Medical School Admission Test
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required for
admission to almost all schools of medicine, osteopathy, and
podiatry, and may be used in applying to some schools of veterinary
medicine. The test is intended to aid admission officers of member
medical colleges in the selection of entering students. The MCAT is
offered twice a year, in April and in August, and must by taken a
year in advance of the anticipated date of matriculation. We
recommend that you take the MCAT in April of your junior year in
order that your application will be received in the first part of
the application cycle and so that you will be able to retake the
exam in August if your scores are low. If you take the MCAT for the
first time in August before your senior year, your application will
arrive at medical schools in the latter part of the application
cycle. This may make your application slightly less competitive.
The MCAT is scored on a scale of 1 - 15. The average accepted
applicant to medical school scores between 9 and 10; for osteopathic
school between 7 and 8; for podiatry school between 6 and 7.
Test Content
The MCAT consists of four sections, three multiple choice exams
and two essays which evaluate applicants in the following areas:
- Verbal Reasoning 65 questions / 85 minutes
- Several 500-600 word reading selections from the social and
natural sciences and humanities are followed by 6-10 multiple
choice questions which assess the applicant's ability to
comprehend, reason, and think critically. It's a measure of the
ability to understand, evaluate, and apply information and
arguments presented in prose texts.
- Physical Sciences 77 questions / 100 minutes
- Multiple-choice questions that test reasoning in general
chemistry and physics. Most of the questions are based on
short reading passages that describe a situation or problem.
There are also questions that are independent of the passages
and of each other. The questions do not require the
memorization of scientific facts; instead, the test is intended
to evaluate the applicant's knowledge of basic scientific
concepts and the ability to apply this knowledge in
problem-solving. A measure of the ability to understand basic
concepts and to solve problems in the areas of physics and
physically-related chemistry.
- Writing Sample 2 essays / 60 minutes
- Two topics of general interest, not scientific in nature,
are presented and the applicant is expected to write a coherent
essay on each. Theme development, logic, clarity and grammar
are evaluated. A measure of skill in developing a central idea;
synthesizing concepts and ideas; presenting ideas cohesively and
logically; and writing clearly, following accepted practices of
grammar, syntax, and punctuation consistent with timed,
first-draft composition.
- Biological Sciences 77 questions / 100 minutes
- The format is similar to that of the Physical Sciences
section. The multiple-choice questions test basic knowledge in
biology and organic chemistry, and the ability to synthesize
this knowledge. A measure of the ability to understand basic
concepts and to solve problems in the areas of biology and
biologically-related chemistry.
Related Topics:
Other Exams:
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