High-yield tips to help you improve your MCAT CARS score, including a full breakdown of the CARS section, frequently asked questions, plus a practice passage
(Note: This resource also appears in our MCAT Ultimate Guide.)
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Part 1: Introduction to MCAT CARS
Part 2: MCAT CARS Section Breakdown
Part 3: MCAT CARS Strategies
a) Passage outline
b) Predict the next paragraph
c) Super-fast
d) Nice and slow
e) Text evidence
f) Questions first
g) Pretend you're explaining the passage to a middle schooler
h) Picking a proper strategy
Part 4: How to Arrive at the Correct Answer
Part 5: Passage-Based Questions and Answers
Part 6: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Part 1: Introduction to MCAT CARS
The MCAT is a hard test, but for many premeds, the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Section (CARS) can be the most mysterious and difficult section of the exam to prepare for. How do you prepare for a section that may give you a passage on topics that range all the way from history to philosophy? You can’t memorize any content to improve on the CARS section, but the section counts just as much as the other sections!
Medical schools value applicants who know not just how to memorize and regurgitate scientific facts but also how to think and read critically on a variety of topics. In fact, a number of Canadian medical schools have minimum MCAT CARS scores required for admission and no minimums for any of the other sections.
Unlike the other three sections of the test, CARS requires no outside knowledge or prior memorization of subject material, making it a much more difficult section to study for. Test takers must be able to read a passage on any subject, quickly synthesize and interpret the key information, and answer the corresponding questions.
Importantly, you think differently from other people because you are a unique student, so there is no one universal CARS strategy that will work for every person. In fact, there are several different strategies that you can use to succeed on CARS, and the key is finding which is most effective for you. In this guide, we will outline the different components of the MCAT CARS section and the main strategies that can help you ace it.
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Part 2: MCAT CARS Section Breakdown
The MCAT CARS section is 90 minutes and contains 53 multiple choice questions, making it 5 minutes and 6 questions shorter than each of the other 3 sections on the exam. It also contains 9 passages, so there is an average of 5-6 questions per passage. This means that you should average no more than 10 minutes per passage, including the questions.
Like we mentioned earlier, CARS requires no prior knowledge from test takers. Everything that is needed to answer the questions is in the passages (this is a helpful fact to remember), and it helps immensely to have good critical reading skills or develop them as you prepare for the exam. According to the test writers at the AAMC, 50% of passage content covers the Humanities, which can include subjects like Architecture, Art, Dance, Ethics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Popular Culture, Religion, and Theater. The other 50% of passage content includes the Social Sciences, which can include Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Education, Geography, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Population Health, Psychology, Sociology, and Studies of Diverse Cultures. Again, familiarity with these subjects is not necessary, but the ability to extract important information from the passage in front of you will help you succeed on this section.
Moving past the content of the passages, let’s look at the questions themselves. The questions are broken down into three main types. 30% will fall under the category of Foundations of Comprehension. These questions will test if you have a fundamental understanding of the meaning of the passage. The next 30% of questions fall under Reasoning Within the Text. These questions go a step further and ask test takers to synthesize multiple parts of the text to come to a reasonable conclusion. The remaining 40% of questions fall under Reasoning Beyond the Text. As the name implies, these questions will require you to take the passage information and extrapolate to a broader meaning or to apply the information to a different context. The latter types of questions are typically the most difficult, but with continued practice and the right strategies, you will be able to successfully answer them.
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Part 3: MCAT CARS Strategies
This section will outline seven useful strategies that you can use to approach each CARS passage. We recommend that you begin with the first strategy, see how it works, and try each subsequent strategy until you find the one or the combination that is most effective for you. Below is an example passage, and what follows will be the seven different strategies and examples of how to employ them for this passage:
In the second century of the Christian Era, the empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilized portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valor. The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners had gradually cemented the union of the provinces. The image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence: the Roman senate appeared to possess the sovereign authority, and devolved on the emperors all the executive powers of government.
During a happy period of more than fourscore years, the public administration was conducted by the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the two Antonines. It is the design of this to describe the prosperous condition of their empire; and afterwards, from the death of Marcus Antoninus, to deduce the most important circumstances of its decline and fall; a revolution which will ever be remembered, and is still felt by the nations of the earth.
