How Much Does MCAT Prep Cost?

$ Review Books: $20-$120

$ $ Online Course: $160-$2,000

$ $ $ Tutoring: $500-$2,000

Students can prepare for MCAT or the Medical College Admissions Test through books, online and in-person courses, and private tutoring.

Typical Costs

In general, the MCAT review books and practice tests cost $20-$120.

The online practice test administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges, for example, costs $35.

Published by The Princeton Review, the book Cracking the MCAT costs $51 and includes diagrams and formulas, as well as study tools for each section of the test and online access to 4 full-length practice tests.

The online MCAT prep course varies in price from $160 to $2,000.

Ace Test Preparation, for instance, offers an online course for $400, covering 8 practice tests and practice questions, 40 hours of online lectures and online tutoring for specific strategies.

At the same time, Kaplan offers the MCAT Advantage On-Demand course for $1,900, which includes online video instruction accessible any time of the week and a higher-score guarantee.

The price of the in-person course or group tutoring for the MCAT is $500-$2,000 and may last one to several weeks.

Emory University in Atlanta, for example, offers an MCAT test prep course for $1,350 with 36 hours of classroom instruction.

Sandweiss Test Prep courses in Seattle has a price of $1,800 for 28 sessions and covers MCAT instruction with an experienced tutor covering every section of the exam.

At the same time, the MCAT private tutoring costs $75-$250 per hour and can take place in-person or online.

For example, Next Step Test Prep includes an 18-hour online tutoring package for $1,650 ($92 per hour) or a 25-hour package for $2,200 ($88 per hour).

Princeton Review provides private tutoring at locations across the U.S. starting at $6,500 for a 48-hour package ($135 per hour).

What Is Included

The MCAT prep courses and materials include at least one full-length practice test, practice sample questions, and study tools that cover all sections of the test, including biological sciences and writing prompts, physical sciences and verbal reasoning.

In addition, the Association of American Medical Colleges website covers sample questions for each of these topics, ion the top of its full-length tests.

Additional Costs

The standard registration fee for  MCAT is $235.

Discounts

Approx. 10% off Kaplan study programs is provided to the members of the American Medical Student Association.

Discounts are offered by certain universities to members of a pre-med club, as the University of New Mexico, which secures a 15% discount off Kaplan test prep courses.

Shopping For MCAT Prep

• MCAT study plans, practice tests for purchase ($35 each) and test day tips, as well as a free practice test are provided the Association of American Medical Colleges.
• An updated searchable directory for accredited test prep organizations in the U.S. is provided by the Accrediting Council of Continuing Education and Training.