The right MCAT practice test depends on what you need to accomplish. Use the free Unscored Sample Test to establish a baseline, choose a scored AAMC exam when you need a scaled score and percentile rank and use question banks to work on specific sections between full-length exams.
Official practice materials serve different purposes, so you should compare more than price or question count. Look at whether a product provides a scaled result, whether its questions appeared on previous exams, how its answer explanations work and where it belongs in your study plan. A practice result can help you find weaknesses, but it should not be treated as a guaranteed prediction of your test-day score.
MCAT Practice Tests at a Glance
- The AAMC offers two free full-length exams and five low-cost ones, and every one except the free Unscored Sample Test provides a scaled score and percentile rank.
- Practice Exams 1 through 6 use questions from previously administered MCAT exams, while the Unscored Sample Test includes some previously administered questions.
- Question packs, Section Banks, the Independent Question Bank and CARS materials let you focus on particular subjects or question formats between full-length exams.
- A complete review of missed and flagged questions is essential because it shows what to study before taking another exam.
Free and Paid AAMC Practice Exams
The AAMC offers two free full-length practice exams and five low-cost practice exams. These official products are written by the MCAT test developers, and all AAMC practice exams have the same look, feel and functionality as the exam you take on test day.
The Free Unscored Sample Test
The Unscored Sample Test contains 230 passage-based and independent questions across all four sections. It matches the actual exam’s look, length and functionality, but it does not provide a scaled score or percentile rank. It uses some questions from previously administered exams and includes video walkthroughs for four CARS passage sets in the review screen.
This exam suits an early baseline because you can learn how the interface and questions work without making a scaled result the focus of your first attempt. The study plan section below explains how to use its results.
Free Practice Exam 1
Practice Exam 1 is also free, but it provides a scaled score and percentile rank like an actual exam. Its 230 questions come from previously administered MCAT exams. The test day section below explains how to take it under realistic conditions.
A percentile rank gives context for a scaled result. You can consult IMA’s guide to MCAT percentiles when reviewing that information. If you need a separate tool for estimating or converting a practice result, use the MCAT score calculator, but do not treat a converted result as a promise of your official score.
Paid Practice Exams 2 Through 6
Practice Exams 2 through 6 each contain 230 questions from previously administered MCAT exams. Each exam provides a scaled score and percentile rank and costs $35 for one year of access, as listed Sept. 14, 2026. Across the free and paid options, all AAMC practice exams explain every answer choice in every section and link to Khan Academy lessons covering the same content.
AAMC Practice Product Comparison
The AAMC MCAT Official Prep product comparison below covers online products, with prices as listed Sept. 14, 2026. It identifies each product’s price, question count, scoring status and included materials.
| AAMC product | Price | Questions | Scaled score and percentile | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Exam 1 | Free | 230 | Yes | Full-length exam using questions from previously administered MCAT exams |
| Unscored Sample Test | Free | 230 | No | Full-length exam with the look and length of the real exam; video walkthroughs for four CARS passage sets |
| Practice Exams 2 to 6 | $35 each | 230 each | Yes | Full-length exams using questions from previously administered MCAT exams |
| Section Bank, Volumes 1 and 2 | $45 each | 300 each | No | 100 questions from each science section |
| Biology Question Pack, Volumes 1 and 2 | $15 each | 120 each | No | Passage-based and independent biology questions |
| Chemistry Question Pack | $15 | 120 | No | Passage-based and independent chemistry questions |
| Physics Question Pack | $15 | 120 | No | Passage-based and independent physics questions |
| Independent Question Bank | $10 | 150 | No | 25 independent questions each in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology |
| CARS Question Bank (new) | $70 | 575 | No | Available Sept. 30, 2026; replaces the CARS Question Packs and CARS Diagnostic Tool |
| What's on the MCAT Exam Content Outline Course | Free | 120 | No | Complete content outline with practice questions across all four sections |
The table above can help you separate full-length exams from targeted practice. It also shows why question count alone does not establish which product fits your current task. A full-length exam measures performance across sections under one testing session, while a question bank gives you concentrated practice in selected formats or subjects.
MCAT Practice Questions by Section and Subject
AAMC MCAT practice questions are available in several formats. Before choosing one, decide whether you need passage practice, independent questions or concentrated work within the MCAT sections. The explanation format also matters because some products explain only the correct response while others discuss every option.
