Week-by-Week CARS Training Plan for a 10-Point Section Jump

The standard “just do more passages” advice for CARS is lazy—and it is why most students never see a 10‑point jump.

You need a training plan, not random practice. Week by week. With specific drills, targets, and rules for what you do after every single passage.

This is that plan.

Assumptions:

• Starting score: ~123–125 CARS
• Target: ~133–135 CARS (10‑point jump)
• Timeframe: 8 weeks, about 8–10 hours per week
• Materials: AAMC CARS, at least one third‑party CARS resource (e.g., Jack Westin, UWorld, Examkrackers), and a timer

I will walk you through exactly what to do each week, then what to do each day inside those weeks.

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Overview: 8‑Week CARS Training Timeline

At this point you should understand the structure before you start grinding passages.

8-Week CARS Training Timeline

Period	Event
Foundation - Week 1	Baseline + Accuracy Focus
Foundation - Week 2	Method + Review System
Skill Building - Week 3	Question Type Mastery
Skill Building - Week 4	Passage Mapping and Speed
Integration - Week 5	Timed Mini-Blocks
Integration - Week 6	Full-Length CARS + Stamina
Final Push - Week 7	High-Yield AAMC Focus
Final Push - Week 8	Taper, Polish, and Simulation

Basic weekly goals:

Week	Primary Focus	Daily Passage Count (typical)
1	Baseline + accuracy	2–3
2	Method + review system	3–4
3	Question type mastery	3–4
4	Passage mapping + speed	4–5
5	Timed mini-blocks	5–6
6	Full CARS sections	1 section / 2–3 days
7	AAMC tightening	Variable
8	Taper + simulation	1–2 passages or sections

If your real test is further away, you can stretch this to 10–12 weeks by adding rest/low‑volume weeks.

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Week 1: Baseline, Brutal Honesty, and Accuracy

At this point you should stop guessing what your CARS level is and measure it.

Goal of Week 1:

• Establish baseline score and accuracy profile
• Slow, methodical reading; no rushing
• Build a daily CARS habit

Day 1: True Baseline

• Do one full CARS section (9 passages, 53 questions) from a non‑AAMC source
• Time yourself with standard 90‑minute limit
• Do not pause, do not look at explanations mid‑test

Afterward:

• Record:
  • Raw score
  • Percent correct by passage (e.g., P1: 4/6, P2: 2/5, etc.)
  • Which questions you missed: detail, main idea, inference, function, tone, etc.

You are not trying to “do well.” You are mapping the problem.

Days 2–7: Slow, High‑Quality Reps

Daily routine (about 60–75 minutes):

1. Warm‑up (5–10 minutes)

   • Read 1–2 paragraphs of dense material (The Atlantic, Harper’s, philosophy blogs, law review notes).
   • Summarize each paragraph in one short sentence out loud or in writing.

2. Practice (2–3 untimed passages)

   • Read untimed, but aim for:
     • ~4 minutes reading
     • ~1 minute per question
   • After each passage:
     • Predict main idea in one sentence
     • Describe author’s tone in 3–5 words (e.g., “skeptical, mildly pessimistic”).

3. Review (longer than the passage itself)
   For every missed or guessed question:

   • Write:
     • Why your answer felt right
     • Why it was actually wrong (locate the exact phrase or logic fail)
     • Why the correct answer is better (quote or paraphrase supporting lines)

If your review takes less time than your practice, you are doing it wrong. Week 1 is about accuracy and clarity, not speed.

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Week 2: Build Your Method and Review System

At this point you should stop “winging it” on each passage.

Goal of Week 2:

• Lock in a consistent passage process
• Create a repeatable review template
• Increase volume slightly while staying accurate

Your Passage Method (use this every time)

1. First 30 seconds

   • Glance at first and last paragraph quickly.
   • Ask: “What is this probably about? Argument or description?”

2. Read for structure, not facts
   As you read each paragraph, mentally tag it:

   • P1: introduces topic / question
   • P2: criticizes prior view
   • P3: author’s proposal / alternative
   • P4: implications / limitations / future

3. End‑of‑passage summary (10–20 seconds)

   • One sentence: “The author argues that…”
   • One clause: “Because…” (their main support)

4. Questions

   • Answer from memory first, then check passage if needed.
   • If you are re‑reading entire paragraphs for every question, your reading is too shallow.

Daily Plan (Week 2)

• 4 days: 3–4 passages/day (60–75 minutes)
• 2 days: 2 passages + extended review (45–60 minutes)
• 1 day: light or off

For every passage, you fill out something like this (in your notes or spreadsheet):

• Passage topic:
• Main idea (1 sentence):
• Author attitude:
• Questions missed: Q#, type, reason for error

By the end of Week 2 you should have:

• A written, stepwise method you can describe in under 60 seconds
• A consistent way of labeling why you miss questions

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Week 3: Question Type Mastery and Pattern Hunting

Here is where you stop treating every question like a snowflake.

