How many MCAT practice tests should you actually take before test day? The answer depends on your timeline, your baseline, and how you use each exam — but there is a well-supported range that works for most students.
This guide breaks down exactly how many full-length practice tests you need, which AAMC materials to prioritize, how to schedule them across your prep, and how to review them so every test actually moves the needle on your MCAT score.
- Most students should take 6–10 full-length practice tests over their prep window.
- Complete all 7 AAMC full-length exams — they are the closest to the real MCAT.
- Start with a third-party diagnostic early in content review, then save AAMC exams for the final 6–8 weeks.
- Take one full-length every 1–2 weeks, with dedicated review days in between.
- How you review each test matters more than the total number you take.
How Many Full-Length MCAT Practice Tests Do You Need?
There is no single magic number, but the data points converge on a clear range.
The short answer: aim for 6–10 total full-length practice tests, with a minimum of 3 AAMC exams and a sweet spot around 7–8 total.
Here is how to think about it based on your situation:
| Situation | Recommended Full-Lengths | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short timeline (6–8 weeks) | 4–6 | Prioritize all AAMC exams, add 1–2 third-party |
| Standard timeline (3–4 months) | 7–8 | All 7 AAMC exams + 1–2 third-party for early diagnostics |
| Extended timeline (5–6 months) | 8–10 | All AAMC exams + 3–4 third-party for building stamina |
| Retaker | 6–8 | Focus on AAMC exams you haven't seen; mix in new third-party |
The minimum baseline: no matter how confident you feel, take at least 3 full-length AAMC practice tests under timed, test-day conditions before sitting for the real exam. This gives you enough data points to identify score trends and section-level weaknesses.
Most students on r/MCAT report taking 7–8 full-lengths over their prep, typically starting with third-party exams during content review and switching to AAMC materials in the final stretch.
Every AAMC Practice Exam and Resource (Complete Breakdown)
The AAMC offers 7 full-length practice exams plus a large bank of additional practice questions. Here is the full lineup:
Full-Length Practice Exams
| Exam | Cost | Questions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Exam 1 | Free | 230 | Good early diagnostic |
| Practice Exam 2 | Paid | 230 | Part of bundles |
| Practice Exam 3 | Paid | 230 | Part of bundles |
| Practice Exam 4 | Paid | 230 | Part of bundles |
| Practice Exam 5 | Paid | 230 | Part of bundles |
| Practice Exam 6 | Paid | 230 | Newest addition |
| Unscored Sample Test | Free | 230 | No score report — useful for pacing practice |
That gives you 7 full-length exams with 230 questions each — all written by the same organization that writes the real MCAT.
Additional AAMC Question Resources
Beyond the full-lengths, the AAMC sells supplemental question materials:
- Question Packs (6 packs, ~720 questions total) — section-specific practice for Bio, Chem, Physics, and CARS
- Section Banks (2 banks, ~300 questions each) — harder-than-average passages, great for building difficulty tolerance
- CARS Diagnostic Tool (179 questions) — identifies specific CARS skill gaps
- Independent Question Bank (~150 questions) — additional standalone practice
The online-only bundle includes roughly 2,710 unique questions across all materials. For most students, completing all AAMC materials is the single highest-ROI activity in MCAT prep.
How to Schedule Your Practice Tests
Timing matters as much as quantity. Here is how to space out your full-lengths across a typical MCAT study schedule:
When to Take Your First Full-Length
Take a diagnostic full-length within the first 1–2 weeks of studying — even before you have finished content review. Use a third-party test (Blueprint or Kaplan) rather than an AAMC exam, so you do not waste official material before you are ready.
The goal of this first test is not to score well. It is to:
- Understand the format and timing of a 7.5-hour exam
- Identify your weakest sections so you can prioritize content review
- Set a baseline score for tracking progress
Cadence: How Often to Take Full-Length Tests
Take one full-length every 1–2 weeks throughout your prep. Space them far enough apart to allow thorough review and targeted study between tests.
A common mistake is stacking tests back-to-back without proper review. Taking 10 tests with no review is far less valuable than taking 6 tests with rigorous review after each one.
When to Start AAMC Exams
Save your AAMC exams for the final 6–8 weeks before test day. By this point you should have completed most content review and used third-party tests for early practice.