Science Question Packs for Biology, Chemistry and Physics
The two Biology Question Packs, the Chemistry Question Pack and the Physics Question Pack each contain 120 passage-based and independent questions and cost $15, as listed Sept. 14, 2026. The Biology packs provide one rationale for the correct response rather than explanations for every option. The Chemistry and Physics packs follow the same one-rationale approach.
These packs are useful when you want both passage-based and independent practice in a particular science subject. Because the explanations focus on the correct response, your review should also include your own account of why the other choices did not fit the question.
Section Bank Volumes 1 and 2
Each Section Bank contains 300 questions, with 100 from each of the three science sections, and costs $45, as listed Sept. 14, 2026. Volume 1 provides one rationale for the correct answer. Volume 2 explains all four answer options, which gives you more information when comparing your reasoning with the intended reasoning.
The Independent Question Bank
The Independent Question Bank costs $10 and includes 150 non-passage questions. It contains 25 questions each in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology.
The Independent Question Bank fits focused recall and application work without a passage. The AAMC lists confidence levels as a feature of this bank, the science question packs and both Section Banks. You can use that feature while reviewing, but correctness and confidence should remain separate observations. A correct guess still deserves attention, while a confident wrong answer may point to a misconception.
CARS Practice
In the AAMC product comparison, the CARS Question Packs and the CARS Diagnostic Tool are passage-based only and explain all four answer choices. The AAMC stopped selling those products Sept. 14, 2026, and their questions move into the new CARS Question Bank. That bank contains 575 questions, 166 of them new and 409 from earlier CARS products, and costs $70 for one year. It is scheduled to be available Sept. 30, 2026, with the price and date as listed Sept. 14, 2026.
Other Free MCAT Practice Resources
Free MCAT practice extends beyond the two full-length AAMC exams. IMA’s guide to free MCAT prep resources provides a fuller review, while the options below show the main differences among the available materials.
The free What’s on the MCAT Exam Content Outline Course combines the complete content outline with links to open-access textbooks and Khan Academy lessons. It also contains 120 practice questions from the retired Official Guide to the MCAT Exam. The course is adding 10 CARS questions with video walkthroughs from the former CARS Diagnostic Tool.
The Khan Academy MCAT Collection was created with support from the AAMC and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It contains 1,100 videos and 3,000 review questions, making it a broad option for pairing instruction with active recall. The free Exam Features Tool has 12 example questions and introduces exam features such as optional keyboard shortcuts. The free MCAT Sample Question Guide also has 12 questions, with three from each of the four sections.
These shorter resources are not substitutes for a full-length exam. They can help you learn the interface, check a limited set of topics or add question practice between longer testing sessions.
How to Take an MCAT Practice Exam Like Test Day
Take a full-length practice exam using the same timing behavior you intend to follow on test day. According to the AAMC’s MCAT Essentials, the MCAT is a standardized, computer-based exam with four multiple-choice sections. Practicing within that structure helps you observe pacing and concentration across an entire exam rather than judging each subject in isolation.
The AAMC’s MCAT FAQs explain that on the real exam, the breaks between sections are optional. You can continue after finishing a section or take the optional 10-minute or 30-minute break. Time left over from an early finish or a skipped break does not transfer to the following section. Your simulation should reflect that rule rather than treating unused time as extra time for later questions.
The AAMC also notes that the real exam includes field-test questions in each section. Those questions are being considered for future use and do not count toward your score. You will not know which questions are field-test items, so answer every question based on the same process instead of trying to identify unscored content.
How to Use and Review Practice Exams in Your Study Plan
Use each practice exam to make a decision about what you will study next. The AAMC suggests beginning with the Unscored Sample Test to establish a baseline, then using its Content & Skills Breakdown to identify gaps. After further preparation, Practice Exam 1 can introduce test-day timing while giving you a scaled score and percentile rank.
After any exam, complete a review of every incorrect or flagged question. For each one, identify why you missed it and what action will address the problem. The reason may involve content knowledge, passage interpretation, answer selection or timing, but you should base the diagnosis on what happened on that specific question rather than applying the same explanation to every mistake.
Spend substantial time on the weaknesses you found before taking another full-length exam. The AAMC describes active learning as recall, practice and reflection rather than only reading or watching videos. IMA’s guide on how to study for the MCAT can help you connect this review process with your broader preparation.
