How to Improve your CARS Score on the MCAT

Struggling with the CARS section of the MCAT? You’re not alone. The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) section is widely considered the most challenging part of the exam—not because it requires memorization, but because it tests your ability to think critically, interpret complex ideas, and apply logic under pressure.

Improving your CARS score on the MCAT takes more than just reading —it demands strategy, structure, and consistent practice of your reasoning skills. In this guide, we’ll break down how to improve CARS score MCAT test-takers often struggle with, using proven CARS strategies, high-yield study techniques, and expert tips tailored for both first-timers and retakers. Whether you’re aiming for a balanced MCAT score, targeting a high CARS score for competitive medical school admissions, or just wondering how to get better at CARS MCAT without burning out or wasting time on ineffective methods, the techniques in this article will help you strengthen your reading skills, avoid wrong answers, and build confidence across all types of CARS passages.

I. Overview of the CARS Section

The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) section is a core component of the MCAT, designed to assess your ability to interpret, analyze, and evaluate complex written material. Unlike the science-based sections, the CARS section doesn't test factual recall. Instead, it challenges your ability to comprehend nuanced arguments, identify the main idea, and apply reasoning skills to answer questions based solely on the passage.

You’ll face 9 MCAT CARS passages drawn from disciplines like philosophy, ethics, history, and literature—each followed by 5–7 questions, totaling 53 questions. The style is deliberately unfamiliar, mimicking the critical reading and analysis required in medical school and beyond. The content is rooted in the social sciences and humanities, requiring sharp reading skills and a clear understanding of argument flow.

What sets CARS apart is its demand for precision under pressure. With only 90 minutes to complete the section, time management is as important as comprehension skills. You won’t be able to rely on prior knowledge—everything must come from the text. That’s why strong performance here reflects your ability to think clearly in unfamiliar situations—something admissions committees highly value.

For expert CARS breakdowns, realistic passages, and targeted strategy training, explore the full CARSBooster course at boosterprep.com/cars.

II. Why CARS Practice Matters

For many students, the MCAT CARS section is the most unpredictable and mentally demanding part of the exam. What makes it so difficult is that it doesn’t reward memorization, formulas, or familiarity with science content. Instead, it tests your ability to engage deeply with unfamiliar, abstract texts and apply high-level critical thinking skills in real time. This is why CARS practice is not just helpful—it’s essential.

Unlike other sections of the MCAT, which allow you to study concepts and content in advance, the CARS section requires you to develop a flexible, analytical mindset. The only way to build that mindset is through repeated exposure to the kinds of complex arguments and literary structures you’ll see on test day. By practicing consistently, you begin to internalize how CARS passages are written, how questions are framed, and how answer choices are designed to distract or mislead. Over time, you’ll learn to quickly identify the main idea, recognize the author’s tone and intent, and dissect arguments with greater precision—all while managing a strict time limit.

Strong performance in the CARS section isn’t just about earning points on the exam. It sends a clear message to medical school admissions committees that you have the intellectual discipline and reasoning ability to succeed in clinical settings. Physicians are constantly asked to interpret patient narratives, medical literature, and evolving clinical data—often in high-pressure scenarios. The skills measured in the CARS section mirror those real-world demands.

Whether you’re aiming to boost a lower score or break into the upper percentiles, effective and intentional CARS practice is the most reliable way to elevate your overall MCAT score and position yourself competitively for top American medical colleges.

III. How To Practice CARS Effectively

1. Build a Daily Practice Routine

Consistency is the foundation of improvement. To build endurance and reading skills, you should practice CARS passages daily—even if it’s just one or two at a time. This repeated exposure helps you internalize pacing, train your brain to recognize common rhetorical structures, and stay mentally agile for the full 90-minute CARS section on test day.

Each daily session should mirror real exam conditions: quiet environment, timed constraints, and full focus. This not only helps with reading speed but also conditions your mental stamina, a critical but often overlooked factor in doing well on the actual exam. Over time, you'll find that you’re not just getting faster—you’re also getting more accurate and confident.

