MCAT CARS Timing: How Many CARS Questions Are on the MCAT?

Many students consider the MCAT CARS section to be the most challenging, as it is quite a bit different from the other sections. CARS stands for Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, and true to its name, it is designed to evaluate your reading comprehension and analytical reasoning.

CARS is the only section of the MCAT that doesn’t test your prior scientific knowledge. In fact, no background knowledge is needed at all to answer the CARS questions; all of the information you need comes from passages you will need to read before you answer.

In this post, we break down how many CARS questions are on the MCAT, how much time you have to answer each multiple choice question, and how to manage your time effectively throughout the test.

How Many CARS Questions Are on the MCAT

There are 53 CARS questions on the MCAT.

CARS is the second section of the MCAT and accounts for 25% of your total score. It is divided into three categories of critical analysis and reasoning skills, which encompass a vast range of topics in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The three categories are Foundations of Comprehension, Reasoning Within the Text, and Reasoning Beyond the Text.

There are 9 passages, each between 500 and 600 words. For each passage, you will need to answer 5-7 questions for a total of 53 questions. Possible scores on CARS range from 118-132.

You have 90 minutes to complete the CARS section of the MCAT. To break it down even further, that’s 1.42 minutes per question. But that simple division fails to take into account the time it will take you to read and take in each passage.

When budgeting your time, you’re better off looking at each passage. There are 9 passages, so you have a maximum of 10 minutes to read each passage and answer the corresponding 5-7 questions.

How Does the CARS Section Fit Within the Full MCAT

The MCAT is 7.5 hours long and is divided into four sections.

• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys)
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)
• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (Bio/BioChem)
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psych/Soc)

The three other sections are slightly longer in length at 95 minutes instead of 90. The other sections also have 59 questions each instead of 53 in the CARS section, but CARS still makes up 25% of your MCAT score.

375 minutes is 6.25 hours of test time. With added breaks and a tutorial, that total jumps up to 7.5. There are two optional 10 minute breaks and one optional 30 minute break. We highly recommend you take these breaks. There are no extra marks for completing your MCAT test faster than someone else. Use your time wisely and manage it throughout your test, which includes making the most of your breaks to reset yourself for the next section.

For more information about what you can expect on the CARS section, read our MCAT CARS Section Guide. And for more strategies, read our comprehensive MCAT Study Guide With Everything You Need to Prepare.

Managing Your MCAT Cars Timing

1 | Start Preparing for the CARS Section Sooner

CARS isn’t something you can study for; instead, it’s something you prepare for. CARS evaluates your reading comprehension and analytical reasoning.

Reading comprehension refers to our ability to understand and interpret what we read. This skill is essential to your success on the MCAT. Learn more from our guide: 10 Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension.

Unlike the other three sections of the MCAT, success does not depend on your ability to memorize scientific facts. This means CARS demands a whole new approach to studying. CARS requires dedicated skill building in the months leading up to test day, as reading comprehension and critical analysis are not skills you can learn overnight or in a few short weeks.

Begin using practice problems early on for this section to get a sense of how much preparation you need. Reading comprehension and critical thinking are skills that will help you in all aspects of your life, so if you know you hope to go to medical school, you can begin honing these skills as early as high school. This involves making reading a daily habit and building your active reading skills to ensure you fully grasp what you’re reading.

We have a detailed guide on How to Improve Reading Comprehension.

You can also answer practice questions daily in the months leading up to your MCAT. Begin answering CARS practice questions before your dedicated MCAT study time for the other three sections, as honing your CARS skills will take longer.

2 | Practice in a Simulated Environment

To best prepare for the pressure of your actual MCAT test, you must practice answering CARS questions in a simulated test environment and within the allotted time you’ll have on test day.

As you get closer to test day, simulate what it will actually be like as best you can. Instead of casually scrolling through practice questions on your couch in your pajamas, wake up when you will for your test, put on similar clothes, eat the breakfast you’re planning on, and sit yourself down at a desk or table to run through practice questions or a practice test. As you get closer to test day, drive or bus to a library to get a feel for actually having to travel somewhere other than your home.

Do all that you can to simulate how you will actually feel the day of your MCAT so that you learn how to manage your nerves and complete the test to the best of your ability.

3 | Set Timing Milestones

Staying as focused and as in the zone as possible is more important than managing your time, as time management does not support active learning.

Checking the clock after every question interrupts your flow state. It’s best to look at the clock every 15 or 30 minutes or after you complete each passage. A key milestone to take note of is when you reach question 26, as this is approximately the halfway point of the CARS section. You’ll know you’re on track if you still have 45 minutes or so left on the clock.

In order to experiment and see what works best for you, begin utilizing milestones early on in your MCAT practice test sessions. Be sure to check in with yourself and reflect after each test. Are you moving through CARS efficiently, or do you find you take too long to read and respond to each passage?

Every test taker is different. If looking at the clock more often motivates you, go ahead and keep checking the clock. That said, keeping one eye on the clock tends to be extremely distracting, so experiment with the milestone strategy as soon as possible.

Guarantee Success on the MCAT

How you perform on the MCAT is a major factor in medical school admissions. A number of medical schools have an MCAT cutoff, where if you do not attain a high enough score, your application will be passed over without being looked at.

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If you enjoyed this article, check out our library of MCAT resources on the Med School Insiders blog, including MCAT CARS Strategy (8 Tried and True Methods),  21 of Your MCAT FAQs Answered, and What to Bring to MCAT Test Day. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to hear about brand new guides, resources, tools, and medical industry updates first.