How Hard Is the MCAT? What Makes It Difficult and How to Prepare

The MCAT is widely considered one of the hardest standardized tests in the United States. It covers a massive range of scientific and reasoning content, lasts over 7 hours, and requires skills that go well beyond memorization. Most students who do well on college exams still find the MCAT to be a significant step up in difficulty.

This guide breaks down exactly what makes the MCAT hard, how each section compares in difficulty, what current score data reveals about the test, how the MCAT compares to other major exams, and what you can do to prepare effectively.

Key takeaways

• The MCAT is a 7.5-hour exam with 230 questions across four sections, making it one of the longest standardized tests.
• It tests content from 8 subjects: Biology, Biochemistry, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS).
• The MCAT requires critical thinking and application, not just content memorization — most questions present novel scenarios.
• According to AAMC data, a total score of 500 is the 49th percentile, and the average matriculant score is approximately 511–512.
• Most students study 300–500 hours over 3–6 months to prepare.
• CARS is widely considered the hardest section because it cannot be studied for with content review alone.

How Hard Is the MCAT?

The MCAT is significantly harder than typical undergraduate science exams. While college tests generally assess whether you can recall information from a single course, the MCAT requires you to integrate knowledge across multiple disciplines and apply it to unfamiliar, passage-based scenarios.

Three factors make the MCAT uniquely challenging:

1. Scale — It covers the equivalent of multiple years of college coursework in a single exam.
2. Reasoning — Most questions cannot be answered by recall alone. You must analyze data, interpret experiments, and draw conclusions.
3. Endurance — At 7 hours and 30 minutes of total seated time, the MCAT demands mental stamina that no college exam requires.

Even students with strong GPAs and excellent science foundations commonly spend 3–6 months preparing specifically for the MCAT format.

MCAT Structure at a Glance

The MCAT consists of four sections with a total of 230 questions. Each section is multiple choice with four answer options.

The full test day runs approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes including the optional tutorial, two 10-minute breaks, and one 30-minute midday break.

Each section contains a mix of passage-based questions and discrete (standalone) questions. Approximately 75% of questions are passage-based.

What Makes the MCAT So Hard?

Vast Content Coverage

The MCAT is essentially a cumulative exam covering years of undergraduate coursework. You need working knowledge of:

• General Chemistry (2 semesters)
• Organic Chemistry (2 semesters)
• Physics (2 semesters)
• Biology (2 semesters)
• Biochemistry (1 semester)
• Psychology (1 semester)
• Sociology (1 semester)

That is roughly 7 courses' worth of material condensed into a single test. No individual college exam comes close to this breadth.

Exam Length and Endurance

At 7.5 hours of total seated time, the MCAT is one of the longest standardized tests administered in the U.S. For comparison, the LSAT takes about 3.5 hours, and the GRE takes about 4 hours.

By the third or fourth hour, mental fatigue becomes a real factor. Students who do not build test-taking endurance during preparation often see their performance decline in later sections — even if they know the material.

Time Pressure

Despite being a long exam overall, time within each section is tight. You have roughly 1 minute and 37 seconds per question across the test. In CARS, where passages require careful reading, many students report running out of time.

Finishing each section on time requires disciplined pacing — a skill that must be practiced deliberately.

Critical Thinking Over Memorization

The MCAT is not a test of recall. While content knowledge is necessary, most questions present scenarios you have never seen before and ask you to reason through them.

A typical MCAT question might present an experimental setup, provide data in a table or figure, and ask you to predict what would happen if a variable changed. Answering correctly requires understanding the underlying principles, not memorizing specific facts.

This is the single biggest shift from undergraduate exams, and it is the reason many straight-A students initially struggle with MCAT practice tests.

Tricky Question Design

MCAT questions are deliberately constructed to test your reasoning under pressure. Common patterns include:

• Multiple plausible-sounding answer choices — Often two or three options seem reasonable; only careful analysis reveals the correct one.
• Extraneous information in passages — Passages contain both relevant and irrelevant data, simulating the diagnostic thinking physicians must use.
• Interdisciplinary questions — A question in the Bio/Biochem section may require knowledge of organic chemistry or physics to answer.
• "Except" and "least likely" phrasing — These reversal questions test whether you are reading carefully under time pressure.

This design is intentional. The AAMC describes the MCAT as testing "concepts and skills medical educators and physicians have identified as key prerequisites for success in medical school and practicing medicine."

Which MCAT Section Is the Hardest?

Section difficulty varies from student to student, but there is a consistent pattern in what test-takers report.