Schedule enough time between exams to complete that work. A crowded series of full-length tests can identify the same weakness repeatedly without giving you time to correct it. If you are balancing study with other commitments, build each testing and review block into an MCAT prep timeline before you begin.
Access, Resets and Extensions
Access to AAMC MCAT Official Prep products lasts for one year from purchase. You can reset a product as often as you want, but every reset presents the same questions. A reset therefore provides another attempt, not a new form of the product.
Three-month and six-month extensions are available. Practice Exams 2 through 6 can be extended for $17.50 for three months or $22.75 for six months, with prices as listed Sept. 14, 2026. You can obtain an extension while the product remains active or within 60 days after expiration. The extension adds either 90 or 180 days.
If you purchase a product again, your completed activity and score reports remain available. The AAMC cannot place an active prep product on hold, so consider your expected study period before starting the access term. You also cannot upgrade individual products to a bundle after buying them separately.
AAMC Practice Product Changes for Fall 2026
The AAMC ended sales of the CARS Diagnostic Tool and CARS Question Packs, Volumes 1 and 2, effective Sept. 14, 2026. Students who already have access can continue using those products until their access expires. Their questions move into the new CARS Question Bank described in the CARS practice section above.
The MCAT Official Prep Online-Only Bundle is unavailable from Sept. 14 through Sept. 29, 2026. It returns Sept. 30 with the new CARS Question Bank and a price of $336.15 for one year, as listed Sept. 14, 2026. The AAMC says it typically releases new prep products or enhancements during the fall between testing years, so confirm the current store listing when planning a later purchase.
Fee Assistance Program Access to Official Prep
Fee Assistance Program recipients can receive the MCAT Official Prep Online-Only Bundle, which includes all online MCAT Official Prep products. A recipient must choose to receive this benefit rather than assuming it will be added automatically.
For the 2026 award, recipients also pay a reduced MCAT registration fee of $145 instead of $355. IMA’s guide to MCAT cost provides additional context for planning registration and preparation expenses.
Choosing Your Next Practice Resource
Choose your next resource based on the task in front of you. Use a full-length exam when you need to practice the complete testing experience, then move to section or subject questions when your review identifies a specific weakness. IMA’s collection of MCAT prep resources can help you connect practice testing with the rest of your study plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Free MCAT Practice Exams Does the AAMC Offer?
The AAMC offers two free full-length MCAT practice exams. Practice Exam 1 provides a scaled score and percentile rank, while the Unscored Sample Test does not. Both contain 230 questions across all four sections.
Are AAMC Practice Exams Scored?
Practice Exams 1 through 6 provide a scaled score and percentile rank, but the free Unscored Sample Test does not. The unscored test instead gives you a full-length testing experience and a Content & Skills Breakdown that can help identify knowledge gaps.
Is There a Free Full-Length MCAT Practice Test With Answers?
Yes. The AAMC offers Practice Exam 1 and the Unscored Sample Test at no cost, and both are full-length exams. All AAMC practice exams include explanations for every answer choice in every section, although only Practice Exam 1 provides a scaled score and percentile rank.
What Is the Best MCAT Practice Test?
The best MCAT practice test depends on your immediate goal. The Unscored Sample Test fits an early baseline, while Practice Exam 1 is the free choice when you need a scaled score and percentile rank. The paid Practice Exams 2 through 6 provide additional full-length practice with previously administered questions.
Where Can I Get MCAT CARS Practice?
The AAMC’s new CARS Question Bank is the main official source, with 575 passage-based CARS questions scheduled for Sept. 30, 2026. Free options include the video walkthroughs for four CARS passage sets in the Unscored Sample Test and the 10 CARS questions with walkthroughs being added to the free Content Outline Course.
How Should I Review an MCAT Practice Exam?
Review every incorrect or flagged question and determine why you missed it. Then decide how you will address that issue and spend substantial study time on the identified weakness before taking another full-length exam. Include recall, practice and reflection instead of relying only on reading or videos.
How Long Do AAMC Practice Products Last?
AAMC MCAT Official Prep products provide one year of access from purchase. Three-month and six-month extensions are available while a product is active or within 60 days after it expires. Resetting a product does not create new questions.
Can Fee Assistance Program Recipients Get Official MCAT Prep for Free?
Yes. The Fee Assistance Program’s MCAT Official Prep benefit is the Online-Only Bundle, which includes all online MCAT Official Prep products. Recipients must choose to receive the benefit.