Sample Full-Length Schedule (12-Week Prep)
| Week | Full-Length | Source | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FL 1 | Third-party (e.g., Blueprint) | Diagnostic baseline |
| 3 | FL 2 | Third-party | Check early progress |
| 5 | FL 3 | AAMC Practice Exam 1 (free) | Transition to official materials |
| 6 | FL 4 | AAMC Unscored Sample | Pacing practice (no score) |
| 7 | FL 5 | AAMC Practice Exam 2 | Score trend check |
| 8 | FL 6 | AAMC Practice Exam 3 | Section-level analysis |
| 9 | FL 7 | AAMC Practice Exam 4 | Refine timing strategy |
| 10 | FL 8 | AAMC Practice Exam 5 | Near-final readiness check |
| 11 | FL 9 | AAMC Practice Exam 6 | Final full-length (score predictor) |
| 12 | — | No new FL | Light review, rest, test day |
Adjust this schedule based on your timeline. For a 6-week prep, compress to one full-length per week and prioritize the AAMC exams you have not yet taken.
AAMC vs Third-Party Practice Tests
Not all practice tests are created equal. Here is how the major options compare:
| Feature | AAMC | Blueprint | Kaplan | Princeton Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closest to real MCAT | Yes | Good | Moderate | Moderate |
| Score predictiveness | Most accurate | Tends to deflate | Tends to deflate | Tends to deflate |
| Passage style | Official | Similar feel | More content-heavy | More reasoning-heavy |
| Free full-lengths | 2 (Exam 1 + Sample) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total available FLs | 7 | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ |
Why AAMC exams are the gold standard: they are written by the test-maker using the same question logic, passage style, and difficulty calibration as the real exam. Students consistently report that their AAMC practice exam scores are the strongest predictors of their actual MCAT score — typically within 1–3 points of their final result.
Where third-party tests help: they are valuable for building endurance early in your prep, identifying broad content gaps, and avoiding "wasting" AAMC material before you are ready. Just do not panic if your Kaplan or Blueprint scores run 5–10 points lower than your eventual AAMC scores — third-party exams are often harder by design.
How to Review Your Practice Tests
Taking full-lengths without thorough review is like running laps without checking your splits. The review process is where most of the learning happens.
Review Every Question — Not Just the Wrong Ones
For each question, ask:
- Wrong answers: Why did I pick this? What concept or reasoning step did I miss?
- Right answers I guessed on: Would I get this right again? Flag these for review.
- Right answers I was confident on: Quick confirmation — move on.
Budget 4–6 hours of review time for each full-length exam. Many students split this across two days.
Track Section Scores Separately
Do not just look at your composite score. Break it down by section:
- Chem/Phys (C/P): 118–132
- CARS: 118–132
- Bio/Biochem (B/B): 118–132
- Psych/Soc (P/S): 118–132
Plot each section score across your full-lengths. A section that stalls or drops tells you exactly where to focus your study time. Use our MCAT score calculator to model how section improvements affect your composite.
Build an Error Log
Keep a spreadsheet or document that tracks:
- The question topic/content area
- Why you got it wrong (content gap, misread passage, timing pressure, reasoning error)
- What you need to review
After 3–4 full-lengths, patterns will emerge. Most students find that 60–70% of their errors cluster in just 2–3 content areas or skill gaps.
How Many Practice Questions Per Day?
Beyond full-length exams, you should be working through practice questions daily during your study blocks.
General guideline:
- During content review phase: 30–50 questions per day, tied to the topics you are studying
- During practice/review phase: 50–100 questions per day, mixing passage-based and discrete questions
- In the final 2 weeks: reduce volume and focus on AAMC Section Banks and Question Packs for targeted drilling
Use AAMC Question Packs and Section Banks for daily practice. Supplement with a question bank like UWorld MCAT for additional high-quality passage-based practice — their detailed explanations are particularly useful for understanding reasoning patterns.
What Students Actually Struggle With
Based on recent discussions across student communities, here are common pain points around MCAT practice tests:
Score plateau after 3–4 full-lengths. Many students report scores that flatline mid-prep. This usually signals a shift from content gaps (fixable with review) to reasoning or timing issues (fixable with passage practice and strategy work). If your score is stuck, review your error log for patterns rather than taking more tests.