The principal conquests of the Romans were achieved under the republic; and the emperors, for the most part, were satisfied with preserving those dominions which had been acquired by the policy of the senate, the active emulations of the consuls, and the martial enthusiasm of the people. The seven first centuries were filled with a rapid succession of triumphs; but it was reserved for Augustus to relinquish the ambitious design of subduing the whole earth, and to introduce a spirit of moderation into the public councils.
The only accession which the Roman empire received, during the first century of the Christian Aera, was the province of Britain. In this single instance, the successors of Caesar and Augustus were persuaded to follow the example of the former, rather than the precept of the latter. The proximity of its situation to the coast of Gaul seemed to invite their arms; the pleasing though doubtful intelligence of a pearl fishery, attracted their avarice; and as Britain was viewed in the light of a distinct and insulated world, the conquest scarcely formed any exception to the general system of continental measures.
The various tribes of Britain possessed valor without conduct, and the love of freedom without the spirit of union. They took up arms with savage fierceness; they laid them down, or turned them against each other, with wild inconsistency; and while they fought singly, they were successively subdued. At the very time when Domitian, confined to his palace, felt the terrors which he inspired, his legions, under the command of the virtuous Agricola, defeated the collected force of the Caledonians, at the foot of the Grampian Hills; and his fleets, venturing to explore an unknown and dangerous navigation, displayed the Roman arms round every part of the island.
The conquest of Britain was considered as already achieved; and it was the design of Agricola to complete and ensure his success, by the easy reduction of Ireland, for which, in his opinion, one legion and a few auxiliaries were sufficient. The western isle might be improved into a valuable possession, and the Britons would wear their chains with the less reluctance, if the prospect and example of freedom were on every side removed from before their eyes.
Material used in this test passage has been adapted from the following source:
Edward Gibbon. (1776). The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire. Strahan & Cadell, London. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved February 11, 2020, from http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25717.
MCAT CARS Strategy #1: Passage Outline
In the first strategy, as you make your way through the passage, you should quickly jot down the main idea of each paragraph in four or five words, and at the end of the passage, take between 5 and 15 seconds to think about and/or write down the main idea of the entire passage.
The point of this method is not to make a detailed outline and refer back to it often when answering questions. The point is to challenge yourself to engage critically with the text as you are reading through it. If you know you have to come up with a short summary after reading a paragraph, you’re more likely to actively listen!
As a result, you should avoid taking more than a few seconds after each paragraph to write down the main idea. It’s often useful to use shorthand when jotting these ideas down, and the most important part is taking time to quickly think through the point of the entire passage when you’re done reading it.
Here’s an example of how to employ this strategy on the passage above:
Paragraph 1: Roman empire used government effectively
Paragraph 2: Passage will track rise and fall
Paragraph 3: Augustus introduced moderation
Paragraph 4: Romans wanted to invade Britain
Paragraph 5: Romans had Britain subdued
Paragraph 6: Sights set on Ireland conquest
End of Passage: The Roman empire had a robust system of government that allowed them to expand their territory through conquest for many centuries. Augustus was the first emperor to encourage moderation, but his successors broke that precedent and invaded Britain using an invasion of Ireland for strategic purposes.
Notice how this “outline” does not try to include every small detail of the passage, but rather it just identifies the overall flow of ideas. This way, you can maximize your efficiency by balancing the time constraints with thorough comprehension of the passage.
MCAT CARS Strategy #2: Predict the Next Paragraph
The next strategy you might find helpful is to read each paragraph and make an educated guess of what the subsequent paragraph will be about. Like the first strategy, this will encourage you to be engaged with the main idea of each paragraph and will allow you to follow the trail of logic of the passage better. The important part is not necessarily to get the correct prediction, but rather to understand the preceding paragraph well enough to know what the possible next ideas could be.
Here is an example of the thought process that could go into this strategy using the passage above:
The first paragraph is generally about Rome’s successful system of government that divided power between the senate and monarchy and encouraged unity in the empire. Therefore, the second paragraph will likely go into more detail about the inner workings of the government or highlight the results of its success, whether it be prosperity or expansion of the empire.
The second paragraph discusses the transition from prosperity to decline of the empire due to the death of Marcus Antoninus. Therefore, the next paragraph will probably talk about the prosperous period before decline.