Goal of Week 3:

• Recognize question types on sight
• Develop specific tactics for each type
• Attack your personal weak spots

Core CARS Question Types

You should be able to label each question as you read it:

• Main idea / primary purpose
• Detail / “According to the passage”
• Inference / implied by
• Function / why the author included X
• Tone / attitude / perspective
• Application / analogy / new situation

Typical CARS Error Breakdown (Example Student)

Category	Value
Main Idea	15
Detail	25
Inference	30
Function	15
Tone	10
Application	5

If your own error breakdown looks similar, you know exactly where to attack.

Week 3 Daily Structure

• Total: 3–4 passages/day, 5–6 days/week

On 3 of those days:

• Do 2 normal passages (timed loosely, ~10 minutes each)
• Then 2 targeted passages:
  • For example: choose passages and focus only on inference and application questions
  • Label each question type BEFORE answering
  • Afterward, review only those question types in depth

Your aim by the end of Week 3:

• When you see an inference question, you already know:
  • You must anchor your answer in textual evidence plus a tiny logical step, not personal knowledge.
• When you see a main idea question:
  • You are checking: Does this match the overall passage, not just one paragraph?

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Week 4: Passage Mapping and Controlled Speed

At this point your accuracy should be creeping up, but your timing may still be too slow. Time to push.

Goal of Week 4:

• Maintain accuracy while shrinking passage time
• Build a mental map of each passage
• Start simulating test‑like pressure in small bursts

Your Timing Targets

By the end of Week 4:

• Average 9–10 minutes per passage total
  • 3.5–4.5 minutes reading
  • 4.5–5.5 minutes questions

Target Passage Time Progression

Category	Value
Week 1	13
Week 2	12
Week 3	11
Week 4	9.5

Week 4 Daily Plan

5–6 days/week:

• 1 day: 4 passages back‑to‑back (40–45 minutes)
• 2–3 days: 3 passages, but strictly timed
• 1–2 days: 2 passages + deep review

Specific drill for this week:

1. Set timer to 10 minutes per passage
2. At 6 minutes:
   • You must be finished reading and have at least started questions
3. Mark where you are when time hits:
   • Still reading P3?
   • On Q1? Q4?
4. In review, ask:
   • Did reading faster actually hurt comprehension? Or was it fine and you were just afraid to move on?

If your accuracy drops more than ~10–15% when timed, your reading strategy is shaky. Re‑check your paragraph tagging and main idea summaries.

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Week 5: Timed Mini‑Blocks and Stamina

At this point isolated passages are not enough. CARS fatigue is real.

Goal of Week 5:

• Build stamina for 3–5 passages in a row
• Keep mental energy and consistency across multiple passages
• Start mixing in AAMC CARS if you have not already

Week 5 Structure

Aim for 8–10 passages per week in timed sets, not solo:

• 2 days:
  • 5‑passage block (about 50 minutes)
  • Short break
  • 30–40 minutes of review of the worst 2 passages
• 2 days:
  • 3‑passage block (30 minutes) + focused review
• 1 day:
  • 2 untimed “slow‑work” passages (rebuild confidence on tough content)

You are training your brain to reset after a bad passage. No spiraling. Finish a bad one, quick note, move on.

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Week 6: Full CARS Sections and Realistic Simulation

Now you start treating CARS like its own full exam.

Goal of Week 6:

• Comfortably handle full 9‑passage, 90‑minute sections
• Diagnose performance across beginning, middle, and end of section
• Fine‑tune break strategy, pacing adjustments

Frequency

• 2 full CARS sections this week (use one AAMC if possible)
• 2 additional days: 3–4 passage blocks

On full‑section days:

1. Run the section under strict test conditions

   • No phone
   • No pausing
   • Use the same scratch paper style you will on test day

2. After each section, log:

   • Total score
   • Performance by thirds:
     • Passages 1–3
     • Passages 4–6
     • Passages 7–9

You will often see:

• Strong first third
• Sloppy middle third
• Crash at the end

Now you have something to fix.

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Week 7: AAMC Tightening and Surgical Fixes

At this point you should be hitting close to your goal range, at least occasionally, on practice.

Goal of Week 7:

• Focus heavily on AAMC‑style logic
• Eliminate recurring error patterns
• Polish pacing decisions (when to skip, when to fight through)

What You Do This Week

• Use mostly or only AAMC CARS now, if you still have unused passages
• 1–2 full sections, plus several 3–4 passage blocks

For each missed AAMC question, you capture:

• Error type:
  • Misread passage
  • Chose extreme answer
  • Overthought and talked yourself out of correct choice
  • Misidentified main idea or author attitude

You should now have a personal “top 3 mistake types” list. That becomes your micro‑checklist during questions.

