9 Best MCAT Prep Apps for 2023: Top Picks & Reviews

For situations where you’re on the go, stuck in traffic, or have no access to Wi-FI, studying for the MCAT without any available resource to use can feel like a big waste of time. 

It’s times like these that an MCAT app can do wonders.

This might not offer the same features and details as books or practice exams, but having one or two can be beneficial when studying at inconvenient times and places.

Here are 9 best MCAT apps worth using as complementary reviewer tools for your MCAT study plan:

1. Magoosh MCAT Flashcards

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Developer: Magoosh

Magoosh is the best MCAT prep app that’s free to use and anyone can access anytime offline. 

The app lets you master MCAT content easily through repetitive exposure to new information at different intervals. 

Paired with the content written by experts in medicine, Magoosh is one of the leaders in prep review tools making this MCAT prep app a must-have study aid.

Price: Free

Availability: iOS and Android

Benefits:

  • Flashcards MCAT App is free to use & download
  • Flashcards you learn will appear more often than the ones you’ve mastered to solidify your learning of each concept or term
  • The app is accessible offline

Why Choose Magoosh:

The flashcards MCAT study app provides solid study aid features covering all MCAT sciences and boosts the convenience of using the MCAT prep app just about anywhere. Overall, it’s a great complement to your MCAT reviewer resources.

2. Varsity Tutors MCAT Prep App

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Varsity Tutors MCAT Prep App

Developer: Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors offers the best MCAT prep app for improving your problem-solving and critical thinking skills. 

Biology, psychology, chemistry, and physics are areas that the Varsity Tutors MCAT study app can help you improve on. 

With its simple design and easy to use interface, this is the best MCAT prep app for a comprehensive review.

Price: Free

Availability: iOS and Android

Benefits:

  • Full-length timed practice exams.
  • Comprehensive explanations for correct answers.
  • Create your own flashcards for a personalized experience.
  • Improves your problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Why Choose Varsity Tutors:

The Varsity Tutors MCAT prep app hosts a streamlined interface that grants the student a comprehensive review package and a personalized learning experience. It would be a shame not to use the resources that the app has to offer.

3. Ready4MCAT

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Ready4MCAT

Developer: Ready4 Inc.

Unlike the other two MCAT practice apps free of charge to use, Ready4MCAT is a paid app with content and practice tests hosted by The Princeton Review (TPR). 

You’ll have access to tracking features, customizable practice tests, and a list of top medical schools, along with admission details. These details are useful when comparing your current study level to your end goal.

The app obviously has many great features, hence, the price.

Price: $149.99 (free trial includes three practice tests)

Availability: iOS and Android

Benefits:

  • Over 70 lessons, 1,000 flashcards, and 1,600 practice questions.
  • List of top medical schools. This allows you to compare your results from other students’ performance.
  • Daily study reminder and ‘Question of the Day’ for keeping you committed to your study plan.

Why Choose Ready4MCAT:

The Princeton Review (1) offers one of the best prep programs and has been doing so for more than 30 years. The app in itself is pricey and the WI-FI connectivity can sometimes be a problem, however, TPR stands by its credible and reliable course program.

4. MCAT Flashcards by Kaplan

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MCAT Flashcards by Kaplan

Developer: Kaplan Test Prep

Among other apps, Kaplan test prep provides a decent MCAT flashcards free online app, with 50 flashcards and up to 1,000 when you open a Kaplan account and log in. 

The app is useful if you’re looking for a good quick review while waiting in line. However, it doesn’t save your progress and the questions can be repetitive.

Although it’s convenient to have all your flashcards in one app, you only get full access if you purchase the cards on their site.

Price: Free (only 50 flashcards) 

Availability: iOS and Android

Benefits:

  • 50 flashcards and 1,000 when you subscribe and buy the actual flashcards
  • Customization of flashcards 
  • You can track your progress and review stats

Why Choose MCAT Flashcards:

If you’re looking for a quick review or already purchased their flashcards pack, this can be of great use to you; however, the app could use more intuitive features.

5. Next Step MCAT Exam Flashcards

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Next Step MCAT Exam Flashcards

Developer: Brainscape

Price: Free 

Availability: iOS

Next Step provides strong collective features, contains a tremendous amount of content material, and was developed by test takers who scored in the 99th percentile.  

What’s not to love about this app? 

Unfortunately, it’s one of the few MCAT prep apps for iPhone only. 

