From the Pillar team

Writing worth your study breaks.

Strategy, science of learning, retaker stories, and MCAT Book reviews. Long-form. No clickbait.

“The narrow-scope trap is responsible for about a third of avoidable CARS misses. Once you can name it, you can stop falling for it.”
From the post · 600 words
Strategy · featured

The CARS narrow-scope trap, in 600 words.

The most common CARS wrong-answer trap isn't bad reading. It's a passage-level scope mismatch. Most missed CARS questions on a retake aren't comprehension failures. They're scope failures. Here's the pattern, and the 90-second drill that retrains it.

By Pillar Prep team · May 12, 2026 · 4 min read
Why spaced repetition beats re-reading.
Science of learning
Science of learning

Why spaced repetition beats re-reading, even for content you "already know."

The brain doesn’t store passively-reviewed material the way it stores retrieved material. Here’s the 1985 study that proves it, and what the implications are for a retaker’s daily plan.

Pillar Prep teamApr 28 · 7 min
UWorld: what it's good at. What it isn't.
Honest review
Honest review

UWorld for MCAT: what it’s good at, what it isn’t.

We get this question a lot. Here’s the honest answer. UWorld is the best non-AAMC discrete-question source. It’s also not AAMC-identical, and that matters more than the marketing admits.

Pillar Prep teamApr 15 · 6 min
The five most common B/B traps.
Section deep dive
Section deep dive

The five most common B/B traps, with examples.

A taxonomy of every wrong-answer pattern we’ve classified on the Bio/Biochem section, ranked by frequency. Includes worked examples and the trap-training drill for each.

Pillar Prep teamMar 22 · 11 min
"I'm 4 weeks out." What now?
Strategy
Strategy

"I’m 4 weeks out." What we tell those Retakers.

If you have less than 5 weeks until test day, the standard course isn’t your best move. Here’s the targeted intensive we recommend instead, with a sample 28-day plan.

Pillar Prep teamMar 8 · 5 min
Test-day morning, hour by hour.
Strategy
Strategy

Test-day morning, hour by hour.

The protocol our Retakers walk into the testing center with: what to eat, when to wake up, what to bring, what to skip. Almost none of this is mystical. Most of it is just having decided in advance.

Pillar Prep teamFeb 24 · 6 min
Everything you need to know about the MCAT.
Strategy
Strategy

The Ultimate Guide to the MCAT Exam

Everything you need to know about the MCAT: sections, scoring, timing, registration, and how to build a study plan that works for retakers.

Pillar Prep teamAug 15 · 10 min
Should you void? A clear framework.
Strategy
Strategy

Should I Void the MCAT? A Decision Framework

Deciding whether to void your MCAT score is stressful. Here is a clear framework to help you decide, based on real data and common scenarios.

Pillar Prep teamJun 20 · 6 min
How to actually study for the MCAT.
Science of learning
Science of learning

How to Study for the MCAT: A Complete Guide

A practical, evidence-based guide to studying for the MCAT. Covers study plans, resource selection, practice strategy, and common mistakes.

Pillar Prep teamMay 10 · 8 min
What counts as a good MCAT score?
Strategy
Strategy

What Is a Good MCAT Score?

What counts as a "good" MCAT score depends on your goals. Here is what the data says about competitive scores for different medical schools.

Pillar Prep teamApr 5 · 5 min
Should you retake the MCAT?
Retaker stories
Retaker stories

Should I Retake the MCAT?

Deciding whether to retake the MCAT is a big decision. Here is how to think through it clearly, with real data on retake outcomes.

Pillar Prep teamMar 1 · 7 min