The third paragraph first talks about all the successful conquests of the expanding Roman empire and then introduces Augustus, who wants to use more moderation. Therefore, the next paragraph might explore the Roman period under Augustus’s reign.
As you can see, attempting to predict the next paragraph forces the reader to quickly synthesize the information from the current paragraph. The predictions above were partially correct, but they also were not able to predict the introduction of new characters or information. That’s okay! Don’t get bogged down in making the right prediction. Rather, lean into this strategy as a means to read critically and comprehend the passage fully.
MCAT CARS Strategy #3: Super-Fast
For some people, having a strict time limit allows them to focus on the most important ideas of the passage instead of focusing on small details, which can help evade answer options that are meant to trick test takers. Therefore, for this strategy, limit yourself to 8 or 9 minutes per passage instead of the normal 10 minutes per passage.
This may require you to read the passage quickly, potentially even to the point of skimming some sections so that you have more time to answer the questions. Then, for the questions asking about specific details, you can go back and search for the answer within the passage.
MCAT CARS Strategy #4: Nice and Slow
Another strategy is to approach passages as if there is no time limit. Pretend you had all of the time in the world. Could you still get all of the questions on a CARS passage correct?
Untimed practice can be valuable in reasoning through harder passages that may take a bit longer initially to figure out, especially those in the Reasoning Beyond the Text category. Furthermore, practicing the CARS section without time restrictions can help you identify which types of problems take you longer to answer, which can quickly highlight your strengths and weaknesses. With this method, you can use any of the other strategies outlined in this guide (except Strategy #3 of course) to come to the best answer without time restrictions.
MCAT CARS Strategy #5: Text Evidence
This strategy takes advantage of the fact that there is always a place in the passage that supports the answer to the questions in the CARS section. Every AAMC CARS answer key refers to a piece of text to justify a correct answer choice. Therefore, for this strategy, before you pick an answer, you must find and highlight text that supports your choice.
This does not mean highlight text as you read the passage, but rather, find a place in the passage that justifies the answer that you choose. As you begin practicing this strategy, you’ll often find that incorrect answer choices tend to lack text evidence or incorrectly interpret the text evidence.
MCAT CARS Strategy #6: Questions First
The sixth strategy that we suggest is to read the questions to the passage before reading the passage itself. As you read the questions, quickly jot down key paragraphs or pieces of information to pay special attention to when going through the passage. For example, many questions will explicitly refer to a specific paragraph or names within the passage. In that case, read that paragraph extra carefully and think about its relationship to the rest of the passage.
A pitfall to this strategy that you should be aware of is that looking at answer choices before reading the passage can cause misleading or incorrect answer choices to skew your reading of the passage. To prevent this from occurring, read only the questions and avoid reading the answers when employing this strategy.
MCAT CARS Strategy #7: Pretend You’re Explaining the Passage to a Middle Schooler
The final strategy that we’ll discuss may help if you struggle to understand the main idea of a passage. CARS passages often contain complex vocabulary and sentence structure, making it difficult to discern the main idea of any given passage. So, pretend that you have to read and explain the passage you are taking to a middle schooler. You can’t use complex language or ideas and must break those everything down into bite-sized chunks.
Let’s look at this paragraph from our example passage:
During a happy period of more than fourscore years, the public administration was conducted by the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the two Antonines. It is the design of this to describe the prosperous condition of their empire; and afterwards, from the death of Marcus Antoninus, to deduce the most important circumstances of its decline and fall; a revolution which will ever be remembered, and is still felt by the nations of the earth.
How could you explain this to a middle schooler? You might simplify the entire paragraph all the way down to: “Things were going well for Rome, but something changed and things started going poorly.” This sweet and short explanation will give you a feel for the passage that is invaluable to answering CARS questions and can help you decide between two difficult answer choices!
The last section contained lots of information on a wide variety of strategies that you could use in the CARS section. You may be feeling overwhelmed and wondering how to pick the right strategy for you.
The best way to identify the strategy for you is to do a set of practice problems employing each strategy, calculating your % correct, and selecting the method(s) that you scored the highest on. For this to be effective, you should do a minimum of 40-50 questions using each strategy.