CARS: The Most Commonly Struggled-With Section

CARS stands alone because it has no content to study. Unlike the science sections, you cannot improve your CARS score by reviewing a textbook. Instead, you must develop the ability to:

• Comprehend dense, unfamiliar passages on topics ranging from philosophy to art history
• Identify the author's central argument and tone
• Distinguish between what the passage says, implies, and does not say
• Eliminate answer choices that are plausible but unsupported

Many students describe CARS as the most frustrating section because improvement feels less predictable. Building CARS skills requires consistent practice with timed passages over several months.

Chem/Phys: The Most Content-Dense Section

The Chem/Phys section draws on four different subjects (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Biochemistry), making it the most content-heavy. Students with weaker physics backgrounds often find this section particularly challenging.

Psych/Soc: Often Underestimated

Many students treat Psych/Soc as the "easy" section and spend less time on it. While the concepts are generally more accessible, the volume of terminology is large and the questions can be surprisingly nuanced. Students who underprepare for Psych/Soc often regret it.

Bio/Biochem: Broad but Familiar

Bio/Biochem is content-heavy but covers material most pre-med students have studied extensively. Students with strong biology and biochemistry backgrounds tend to find this section the most manageable.

MCAT Score Data: What the Numbers Show

The MCAT is scored on a scale of 472–528, with each of the four sections scored from 118–132. The midpoint of the scale is 500.

Current MCAT Percentile Ranks

The following percentile ranks are from AAMC data based on all MCAT results from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 testing years combined (N = 293,882). These percentile ranks are in effect from May 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026.

Average Matriculant MCAT Score

According to AAMC matriculant data for the 2023–2024 cycle, the average total MCAT score for students who enrolled in U.S. MD-granting medical schools was approximately 511–512, depending on region. This places the average accepted student in the 82nd percentile.

To understand how your score translates, use our MCAT score calculator.

How the MCAT Compares to Other Exams

One of the most common questions pre-med students ask is how the MCAT stacks up against other standardized tests. Here is a high-level comparison:

MCAT vs. LSAT

The LSAT tests logical reasoning and reading comprehension, not science content. The MCAT is longer, covers far more content, and requires both scientific knowledge and reasoning. Most students who have taken both report the MCAT as harder due to its sheer scope.

MCAT vs. DAT

The DAT covers biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, perceptual ability, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning. The MCAT covers all of those science subjects plus physics, biochemistry, psychology, and sociology. The MCAT is also 2+ hours longer and places a heavier emphasis on experimental reasoning.

MCAT vs. SAT/ACT

The SAT and ACT test general academic readiness at a high school level. The MCAT tests advanced college-level science, critical analysis, and reasoning at a much higher level of difficulty. They are not comparable in terms of content or rigor.

Is the MCAT the Hardest Exam?

The MCAT is not the hardest exam in the world — professional licensing exams like the bar exam and USMLE Step exams are arguably more difficult. But among pre-professional graduate admissions tests (MCAT, LSAT, GRE, DAT, GMAT), the MCAT is widely considered the most challenging due to its length, content breadth, and reasoning demands.

How Long Does It Take to Prepare for the MCAT?

Most students who score competitively (510+) report studying 300–500 hours over a period of 3–6 months. The exact timeline depends on your baseline knowledge, study schedule, and target score.

For a detailed week-by-week breakdown, see our MCAT study schedule guide.

How to Make the MCAT More Manageable

The MCAT is hard, but it is a learnable test. The students who perform best are not necessarily the smartest — they are the ones who prepare most strategically.

Take Enough Full-Length Practice Tests

Full-length practice tests are the single most important part of MCAT prep. They build endurance, expose timing weaknesses, and reveal content gaps. Aim for at least 8–10 full-length exams spread throughout your study period. See our guide on how many MCAT practice tests to take for a detailed recommendation.

The best MCAT practice tests come from the AAMC (the test maker) and from reputable third-party providers.

Understand How MCAT Questions Are Constructed

MCAT questions are designed to test reasoning, not recall. Learning to recognize the three main question types improves your efficiency:

1. Passage-based, answer in the passage — The answer is directly stated or implied in the passage text. Read carefully.
2. Passage-based, outside knowledge required — The passage provides context, but you need to apply content knowledge to answer.
3. Discrete (standalone) questions — No passage; requires direct content knowledge.

Recognizing which type you are facing helps you allocate time appropriately.

Focus on High-Yield Topics

While the MCAT can test nearly anything from your prerequisite courses, some topics appear more frequently than others:

Build Endurance Gradually

Do not start your prep with a 7.5-hour practice exam. Build up gradually:

• Weeks 1–4: Study in 1–2 hour blocks with timed section practice
• Weeks 5–8: Take half-length practice exams (2 sections back-to-back)
• Weeks 9+: Take full-length practice exams under realistic conditions

By test day, sitting for 7.5 hours should feel manageable, not overwhelming.