2. Learn From Every Mistake

Practicing without reviewing is like running a race without checking your pace. Top CARS scorers don't just complete questions—they review them thoroughly. After each practice session, spend time breaking down both your correct answers and wrong answers. Ask:

• What was the author’s main idea, and did I miss it?
• Why was the right answer correct, and what made the other options incorrect?
• Was I misled by extreme wording, faulty logic, or irrelevant details?
• Did I rely too much on prior knowledge instead of focusing on the passage?

Maintaining a mistake log—where you track the types of CARS questions you miss, your reasoning process, and patterns in your errors—is one of the most powerful tools for improving your CARS score. Reflective review helps turn each practice session into a learning opportunity. For a full breakdown of how to review properly, check out our guide: How to Review the CARS Section for the MCAT. 

3. Know the Question Types

Understanding the structure of the CARS section can give you a significant edge. Nearly every MCAT CARS question falls into one of three categories:

• Foundations of Comprehension – These questions test your ability to identify the main idea, understand the author’s intent, and interpret specific phrases or paragraph roles.
• Reasoning Within the Text – These focus on logic and internal relationships: evaluating arguments, recognizing assumptions, and inferring meaning based solely on what's written.
• Reasoning Beyond the Text – These challenge you to apply the author’s ideas to new contexts, requiring flexibility in your critical thinking and ability to generalize principles.

Knowing the category of a question not only speeds up your process—it also sharpens your accuracy. With repeated exposure, you'll develop an intuition for how to tackle each question type and avoid common traps like overly broad generalizations or misread author tone.

IV. What Is a Good CARS Score?

Determining what qualifies as a “good” CARS score on the MCAT depends on multiple factors: your overall MCAT performance, the schools you’re applying to, and how your academic background balances with your verbal reasoning ability. While the CARS section may seem like just one of four parts of the MCAT, it carries disproportionate weight at many institutions—especially those that emphasize critical thinking, communication, and holistic admissions.

The MCAT CARS section is scored on a scale from 118 to 132, with a midpoint around 125–126, which is considered the national average. However, a truly competitive CARS score begins around 127, placing you in approximately the 85th percentile. Most U.S. allopathic (MD) programs view a CARS score between 127–129 as solid and acceptable, assuming the rest of your MCAT scores and GPA are consistent. If your GPA is strong but science-heavy, this range helps reassure admissions committees that your verbal and reasoning skills are well-rounded.

A 130+ CARS score, on the other hand, is considered exceptional. This level of performance places you within the top 10% of test takers and can significantly enhance your application—particularly at top-tier medical schools that prioritize applicants with strong analytical and interpretive skills. It can also serve as a differentiator if your science scores are average or if you’re applying from a non-traditional background. Some schools, such as those in the University of California system or Ivy League institutions, are known to weigh CARS performance more heavily during their holistic review process.

Ultimately, a “good” MCAT CARS score is one that meets or exceeds the median score of your target schools. But even more importantly, it demonstrates that you’ve taken the time to develop the kind of high-level reasoning and communication skills that will be invaluable in both medical school and clinical practice.

For a detailed breakdown of score percentiles and how CARS fits into your full application profile, don’t miss our guide: What Is a Good CARS Score? 

V. Extra Tips to Improve Faster

Improving your MCAT CARS score isn’t just about doing more passages—it’s about optimizing how you study, think, and adapt. Once you’ve established a daily routine and understand the fundamentals, these next-level strategies can help you accelerate your progress and break through score plateaus.