Ultimately, it comes down to which strategy makes you feel the most comfortable and yields the best results. There are many ways to attack the CARS section, but only one way will work the best for you.
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Part 4: How to arrive at the correct answer
After reading the previous two sections of this guide, you might be thinking, “That’s all fine and well, but how do I ensure that I select the correct answer?” Well, there are two main strategies that we recommend.
The first strategy is to read the question and guess what you think the correct answer is before looking at the options given. For many questions, you will have an idea of the correct answer, especially if you read and understood the passage.
This is the single best strategy to avoid trap answers. The hardest aspect of the CARS section, and what separates it from tests like the SAT or ACT, is that there will often be multiple “true” answers, but only one “correct” answer. As a result, if you look at the answer choices before having an idea of what the correct answer should look like, you could get stuck between two “true” answers, overthink the question, and select the wrong one.
Therefore, we recommend making this educated guess before you can be tricked, and if there is an answer that aligns closely with your guess, select it and move forward.
Sometimes, however, this strategy will not work for certain question types or your guess might not be present in the answer choices. In these cases, we suggest you move on to our next strategy, which is to use process of elimination.
To begin, eliminate options that are obviously wrong, do not pertain to the question, go beyond what the author actually said in the passage, or simply do not answer the question being asked. Once you narrowed down to two choices, try to find text within the passage that most clearly supports one answer.
Now that we’ve outlined these two main strategies, let’s answer some sample questions based on the passage from Part 3 of this guide:
Question 1: The author implies that the British tribes were defeated because…
Before we present the answer choices, let’s make our guess for what we think the correct answer should look like. Paragraph 5 of the passage says, “The various tribes of Britain possessed valor without conduct, and the love of freedom without the spirit of union.” From this, we could venture to guess that the British tribes were defeated because they weren’t unified.
Now for the answer choices:
A) they fought together.
B) they fought for freedom.
C) they lacked passion.
D) they did not work together.
Based on our prediction, we can comfortably select Choice D as the correct answer.
Now let’s move on to a question that is a little more involving.
Question 2: If true, which of the following statements would most strongly challenge the author’s claims about Agricola’s strategy for the conquest of Britain?
Let’s again use the question strategies we just discussed. Paragraph 6 of the passage says, “and it was the design of Agricola to complete and ensure his success, by the easy reduction of Ireland… the Britons would wear their chains with the less reluctance, if the prospect and example of freedom were on every side removed from before their eyes.” Therefore, we can make an educated guess that the answer will challenge the argument that Agricola used the conquest of Ireland as a means to subdue the Britons by removing all hope of freedom.
The answer choices:
A) The prospect of freedom had already been removed from Ireland before Agricola’s conquest.
B) Agricola was well-regarded by the Roman government.
C) Agricola’s ideas were not supported by other military generals at the time.
D) The conquest of Britain took far longer than anticipated.
Now using process of elimination, we can first remove Choice B and C because they have nothing to do with conquest or defeating Britain and contain information well outside what the author mentioned in the passage. This leaves us Choice A and D. Choice D does not mention Ireland or removing hope for the Britons. While it might make sense, it is not supported. Therefore, Choice A is correct.
These two questions provide examples of how to employ the question strategies we mentioned in this guide to your exam preparation. First, try to guess what you think the correct answer choice will be. Second, use the century-old strategy of process of elimination to hone in on the correct answer.
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Part 5: MCAT CARS Practice Passage
(Click here for more MCAT CARS Practice Passages)
It was about the beginning of September 1664, that I heard in ordinary discourse that the plague was returned again in Holland. It had been very violent there, and particularly at Amsterdam and Rotterdam, in the year 1663, whither, they say, it was brought, some said from Italy, others from the Levant, among some goods which were brought home by their Turkey fleet; others said it was from Cyprus. It seems that the Government had a true account of it, and several councils were held about ways to prevent its coming over; but all was kept very private. People began to forget it as a thing we were very little concerned in, till the latter end of November or the beginning of December 1664 when two men, said to be Frenchmen, died of the plague at the upper end of Drury Lane.
The family they were in endeavoured to conceal it as much as possible, but as it had gotten some vent in the discourse of the neighbourhood, the Secretaries of State got knowledge of it. Concerning themselves to inquire about it, in order to be certain of the truth, two physicians and a surgeon were ordered to go to the house and make inspection. This they did; and finding evident tokens of the sickness upon both the bodies that were dead, they gave their opinions publicly that they died of the plague.
