How to Improve Your MCAT CARS Score

6 Tips to Improve Your CARS Score

Here’s an overview of our best tips to improve your MCAT CARS score. For further details about each tip, see the content below the table.

Every tip below includes a worked example from our free full-length MCAT practice test. Expert tutors who scored 520+ on the MCAT designed the test, so the passages and answer choices mirror what you'll actually encounter on test day.

Tip 1: Note the Author's Argument, Tone, and Voice

CARS passages aren't testing whether you retained the content. They're testing whether you understood what the author is doing with the content.

As Dr. Arayaman Gupta, an interventional radiology resident at Johns Hopkins and MCAT tutor with Inspira Advantage, highlights in our MCAT CARS webinar that the key question isn't just what the author is saying. It's how they're saying it.

Every CARS passage is built around an author who holds a position, expresses an attitude toward that position, and constructs an argument to defend it. Your job while reading is to answer three questions at all times: 

1. What does this author believe? 
2. How does the author feel about what they're describing? 
3. When other voices appear in the passage, whose opinion is actually being expressed right now?

If you can't tell the difference between the author's own position and a position the author is merely presenting, you'll attribute the wrong belief to the wrong person.

Focus your CARS practice on going beyond positive or negative and pinpoint the specific shade of attitude the author brings to each topic. For example, words like "evil," "unfortunate," "misguided," and "disastrous" all signal disapproval, but they signal very different types of disapproval, and the questions will test whether you can tell them apart.

Stop reading for what the passage is about and start reading for what the author thinks about what the passage is about.

Let's Apply This Tip to a Real CARS Question

Read CARS Passage 8 from our free MCAT Practice Test on page 112.

According to the passage, which statement about the nature of change is false?

A) Systems of law enforcement and societal anger tend to suppress authentic change

B) Effective change requires not only action, but also transforming opinions and beliefs

C) A political theory's practicality can be judged based on its potential for long-term growth

D) Opposition to change is primarily due to false ideas, rather than due to ill-will

The correct answer is D. The author never reduces opposition to ignorance alone. Both factors drive resistance to change. You only catch this if you are tracking exactly what the author believes versus what the passage merely discusses and paying attention to precise language rather than general impressions.

If you weren't tracking the author’s voice carefully, you might miss a critical distinction. The author explicitly says opposition to change comes from both "ignorance and venom." Answer D claims opposition stems primarily from false ideas alone, which strips out the venom half entirely.

Tip 2: Map Each Paragraph's Function as You Read

After you finish each paragraph, assign it a one-word function tag, such as: 

• Claim
• Evidence
• Counterargument
• Concession
• Example
• Conclusion

Don’t summarize the content. Label the role that paragraph plays in the author's larger argument. 

In our CARS webinar, Dr. Gupta recommends that while you're reading each paragraph, you should try to figure out what the intent or the purpose of that one specific paragraph was. Can you boil it down or sum it up into a phrase? The goal isn't to memorize every detail. It's to build a mental outline you can reference when the questions start pulling you in different directions.

Roughly a third of CARS questions ask you not what the author said, but why the author said it or how a specific detail fits into the broader argument. 

Questions like "Why does the author include this example?" or "What is the function of the third paragraph?" or "How does this detail relate to the author's main claim?" are structural questions. 

You cannot answer them efficiently by rereading the passage. However, you can answer them quickly if you tagged each paragraph's function on your first read.

Mapping also protects you against one of the most common CARS traps: answer choices that are factually accurate but structurally wrong. A choice might correctly describe something the passage said, but incorrectly characterize why the author said it.

Let's Apply This Tip to a Real CARS Question

Read CARS Passage 5 from our free MCAT Practice Test on page 103.

Why does the author describe "the inventive genius of America" and include details about American inventors such as Bell, Brush, and Edison?

A) To offer particular examples of novel production occurring alongside broader system-level transformations

B) To bolster the author's claims about the irreproachable exceptionalism of America

C) To provide specific instances of unregulated, decentralized production

D) To give credit to the specific individuals responsible for the consolidated "systems" described in the passage

The correct answer is A. The author mentions Bell, Brush, and Edison as specific examples of individual innovation happening at the same time as broader economic transformation. They aren't responsible for the consolidated systems (eliminating D), the author isn't arguing American exceptionalism is beyond criticism (eliminating B), and the inventors aren't presented as examples of unregulated production (eliminating C).

Structure tells you the answer. Content alone doesn't.

If you mapped the structure of the second paragraph, you'd notice it does two things in sequence: 1. The first half describes system-level consolidation, such as railways merging, partnerships becoming corporations, and corporations becoming trusts.

2. The second half pivots to individual inventors with the word "meanwhile." That word signals that these two phenomena are happening in parallel, not because of each other.

Your function tag for this section (something like "parallel examples") keeps you locked on the author's actual purpose.

Tip 3: Predict Your Answer Before Reading the Choices

Your prediction doesn't need to be perfectly worded. It just needs to capture the core idea so that when you scan A through D, you're comparing each choice against something concrete rather than evaluating each one in its entirety.

