MDCAT seems monster to every student going through its preparation and it’s a big test conducted by UHS every year. Almost 3000 students get selected by UHS to become future doctors or a future of Pakistan. It is basically a competitive exam you have to score actually great, to ensure a seat in a medical college. How to do an MDCAT preparation is a big question of a student who is heading towards attempting this test.

• Whether I should join an academy or not?
• What kind of books should I buy?
• What kind of strategy should I adopt?
• From where would I be able to get the right guideline?
• Am I good enough to score highest marks in MDCAT test?
• Am I going to ace it or not?
• Maybe the students who clear MDCAT test are from some other planet?

Every MDCAT student goes through such questions and the list is long. Most of the students get this test on their nerves and then later ruined it for themselves. Different students have a different mindset and every student needs his own way of learning for this test. But here are a few tips which surely can be helpful for one of the biggest test of the year. First read this article carefully and then plan accordingly to achieve the highest marks in MDCAT test.

1. The focus is the key

‘’When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe then you will be successful’’ – Eric Thomas

From the end of F.Sc. exam till the day of MDCAT test you have got 3 months which are almost 90 days and these days are enough for the MDCAT Preparation. All you need is the focus and determination. Your success in the exam depends upon how much you are serious about it? How desperately you want to get selected from thousands of students? Are you ready for it? Are you ready to make MDCAT test the center of your life for 3 months? To make it a center of your life, give it a worth.

A big problem you are going to face is- how to remain consistent for the test preparation? How not to do procrastination every single minute?

The answer lies in another question that why are you doing this? You can keep yourself motivated by watching different motivational videos on YouTube and also listening to the stories of your senior fellows who cleared the test. But all of this will work just for a few days and after some time, you will lack determination and focus which is the essential ingredient for achieving the highest marks.

This is your job to keep yourself motivated. Take two minutes daily and think about all the reasons for not giving up on yourself. This test is maybe important for your parents and for your family but first, it must be important for yourself. You have to show some loyalty towards your future. You will get a lot of time to waste after the exam. For this test time is the lock and focus is the key you have to turn the time in your favor by using this key.

2. Stay guided and updated

You cannot open the door by banging on the wall. Without a doubt, you have to do all the preparation to clear the MDCAT test but in the right direction. You should not go for random things you must follow a path and your path must be right, so you can reach the destination.

MDCAT syllabus

• Biology 88 MCQs
• Physics 44 MCQs
• Chemistry 58 MCQs
• English 30 MCQs

Above mentioned are the subjects which are included in the UHS MDCAT test.

First, grab the syllabus from UHS website, and for your own convenience print that syllabus so that you can use it easily. Don’t try to prepare things other than the syllabus, it will cost you a lot of time and you will lose the main topics for nothing. Maybe one or two MCQs come other than syllabus but it’s not worth it to risk all high scoring topics. Strictly follow the syllabus.

MDCAT books

Do students have this big question in their head from where to read? And it is definitely an important question, you must have the right study material for MDCAT preparation. As UHS already announced that it will conduct the test from F.SC books. Now your course books are your MDCAT books.

Try to study from books but still if you don’t have a good temperament for books, which you should have as you already went through F.SC exam, you can go for practice books named as ‘’MDCAT practice books’’ available in the market but confirm it before purchasing that books are according to the MDCAT syllabus or not.

3. Strength and weakness analysis

You have to do one thing in the first few days of the preparation to save yourself from a lot of troubles in future. You must do an analysis of your strengths and weaknesses. It’s an easy task.

Grab your FSc part I marks sheet, it will help you in getting the clear vision of your strengths and weaknesses. The subjects in which you score highest marks are definitely your strengths but you have to still work on these subjects to crystal clear your concepts. Apply the reverse method to find the weaknesses, find the subjects in which your score is not good or not according to your expectations except Urdu and Islamiat, as these two subjects are not included in the UHS syllabus, consider as your weaknesses.

Also, ask to your college teacher who taught you that subject about your skills, he or she must know about the vision of the concepts of that subject you have.

At the end of the day, you would know for which subject you have to put extra effort.

4. Set a feasible routine and suitable learning technique

You cannot be like your fellow student. It is not necessary if he or she is good at English so you must also be good at it. Don’t try to fix yourself in someone else’s shoe. For best results, you have to be fair with yourself.

If you are weak in Biology, then you should manage your schedule in a way that this subject will get your maximum and quality time. Opening books for an hour will do no good to you, quality means everything for MDCAT test. Maybe you don’t get enough time to study every subject daily, here you will get benefit from your weaknesses and strengths analysis.

