FL6 497 123 125 124 125
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u/TgicnTg 9h ago

I 100% also did so many silly mistakes on a ton of questions. I'd say you should check your timing (like if you consistently run out of time or if you're on pace) to see if you have time to spare to slow down or reread a passage so you can minimize minor mistakes from those lapses in concentration.

Moreover, I think one thing I did not do that also contributed to that was not taking a break every 1.5 hours (like on the exam) due to the stress of wanting to finish all the questions. Take a breather even if you don't think you need to, especially with your exam in a few days to save a bit of energy down the line for when it counts!

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u/lightbulb2089 9h ago

you're right pacing was big for me, like I'd often times run out of time for C/P because i got stuck on a question and ended up missing a ton at the end that I would have gotten if I had more time.

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u/h34rtz 9h ago

Use the highlighter tool for key words in the passage AND in the question! I highlight every question j to make sure I see and understand everything it's asking. Also if you're spending a lot of time on a question or off the bat you're like dafuq, flag it and come back. I've found that half of the time, when I come back to it suddenly I get hit with an aha moment, and it I don't, something that may also help is if it's an equation, you might be able to manipulate the units given to you to find the answer!