Example checklist mid‑question:

• Does this answer match the author’s tone?
• Is this answer too extreme compared to the passage?
• Am I adding outside knowledge?

If you do not have that checklist written and used, you are leaving easy points on the table.

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Week 8: Taper, Simulate, Do Not Panic‑Grind

The last week is where a lot of students sabotage themselves by cramming until they are numb.

Do not do that.

Goal of Week 8:

• Maintain sharpness, avoid burnout
• Get 2–3 near‑test‑day simulations
• Light review of patterns, not heavy new practice

Week 8 Structure

• Day 1–2:

  • 1 full CARS section (if you still have an unused AAMC, use it)
  • Deep review same day or next day

• Day 3–5:

  • 2–3 passages/day, mostly for rhythm
  • Quick review; no marathon write‑ups

• Day 6–7:

  • 1–2 very light passages total or none
  • Skim your error log, your method, and your micro‑checklist
  • Focus on sleep and routine

You want to enter test day thinking:
“I know exactly what I do on every passage. I have done this dozens of times.”

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Weekly Progress Checkpoints

At the end of each week, you should have data. Not vibes.

Week	Target Accuracy	Main Focus Check
1	≥ 60% untimed	Clear baselines + error log started
2	≥ 65% mostly untimed	Stable, written method
3	≥ 70% mixed timing	Labeled question types, spotted patterns
4	≥ 70% at ~10 min/passage	Timing under control
5	≥ 72% in 3–5 passage blocks	Stamina improving
6	≥ 75% in full sections	Section-level pacing working
7	≥ 77–80% on AAMC	Errors more subtle, fewer “dumb” misses
8	Stable or slightly better	No big swings, consistent performance

If you are noticeably below these by Week 4–5, you either:

• Are not reviewing deeply enough, or
• Are rushing reads and relying on “feel”

Fix that first before adding more volume.

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Daily CARS Session Template (Reusable)

Here is the skeleton you can plug into any week:

1. 5–10 min – Reading warm‑up
2. 30–45 min – Timed passages (or block)
3. 20–40 min – Focused review of:
   • All misses
   • All guesses
   • Any question you got right for the wrong reason

If you spend less than a third of your time on review, your growth will stall. I see it constantly.

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Extra Drills For Stubborn Problems

Use these only if you see these specific issues.

If you keep misreading main ideas

• Take one passage. Read it.
• Close your eyes. Say the main idea out loud in one clear sentence.
• Then check the passage to see if you overweighted one paragraph.

Do this for 3–4 passages in a row, without doing questions. It forces you to practice “reading for the point.”

If you keep falling for extreme answers

For one full block:

• Before checking answers, label each option:
  • E = extreme
  • M = moderate
  • V = vague
  • O = off‑topic

You will notice a pattern: extreme and off‑topic answers are frequently wrong. Train your brain to see that instantly.

If your stamina crashes after passage 5–6

During Week 5–6:

• Do 6‑passage blocks with a 30‑second “reset” between passages:
  • Small stretch
  • One deep breath
  • Mentally say: “New passage, clean slate”

Sounds trivial. It is not. It is exactly what strong test‑takers do unconsciously.

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Quick Visual: How Your Time Shifts Across the Plan

CARS Practice Time Allocation by Week

Category	Untimed Practice	Timed Blocks/Sections	Review/Analysis
Week 1	5	1	4
Week 4	3	4	3
Week 6	1	7	3
Week 8	1	4	2

You start heavy on slow untimed and review, shift into mostly timed blocks and sections, and taper.

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Final Words: What Actually Gets You the 10-Point Jump

A 10‑point CARS jump is not magic. It is:

• A fixed method you use on every passage
• Brutally honest review of why you miss what you miss
• Consistent, timed practice that simulates the real test

You build those three pieces, week by week, and your CARS score has very little choice but to rise.

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FAQ

1. How many total CARS passages should I aim for in these 8 weeks?

Across this plan, you will typically hit 120–160 passages, including several full sections. That is enough for a 10‑point jump if your review is serious. If you mindlessly blast through 200+ passages without analysis, you will not get the same gain.

2. When should I start using AAMC CARS material?

Start sprinkling AAMC passages from Week 4–5, but reserve at least 2 full sections (or their equivalent) for Weeks 6–8 when you are doing full simulations. Early weeks can rely more on third‑party resources while you are still building baseline skills.

3. Can I combine this with full MCAT practice tests?

Yes, and you should. From about Week 5 onward, take a full‑length MCAT every 1–2 weeks. On non‑FL days, follow the CARS schedule above, but reduce volume slightly the day before and after each full‑length so you do not burn out.