If your first MCAT score stung, you’re in good company. Melanie studied for six months around a nine-to-five job in a research lab, scored a 506 and couldn’t see why her studying didn’t show up on test day.
She took a gap year, changed how she studied and scored a 516 on her retake, 10 points higher. She got into her dream MD-PhD program, and she later became a MedLife MCAT tutor!
Here are her five MCAT retake tips, in her own words. You have more to work with this time, and her tips show you where to start 🙂
From 506 to 516: The Story Behind Melanie’s MCAT Retake Tips
Melanie tells the whole story in this short video, and the sections below follow it in her words. Here’s where her retake began, and it’s a great watch!
The first time I took the MCAT, I was a student pursuing a neuroscience degree while working in a research lab. I decided I would also study for six months and take the MCAT at the end of my working period.
In order to make time for the MCAT, I decided to wake up early and allocate two hours of the morning to self-study from prep books before working a typical nine-to-five job.
I'd go home, give myself time to rest, and then study for another two hours before going to bed.
Ultimately, I was disappointed that after these six months, I was only able to score a 506 on my MCAT. The score of 506 really frustrated me.
I was able to do well in my courses, and I didn't understand why my studying didn't reflect in the score I got on the MCAT.
My dream had always been to pursue an MD PhD, and I realized that I could not apply with the score of 506, so I decided to take a gap year in order to focus on the MCAT and improve my application.
I continued to work in the research lab and worked on my medical school application.
After learning better studying strategies, I was able to take the MCAT again and score a 516, 10 points higher than my previous attempt!
I hope the five tips I'm about to share with you will prevent you from making the same mistakes I did so that you can go on and pursue your medical school aspirations!
Melanie 506 → 516 MCAT
Here’s how her two attempts compare, all from her own account on this page. So much changed between them!
Wondering whether a jump like hers fits the weeks you have? Our free MCAT retake calculator checks it section by section 🙂
Still deciding? Our MCAT retake guide walks through whether to retake, and our page on how many times you can take the MCAT has the AAMC’s limits. We’re here for every step!
MCAT Retake Tip 1: Make a Consistent Schedule You Can Stick To
Melanie’s first plan packed four hours of study around a full workday, starting at 5:00 AM. Here’s what that day looked like.
The schedule I described to you of waking up at five to study, then work a full-time job, and then come home and study again is just not feasible.
Studying for the MCAT is a marathon, not a sprint. Although we as premed students are capable of taking on multiple tasks at once, really dedicating appropriate time to study smart and well is key for this exam.
Give yourself more time to study, whether that means taking a nine-month period instead of six and breaking up your studying so that it takes up fewer hours of the day, but you do it for longer.
You can also cut back on your work hours to make MCAT studying your priority.
Her first tipMake a consistent schedule that you can stick to.
If you’re working while you study, our guide to studying for the MCAT while working has schedules from top scorers, and our MCAT study schedule guide helps you pick a timeline.
Pick a pace you can keep for months, and be kind to yourself while you find it 🙂
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If you are retaking, 515+ is on the table. This is what changes between attempt one and two.
The 515+ Scorer MCAT Master Map is the route those scorers followed, and most of them were retakers.
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MCAT Retake Tip 2: Build Catch-Up Days Into Your Study Schedule
Life happens during MCAT prep, and Melanie planned for it the second time around!
Her second tipBuild flexible time periods into your studying schedule.
Often, work runs late, or it takes you longer to study a concept than you anticipated. Therefore, build that into your schedule.
Dedicate some of your study days to catch-up days where if you can't get to something, use those catch-up days to look into extra resources or take the extra time to solidify areas that you may need to improve in.
Here’s one way to lay out a week with her tips. Anything that slips during the week goes to the catch-up day, and you still get your nights off :)
Our MCAT retake study plan shows how to build a full retake schedule step by step, from reviewing your last attempt to building stamina. It’s a great next read!
MCAT Retake Tip 3: Be Honest With Yourself About Your Weak Areas
This one takes courage, and we’re proud of you for reading it! Melanie’s third tip asks you to look straight at the topics that cost you points.
Her third tipBe honest with yourself about what your areas of weakness are.
As pre-med students, we're often pressured into doing things right all the time and showing that we have no weaknesses. However, when you study for the MCAT, you really want to be honest with yourself about what you need to improve on.
Therefore, make an Excel file where you write down all the questions that you got wrong and identify why you got them wrong.
