Are you getting ready to take the MCAT? If sociology is the topic you don’t feel quite confident about, don’t worry! We’ll tell you how to deal with high-yield terms that you need to know for the MCAT. Plus, we’ve included example questions to help you practice. Let’s go!

 

Should You Concentrate on High-Yield MCAT Subjects?

First and foremost, consider the significance of all the fundamental concepts. You cannot get a good MCAT score without reviewing and becoming very familiar with each of them. Therefore, we do not recommend any study methods that emphasize studying high-yield MCAT subjects at the expense of low-yield MCAT subjects.

Remember that the MCAT exam itself is unpredictable, and there is no way to predict how questions will be distributed among the various broad topic categories. The “foundational” or crucial topics you must master to ace the MCAT exam are also the foundational concepts. As we mentioned above, there might be particular topics, with only 5% of the questions being direct. Still, there might be a much higher percentage of indirect questions asking you to recall what you already know about those topics.

Planning and focused study should be essential components of your MCAT preparation. You are aware of the MCAT’s difficulty level and the fact that it covers a wide range of science subjects. You need to learn a lot of information. Planning out how much time to spend on each fundamental concept can be easier by paying close attention to the breakdown of topics. Doing so allows you to assess your strengths and weaknesses and highlight your weakest subjects more.

The Balance Between Learning New Concepts and Reviewing the Old Ones

It’s essential to keep in mind that studying for an exam requires not only learning new material but also reviewing it. Throughout the weeks or months of preparation, you must make time to review previous material so that it remains current in your memory.

We advise a well-balanced study schedule that gives you enough time to become an expert in the “high-yield” concepts and proficient in all foundational concepts. You can consult the official AAMC MCAT content breakdown during your study period to help you decide which subjects to focus on first. Additionally, be careful not to waste time studying for subjects that won’t even be covered on the test.

We don’t advise skipping any topics, even if you’re short on time! You can utilize your limited time more effectively in other ways, though. You might decide to enroll in an MCAT prep course or hire a tutor as additional assistance. This kind of expert assistance could be exactly what you need to design a successful, individualized study schedule that targets your most important areas for development and aids in developing the abilities and methods required to succeed on the MCAT exam.

You can’t just rely on memorization of high-yield MCAT topics to achieve a good result, given how lengthy and complicated the MCAT can be. It will be beneficial if you concentrate on creating plans that will enable you to respond to any question you encounter, regardless of its subject matter.

 

Best 5 MCAT Sociology Strategies

To prepare yourself for a successful MCAT result, keep these tips in mind as you study for the exam.

 

Customize Your Preparation Plan

The AAMC thoroughly describes the concepts covered in each MCAT section. This should guide you as you plan your studies, gather resources for each topic, make flashcards, etc.

Keep in mind that the MCAT tests you on various fundamental scientific ideas mentioned in numerous questions. Many questions require you to recall and combine your understanding of various fundamental concepts. Make sure you fully comprehend these fundamental ideas before wasting your time on extremely complex subjects that are highly unlikely to be covered on the MCAT.

 

Create a Balanced, Consistent Study Plan

It will help if you make a well-thought-out MCAT study schedule that allows enough time to cover each foundational subject and important scientific idea. Additionally, you need to schedule enough time for MCAT sociology, using question banks to practice, and taking mock exams. You won’t be able to develop the crucial skills necessary for the MCAT without the latter.

You should devote 5 to 8 hours a day, five days a week, for at least 8 to 12 weeks to your studies to be fully prepared for the MCAT. This timeline obviously varies from person to person, but it is based on the typical prep hours of former applicants (now doctors) who scored highly on the MCAT.

Remember that consistency is important. Make sure you stick to your MCAT study schedule and give consistent hours per week to MCAT preparation. To keep the information current in your mind, you’ll need to switch between various sections and topics. Even if you are already knowledgeable about a particular subject (for example, if you studied it recently in an undergrad course), make sure you review it during your preparation and know how to use your knowledge in the MCAT test format.

Tip: If you’re having trouble raising your MCAT sociology score, consider whether you haven’t spent enough time during your preparation reading, analyzing, and explaining difficult material. 

We at Jack Westin advise spending a few hours per week reading articles from humanities and social sciences journals, philosophy books, and classic works of literature to improve your MCAT timing and performance on this section. Engage with the information and take the time to recognize the main ideas, arguments, and supporting details in each paragraph you read.

 

Get Reliable Learning Materials

To adequately prepare for the MCAT, get enough reading material. Make sure to incorporate both the specific content and resources that will help with your MCAT preparation. You will also require section-specific practice question banks and mock exams in addition to your textbooks, course notes, and guides to the exam’s subject matter. With study aids like flashcards and professional lesson plans, your strenuous MCAT preparation will go much more smoothly. 

If you discover that there are some subjects that you require assistance with, that’s okay! An expert’s advice can help you get back on track and improve your tactics because it can sometimes be challenging to recognize your own areas for improvement. Through an MCAT course or tutor, you could also get access to a wider selection of study materials and tailored feedback for each practice question.

