MCAT Prep FAQs: Your Guide to Gold Standard

About the MCAT

What is the MCAT?

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a prerequisite for admission to nearly all the medical schools in North America. Each year, over 80,000 applicants to American and Canadian medical schools submit MCAT test results. While the actual weight given to MCAT scores in the admission process varies from school to school, they are often regarded in a similar manner to your college/university GPA (i.e. your academic standing). For example, when applying for medicine at some medical schools, the MCAT score is as important as three or four years of undergraduate study! On the other hand, some universities will set a minimum level of performance on the exam and then analyze school grades to decide who will be invited to the interviews. Either way, doing well is imperative for most applicants. To register for the MCAT, you should consult your undergraduate/premed adviser, register online and/or contact:

• MCAT Program
• 655 K Street NW, Suite 100
• Washington, DC, 20001-2399
• Phone: (202) 828-0690

Visit AAMC or MCAT Registration for further information.

Learn more: What is the MCAT

What are the MCAT test dates?

You can view the MCAT test dates in the US, Canada and international locations as well as the MCAT day schedule here: MCAT Test Dates.

What are the MCAT subjects?

The MCAT subjects are Biology, Biochemistry, Physics, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Psychology, and Sociology. The exam will not only test your knowledge of these subjects, but it will also test your problem-solving and critical thinking skills and grasp of the interplay between Psychology, Sociology, and Biology with the context being basic research methods. All questions are multiple choice with four choices per question. To view the complete topics that are covered in the exam, click here: MCAT Topics List

How is the MCAT exam scored?

The MCAT is scored for each of the four sections individually. Each section will receive a scaled score from a low of 118 to a high of 132 with a midpoint of 125. Then, these four scores will be combined to create a total score that will range from 472 to 528, with a midpoint of 500. Note that wrong answers are worth the same as unanswered questions so ALWAYS ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS even if you are not sure of certain answers.

For more information, click here: MCAT Scores.

How many times can I take the MCAT?

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, you may take the exam up to 3 times in a single testing year, 4 times during a two consecutive-year period and 7 times in a lifetime. Subsequently, the medical school to which you would apply may do any one of the following:

• Evaluate the most recent score
• Evaluate only the highest individual and/or set of scores
• Evaluate an average of the sets of scores
• Consider all scores equally and note the improvements.

Learn more: What is the MCAT

How do I register for the MCAT?

You can register for the MCAT online through the AAMC website. It is important to register early so that you can select your first-choice time, location and date.

How long should I study for the MCAT?

Every student is different, but on average the recommended study time for students is 3-6 hours/day for 3-6 months. For our Gold Standard MCAT study schedule, click here: MCAT Study Schedule. The actual amount of time may be more or less what we recommend depending on your past study experience, grades and study habits.

Admission to Medical School

Am I eligible to get into medical school?

Regrettably, we do not offer medical school application guidance as we specialize in MCAT preparation. For details on specific medical schools or application processes, kindly reach out directly to your chosen institutions or refer to the AAMC website.

However, you can explore our MCAT Scores page, which provides valuable insights into medical schools, including their GPA and MCAT score prerequisites. Additionally, you'll find a handy calculator to assess your prospects of gaining admission to medical school.

About Gold Standard MCAT (MCAT-prep.com)

What does 'The only prep you need' really mean?

At Gold Standard MCAT, we provide an exceptionally comprehensive program. If you've completed at least a first-year college education, encompassing basic sciences and a course involving English reading and writing, our program is tailored for you. The phrase "The Only Prep You Need" is specifically aimed at dedicated students who choose our Home Study Package. This comprehensive offering includes MCAT books, eBooks, up to 12 full-length MCAT practice tests from Gold Standard and the AAMC, MCAT CARS Booster with 5 CARS tests, apps, and online videos. (Refer to MCAT Prep Courses)

What were the changes in the MCAT, and how did Gold Standard MCAT adapt to them?