That may mean going to different resources and identifying what those key concepts are that you missed, and then taking the time to make flashcards where you reinforce the concepts that you miss.
You can also find other resources besides flashcards and Excel files that really cater to your learning style and help you learn your material smarter, not harder.
Here’s what a mistake log like hers can look like. These rows are examples, so fill in your own misses.
Our guide to reviewing your MCAT mistakes shows how to sort misses by cause, so you can see which kind keeps coming back. You’ve got this!
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MCAT Retake Tip 4: Find Resources That Fit Your Learning Style
Melanie’s fourth tip is about fit. Self-study from prep books didn’t work for her the first time, so she changed what she studied with. Smart move!
For me, that meant enrolling myself in a prep course where I had a professor teach me certain high-yield topics.
I also did extra practice problems outside of class to practice seeing the way the AAMC likes to ask questions and apply the knowledge I was learning in class.
I also utilized tutors to help me solidify concepts that I was not comfortable with. In addition, I took advantage of the free resources from MedLife Mastery.
If a live class with a teacher sounds like your style, our 6-Week Live MCAT Accelerator runs 12 live strategy classes with 515+ scorers and includes seven 60-minute 1:1 sessions with a 515+ scorer. All classes are recorded, too.
If you’d like one person in your corner, our 1:1 MCAT tutors are 515+ scorers who build a custom study plan with you, track your progress and adjust it as you go. We’d love to help!
MCAT Retake Tip 5: Make Self-Care a Priority While You Study
Burnout was part of Melanie’s first attempt. If you’re feeling worn down after a hard score, that’s normal, and her last tip is for that feeling.
Her fifth tipMake self-care a priority during your studying.
What I found while I was taking the MCAT the first time was I was burning myself out.
I wasn't giving myself enough time to do other things that I was enjoying, whether that be going to the gym, taking the time to read something for fun, or seeing friends.
Reconnecting with people that really encouraged me and motivated me was key during a time where I found studying to be very monotonous.
Although it may be challenging to do all these things every day, I found ways to incorporate them into my schedule. In order for my mind to be working and studying hard, my body also has to be in shape.
I made sure to schedule in one hour every day to go to the gym and take the time to completely decompress and not think about studying.
I also tried to take one or two nights off a week to see friends and do things I really like to do for fun.
A night off can come with guilt during prep. Our guide to not feeling guilty when you’re not studying helps with that, and here’s how Melanie’s story ended. We love this part!
Ultimately, when I studied in these ways, I was able to score a 516 and was able to get into my dream MD-PhD program!
I hope the five tips I shared with you will help you also in your medical school journey. I know it's tough, but remember, you can do this.
Melanie 506 → 516 MCAT
MCAT Retake Tips: Quick Answers
How do you study for an MCAT retake?
Start with what went wrong last time, then change the plan to fix it. Melanie kept a schedule she could stick to, built in catch-up days, kept a log of every miss, found resources that fit how she learns and made time for herself.
Our MCAT retake study plan walks through the whole process in five steps.
Can you increase your MCAT score by 10 points on a retake?
Melanie did, going from a 506 to a 516 after a gap year spent on the MCAT and her application!
How far your score can climb depends on your sections and your weeks, and our MCAT retake calculator checks that for you.
How long should you study for an MCAT retake?
Melanie’s advice is to give yourself more time with fewer hours a day, such as nine months instead of six, or to cut back on work hours.
The right length depends on how far you are from your goal and how many hours a week you have.
What should you change about your prep before retaking the MCAT?
Change the method first. Melanie’s five MCAT retake tips cover the schedule, catch-up days, a mistake log, resources and self-care, and you can start on any one of them today!
Final Thoughts on These MCAT Retake Tips
Melanie went from a 506 to a 516 by changing five things about how she studied. That’s a huge jump, and we’re so happy for her!
A hard first score is a starting point, and your score report shows you where to begin.
When you’re ready to plan, our MCAT retake study plan takes you through it step by step, and the MCAT retake calculator checks whether your weeks fit your goal.
If you’d like help along the way, our 6-Week Live MCAT Accelerator and 1:1 MCAT tutoring both pair you with 515+ scorers. You’re not stuck, and you don’t have to do this alone.
Want more stories like Melanie’s? Our MCAT success stories are full of retakers who found their way. We’re cheering for you :)
To help you achieve your goal MCAT score, we take turns hosting these 