Review Wrong Answers Deeply

Simply checking whether your answer was right or wrong is not enough. For every missed question, identify:

• What concept was being tested
• Why the correct answer is correct (with evidence from the passage or content knowledge)
• Why your chosen answer is wrong
• Whether this was a content gap, a reasoning error, or a careless mistake

This review process is where the most learning happens. Students who spend 2–3 hours reviewing a practice exam often gain more than those who take an extra exam without reviewing. For more on this approach, see our guide on how to improve your MCAT score.

Consider a Prep Course or Tutor

If self-study is not producing the results you want, a structured MCAT prep course provides organized content review, practice materials, and accountability. For targeted help with specific weaknesses, an MCAT tutor can provide personalized strategies.

FAQs About MCAT Difficulty

Is the MCAT the hardest test?

Among graduate admissions tests, the MCAT is widely considered the most difficult due to its combination of content breadth (8 subjects), exam length (7.5 hours), and emphasis on critical reasoning. Professional licensing exams like the bar exam and USMLE are arguably harder, but they are taken after graduate school, not before.

What is a good MCAT score?

A score of 508 (74th percentile) is generally considered good. A score of 510+ (79th percentile or higher) is competitive at most medical schools. The average matriculant scores approximately 511–512 (82nd percentile). For top-tier programs, a score of 515+ is often expected. See our breakdown: Is 508 a good MCAT score?

Is it hard to get a 510 on the MCAT?

A 510 places you in the 79th percentile, meaning you scored better than about 4 out of 5 test-takers. This requires strong content knowledge across all four sections and solid reasoning skills. Most students who score 510+ have studied 300–500 hours over 3–6 months with consistent practice testing.

Is a 517 MCAT too low?

No — a 517 is in the 94th percentile and is an excellent score. It is competitive at virtually all medical schools, including most top-tier programs. Very few applicants are rejected solely because of a 517 MCAT score.

What is a failing MCAT score?

There is no official "failing" score on the MCAT. The score range is 472–528, and all scores are reported to medical schools. However, scores below approximately 500 (49th percentile) significantly reduce your chances of admission to most MD programs. Some students with scores in the 495–502 range gain admission to DO programs or less competitive MD schools.

What is 90% correct on the MCAT?

Getting roughly 90% of questions correct typically translates to a score around 519–522 (96th–99th percentile). The exact conversion varies by test form because the MCAT uses scaled scoring. A 90% raw score is an outstanding result that would make you competitive at the most selective medical schools.

How long does it take to prepare for the MCAT?

Most successful students study 300–500 hours over 3–6 months. Full-time summer studying (30–40 hours per week) can compress this to 10–14 weeks. Students studying alongside classes typically need 4–6 months at 15–25 hours per week. See our detailed MCAT study schedule.

Is the MCAT harder than the LSAT?

The MCAT is generally considered harder than the LSAT due to its greater content volume, longer test duration, and the need for both scientific knowledge and reasoning skills. The LSAT is purely reasoning-based with no content to memorize, which makes it a different kind of challenge.

How hard is the MCAT compared to the SAT?

The MCAT and SAT are not meaningfully comparable. The SAT tests general academic readiness at a high school level. The MCAT tests advanced college-level science, critical analysis, and reasoning. The MCAT is significantly harder in terms of content depth, length, and cognitive demand.

Is the MCAT harder than medical school?

This is a common question without a clear answer. The MCAT tests breadth — a wide range of subjects at moderate depth. Medical school tests depth — each exam covers one subject in extreme detail. Many medical students say the MCAT was harder to prepare for because of its breadth, while medical school exams are harder in terms of volume and pace.

Is the MCAT multiple choice?

Yes. All 230 MCAT questions are multiple choice with four answer options each. There is no free-response, essay, or fill-in-the-blank component.

Can a high GPA make up for a low MCAT score?

Generally, no. Medical schools view the MCAT and GPA as complementary metrics. MCAT scores are considered strong predictors of medical school performance, and most admissions committees weight them heavily. A high GPA with a low MCAT score may raise concerns about test-taking ability, while the reverse may raise concerns about academic consistency. Both metrics matter.

Are MCAT prep courses worth it?

For many students, yes — a structured MCAT prep course provides organized study plans, curated practice materials, and expert instruction. However, self-study works well for disciplined students with strong science backgrounds. See our analysis: Are MCAT prep courses worth it?

How many times can I take the MCAT?

You can take the MCAT up to 3 times in a single testing year, 4 times across two consecutive testing years, and 7 times in a lifetime. All scores are reported to medical schools. Most schools focus on your most recent or highest score, but retaking multiple times can be a red flag.