The people showed a great concern at this, and began to be alarmed all over the town, and the more, because in the last week in December 1664 another man died in the same house, and of the same distemper. And then we were easy again for about six weeks, when none having died with any marks of infection, it was said the distemper was gone. But after that, another died in another house, but in the same parish and in the same manner. It began to be suspected that the plague was among the people at that end of the town, though they had taken care to keep it as much from the knowledge of the public as possible.
I lived midway between Aldgate Church and Whitechappel Bars, on the north side of the street. As the distemper had not reached to that side of the city, our neighbourhood continued very easy. But at the other end of the town their consternation was very great. The richer sort of people, especially the nobility and gentry from the west part of the city, thronged out of town with their families and servants in an unusual manner. Indeed, nothing was to be seen but waggons and carts, with goods, women, servants, children, etc.; coaches filled with people of the better sort and horsemen attending them, and all hurrying away. Then empty waggons and carts appeared, and spare horses with servants, who, it was apparent, were returning or sent from the countries to fetch more people.
This was a very terrible and melancholy thing to see, and as it was a sight which I could not but look on from morning to night it filled me with very serious thoughts of the misery that was coming upon the city, and the unhappy condition of those that would be left in it. I now began to consider seriously with myself concerning my own case, and how I should dispose of myself. That is to say, whether I should resolve to stay in London or shut up my house and flee, as many of my neighbours did. I have set this particular down so fully, because I know not but it may be of moment to those who come after me, if they come to be brought to the same distress. Therefore I desire this account may pass with them rather for a direction to themselves to act by than a history of my actings, seeing it may not be of one farthing value to them to note what became of me.
I had two important things before me. One was the carrying on my business and shop, which was considerable, and in which was embarked all my effects in the world. The other was the preservation of my life in so dismal a calamity as I saw apparently was coming upon the whole city. I was a single man, but I had a family of servants whom I kept at my business. I had a house, shop, and warehouses filled with goods. To leave them had been to hazard the loss not only of my trade, but of my goods, and indeed of all I had in the world.
Material used in this test passage has been adapted from the following source:
Daniel Defoe. (1995). A Journal of the Plague Year. Matsumoto & Widger, London. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/376.
Question 1: Based on paragraph 3, which of the following words most nearly means distemper?
A) Disposition
B) Cause
C) Disease
D) Resentment
Question 2: From the passage, one can reasonably infer that:
A) The city lacked a middle class
B) The author did not have the means to leave town
C) The plague was new to Europe
D) The government sought to prevent mass hysteria
Question 3: Which of the following statements, if true, most challenges the author’s assumption:
A) Those who fled the city were more likely to die from the plague
B) The plague did not kill everyone who got it
C) The plague was not brought from Italy
D) International commerce was negatively affected by the plague
Question 4: The passage offers NO information about the author’s:
A) Marital status
B) Upbringing
C) Occupation
D) Motivations
Question 5: What does the passage suggest about the nobility of the city:
A) They did not care about their servants
B) They had the resources to leave town
C) They were well-connected with the local government
D) They were more fearful about the plague than others
Question 6: This passage would be most likely to be found in a:
A) History book
B) Scholarly journal
C) Autobiography
D) Newspaper article
Answers to MCAT Practice Passage Questions
1. Choice C is correct. In paragraph 3, the passage says, “another man died in the same house, and of the same distemper.” From this alone, Choice D does not make sense. It goes on to say, “when none having died with any marks of infection, it was said the distemper was gone.” From this, we can eliminate Choice A. In this context, Choice B can also be eliminated because it is clear that the word distemper is in relation to the infection. Therefore, the correct answer is Choice C.
This question falls under the Foundations of Comprehension category.
2. Choice D is correct. Choice C is incorrect because the passage says, “the plague was returned again in Holland,” so it could not have been new to Europe. Choice B is also incorrect because the author chronicles his internal debate on whether or not to leave the city, and none of his reasons regard an inability to leave. He is also a businessowner with servants, so he likely has the means to flee. While Choice A may be true, the passage does not provide enough information to invalidate the existence of a middle class. Therefore, the correct answer is Choice D. This is supported through the multiple references to the government’s attempts to keep knowledge of the plague to a minimum.