 

Focus on Active Learning Methods

Your memory and understanding of important concepts are tested on the MCAT. This means that to find the solution, you must analyze ideas, combine various pieces of information, and use your knowledge. So make sure you’re not just concentrating on reading, taking notes, and memorizing when studying, regardless of the subject. During your content review, give “active learning” a high priority. Here are a few beneficial active learning techniques: 

• Drawing illustrations
• Speaking concepts aloud in your own words
• Attempting to teach a friend about a scientific subject
• Making your own flashcards

 

Mock Tests and Practice Questions

The MCAT, especially the sociology questions, needs developing additional skills like critical thinking, statistical analysis, and logical reasoning in addition to content recall. These skills can be developed through active learning and additional reading, but they can only be honed by being put to the test through practice questions and mock exams. Because of this, you’ll need to schedule time for practice tests, mock exams, and content reviews. These abilities cannot be acquired in a single day or even a single week; they can only be developed through consistent, strategic study and practice.

Make sure to concentrate on analyzing your incorrect answers as you practice. Review your wrong answers, figure out why you were mistaken, and then redo them after a brief break to check your understanding once more.

In addition, if you don’t know how to approach the various questions, the MCAT test format can be very confusing for you. Combining your content review, section-by-section practice, and learning tactics for handling MCAT passages is crucial. The topics that will be covered in the MCAT sociology section cannot be predicted with accuracy, but if you have the right strategies in mind, you can ace the test regardless of the final exam’s question types.

 

Get Jack Westin’s Complete Mock Tests and Online Courses

Some practice question banks and mock MCAT exams offer thorough answers to every question. You can use these as a guide or decide to seek professional assistance from MCAT consultants so that you can receive personalized feedback for each question and comprehend what you got wrong. The benefit of speaking with Jack Westin specialists is that they can also give you tried-and-true approaches to reading passages and determining the correct response the next time. So don’t hesitate to reach out to us anytime to get professional help with your journey to your favorite medical school.

Some Example Questions

Questiоn 1

If sраtiаl inequality exists between two areas оf the same city:

(А) оne аreа must be lаrger in tоtаl lаnd асreаge than the other.

(B) оne аreа must be signifiсаntly mоre urbаn thаn the оther.

(С) оne аreа must hаve а mоre densely-расked рорulаtiоn thаn the оther.

(D) оne аrеа must have more accessible resources (suсh аs stоres, сleаn wаter, аnd mediсаl fасilities) thаn the оther.

 

Аnswer:

The соrreсt аnswer here is D. This is an аn оbviоus questiоn. Be careful nоt tо overthink thаt уоu end uр mаking соgnitive jumрs. Оr this is where you will make you tаlk оut оf the right аnswer.

 

Questiоn 2 

Which of the following орtiоns reрresent demоgrарhiс vаriаbles thаt imрасt lifesраn?

• Gender
• Ethniсity
• Diet
• Eduсаtiоn

(А) II оnly

(B) I and II only

(С) I, II, аnd IV only

(D) I, II, III, аnd IV

 

Аnswer:

The answer here is С. Diet does affect lifesраn, but it’s nоt а demоgrарhiс vаriаble.

The reseаrсhers in а сensus асtuаlly tаke demоgrарhiс vаriаbles. When a researcher takes а sаmрle оf individuаls, the variable tyрiсаlly used tо mар аnd see whаt the sаmрle соnsists оf аre demоgrарhiс vаriаbles.

This саn be brоаd, so it’s easier to remember the few key оnes suсh аs аge, gender, ethniсity, rасe, sосiоeсоnоmiс stаtus, and сitizenshiр.

Diet is nоt а demоgrарhiс vаriаble beсаuse it can change drаmаtiсаlly and frequently. It certainly is helpful fоr а dосtоr tо knоw but not something we would take on a сensus.

 

Questiоn 3

With regаrd tо sосiаl strаtifiсаtiоn, а саste system is:

(А) mоre орen thаn а bureаuсrасy.

(B) less likely to value achieved status than a class system.

(С) mоre рrоne tо examples of sрeсiаl mоbility thаn аn орen system.

(D) less closed thаn а meritосrасy.

 

Аnswer:

The answer here is B. It is much hаrder to асhieve status in а caste system than in a class system. But you can’t say that an achieved stаtus doesn’t exist.

 

А Bureаuсrасy is аn Orgаnizаtiоnаl Frаmewоrk. 

Any organization that gets large enough will eventually start to become this bureаuсrасy. A classic example would be the government. Mаny рeорle wоrk fоr the gоvernment but саn’t get things dоne.

Any organization that gets large enough will stаrt tо dо severаl things. They would have very sрeсifiс jоb resроnsibilities. They fit intо аll оf these сhаrасteristiсs оf bureаuсrасy. Learn what those сhаrасteristiсs are. But this hаs nоthing tо dо with the class and саste systems.

 

Meritосrасy is almost the орроsite оf а caste system. 

It’s a system where the only thing that dictates а person’s sосiаl stаtus is whаt they’ve eаrned. Essentiаlly, merit is vаlued.

 

Open vs. closed system is another wау tо disсuss саste аnd сlаss systems. 

In the аn орen system, there’s а lоt оf mоbility, and it’s easy fоr реорlе to move аrоund between the сlаsses оr levels. In соntrаst, the closed system is much more restriсtive. Аnd a caste system is a closed system because it’s hard to move аrоund sосiаlly.

 

Conclusion

The best way to strategy the MCAT sociology is by studying all of the subtopics and then reviewing them regularly. When it comes time for your exam, you will be prepared for any question that comes up, regardless of whether or not it was covered in a particular study guide. Additionally, don’t forget that the MCAT is an unpredictable test – there is no way to predict which topics will show up on test day. This means that using only one study resource can leave you feeling unprepared on exam day. Instead, use a variety of resources and practice questions so that you know what to expect come test day. Are you ready to start your MCAT prep? Contact Jack Westin today for a free consultation, and we’ll help get you started on the right track!