Define small goals for yourself daily and confirm at the end of the day that you have achieved them. Due to certain reason, you may leave the track of your set routine but you need to get back as early as possible. Keep reminding yourself of all the reasons that why you are doing this so you can feel motivated every day.

Try to study in the morning as it is the best time to study according to the psychologist but if you are not a morning person then plan accordingly.

5. Practice makes a man perfect

You can master anything if you keep practicing it in the right way. The success of MDCAT lies in a fact that how much you practice and how you convert your weaknesses into your strengths.

• Listen to lectures
• Take the test of that topic or chapter.
• Check your test or get it checked by the teacher so you can find your mistakes.
• Make a list of the topics in which you lack.
• Revise the topic with new method and strategy. Don’t only memorize things you need to build logic and facts to solve the MDCAT test.
• Seek the help of your teacher to know the right answers to your wrong questions.
• Seek the help of the fellow student who has better knowledge of those concepts.
• Then again take a test. You can also take online lectures and can give an online test which helps you to build your concepts.
• You should also help your fellow students about the topics in which you have good command and knowledge.
• Repeat.

Maybe fewer marks in the practice tests let you down but you have to carry it with full enthusiasm because the strategy of MDCAT test is completely different from FSc. learning method. So it is completely OKAY if you find hurdle at the start of the preparation all you have to do is to remain consistent and determined for this test.

Practice without a calculator.

You are not allowed to use a calculator in MDCAT test so you must not use it during MDCAT preparation to avoid any difficulty during the test. However, Physics is the subject which demands calculator but you have to act smart here and go for the formulas and methods which work without a calculator and give you the right answer.

Smart formulas are devised so you can solve the test without a calculator and can finish it in time. If you practice with a calculator, then you cannot be able to calculate the answer without a calculator or cannot be able to finish in time.

Save yourself from big trouble and don’t use a calculator and learn the methods which save you big time.

6. Solve full-length MDCAT test

You should prepare yourself 100% before going for the test. Take full-length MDCAT test with the key, in the same way, you are going to take MDCAT test. Figure out your mistakes while attempting the entrance exam. By doing this you will have the idea of following things

• How much time you are taking.
• Are you filling your answer sheet properly?
• Which subject is taking your maximum time?
• Are you not facing any hurdle without a calculator?
• Are you using the right strategy to solve the paper?
• What is your aggregate after the test?

It is a necessary thing to do. So don’t just rely on the practice test, must solve full-length practice exam of MDCAT test during preparation.

7. Consider English equally important

Hundreds of students failed the test because of English, they got maximum marks in FSc but not able to ace it in MDCAT test. The reason is, English has different kind of MCQs which require logics and facts and here students are mistaken. They pay no heed to learn the concepts and logic of English grammar they go for cramming which in the end not only cost them a lot of marks but also a seat in a medical college

You need to be very careful about this. Again practice is the answer to this problem.

• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• Grammar

Above are the three areas in which you must have a command to score good marks, therefore, strictly follow the syllabus and try to buy practice books and take lectures or go for video lectures online. English is something you have to work on and take responsibility for it. Because, you have to become a doctor in the end

8. Sleep and eat well

‘’Healthy body has a healthy mind.’’ Preparation of MDCAT can be hectic but try to take little breaks and have a proper meal. If you don’t do this, then after a few days you will lose your energy and your mind will not be able to absorb new things. According to doctors if a person is not taking proper sleep then his or her mind will not work at its best.

You may save your time by not eating on time or by not taking proper sleep but it will bring you no good but troubles and hurdles in learning and memorizing things. So just be true to yourself and let your body eat and rest properly so it can cooperate with you during MDCAT preparation.

9. Have faith and don’t panic

Faith is the secret of success. You have to infuse faith in yourself so that you can do it, no matters how difficult it is.  A positive attitude is everything. Seek help from Allah offer prayer and try to be around those people who believe in you because company matters a lot.

Most of the students get panic about the test, however, they are the intelligent students but don’t know how to handle the pressure. You have to do one thing daily, stand in front of a mirror, tell and convince yourself that you can do it. Taking this test on your nerves will defeat you on test day. It is very necessary to keep yourself refrain from negative attitude and thoughts. According to psychologists, thoughts have everything to do with your actions in real life.

Take everything positively even your bad score in practice exam. You have to acknowledge your mistakes with open heart and mind so you can work on it.

If you dream about becoming a doctor, then you need to work for it. You will get in the end what you have strived for.