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Introduction
1. CARS
1.1 CARS section guide
1.2 Reading strategies
1.3 Preview-and-skip strategy
1.4 Practice passage 1
1.5 Practice passage 2
1.6 Practice passage 3
1.7 Practice passage 4
1.8 Practice passage 5
1.9 Practice passage 6
1.10 Practice passage 7
1.11 Practice passage 8
1.12 Practice passage 9
2. Psych/soc
3. Bio/biochem
4. Chem/phys
Wrapping up
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1.1 CARS section guide
Achievable MCAT
1. CARS

CARS section guide

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What this prep section covers:

  • Specific abilities tested in CARS
  • What the passages and questions look like
  • Strategies to use for each passage
  • Sample passages and questions to apply chosen strategies

What does the CARS look like?

  • 9 reading passages with Qs
  • 5-7 Qs per set (passage)
  • No stand-alone questions

This means the section tests critical reading and reasoning, not outside content knowledge.

Students who score well in CARS:

  • Utilize reading strategies
  • Develop strong reasoning skills through careful practice
  • Embrace the “best answer” concept (sometimes the best option doesn’t feel perfect - it’s simply the one most supported by the passage)

What happens at the end of this section?

After you learn the key CARS strategies, you’ll move into a series of practice sets. Each set includes one passage with multiple questions.

These sets are designed to be manageable and flexible. You can do one passage at a time or complete several in a row - choose what fits your study flow best.

CARS section structure

  • 9 passages, each with 5-7 questions
  • All questions linked to passages (no stand-alone questions)
  • Focus on critical reading and reasoning, not prior content knowledge

Keys to high CARS performance

  • Use effective reading strategies
  • Build strong reasoning skills through practice
  • Apply “best answer” approach:
    • Choose the answer most supported by the passage, even if not perfect

Practice sets

  • Each set: one passage with multiple questions
  • Flexible practice options:
    • Complete one or several sets per session
    • Adapt to personal study pace
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CARS section guide

What this prep section covers:

  • Specific abilities tested in CARS
  • What the passages and questions look like
  • Strategies to use for each passage
  • Sample passages and questions to apply chosen strategies

What does the CARS look like?

  • 9 reading passages with Qs
  • 5-7 Qs per set (passage)
  • No stand-alone questions

This means the section tests critical reading and reasoning, not outside content knowledge.

Students who score well in CARS:

  • Utilize reading strategies
  • Develop strong reasoning skills through careful practice
  • Embrace the “best answer” concept (sometimes the best option doesn’t feel perfect - it’s simply the one most supported by the passage)

What happens at the end of this section?

After you learn the key CARS strategies, you’ll move into a series of practice sets. Each set includes one passage with multiple questions.

These sets are designed to be manageable and flexible. You can do one passage at a time or complete several in a row - choose what fits your study flow best.

Key points

CARS section structure

  • 9 passages, each with 5-7 questions
  • All questions linked to passages (no stand-alone questions)
  • Focus on critical reading and reasoning, not prior content knowledge

Keys to high CARS performance

  • Use effective reading strategies
  • Build strong reasoning skills through practice
  • Apply “best answer” approach:
    • Choose the answer most supported by the passage, even if not perfect

Practice sets

  • Each set: one passage with multiple questions
  • Flexible practice options:
    • Complete one or several sets per session
    • Adapt to personal study pace