MCAT study schedule: a plan built from the AAMC's content breakdown
Updated November 2026
An MCAT study schedule should match how the AAMC builds the exam: four sections, each scored from 118 to 132, for a total score of 472 to 528. Chemical and Physical Foundations, Biological and Biochemical Foundations, and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations each have 59 questions in 95 minutes; Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) has 53 questions in 90 minutes.
With breaks, the exam takes about 7 hours 30 minutes seated.
Because the four sections count equally toward your total, the builder below gives CARS about a quarter of your topic days and splits the rest by the AAMC's published discipline percentages, so introductory biology (about 19% of the whole exam) and introductory psychology (about 16%) get the most time. The AAMC's own study-plan guide starts from a baseline practice test and doesn't set a number of hours, so the schedule works from the hours you enter. The last quarter of your days goes to mixed practice and full-length review.
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MCAT format at a glance
| Sections | Chem/Phys 59 questions, 95 min · CARS 53 questions, 90 min · Bio/Biochem 59 questions, 95 min · Psych/Soc 59 questions, 95 min | AAMC |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 6 h 15 min of testing; about 7 h 30 min seated with optional breaks, not counting check-in | AAMC |
| Scores | 118–132 per section; 472–528 total (midpoint 500) | AAMC score scale |
| Study plan guidance | AAMC's guide starts from a baseline assessment; it recommends no set number of hours | AAMC study plan guide |
| Fee | $360 standard for 2027 test dates ($145 with Fee Assistance; $130 more outside the U.S., Canada and U.S. territories) | AAMC fees |
Checked against the official sources on October 31, 2026.
What the MCAT covers, by official weight
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning (CARS): 25% (its own section). humanities and social sciences passages, 50% each.
- Introductory biology: about 19% (65% of Bio/Biochem, 5% of Chem/Phys, 5% of Psych/Soc)
- Introductory psychology: about 16% (65% of Psych/Soc)
- First-semester biochemistry: 12.5% (25% of Bio/Biochem, 25% of Chem/Phys)
- General chemistry: about 9% (30% of Chem/Phys, 5% of Bio/Biochem)
- Introductory sociology: 7.5% (30% of Psych/Soc)
- Introductory physics: about 6% (25% of Chem/Phys)
- Organic chemistry: 5% (15% of Chem/Phys, 5% of Bio/Biochem)
The AAMC publishes discipline percentages per section, rounded to the nearest 5%, and says they vary from one test form to another. The whole-exam figures above are our arithmetic: each section is a quarter of your score.
How the builder splits your time
- It counts your study days between today and the day before the exam, using the days a week you chose.
- It keeps the last quarter of those days (at least one week) for mixed practice questions and reviewing what you missed.
- It splits the rest across the disciplines in proportion to the official weights above, using each discipline's published share of each section, times a quarter for that section (the AAMC rounds these percentages to the nearest 5%).
- This is our rule of thumb, not advice from AAMC. Move days toward your weak areas once your practice scores show them.
Protect each block from your own browser
A schedule only works if the hours happen. Focus AI is a Chrome extension built for that: when a block starts, type its task (the "Copy focus task" button gives you the line, like "MCAT: CARS passages, timed") and it blocks pages that don't serve that task. Your practice materials and content videos stay open; feeds, Shorts and game sites don't. Ending a block early means typing a sentence, not clicking a button.
First 3 sessions free, then $9.99 a month or $49 a year. The schedule builder above is free either way.
Frequently asked questions
How are MCAT sections weighted?
Equally. Each of the four sections is scored from 118 to 132, and your total (472 to 528) is their sum. Within each science section, the AAMC publishes discipline percentages, for example 65% introductory biology in Biological and Biochemical Foundations.
How many hours should I study for the MCAT?
The AAMC doesn't set a number. Its study-plan guide says your baseline practice test should decide how long each step takes. That's why this builder asks for your hours instead of assuming them.
How should I split time between content and practice?
This builder spends the first three quarters of your study days on content by discipline weight and the last quarter on mixed practice and full-length review. Move days toward the sections where your practice scores are lowest.
How long is the MCAT?
6 hours 15 minutes of testing across 230 questions, and about 7 hours 30 minutes seated with the optional breaks (10 minutes after sections 1 and 3, 30 minutes mid-exam). Check-in time is extra.
How much does the MCAT cost?
The AAMC lists $360 for standard registration on 2027 test dates, or $145 with Fee Assistance. Testing outside the U.S., Canada and U.S. territories adds $130.
Sources
- AAMC, What's on the MCAT Exam (checked October 31, 2026)
- AAMC, Chemical and Physical Foundations section overview (checked October 31, 2026)
- AAMC, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section overview (checked October 31, 2026)
- AAMC, Biological and Biochemical Foundations section overview (checked October 31, 2026)
- AAMC, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations section overview (checked October 31, 2026)
- AAMC, MCAT score scale (checked October 31, 2026)
- AAMC, Creating your MCAT exam study plan (checked October 31, 2026)
- AAMC, MCAT scheduling fees (checked October 31, 2026)
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