1. Read Outside the MCAT Bubble
   Diversifying your reading material builds long-term verbal reasoning skills. Step outside test prep books and dive into dense editorials, philosophy essays, historical texts, and literary criticism—especially from publications like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, or The Economist. These real-world texts mirror the tone, style, and ambiguity of actual CARS passages, forcing you to stay engaged and think critically in real-time.
2. Focus on Process Over Outcome
   Instead of obsessing over your raw score after each session, track how well you’re applying strategy. Did you identify the author’s perspective? Did you fall for an extreme or out-of-scope answer choice? Were you rushed, or did you manage time well? Keeping a running list of your thought patterns and mistake types helps develop metacognition—an essential skill for high CARS scorers.
3. Simulate Test Day Regularly
   At least once a week, complete a full-length CARS section (9 passages, 90 minutes) under timed conditions. Replicating test day builds stamina and reveals how your pacing and focus hold up under pressure. Afterward, spend 1–2 hours reviewing every question—not just the ones you got wrong. Even correct answers can expose weak reasoning if you chose them for the wrong reasons.
4. Improve Your Internal Dialogue
   Your ability to self-correct in real time during CARS is crucial. When faced with a confusing passage or a tough question, develop an inner script that calmly walks you through: What is the author trying to say? What is the paragraph’s purpose? Which answer choice actually aligns with the passage, not just with what I think it says? Practicing this internal monologue helps reduce panic and improves clarity on exam day.
5. Be Strategic with Review Tools
   Use tools like error logs, question-type trackers, and progress spreadsheets to identify specific weaknesses—whether it's a tendency to misread tone, misidentify the main idea, or over-rely on gut instinct. These insights allow you to personalize your MCAT prep, making every future passage more productive. 
6. Stay Mentally Engaged
   It’s easy to go through the motions, especially if you’re juggling other study blocks. But passive reading won’t lead to active gains. Approach every CARS passage as a puzzle, not a chore. Stay present, annotate purposefully, and constantly ask questions while you read. That mindset shift alone can yield faster, more meaningful improvement.

Even small, intentional shifts in how you read, analyze, and reflect can lead to noticeable gains in your CARS score. Whether it’s refining how you eliminate wrong answers, adjusting your timing strategy, or learning to stay calm during challenging passages, these changes compound over time. The CARS section isn’t about speed-reading or memorizing formulas—it’s about developing mental agility, focus, and a disciplined thought process.

VI. Ready to Practice?

If you're serious about increasing your CARS score and standing out to medical school admissions committees, now is the time to transition from passive studying to active, performance-driven preparation. Success on the MCAT CARS section doesn't come from simply reading more—it comes from mastering how to think, reason, and engage with unfamiliar material under pressure.

CARSBooster offers more than just practice questions. You’ll gain access to realistic CARS passages, in-depth explanations that train your reasoning skills, and data-driven tools that track your progress over time. With advanced timing features, targeted question packs, and strategic drills aligned with AAMC standards, you can simulate the intensity of test day while sharpening your approach with every session; explore our free resources to support your MCAT journey.

Whether you're aiming to break into the 128+ range or overcome a performance plateau, CARSBooster equips you with the structure, strategy, and feedback that top scorers rely on. Start building your CARS mastery now with the full CARSBooster course.

VII. FAQ

Q: What makes the CARS section so difficult?
A: The CARS section is uniquely challenging because it doesn’t test content knowledge—it tests how you think. The passages are dense, abstract, and often written in unfamiliar styles drawn from the humanities and social sciences. Add in the time pressure and the requirement to base every answer only on what’s written in the text—without using outside knowledge—and you have a section that demands advanced reasoning skills, reading speed, and extreme focus. Many students find that their usual test-taking strategies don’t apply here, making it essential to adopt a new mindset tailored to critical analysis and reasoning.

Q: Is it okay to skip hard CARS passages?
A: Yes, and in many cases, it’s actually a smart strategy. Since all CARS passages are weighted equally, there’s no penalty for skipping a particularly dense or abstract one and coming back to it later. Strong test takers develop an internal sense for which passages align with their strengths, allowing them to frontload easier content and conserve mental energy. However, always be sure to return to the skipped passage in time; unanswered questions can drag down your overall CARS score regardless of difficulty.

Q: Should I read the questions before the passage?
A: While some students experiment with this method, most experts—and the AAMC itself—recommend reading the passage first. The CARS section is designed to test holistic understanding and interpretation of tone, structure, and main ideas, which are harder to grasp when you're focused on isolated questions from the start. Pre-reading questions can also bias your interpretation of the passage. Instead, focus on reading with intent: map the argument, note shifts in tone, and understand the author’s purpose. Once you’ve grasped the full picture, you’ll be much more prepared to tackle each answer choice with clarity and confidence.