What Classes Should I Take to Prepare for the MCAT?

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There aren’t any classes you’re required to take before registering for the MCAT, but taking courses that the exam content covers will make studying easier later.

MCAT Prerequisite Courses

The courses listed as “required” below cover the foundation of MCAT content minus the stuff you can mostly learn on your own from the MCAT review books, like psych, sociology, and some upper-level science. Taking only these classes is more of a bare-bones approach, but this may be the easiest way for you to fit science courses into your schedule if you’re a pre-med who’s not majoring in a science discipline. All of these classes are also required by most medical schools.

“Required” MCAT Courses:

• General Biology I & II

• General Chemistry I & II

• Organic Chemistry I & II

• General Physics I & II

Recommended MCAT Courses:

I strongly recommend taking these classes in addition to the ones listed above because they will expose you to the vast majority of foundational concepts tested on the MCAT, as well as provide details and context that may prove to be helpful on exam day:

• Organic Chemistry Lab

• Genetics

• Biochemistry

• Microbiology

• Statistics

• Intro to Psychology

• Intro to Sociology

• Human Physiology

These Courses Will Make MCAT Studying Easier

At the end of the day, the MCAT is testing your ability to apply foundational scientific concepts to novel situations. Taking these classes and learning the material the first time around will make studying for the MCAT easier later since MCAT review books are meant primarily for content review. Determining the ideal time for you to take the MCAT will also help you plan your semester class schedule in advance.

Don’t worry if you can’t fit all these classes into your schedule before you take the exam or even before you graduate! Some students take the MCAT after their sophomore year of college and score pretty well having only taken their first and second year science classes and teaching themselves the rest during their dedicated study period. I didn’t take genetics, biochemistry, or microbiology before taking the MCAT and was still able to teach myself what I needed to know from those classes from the Princeton MCAT review books.

Good luck! Feel encouraged to reach out here or on Instagram if you have any questions or want to discuss your specific situation!

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