Burnout from over-testing. Taking a full-length every 3–4 days leaves no time for review or targeted study. Students who do this often see diminishing returns or even score drops. Stick to one FL every 1–2 weeks.
Third-party score shock. Kaplan and Blueprint exams frequently score 5–10 points below what students eventually earn on AAMC exams. This is well-documented on student forums and should not cause panic — the deflation is intentional.
Timing anxiety. The MCAT gives roughly 1.5 minutes per question. Students who finish content review often still struggle with pacing. Dedicated timed passage practice (separate from full-lengths) is the fix.
Recycling AAMC tests. Retaking an AAMC exam you have already seen inflates your score and gives a false sense of readiness. If you have worked through all 7, supplement with third-party FLs rather than redoing old ones.
Signs You Are Ready for the Real MCAT
You never feel 100% ready — that is normal. But here are concrete signals that you are prepared:
- Your last 2–3 AAMC full-length scores are within your target range. If you are aiming for a 515, and your last three AAMC exams were 513, 516, and 514, you are ready.
- Your section scores are consistent. No single section is dragging your composite down by more than 1–2 points from your goal.
- You finish each section with time to spare (or at most are running tight by only 1–2 questions).
- Your error log shows fewer content gaps and more minor reasoning or careless errors.
- You can simulate test-day conditions (full 7.5 hours, timed breaks, no phone) without significant fatigue affecting your performance.
If your scores are trending downward or you have not yet hit your target range on any AAMC exam, consider postponing your test date. It is far better to delay by a month than to score below your potential and face a retake. Check if the MCAT is as hard as you fear — sometimes perspective helps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 6 MCAT practice tests enough?
For most students, yes. Six full-lengths — especially if they include 4+ AAMC exams — provide enough data to identify weaknesses, build stamina, and establish reliable score trends. If your scores are consistent and within your target range by test 5 or 6, you are in good shape.
How many AAMC full-length practice tests are there?
The AAMC currently offers 7 full-length practice exams: Practice Exams 1–6 plus the Unscored Sample Test. Practice Exam 1 and the Unscored Sample Test are free. The remaining exams are available individually or through bundles on the AAMC website.
Are third-party MCAT practice tests harder than AAMC?
Generally, yes. Blueprint, Kaplan, and Princeton Review exams are designed to be slightly harder than the real MCAT, which means scores on these tests tend to run 5–10 points lower than AAMC scores. Use third-party tests for building endurance and identifying broad content gaps, but rely on AAMC scores for predicting your actual exam performance.
How many practice questions should I do per day for the MCAT?
During content review, aim for 30–50 questions daily. During the practice-intensive phase, increase to 50–100 questions. On full-length test days, the exam itself covers 230 questions, so skip additional practice. On review days, focus on analyzing your errors rather than grinding through more questions.
Should I retake AAMC practice tests?
Avoid it if possible. Retaking an AAMC exam you have already seen inflates your score because you remember passages and questions — even subconsciously. If you have completed all 7 AAMC full-lengths, use third-party tests for additional practice instead. The one exception: if you took an AAMC exam more than a year ago, it may be worth retaking since memory fading makes it closer to a fresh experience.
When should I start taking full-length practice tests?
Take your first full-length (a third-party diagnostic) within the first 1–2 weeks of studying. You do not need to finish content review first — the diagnostic helps you identify weak areas and understand the test format. Save AAMC exams for the final 6–8 weeks when your content knowledge is strong enough to get meaningful score data.
How accurate are AAMC practice test scores?
AAMC practice tests are the most accurate predictor of your real MCAT score. Most students score within 1–3 points of their average across their last 2–3 AAMC full-lengths. The key is to take these tests under realistic conditions — timed, no breaks beyond what the real exam allows, and in a distraction-free environment.
Is it possible to score 520+ with only 5 practice tests?
Yes, but the number of tests matters less than how you use them. Students who score 520+ typically do all available AAMC exams, review every question thoroughly, and use an error log to eliminate patterns. If you are scoring 518+ on your AAMC full-lengths consistently, the number of additional tests will not be the limiting factor — your review process and content mastery will. Check out our guide to improving your MCAT score for strategies that move the needle.