How to Prepare for the MCAT on a Budget?

Medical school is expensive enough without blowing thousands on MCAT prep. I’ve worked with pre-med students and education content for over a decade, and the biggest misconception I see is that you need a $2,000+ prep course to score well on the MCAT. You don’t.

The Medical College Admissions Test is competitive, no question. It’s a 7.5-hour marathon that tests everything from biochemistry to psychology. But the content it covers is mostly stuff you’ve already studied in your pre-med coursework. The challenge isn’t learning new material. It’s reviewing what you know, filling gaps, and getting comfortable with the exam format under time pressure.

You can do all of that without spending a fortune. I’ll show you how to build a study plan that costs a fraction of what the big prep companies charge, without sacrificing your score.

Understand the MCAT Structure First

Before you spend a single dollar on prep materials, know what you’re preparing for. The MCAT has four sections, and each one tests a different set of skills:

• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: 59 questions in 95 minutes. Tests your understanding of how chemical and physical processes drive biological systems. Think physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS): 53 questions in 90 minutes. You’ll read passages and answer questions about them. No outside science knowledge needed, just strong reading comprehension and analytical thinking.
• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems: 59 questions in 95 minutes. Covers biology, biochemistry, genetics, and metabolism. This is the section where your pre-med coursework pays off the most.
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior: 59 questions in 95 minutes. Psychology, sociology, and their connections to health and disease.

Total test time including breaks: roughly 7 hours and 30 minutes. Understanding this structure helps you plan your study time and budget. If you’re strong in biology but weak in CARS, you know where to invest your money and effort.

Use Free Resources from AAMC

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is the organization that creates the MCAT. They offer free study materials that many students overlook because they’re chasing flashier commercial products. Start with their free resources before buying anything else.

AAMC provides a free practice exam, content outlines for all four sections, sample questions, and a detailed breakdown of what’s tested. This is the source material. Every prep company bases their content on what AAMC publishes. Going straight to the source saves you money and gives you the most accurate picture of what the exam looks like.

I’d also recommend downloading their “What’s on the MCAT Exam” document. It lists every topic, concept, and skill tested. Use it as your checklist. If you can confidently explain each item on that list, you’re ready.

Practice Tests Are Your Best Investment

If you’re going to spend money on anything, spend it on practice tests. Full-length, timed practice exams are the single most effective study tool for the MCAT. They build your stamina for a 7.5-hour test, expose your weak areas, and get you comfortable with the pacing and pressure.

AAMC sells official practice exams for about $35 each. Buy at least two or three. These are the closest thing to the real exam because they use actual retired questions. Third-party practice tests from Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Blueprint are cheaper (some are free) but they’re not as accurate in terms of difficulty and style.

After each practice test, spend 2 to 3 hours reviewing every question you got wrong. Don’t just check the answer. Understand why you got it wrong. Was it a content gap? A reading comprehension error? A time management issue? This analysis is where the real learning happens, and it costs nothing.

Prioritize Your Spending

The MCAT prep industry wants you to believe you need a full-service course that costs $1,500 to $3,000. You don’t. Here’s how I’d prioritize spending if I were a pre-med student in 2026:

1. AAMC official materials ($100 to $200): Practice exams, section banks, and question packs. This is non-negotiable spending. No third-party resource replicates these accurately.
2. One good review book set ($50 to $150): Kaplan’s MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review is the standard. Buy it used for $40 to $60 instead of new. The content barely changes between editions.
3. Anki flashcard decks (free): Download pre-made MCAT Anki decks for free. The Miledown deck and the Jacksparrow2048 deck are community favorites. Anki’s spaced repetition algorithm is science-backed and perfect for memorizing biochemistry pathways and psych terms.
4. Khan Academy MCAT videos (free): Khan Academy partnered with AAMC to create free MCAT prep content. The videos cover all four sections and are taught well. This alone can replace a $1,500 prep course if you’re disciplined.

Total cost with this approach: $150 to $350. Compare that to $2,500+ for a commercial prep course. The content is the same. The difference is that a prep course gives you structure and accountability, while the budget approach requires self-discipline. If you’re good at sticking to a study schedule, save your money. If you need external structure, check out our list of study tools for college students that can help you stay organized.

Buy Second-Hand Materials

The current MCAT format has been stable since 2015. That means prep books from 2020, 2021, or 2022 are still relevant in 2026. The core science content tested on the MCAT doesn’t change. A 3-year-old Kaplan book covers the same biochemistry as this year’s edition.

Look for used book sets on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Reddit’s r/Mcat community. Students who just took the exam often sell their complete book sets for 50% to 70% off retail. I’ve seen full Kaplan 7-book sets go for $30 to $40 used, compared to $150+ new.

Your university library likely has MCAT prep books available for free checkout. Ask your pre-med advisor too. Many departments keep a stash of donated prep materials from previous students. Your campus pre-med club might also have a lending library or book swap program.

Build a Study Group

Study groups are free and effective. Find 3 to 5 other students preparing for the MCAT and meet weekly. Here’s what works well in a study group:

• Quiz each other on content areas
• Share free resources and study materials
• Take practice tests together under timed conditions
• Review incorrect answers as a group (explaining concepts to others strengthens your own understanding)
• Keep each other accountable to your study schedules

If you can’t find an in-person group, Reddit’s r/Mcat community and Discord servers dedicated to MCAT prep serve the same purpose. Students share free resources, study schedules, and score improvement strategies daily. The collective knowledge in these communities is worth more than most paid courses.

Use the Pomodoro Technique for Study Sessions

Studying for the MCAT isn’t about how many hours you put in. It’s about how focused those hours are. The Pomodoro Technique, 25 minutes of focused study followed by a 5-minute break, is one of the most effective methods for retaining dense scientific content.

I recommend 3 to 4 Pomodoro cycles per study session, which gives you about 2 hours of focused work. That’s more productive than 5 hours of distracted studying with your phone next to you. Track your Pomodoros to see how many you can complete per week. Most successful MCAT scorers report 25 to 30 focused Pomodoros per week during their 3-month study period.

Create a Realistic Study Timeline

Most students study for 3 to 6 months before taking the MCAT. Here’s a budget-friendly timeline that works:

• Months 1-2: Content review using Khan Academy videos and your review books. Make Anki flashcards as you go. Cost: $0 to $60 (if buying used books).
• Month 3: Start taking untimed practice sections to identify weak areas. Use AAMC free resources and third-party question banks. Cost: $0 to $35.
• Months 4-5: Full-length timed practice exams every 1 to 2 weeks. Review each exam thoroughly. Focus remaining study time on weak areas. Cost: $70 to $105 (2-3 AAMC practice exams).
• Month 6: Final review and light studying. Take one last practice exam a week before the real thing. Cost: $0.

Total prep cost for 6 months: $70 to $200. That’s about the same as one month of a premium prep course subscription. Check our guide on the best ACT prep books and guides if you’re also helping siblings or friends prepare for other standardized tests.

The Expensive MCAT Prep Myth

The coaching industry profits from fear. They market $2,000+ courses by making you believe the MCAT is impossible to pass without their help. It’s not. The MCAT tests you on subjects you’ve already studied. It doesn’t introduce new concepts. It tests your ability to apply what you know under timed pressure.

Plenty of students score 510+ (that’s a competitive score for most medical schools) using only free and low-cost resources. What matters is consistency, not the price tag on your prep materials. Show up every day, study with focus, take practice tests, and review your mistakes. That formula works whether you spent $100 or $3,000.

Determination and discipline are the only prerequisites for the MCAT. Not a fat wallet.

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