Struggling with MCAT Biochemistry? Learn what’s tested, common pitfalls, and study tips—plus how Sketchy can help you master this high-yield section.
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What to Know About the MCAT Biochemistry Section?
Common MCAT Biochemistry Challenges
Tips for Success for the MCAT Biochemistry Section
Test Your Knowledge with Data Dumps
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This section can seem intimidating but don’t worry. With a good plan, it can be your best section even if you’re not a biology or biochem major!
My name is Mary-Arden Guillory, and I’m finishing up my first year of medical school. To share a little about my MCAT journey: I had to retake my MCAT and completely readjust my study plan. I initially underestimated how much preparation it takes to truly excel—and how essential it is to take multiple full-length practice tests to build stamina.
While studying for my retake, one of my friends in medical school told me about Sketchy MCAT. It made a huge difference in my score. In this blog, I’ll walk you through what to expect on the Bio/Biochem section and how Sketchy can help you crush it!
The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (Bio/Biochem) section of the MCAT evaluates your knowledge of core biological and biochemical principles, as well as your ability to apply scientific reasoning to complex passages and questions. This section covers a broad spectrum of topics, including molecular biology, physiology, genetics, and foundational biochemistry.
The breakdown of this section typically includes:
The MCAT Biochemistry section is the third section you will take during your MCAT and it consists of 59 questions to be completed in 95 minutes. The questions are a mix of passage-based and discrete questions, and require both content knowledge and critical thinking skills. A very good score is considered above 128 which is around the 90th percentile. Some of the most commonly tested topics include:
Use what you know to your advantage— narrowing down the answer choices can be very helpful in answering a question you don't know.
From organizing a study plan to managing question timing and preventing fatigue, it can be difficult to balance content review with strategic test-taking skills. The vast amount of material covered in this section requires a targeted approach to studying, and without a clear strategy, you can easily feel lost or unprepared.
Understanding these common struggles and implementing effective solutions can make a significant difference in your performance on test day. Below, we explore the most frequent issues you may face, and provide practical advice to overcome them.
Many students approach this section thinking that rote memorization is enough. However, the MCAT tests application and critical reasoning rather than just pure recall. A successful mindset shift includes:
When doing a practice test, you might notice that you’re not able to finish all of the questions on time in a given section. Improving question timing is very important, so that you don’t miss questions that you might’ve known the answer to just because you ran out of time.
If you’re struggling with timing while you test, that's okay! Practice makes perfect. Try to increase the amount of practice questions you do daily. It’s the best way to improve your question timing without sacrificing accuracy.
If you lose focus halfway through a section, try gradually increasing both the number of questions and the amount of time you practice. For example, if you lose focus around question 24, start practicing in blocks of 30 until that feels more natural. Continue this process until you can do five more questions than the block you are studying for! This process will overall help you increase your exam stamina. I personally struggled more with timing on CARS compared to Bio/Biochem. I felt like doing lots of timed practice questions prevented me from feeling fatigued on test day!
Mastering high-yield topics is essential for excelling in the Bio/Biochem section of the MCAT. Since the majority of questions focus on fundamental biological and biochemical principles, it’s important to prioritize content that frequently appears on the exam.
A strategic approach involves:
One of the most effective ways to learn complex pathways? Use visual mnemonics (like Sketchy) and then practice writing them out from memory.
Do a dedicated content review for each section. For the MCAT Biochemistry section, I spent about 2 weeks reviewing the Sketchy content. While practice questions are helpful, content review is essential—especially if it’s been a while since you took the core courses.
Determine the amount of review you need for the MCAT Biochemistry section by taking a practice exam. There are free practice exams that will help you to get a baseline. From there, identify your weak points.
I took my MCAT 3 years after taking General Biology, so I was a bit rusty. I needed to do a significant amount of review for this section compared to others like Psych/Soc. I would watch the Sketchy videos and take notes on a screenshot of the video so that I actively engaged in the symbols and storytelling.
Here’s an example of some of my Sketchy notes from Immunology:
The red writing you see is where I added quick memory tips and notes as I watched the video.
Focus your studies based on the section breakdown! For example, general biology is heavily tested in this section, so focus your studies on high-yield topics there first before working your way down to lower-yield sections like organic chemistry.
Want a 2 week breakdown of Sketchy MCAT lessons?
Confidence plays a crucial role in tackling this section effectively. You can build it by:
By adopting a strategic approach, leveraging strengths from other sections, and focusing on application rather than memorization, you can excel in the MCAT Biochemistry section and boost your overall MCAT performance.
A data dump is a study strategy where you write down all the information you know about a topic before reviewing new material. This technique helps identify knowledge gaps, reinforce key concepts, and improve recall. For MCAT prep, data dumps can be especially useful for memorizing biochemical pathways, amino acids, and physiology concepts before tackling passage-based questions.
I did a data dump on test day (check with your testing center to see if you can do this during the tutorial time). In the lead up to test day, I would spend about 5-10 minutes writing out equations, reactions, and amino acids on a sheet. This way, I committed the sheet to memory and replicated it on test day. It helped prevent me from missing easy points and helped increase my score. I recommend crafting your own data dump sheet that is specific to topics that you tend to forget when you’re under pressure. You can identify these topics by tracking your most frequently missed questions.
Anki is a flashcard platform that is commonly used by premed and medical students. It uses spaced-base repetition to help you memorize and review content. Anki has many flash card “decks” that can be downloaded online. That includes Sketchy, which has a deck that perfectly follows the order of the videos and the content covered.
Here’s how I used Anki in medical school:
If Anki is not your style, no worries! I have some friends who will watch the Sketchy videos and regurgitate them out loud or write it out on a whiteboard. Doing so helps them with information recall, and it also allows them to identify where they get stuck.
Here’s how to pull Anki cards after you download Anki and the Sketchy MCAT deck.
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To prevent burnout during your dedicated study time, remember to schedule time for the activities you enjoy. Find an outlet whether it be a good friend, the gym, or a walk outside— whatever helps ground you and provides a mental reset. This also helped me keep a positive mindset around the exam.
The MCAT is designed to be mentally draining — it’s meant to test your endurance as much as your knowledge. In those moments, remember why you want to be a doctor. I say this as a first-year medical student who often has to remember my “why medicine” when studying becomes overwhelming. I promise you it will all be worth it in the end. You got this!
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