Rate-Limiting Enzymes: MCAT’s Favorite Biochem Traps
Crush the MCAT by mastering rate-limiting enzymes in key pathways like glycolysis and the Krebs cycle. This KOTC guide helps you decode where students go wrong—and how to get it right.
Macromolecules Made Simple – Proteins, Carbs, Lipids & Nucleic Acids
If you're preparing for the DAT, macromolecules are one of those “must-know” categories that sneak into several biology questions—sometimes directly, sometimes as part of enzyme or genetic material topics.
Whether it's a diagram of DNA, a question about fatty acid structure, or identifying amino acid bonds, this blog will help you lock in everything you need to know with a clear visual breakdown and test-smart strategies.
Understanding Heart Murmurs – How to Master Auscultation for Step 1 & Step 2
Whether you’re learning them for the first time or reviewing before test day, heart murmurs are a must-know USMLE topic. From aortic stenosis to mitral regurgitation, questions will test not only your knowledge of the murmurs—but your ability to reason through timing, location, and maneuvers.
🩺 Cholecystitis: Key Signs Nursing Students Must Know for the NCLEX
Cholecystitis, or inflammation of the gallbladder, is a classic gastrointestinal disorder that nursing students must recognize. It’s a frequent scenario on the NCLEX, especially when testing clinical assessment skills, dietary education, or prioritization of care.
Attribution Theory for the MCAT: Dispositional vs Situational Thinking
One of the most important—and most tested—concepts in MCAT psychology is attribution theory. This theory explains how people interpret the causes of behavior. Did someone act a certain way because of who they are—or because of their situation?
CARS Strategy for the MCAT: Read Less, Score More
CARS (Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills) is the MCAT’s most unpredictable section, yet it’s often the most neglected. Many students assume it just takes “more reading” or “a humanities brain,” but the truth is: CARS is about strategy. You don’t need to read faster—you need to read smarter. In this post, we’ll break down how to spend less time per passage, avoid trap answers, and build confidence using KOTC’s CARS system.
Endotoxins vs Exotoxins – Crack the Bacterial Toxin Code
“Which of the following best differentiates an endotoxin from an exotoxin?”
That’s a classic Step 1-style question—and it can be deceptively tricky unless you’ve mastered the mechanisms, origins, and immunologic responses of each.
The Chemistry of Water – Polarity, Hydrogen Bonds, and DAT Applications
Water makes up over 70% of your body—and about 100% of at least 2 questions on the DAT. Whether it's biology or chemistry, the properties of water come up often and can make or break your score if you don’t know the why behind the facts.
🤰 Physiologic Changes in Pregnancy: Essential NCLEX Concepts You Can’t Miss
Pregnancy affects every organ system in the body—and the NCLEX loves to test you on how and why. Whether you're answering questions about cardiovascular changes, urinary output, or common complaints like nasal stuffiness, understanding the physiologic adaptations of pregnancy is vital.
The 3 Components of Attitude for the MCAT: Cognitive, Affective, Behavioral
One of the most frequently tested psych/soc topics on the MCAT is attitude—especially how it's structured. The tri-component model of attitude breaks down attitudes into three parts: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. If you've ever had a belief, a feeling, and then acted on it—you’ve experienced this model in real time.
Osmosis and Tonicity – DAT Essentials for Understanding Cell Transport
Learn how osmosis and tonicity work for the DAT. This guide breaks down hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic environments with DAT-style tips and visuals.
Amino Acids on the MCAT: The Ultimate Guide to Memorization & Application
Amino acids are MCAT royalty—they appear in nearly every Bio/Biochem passage, and knowing their structures, charges, and properties is non-negotiable. Whether it's understanding enzyme mechanisms or protein folding, this guide will help you go from “I sort of remember histidine…” to “I can crush any amino acid question they throw at me.
Attachment Theory for the MCAT: Secure, Dismissive, Fearful & Preoccupied Explained
Attachment theory isn’t just a buzzword in psychology—it’s a testable MCAT concept, especially in the Psych/Soc section. Whether it’s a child clinging to a caregiver or an adult avoiding emotional intimacy, the four core attachment styles explain behavioral patterns that are ripe for MCAT scenarios.
Cervical Spine Positioning in Neonatal Resuscitation: What Every Nurse Must Know
When it comes to neonatal resuscitation, even small positioning errors can prevent effective ventilation. The NCLEX frequently tests your understanding of newborn airway anatomy—especially the critical role of cervical spine positioning during resuscitation efforts.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome – A High-Yield Neurology Topic You Can’t Miss
Sudden ascending weakness? Areflexia? Recent diarrhea?
If you see this in a USMLE vignette, there’s only one diagnosis that should flash in your brain—Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). This autoimmune demyelinating polyneuropathy is a Step 1 and Step 2 favorite, often appearing in both diagnosis and management questions.
Top 5 MCAT Question Types (and How to Outsmart Each One)
The MCAT doesn’t just test what you know—it tests how you think. You could memorize every amino acid and still miss questions if you don’t recognize the question types being thrown at you. Today, we’ll break down the top 5 MCAT question styles, show you how to approach them, and plug in how King of the Curve’s question bank trains your brain to master each one.
G6PD Deficiency – The Oxidative Stress Trap on Step 1
Imagine this Step 1 classic: A young man develops jaundice and dark urine after eating fava beans. Labs show anemia and elevated LDH. What’s going on?
You’ve just entered the world of G6PD deficiency, a high-yield genetic disorder that connects biochemistry, hematology, and pharmacology all in one go. Today’s blog walks you through what you need to know—with a KOTC visual that simplifies oxidative stress and red blood cell damage.
👶 Congenital Defect Symptoms: Key Signs Every Nursing Student Should Know for the NCLEX
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth-related anomalies, and recognizing their signs is critical—not just for pediatric care, but for acing the NCLEX. Whether you're reviewing cardiovascular conditions or prepping for a pediatric scenario, understanding early warning signs of CHD could be the difference between a passing and a failing score.
Mastering Atrial Pressure Regulation for the MCAT: Systolic, Diastolic, and Mean Pressure Explained
One of the most tested topics in MCAT physiology is the cardiovascular system—and within that, pressure regulation is a recurring favorite. Today’s breakdown focuses on atrial pressure, especially systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure (MAP). With help from King of the Curve’s high-yield visual, we’ll make this graph feel intuitive, not intimidating.
Mastering Periodic Trends – Ionization Energy, Electronegativity & Atomic Radius
How well do you really know the periodic table? On the DAT, general chemistry questions often dive into the trends—not just the facts. From ionization energy to atomic radius, the DAT loves to test whether you can analyze and compare trends across the table.
In this blog, we’ll simplify periodic trends into a visual memory system, give you DAT-style questions to practice, and help you lock in the high-yield rules.