The reason this works is rooted in how the brain processes multiple-choice questions. When you read four options without a prediction, your brain evaluates each one independently and asks, "Could this be right?"

The problem is that CARS distractors are specifically designed to appear correct. Your brain will find reasons to say yes to at least two of them, and then you're stuck choosing between options rather than choosing based on understanding.

Dr. Gupta frames this as a discipline issue, not a strategy issue: 

“If you cannot directly point to a piece of evidence within the passage that supports that answer choice, then it's not the answer.” 

Everything you need to know for the answer is in the text. Predicting first forces you to locate that evidence before the distractors have a chance to pull you somewhere else.

The correct answer will align with your prediction. Maybe not word for word, but conceptually. The distractors won't. You eliminate faster, second-guess less, and move through questions with more confidence.

However, predicting doesn't mean guessing. If you finish reading a question and have no idea what the answer should be, don't force a prediction. Go back to the passage, find the relevant section, build your understanding, and then predict.

Let's Apply This Tip to a Real CARS Question

Read CARS Passage 3 from our free MCAT Practice Test on page 97.

Based on the information presented in the passage, if Jefferson were still alive today, he would most likely disagree with which of the following statements?

A) Generally speaking, religious traditions should be treated equally under the Secular State

B) Agreement regarding the basic standards of right and wrong is almost impossible to produce in a society as heterogeneous as the colonial United States

C) Attempting to solve inter-denominational disagreements is unnecessary for the purposes of establishing a stable government

D) The stability of one's country plays a role in determining the limits of individual freedoms

The correct answer is B. With a prediction, B should be clear. Without one, you might get pulled toward A or C, as they both sound reasonable until you realize Jefferson would actually agree with both based on the passage.

Before you look at A through D, stop and ask: Based on what I just read, what would Jefferson push back against?

The passage states several times that Jefferson believed a shared moral foundation was absolutely essential for the Secular State to work. He didn't need everyone to agree on religion, but he needed everyone to agree on basic right and wrong. The author calls this "the first principle of his whole political system."

So your prediction should be something like, "Jefferson would disagree with anything suggesting shared moral consensus is impossible or unnecessary."

Tip 4: Engage with Humanities and Social Science Writing Before Test Day

CARS is the only MCAT section where your reading history matters as much as your test prep. Scientific writing is designed for clarity. It states a hypothesis, presents data, and draws conclusions. The structure is predictable, and the language is precise. Humanities writing does almost none of that.

A philosophy passage might introduce an idea, spend two paragraphs exploring its implications, present a counterargument, partially concede to that counterargument, and then circle back to a modified version of the original idea.

Start reading philosophy essays, political commentary, book reviews in literary journals, historical analyses, ethics debates, and art and music criticism at least two months before your exam. You don't need to master any of the content, but you do need to train your brain to quickly identify an argument's structure, track an author's position, and follow reasoning that isn’t straightforward.

Read publications found in:

• The Atlantic
• The New Yorker
• Aeon
• The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Academic book reviews in journals like The New York Review of Books all publish the kind of writing that CARS passages emulate.

Read actively by identifying the author's thesis, the tone, and the logical structure, even informally. Over time, the dense and unfamiliar writing style that makes CARS so intimidating starts to feel like just another type of reading you know how to handle.

Let's Apply This Tip to a Real CARS Question

Read CARS Passage 6 from our free MCAT Practice Test on page 106.

What is the best way to describe the author's main purpose in writing this passage?

A) To reflect upon the underlying reasons for the inadequacy of empirical aesthetics

B) To argue for the usefulness of identifying the key elements in which beauty consists

C) To identify which objects are most beautiful, and therefore most appropriate for study

D) To clarify the value of investigating how beauty leads to the experience of happiness

The correct answer is D. The entire passage builds toward the argument that psychology offers the best path for understanding beauty by examining how beautiful objects produce happiness.

Answer A is tempting because the author does critique empirical aesthetics, but that critique is the setup, not the destination. Answer B describes empirical aesthetics, which the author argues against. Answer C misrepresents the passage entirely. Prior exposure to humanities writing doesn't give you the answer, but it gives you the time and strategies to find it.

Students who rarely read philosophy or abstract theory tend to panic here. The passage uses unfamiliar vocabulary, builds layered arguments, and doesn't follow a clean narrative arc. Without prior exposure to this kind of writing, you waste precious minutes just figuring out what the author is even saying, let alone what the main purpose is.

But if you've spent time reading philosophy essays or literary theory before test day, the structure feels familiar. The author surveys existing approaches, identifies their shortcomings, and then builds toward a preferred alternative.

Tip 5: Answer from the Passage, Never from Your Head

Every correct CARS answer is rooted in something the passage actually says. Not what you think is true. Not what your professor taught you. Not what seems like common sense.

If you can't point to a specific sentence or paragraph in the passage that supports your answer choice, you're operating on outside knowledge, also known as the single most reliable way to pick wrong answers on CARS.