The content and structure of the MCAT changed in 1991. In 2003, the new MCAT changed a bit in structure but essentially continued to have the same content as all of the MCAT exams since 1991. All paper exams including actual past exams (which you receive in our Home Study Package) require the same knowledge, though the structure is slightly different as compared to the current exam. We made extensive content changes in 2011. In 2015, we have updated our content for the new MCAT. All our ebooks, book and MCAT practice tests as well as study materials reflect the new format in content, structure and scoring. We continue to update exam content in keeping with the AAMC's trends in released material to equip students with quality practice materials. Please visit What is the MCAT? for more information on this topic.

What if I am not satisfied with the Gold Standard MCAT's program?

With over 30 years of MCAT prep experience, we believe that we are the best at teaching and preparing for the MCAT exam. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your results, you can repeat the course once for an administrative fee. Of course, you will not receive a second set of course materials. Course refunds are not possible.

Free MCAT Prep Resources

Do you offer free MCAT prep resources?

A free initial access to Gold Standard MCAT includes one free full-length MCAT practice test (230 questions) and one hour access to MCAT videos. You can sign up here: Free MCAT Practice Test.

Other useful study tools include the following:

• MCAT Biochemistry Review Summary
• MCAT Organic Chemistry Mechanisms
• MCAT Physics Equations Sheet
• MCAT General Chemistry Review Summary
• Free MCAT videos
• MCAT Biochemistry Flashcards iPhone app
• MCAT Biochemistry Flashcards Android app
• MCAT Blog
• Premed Advice

Where can I access free MCAT videos online?

You can find free science review videos at MCAT Videos. You can also sign up for a account on our website to access these videos. (click here: free MCAT practice test)

MCAT Preparation Courses

When should I take a Gold Standard MCAT course?

We generally recommend that students complete at least 3 of the 4 basic sciences in university, college/CEGEP, advanced high-school courses and speed reading courses if necessary. Depending on their knowledge or experience, some students may begin our courses weeks, months or even years prior to the anticipated time for the actual MCAT. Bear in mind, our program does not just review the information. MCAT-Prep.com teaches the information you need to know to excel at the MCAT. For more information on what college courses to take to prepare for the MCAT, visit MCAT Preparation Advice.

What is the maximum length of a Gold Standard MCAT course?

Depending on the product purchased, the online access ranges from one month to 12 months. Please refer to the appropriate product on our website for more details: MCAT Prep Courses | MCAT Practice Tests

What self-paced MCAT prep packages do you offer?

Gold Standard Home Study MCAT Course: 2 MCAT books, eBooks, CARS, more than 5000 Q&As, 12 full-length MCAT practice tests, videos, flashcards, MP3s, and apps.

Gold Standard MCAT Crash Course: 100% online course, eBooks, CARS, more than 3500 Q&As, 3 full-length MCAT practice tests, videos, flashcards, MP3s, and apps.

Details: MCAT Prep Courses

How do I access the AAMC online materials that come with the Home Study Package?

Your login details and instructions will be emailed to you within the next business day (please also check your spam folder). The online AAMC practice materials offer unlimited user attempts for 12 months from the purchase date. It's crucial to note that there is a deadline for accessing and activating the AAMC products. The code they email you must be activated within 28 days.

MCAT Practice Tests

What are CBTs?

The 8 Gold Standard MCAT Practice Tests are Computer Based Tests (CBTs) and all multiple-choice sections are instantly corrected after you submit the test. All attempts are saved in your History section so you can review answers and explanations whenever you want.

How well do your MCAT practice tests represent the actual MCAT?

Our Gold Standard MCAT practice tests follow the AAMC format. We based the diversity of our MCAT practice questions on:

1) the AAMC's published average percentages

2) hundreds of student experiences with the real exam (publicly available online).

It is important for you to consider some of the following direct quotes from students on Reddit (different ID’s) who had just completed the real MCAT:

• Holy Enzyme Kinetics.!!!
• barely any physics problems
• Very little physics
• wow, hi physics. :/ I wound up with multiple physics and calculation-heavy problems
• Virtually no chemistry for me
• heavy calculations. Aargh.
• lots and lots of physics for me.
• A LOT of biochemistry
• +++ orgo
• TONS of Orgo.
• Very little orgo
• entire scratch paper page full of calculations

You can see how different student experiences with an exam can be. No one practice test can perfectly replicate the experience of the real MCAT. Many practice tests, if completed according to schedule, and well reviewed thereafter, can ensure that you are very well prepared, despite the imperfections that any one test may have in representing an exam with such variety.