Nevertheless, using this app provides every student an extensive review of all MCAT sciences along with access to AAMC topic areas.

Benefits:

  • Over 3,000+ flashcards on all MCAT sciences.
  • Review coverage on AAMC topic areas tested at the same competency level of the MCAT.
  • A comprehensive review of biochemistry topics such as amino acids, bioenergetics, and metabolism.
  • Helps you cut your memorization time significantly.

Why Choose Next Step:

The interface and flashcards testing features are superb, which benefits any medical student looking for a complete study aid.

6. Khan Academy MCAT

Developer: Khan Academy

Khan Academy provides countless videos and lessons that make it one of the best MCAT preparation apps. 

With access to a wide array of videos and interactive learning modules, this can easily help you pass the time on the go and provide you with solid information that you need to understand various topics in the MCAT.

Price: Free 

Availability: iOS & Android

Benefits:

  • Hundreds of videos and learning content accessible for free
  • Downloadable content so you can learn offline
  • The app tracks your progress so you can pick up where you left off even after closing the app

Why Choose Khan Academy:

Apart from the free access and video lessons you can learn on the go, Khan Academy also provides one of the best user interfaces. The interface is built to provide great user experience and an improved learning experience as well.

7. MCAT Mastery

Developer: Higher Learning Technologies Inc.

For any student looking to study efficiently in lesser hours and still effectively cover all the MCAT topics, this is the best MCAT prep app for that. 

This high-quality study guide, along with its QBank features & MCAT terminologies, is designed to guide students to maximize their MCAT score.

Price: $19.99 for 1 month; $79.99 for 12 months    

Availability: iOS & Android

Benefits:

  • 1,900 + MCAT practice tests along with 290+ passage questions and 230+ CARS passages
  • 940+ MCAT terminologies
  • Easily trackable progress and results
  • Detailed explanations for both correct and incorrect answers

Why Choose MCAT Mastery:

MCAT Mastery is a solid study aid and offers much value even as a paid app plan. It’s not as expensive as Ready4MCAT and offers more resources at half the price. 

It’s great for identifying your weaknesses, although there are instances you’ll find duplicate questions.

8. MCAT Pre-Medical Mastery

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Developer: Higher Learning Technologies Inc. 

Just like the MCAT Mastery app, the Pre-Medical Mastery app offers the same features except for a lower price and a higher focus for pre-medical subjects. 

The quality is exactly what you’d expect – solid and detailed – just like the MCAT Mastery app. It is ideal for covering the foundation of your MCAT basics.

Price: $14.99 for 1 month; $59.99 for 12 months 

Availability: iOS & Android

Benefits:

  • 1,600+ pre-med practice tests + 440 passage questions + 120 subject-specific practice questions
  • CARS section to maximize and improve your score
  • MCAT mnemonics to help you memorize tough concepts and terms
  • Progress tracking tool 

Why Choose Pre-Medical Mastery:

The app is ideal for students who want a study aid perfect for helping them review, refresh, and reinforce their pre-med subjects essential to building MCAT basics and foundation.

9. Medical Test Preparation MCAT

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Medical Test Preparation MCAT

Medical Test Preparation MCAT

Developer: Lumos Maxima

This app offers concise video lectures & in-depth pre-medical concepts taught from 5 of the top 10 medical schools. 

With their Bookmatcher feature, you can scan various medical textbook pages and access relevant videos.  

It’s the perfect supplemental study aid alongside advanced MCAT subject reviewers and ideal for brushing up on pre-medical concepts and understanding.

Price: $24.99 for 12 months

Availability: iOS & Android

Benefits:

  • Access to 5,000+ video lessons and 1,300+ textbook articles
  • Over 17,000 recall questions and 3,000 board-style questions
  • Concise video lessons taught by expert instructors 
  • Bookmatcher feature lets you access relevant videos of any medical textbook page

Why Choose Medical Test Preparation:

If you’re looking for a time-saving and efficient study plan for pre-medical topics to improve your understanding of MCAT concepts, this is the perfect app for you. The practice tests, however, feel lacking and the interface is buggy at times.

Conclusion

When choosing an MCAT app, think of it mainly as a supplementary study aid. You must also consider the fact that it is convenient to use while you’re on the go. 

Since a majority of video lessons, courses, and practice tests are done through the desktop, choose an app that can offer a solid understanding of MCAT terminology and concepts. 

References

  1. https://www.princetonreview.com/