During every practice session, before you commit to an answer, locate the passage evidence that supports it. Not a vague sense that the passage "said something like this." Find an actual sentence or section you can point to.

If you can't find it, treat that as a red flag and reconsider your choice. Over time, this habit becomes automatic and dramatically reduces the number of questions where you talk yourself into a wrong answer that feels right.

One place where this discipline gets especially tested is on questions that ask you to evaluate new information against the author's argument. These questions introduce a hypothetical scenario or a new claim and ask how it interacts with the passage.

Students instinctively evaluate the new information based on whether it seems true or reasonable in the real world. But that's not the question. The question is how it interacts with what the author said in the passage. Anchor every evaluation to the text, even when the question is asking you to think beyond it.

Let's Apply This Tip to a Real CARS Question

Read CARS Passage 4 from our free MCAT Practice Test on page 100.

Which of the following statements are inconsistent with the passage?

A) There is value in analyzing the particular training patterns of successful virtuosos, even though no exact formula for success exists

B) Hard work is the fail-safe path to success as a musician

C) It is important for aspiring virtuosos to pursue a well-rounded, rather than narrow, education

D) Cultural differences strongly determine one's fate, though they can be ultimately overcome

The correct answer is B. The passage never promises that hard work alone ensures success. You only catch this if you resist the deeply ingrained belief that effort always equals results and stick to what the author actually wrote.

Answer B is where outside knowledge becomes dangerous. Most students instinctively believe that hard work leads to success. It feels true. And the passage does emphasize discipline, persistence, and attitude. So B looks perfectly consistent at first glance.

But read the passage on its own terms. The author opens by noting that thousands of Conservatorium graduates worked frantically yet never achieved fame. He also writes that "some virtuosos actually seem to be born with the heavenly gift."

Hard work matters enormously in this passage, but it is never described as a guarantee. The word "fail-safe" is doing all the work in Answer B, and the passage directly contradicts it.

Tip 6: Dedicate Enough Time to Prepare for the CARS Section

CARS questions require dedicated, repeated practice over weeks to fully grasp the proper answer. The biggest mistake students make is treating CARS as an afterthought. They spend months learning science subjects, then try to squeeze in CARS practice during the final two or three weeks before the exam. By then, there's no time.

Dr. Gupta sees this pattern constantly with the students he tutors:

"The only surefire way to improve on CARS is through practice,” he says. “It's one of those sections that is just so important for you to practice and see as many questions and be exposed to them as you can, more than any other section." 

Start CARS practice the day you begin studying for the MCAT, not after you've finished content review. Even 30 minutes a day of timed passage work during your content phase builds the reading and reasoning habits that compound over time. By the time you shift into full-length practice exams, you want CARS to feel familiar, not foreign.

Our free MCAT study schedules give you a structured timeline, so you're not guessing how to divide your prep time. Our schedules ensure you give yourself enough time to study CARS questions instead of cramming them in weeks before the test.

FAQs: How to Improve Your MCAT CARS Score

Is a 127 on CARS Good?

Yes, a 127 CARS score is good, as it puts you in the 83rd percentile. For most medical schools, that's a competitive score. You won't raise red flags with admissions committees, and a 127 is well above the median for matriculants at many programs.

What Is a Good CARS Score on the MCAT?

A 126 or above is generally considered a good CARS score. That puts you at the 73rd percentile and clears the threshold for the vast majority of medical school programs in the United States. 

But "good" is relative to your target schools. For a broad range of MD programs, a 126 to 127 keeps you competitive and won't trigger any concerns during application review. For top-tier programs where admitted students routinely carry total scores above 520, you'll want a 128 or higher to stay in line with the rest of your application.

How Long Does It Take to Improve Your MCAT CARS Score?

Most students need six to eight weeks of consistent, focused practice to see meaningful improvement. This includes dedicated daily practice with timed passages, thorough answer review, and deliberate work on the specific skills CARS demands. Aim for three to four timed CARS sessions per week, each with two to three passages under real timing conditions. After each session, spend at least as much time reviewing your answers as you spent taking the practice set.

Why Is the MCAT CARS Section So Difficult for Many Students?

CARS is difficult because it requires you to sit with a dense, unfamiliar argument written by someone you've never read in a discipline you've never studied and then answer questions that test whether you actually understood the logic underneath the words. Most pre-med students haven't spent significant time reading philosophy, political theory, art criticism, or cultural studies. 

CARS questions are designed so that multiple answers sound right, and the difference between the correct answer and the best distractor often comes down to a single word or a subtle misrepresentation of the author's position.

Can You Skip and Return to Questions on the MCAT CARS Section?

Yes, you can return to previous questions within the CARS section during your 90 minutes. You can skip a passage entirely, flag questions for review, and return to anything you've already seen. 

If a passage feels impossible on first read, mark it and move on. Spending 15 minutes on one brutal philosophy passage while leaving easier passages untouched at the end is one of the most common ways students tank their CARS score. Every question is worth the same amount, so answer the ones you can get right first.