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My First MCAT Practice Test Score Was Embarrassing Here’s How I Recovered from It
By Dr. Sarah
Last Updated Apr 2, 2025
Summary: This blog follows the journey of a premed student who took a diagnostic MCAT practice test, only to score way lower than expected. It walks through the emotional toll of a bad score, the shift in mindset needed to push forward, and the lessons they learned that helped turn their study journey around — including the study method that finally helped things click.
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I still remember the gut-punch feeling of opening my first diagnostic score report.My heart sank.
I thought I’d at least score average. I’d been a decent student, done okay in orgo, and thought I could wing a few sections. But that number on the screen?
It wasn’t just low.
It was embarrassing.I started spiraling.Maybe I’m not smart enough for this.
Maybe med school isn’t for me.
Maybe I should just… quit now before I waste more time.
But here’s what no one tells you: A bad score doesn’t mean you’re doomed.
It took me a while to realize that diagnostic scores are just a starting point — not a prediction of your future.I started asking around (Reddit, premed Discords, friends who had already taken the test). And the thing I kept hearing was:“Your first score doesn’t define you. What matters is what you do next.”So I gave myself 24 hours to sulk, and then I got to work — but this time, with a different approach.
Lesson 1: Don’t just review what you got wrong. Figure out why.
One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was just marking questions as “wrong” and moving on.But when I started actually digging into why I missed them — whether it was a content gap, a rushed guess, or a misread question stem — everything changed.I kept a notebook where I wrote down:• The topic I missed
• The reason I missed it
• What I’d do differently next timeIt was like therapy, but for my test-taking brain.
Lesson 2: Stop chasing perfection. Build consistency instead.
At one point, I tried to master every topic before moving forward.
Bad idea.
I burned out within two weeks.Instead, I started aiming for steady improvement, not instant perfection.Even getting one or two more questions right per section was a win.
I tracked progress in chunks and reminded myself: “You don’t need to get everything right. You just need to get enough right.”
Lesson 3: Use practice tests strategically — not to torture yourself
I used to take a full-length practice test every week thinking that would make me better.Spoiler: it didn’t.All it did was crush my confidence again and again.Eventually, I spaced them out and focused more on targeted practice + review in between.
That’s where the real learning happened.
Lesson 4: At some point, I stopped relying on scattered resources — and found one that finally clicked
I had tried everything: free YouTube videos, thick prep books, random Reddit study guides…It wasn’t until I found the 30 Day MCAT Study Bundle that things actually started to stick.It gave me a daily schedule, high-yield lessons, and strategy tips that matched how the AAMC actually tests.
It wasn’t overwhelming — just clear and focused.
I didn’t need more information. I needed a system — and that’s exactly what it gave me.
Lesson 5: You’re not broken. You just need a better plan.
That first score haunted me for a while.But looking back now?
I’m glad it happened.Because it forced me to slow down, stop guessing, and finally study with intention.
And when my next full-length came around… I jumped 13 points.
Follow These 5 Lessons— and You’ll See Results
By following these five proven lessons — understanding your mistakes, building consistency, using tests the right way, simplifying your resources, and shifting your mindset — you can bounce back from a low score and come out stronger than ever.But here’s the challenge:
Most students struggle to apply these lessons on their own — especially when they’re already feeling discouraged.That’s why having a system like the 30 Day MCAT Study Bundle made all the difference for me.
That’s why we created The 30-Day MCAT Study Bundle—to provide students with a step-by-step roadmap that ensures they follow these exact six steps effortlessly.For a limited time, the 30-Day MCAT Study Bundle is available with exclusive bonuses:🔹 A Complete 30-Day Study Plan – Know exactly what to study every day.
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