This question falls under the Reasoning Within the Text category.
3. Choice A is correct. Choice B is incorrect because the plague can still endanger life without killing everybody who contracts it. Choice C is incorrect because the author asserts that some said it was from Italy, but he himself makes no judgment on the matter. Choice D can also be eliminated because the author makes no determination about the fate of international trade. Therefore, the correct answer is Choice A. The author debates fleeing to save his own life, so if it was found that those who left were more likely to die from the plague, his assumption that staying in town is more dangerous would be incorrect.
This question falls under the Reasoning Beyond the Text category.
4. Choice B is correct. The author says that he is a single man (Choice A), discusses his shop (Choice C), and explains that he is writing the passage for those who come after him (Choice D). Nowhere in the passage does he discuss his upbringing.
This question falls under the Foundations of Comprehension category.
5. Choice B is correct. The passage does not mention the nobility’s relationship to the government, so Choice C is incorrect. Nothing is said about the relationship of the nobility to their servants, but they bring them along to flee, which would invalidate Choice A. The passage implies that the nobility have the means to leave town, unlike those who are left behind, but it says nothing about levels of fear. Therefore, Choice D is incorrect, and the correct answer is Choice B.
This question falls under the Reasoning Within the Text category.
6. Choice C is correct. Though the passage chronicles a historical event, it is written in the first person through the lens of one individual and focuses on the plague’s effect on his life. Therefore, it is most likely to be found in an autobiography.
This question falls under the Reasoning Beyond the Text category.
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Part 6: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does the scoring work on the CARS section?
The MCAT is scaled so that 50th percentile scores will score around a 500. The same is true for the CARS section. The 50th percentile will receive a score of about 125, the 90th percentile will receive a 128, and the 98th percentile will receive a 130. This means that there is no direct conversion of the number of questions answered correct to a particular score. It is estimated that missing 10-13 questions out of 53 will yield a score of 127, but again this is not always the case, and it depends how difficult the passages you had were and how others performed on those passages.
What is a good CARS score on the MCAT?
The average CARS score for matriculants to medical school in the 2019-2020 cycle was 127.
How do I increase my speed on the MCAT CARS section?
In the very beginning, it is okay to go slower on CARS passage or complete untimed practice. However, as the exam approaches, it is important to practice taking no more than 10 minutes per passage. Everyone has a different strategy that works best for them, but if you are pressed for time, consider reading the questions first and/or skimming the passage for main ideas and important details.
Furthermore, using the question strategy of guessing what the correct answer is before looking at the answer choices can help prevent you from dwelling on a difficult question for too long. Eliminate the obviously wrong answers and select a choice based on the textual evidence. Finally, understand that each question is worth the same amount, so avoid taking too long on any one question.
Does the MCAT allow you to highlight or underline text?
Yes. The MCAT has a highlight function that allows you to highlight important text. Use this as you see fit, but for the sake of time, avoid highlighting excessively or unnecessarily.
Are CARS passages presented in order of difficulty?
There is no particular order to the difficulty of CARS passages or questions. Some people find it useful to take the shorter or “easier” passages first and move on to the more difficult ones. Do what is most comfortable for you, but do not spend too long deciding which order take your passages if you do decide to skip around!
How do I improve my critical reading skills?
Practice, practice, practice. And read anything you can get your hands on. The CARS section covers a diverse array of subjects and writing styles, so any type of reading is helpful, even if it isn’t directly related to the MCAT. Also, the more practice passages you do, the more your brain will learn what to look for and how to read to answer CARS questions.
What’s the fastest way to improve my MCAT CARS score?
There is no substitute for time and practice, but if your exam is fast approaching, we suggest picking a strategy that you are most comfortable with and practicing answering as many CARS passages as you can. However, give your brain a chance to rest the day or night before the exam.
How important is the CARS section relative to the other three sections of the MCAT?
The CARS section is just as important as the other three sections of the exam. Medical schools want well-rounded applicants who can think in a variety of ways about a number of different subjects, and the CARS section gives them an opportunity to assess your ability to do that. Ultimately, it is a quarter of your total MCAT score, so it should be taken seriously.
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