<p>I will be attending UCLA in the fall as a transfer from Santa Barbara City College in junior standing in the Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics major. If I am planning to attend medical school ASAP after I graduate in Spring 2012, when should I take the MCAT, and when should I start hardcore studying for it? I have taken all of the subjects covered on the exam (1 year OChem w lab, 1 year Gen. Chem w lab, 1 year of calc based phys, 2 years of biology w labs).</p>
<p>If you’re finished with everything, I’d start studying right now and try to take it sometime in August. 10 weeks is plenty of time. However, it might be hard for you to set up stuff so quickly, in which case I’d take it in January after taking a class during the fall semester. As a transfer, are you going to have to load up on classes?</p>
<p>Other option is to take it in May/April.</p>
<p>While for most people few weeks is enough, D. indicated that she was happy to have started Kaplan about 5 months before her test. She felt as much prepared as she could, we do not know result yet. She took it couple weeks after her final exams, she said she did not need these couple weeks and wished that MCAT was the weekend after she was done with her spring semester. Seems, that it is individual preference.</p>
<p>most people take their first diagnostic test about 2.5 months before real test</p>
<p>I think it really depends on what your major was. Yes, the MCAT only theoretically tests the basic sciences, but those with upper level courses have an edge with content review and may come across familiar passages, especially in bio. So for you, 2.5-3 months is probably plenty. I was a non-science and had taken the minimum prereqs all fresh/soph year, so I needed a bit more than 4 months to prepare.</p>
<p>let me add one more thing the physics tested on the MCAT is algebra and trig based no calculus involved</p>