FocusFlow LabWhat an MCAT error log does
An error log is a running list of the questions you get wrong, with the reason you got each one wrong. Re-doing a missed question fixes that question. Logging the reason shows the pattern behind many of them, and a pattern is something you can change.
Keep it short enough to finish. If filling in a row takes longer than the question did, you will stop by week three.
The template
Copy these columns into a notebook or a spreadsheet. The first row is an example.
| Date | Source | Section | Topic | Why (C, M or T) | Next time I will |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example | Practice exam | Bio/Biochem | Enzyme inhibition graph | M | Say what each axis shows before I read the answers |
The free MCAT tracker has a printable version of this log. You can get it with the form at the end of this page.
The three reasons
Pick one letter for every miss. If two apply, pick the one you can fix first.
- C, content gap. You didn’t know the fact or concept, or couldn’t recall it.
- M, misread. You knew the content but misread the question or the passage, or fell for a tempting wrong answer.
- T, timing. You rushed, guessed or ran out of time.
What to log
- Every question you miss, from question sets and from full-length practice exams.
- Questions you guessed and got right. A lucky guess is still a gap.
- For CARS, one line on why the wrong answer was tempting.
One line per row. The last column matters most: a rule you can follow the next time you see the same thing.
Read it once a week
At the end of each week, count the letters.
- Mostly C: go back to that content, then test yourself on it with flashcards or the spaced review calendar.
- Mostly M: slow down on the question stem. Put the question in your own words before you look at the choices.
- Mostly T: practise in shorter timed sets, then build up to full sections.
These are starting points. Your own pattern matters more than any rule.
Where it fits in your schedule
Fill in the log right after every question set and every full-length exam, and spend at least as long reviewing as you spent testing. The 3-month MCAT schedule shows where the practice exams go, and the free MCAT study schedule generator builds the same structure from your test date.
Prefer paper? The MCAT 16-week planner has an error log page, a full-length test log and a weekly page for $5.
Source: AAMC. Official MCAT practice exams, students-residents.aamc.org.