Are the MCAT CARS tests the same as the CARS portion of the Gold Standard full-length MCAT practice tests?

No. Our MCAT CARS exams are different from the CARS section of our full-length MCAT exams GS-1 to GS-7.

Where do I find my MCAT practice tests' answers and explanations?

Log in to your online MCAT account, click on the Practice Tests tab. Then click on the fourth column 'Last Taken' of the exam you would like to view. Then click on 'Date Taken'. The corrected exam will open in a new window.

I'm experiencing difficulties when attempting to save my test answers. Do you have any suggestions?

We recommend using Mozilla Firefox for the tests, as they perform optimally with this browser. To enable JavaScript, follow these steps: go to the Edit tab on Firefox, click on Firefox Preferences, then select Content and enable JavaScript.

If you have add-ons installed in Firefox, please check if any of them require JavaScript to be disabled, as they can interfere with the application. You can review your add-ons by going to the Tools tab and selecting Add-Ons.

Lastly, before closing any test or your browser, please wait a few seconds to ensure that all test data is accurately stored in our database.

What if I need help with the MCAT practice questions?

You can click on your submitted exam to review answers with helpful explanations, as well as the "percent performance" so you can see how other students fared on each question.

Each practice question has a chat area where you can discuss a particular problem with other students (or read what others have said about it), post questions (our staff checks the discussion boards regularly for new questions). Where applicable, we also provide related science videos for further understanding. Basically, we don't just give "A is correct", we really explore each question and don't ever leave you in the dark. As far as we know, we are the only MCAT prep company that offers these features.

Are the results scaled and are the Gold Standard scaled scores predictive of my real MCAT exam scores?

Yes. When you click "End Exam", you will be able to assess your raw score, scaled score and scaled score range (similar to what you will receive after the real MCAT).

Gold Standard scaled scores, like other practice test scores, serve as the best indicator you can get of your score on the real exam. Yet, students often report a two to three point difference between their real exam score and average practice test score regardless of the company they used for MCAT prep.

How do I interpret my practice MCAT score?

Practice exams serve as tools for not only training for the real MCAT, but also evaluating your strengths and weaknesses within each section of the MCAT. Accordingly, your performance on practice exams should guide your content review.

For instance, if you've dedicated substantial time to studying Chemistry and Physics, you should expect to see improvements in your Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems score. If not, it may signal a need for further content review in that specific area.

Therefore, it's crucial to evaluate each practice exam by 1) comparing your overall score to your previous practice exam scores and 2) comparing your section scores to your previous practice exam section scores.

It's important to note that no single practice test can perfectly replicate the real exam experience. However, completing multiple practice tests according to your schedule and thoroughly reviewing them can ensure that you're very well-prepared, despite any imperfections in individual tests.

My access to the MCAT practice tests has expired. Will I still be able to view my results in the History section?

If your access to the practice tests has expired, your account will revert to free status, and only the results for the GS-Free test will be visible in the History section. However, please note that we retain all practice test results on our servers. If you decide to renew or extend your access, your results will be fully reinstated automatically.

MCAT Videos and Audio

Am I able to upload the MCAT videos to my iPod or iPhone?

You can’t upload MCAT videos on your iPod or iPhone but you would be able to watch them once you’re logged in to your student account. Only our basic audio summaries can be uploaded to electronic devices (see next Q&A)

How can I upload the basic audio summaries onto my iPod?

An email on how to download the basic audio summaries will be sent to you once your payment is processed.

MCAT Book

How do I access the online solutions and GS-6 and GS-7 exams of the book "7 Full-length MCAT Practice Tests: 5 in the Book, 2 Online"?

