Â鶹ɫÇéƬ

MCAT CARS Strategy

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) is one of four sections that make up the MCAT. The concepts tested in the CARS section of the MCAT are actually strategies and skills: CARS tests what you do rather than what you know.

Note: CARS tests NO outside knowledge. Everything you need to know to answer the questions is in the passage and in the question itself. The information below will help you utilize the questions and the passage information effectively.

Here are some of the most important strategies for maximizing your CARS score.

Preview the Questions

First, preview the questions, but ONLY for references to passage concepts, NOT the question type or format (that comes later).

This helps you to process and prioritize the passage information more effectively by giving you some context going in; if part of the passage is referenced in a question, you know it is important!

You will be able to locate the information needed to answer the questions more quickly, since you will already know where those topics are in the passage.

Steps:

• Spend 20-30 seconds previewing
• Highlight the references to passage content in the question stems
• Think about connections between those topics to help you focus as you read the passage
• Create a quick visual image for each reference to help it stick in your mind

Hit the Right Pace

Slow down. Most people who rush and attempt every question will get a lower score than they would if they slowed down and carefully read and thought through the questions they are attempting.

But not too slow! On the other hand, you don’t want to be overly cautious and not get to as many questions as you can or overthink and talk yourself out of right answers.

Allocate your time wisely.

For example, sometimes test takers spend too much time reading the passage extra carefully the first time through, and then rush the questions, making unnecessary mistakes. Or, they zoom through the passage text, not picking up on the important passage concepts and themes, and then struggle through the questions.

Steps:

• Spend more time answering the questions than on reading the passage the first time through
• Start slow and work up to your eventual best test pace
• Use your practice tests to settle into the right pace for you!

Use Process of Elimination Aggressively

While every part of a right answer must be right, if one part of a choice is wrong the whole thing is wrong. The easiest, safest, and fastest approach is to eliminate down to the right answer.

Steps:

• The first question to ask of each choice is “What is WRONG with it?”
• If you aren’t sure, leave it in, but…
• If you can find one definitively wrong thing, strike it out!

Learn From Your Mistakes

Since CARS is all about strategy, it is especially important to figure out what you might be doing that leads to mistakes, and what to do differently in the future.

Do careful, written self-evaluation. Write down your self-evaluation notes in a log or chart and look for patterns over time.

If you are doing something (or not doing something) that commonly leads to mistakes (for example, not using the passage information actively enough) and you identify and change that habit, that is guaranteed improvement!

For every question that you miss or struggle with, ask and answer the following questions:

• Why did you think the right answer was wrong?
• Why did you think the wrong answer was right?
• What was the difference between the right and wrong answer?
• What will you do differently next time for CARS on the MCAT?

Once you start implementing these strategies into your prep for CARS on the MCAT, you should start to see results. Remember that success doesn't come overnight: keep working toward the results that you desire.