Take a minute out of your test prep, because I've got a quick question for you.  When you think of <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/3993269');" href="/links/?u=http://www.teachingsolutions.org/mcat.html"> MCAT </a> skills and expertise, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Is it knowing the entire periodic table like the back of your hand?  A deep understanding of cellular function and structure?  The desire to help eradicate some of the most troublesome diseases on our planet today?

Sure, those skills will certainly come in handy when it comes to passing your test.  But these aren't the only things you need to know to guarantee a passing rate.

So if you want to take your MCAT test score to the next level, what skills do you need to brush up on?

<b>Sine Qua Non: MCAT Prep Grace Under Pressure</b>

It's no secret that the first year of medical school will be one of the most hectic, frenetic and anxious of your life.  That's why the makers of the MCAT want to test your ability to maintain sine qua non, which is Latin for grace under pressure.  What resulted from this desire is a test with some of the most challenging questions, all which must be answered within an extremely limited time frame.

In other words, the MCAT test was born!

That's why if you want to develop the most comprehensive MCAT review possible, you need to get familiar with a new set of MCAT skills and expertise: time management.

<b>The Best MCAT Time Management Schedule</b>

If you want the slightest hope of accelerating your MCAT study and completing the test within the short amount of time you're given, then you need to embrace the principles of this time management schedule:

• Before you take the actual exam, you should take a MCAT practice test and practice the fine art of skipping around.  Learning to recognize the easiest questions and answering them first is the best way to make the most of the limited test time that you have.  After all, all of the MCAT questions are worth the same amount of points – make sure you get as many as possible by sniffing out the easiest ones first!
• Let the ego take a back seat.  As a future medical student, you may not be used to the idea of having to give up on a challenge.  But sometimes it's better to recognize a lost cause rather than waste valuable time attempting to answer a difficult question.
• Remain calm at all costs.  Don't let a tough question rattle your testing performance; after all, dealing with a difficult question is completely normal.  But allowing it to get to your ego isn't – and that will end up costing you the major points.
• Finally, keep track of time at all costs.  Allow for 30 seconds before the end of each section to make guesses on the answer choices that you haven't filled in yet.  Remember, there are no penalties for guessing!

To learn more about best <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/3993269');" href="/links/?u=http://www.teachingsolutions.org/mcat.html"> MCAT </a> tips, download this free report at www.teachingsolutions.org/mcat.html right now!