To access the online solutions and GS-6 and GS-7 exams from the book "7 Full-length MCAT Practice Tests: 5 in the Book, 2 Online," follow these steps:

1. Locate the online access card glued to the inside front cover of your book.
2. Log in to Gold Standard MCAT using your account.
3. On the Members page, find and click on the "Register My 7 Exams MCAT Book" icon.
4. A pop-up window will appear. Click on "online access code" to proceed.
5. You will be directed to your Account page. Enter your Gold Standard Book access code in the required field.
6. Click on "Click here to use your online access code."
7. Scratch and reveal the access code located on the back of your card, then input it.
8. Once activated, you will have one year* of access to the following:

• Answers and explanations for full-length MCAT practice tests GS-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
• MCAT Score Calculator for the 4 sections of the 5 exams, allowing you to input raw scores and receive scaled scores.
• Online answer sheets for each of the 5 exams, enabling you to quickly check answers in your book.
• Access to the full-length MCAT practice tests GS-6 and GS-7, which you can submit for automated correction, obtain scores, and access answers/explanations.

*Please note that this access is valid for 1 year of continuous use using the PIN, as per our Terms of Use, and is not transferable.

Using the Gold Standard Site

How do I register to become a member of Gold Standard?

To register, sign up for a Free MCAT Practice Test

In the Sign Up section, it is recommended that you fill out the registration form completely. This gives us a better understanding of what you want as a customer and allows us to give you relevant and accurate information when you need it. We do require, however, you supply the proper information for the fields with an adjacent *.

• First Name - your given name (e.g. John)
• Last Name - your family name (e.g. Doe)
• E-mail - your e-mail address. (e.g. jdoe@mcat-prep.com)
• Password - a case-sensitive phrase you must create and use to log into the website. It must be at least 6 characters long and contain any characters the student wants. Confirm password.

Your account is a single-user account. Once your account is activated, access is continuous and nonrefundable: no pause/restart. Sharing your account can result in permanent account deletion.

How do I log in to my Gold Standard student account?

At the upper right corner of MCAT-Prep.com, click on the Login button and enter the email address and password that were created when you registered.

Upon successful login, you'll be directed to the Members page. Your contact details and packages purchased can be found under My Account.

eBooks: To access the eBooks, click on the Lessons tab. Select your preferred subject, then click on the respective chapter. This action will take you to the multimedia page for that chapter, enabling you to read from the eBook, complete practice questions, and watch applicable videos.

Practice Tests: To access your practice tests, click on the Tests tab. To view your scores and explanations click on the date in the ‘Last Taken’ column of the test.

Videos: To access the videos, click on the Videos tab.

How do I change my password?

Log in into your online MCAT account and click on the My Account tab. Enter your new password as well as confirming the new password. Click 'Change password'.

Now that I've logged in, how do I add a package?

Once you are logged in, click on the Products tab and choose your MCAT prep course and MCAT practice tests.

Purchase, Extension, Cancellation

How do I pay for a product through Paypal or credit card?

Paying through Paypal

Choose a product from our website MCAT-prep.com and click on the Buy Now or Add to Cart button. You will be taken to a PayPal checkout page. The next page will show a breakdown of the details related to that package or product.

Please enter your shipping destination for a calculation of your shipping costs (for tangible items). Click on Checkout and you will be redirected to complete your payment via PayPal. Please confirm the shipping address by modifying the shipping form and verifying the items purchased.

Paying through credit card

If you don't have a Paypal account, you can pay via our Secure Credit Card Payments. Enter the Package or Item, as well as the Total Cost. Please note that the Total Amount should include both the product cost and if applicable, the shipping cost. Click Checkout to enter your credit card and shipping information.

Note: our online monthly subscriptions can only be purchased via PayPal.

Once your payment has been processed, you will receive an email from Authorize.net or PayPal with the amount deducted and an invoice number for tracking purposes. If the deduction is unsuccessful, you will also receive an email and the content will state the nature of the problem.

What do I do if I want to repeat or extend an MCAT prep course or MCAT practice test?

Course extensions work as monthly subscriptions where you can choose the length of access that suits your needs (cancel anytime).

The MCAT Crash Course is a monthly subscription. It is recurring monthly. (See: How do I cancel a monthly subscription for an online course or practice tests?).

You may extend your access to the Gold Standard practice tests even after your access period has expired. Log into your account. On the main menu click on the Products tab and choose your preferred subscription (recurring monthly or fixed period of 1, 3 or 6 months or 1 year).

The extension of the online access of the MCAT book 7 full-length MCAT Practice Tests: 5 in the Book and 2 Online is for 6 months at $12.

If someone other than the actual Gold Standard MCAT member pays for an extension to the practice tests how do you know which profile to apply the extension to?

When the email address associated with the payment is not the member email address to which the extension should apply, it is important to inform us in one of the following ways:

• Provide "merchant instructions" within the payment process to inform us of the member profile to which the extension should be applied
• Send an email to learn@gold-standard.com providing us with the appropriate details
• Chat with us online using the Live Chat button shown on the right corner of your monitor
• Call our customer service toll free line 1-866-333-3138 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm EST)

Can I transfer my online time or materials to another student?

No. All course materials including online access are exclusively for our registered students and are non-refundable. Registering under a different IP address can result in permanent account deletion according to our Terms of Use.

I'm looking for a discount on your packages but do not want to purchase through Amazon or eBay. Can you offer me a discount?

Due to pre-arranged methods or agreements, we are unable to accede to your request. But, if you wish a bulk purchase for your institution or tutor service, please contact us directly for possible discounts at learn@gold-standard.com.

How do I confirm my MCAT prep access?

Once payment is processed successfully, you will receive 2 emails almost immediately. The 1st will be from either Paypal (if paid via Paypal account) or from authorize.net (if paid using a credit card). The 2nd email will be from help@mcat-prep.com confirming the package purchase and your login details. This email sometimes goes into the junk or spam folder.

To check the status of your order, refer to the order summary that was provided to you upon purchase.

If you haven't received your login information, contact us through Live Chat or learn@gold-standard.com and provide us with the following information: (1) email address used to purchase the product and (2) Paypal confirmation. Note: If the product was purchased through ebay or Amazon, the login details will be sent to you within 24 hours.

Your subscription including start and expiration of access will be reflected in your member's homepage. To view, log in here.

How do I cancel a monthly subscription for an online course or practice tests?

You need to Log into your online MCAT account. Go to My Account page and find the course you want to unsubscribe from. Click the Unsubscribe button beside the selected course. You will be re-directed to a PayPal page to finalize your cancellation request:

• Log in to your PayPal account.
• Click the 'Settings' icon at the top of the page.
• Under 'Payment settings', click Pre-approved payments..
• Use the filter to select the seller whose agreement you want to cancel and click Cancel.
• Click Cancel Profile to confirm your request.

How to cancel a PayPal subscription

I did not use the Crash course this month but I was charged on my account. Can I get a refund for the extra month?

It is indicated on our website that all of our online programs are monthly subscriptions. Our aim is to provide the service while allowing you to sign up for a limited duration of your choice, hence providing you the freedom to cancel at anytime. Moreover, when the Crash Course was purchased, you should have been redirected to a PayPal page to create a subscription/recurring payment. Additionally, monthly PayPal notifications are also sent to the email address associated with the subscription.

As per our Terms of Use, we do not refund any of our online products and hence, we are unable to refund your payment. Please note that the AAMC has similar policies regarding refunds.

Can you pause or temporarily stop my online access to the Gold Standard materials and reactivate it when I'm ready?

No, online access unfortunately does not generally work that way. This policy is explained further in our Terms of Use.

I have not used my online access to the Gold Standard MCAT practice exams for a while. Can I get a refund or extension because of time not used?

No, online access unfortunately does not generally work that way. You are paying to have access for a specific time period. Whether you used it frequently or not at all during your access period does not change the rate of payment. This policy is explained further in our Terms of Use.

Where can I find the expiry date for my online access?

In your online MCAT account, click on the My Account tab and you will see the access Expiration Date.

System Requirements

What are the system requirements for the online practice courses?

Your PC should include Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10 with a 1.4GHz processor or faster. For Mac - Mac OS X 10.9 or higher with a 1.83GHz Intel Core™ Duo processor or faster; 512 MB to 1GB memory; sound card (64-bit) and speakers or headphones; video card (64 MB); 1024 x 768 or greater screen resolution; reliable Internet service; browsers such as Firefox (recommended), Chrome, Safari or Edge; cookies and javascript enabled; pop-up blocker disabled; Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher (available as a free download from www.adobe.com); JAVA 2.0 plugin and greater (also available as a free download from www.javasoft.com).