The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized examination that consists of three multiple-choice sections and a writing assessment. Its purpose is to test the skills and knowledge that medical educators and physicians have identified as key prerequisites for success in medical school and the practice of medicine.

The exam has been part of the medical school admissions process for more than 60 years, and today all medical schools in the United States and most in Canada require applicants to submit recent MCAT exam scores. In addition, many other health professions and graduate programs accept MCAT exam scores in lieu of other standardized tests. Considering its widespread acceptance, it is no surprise that more than 70,000 students sit for the exam each year.

The AAMC, in conjunction with its member U.S. medical schools, develops and administers the MCAT exam and owns all aspects of it. Consequently, the AAMC may use scores for research and reporting, but only you, as the examinee, may receive your individual test scores and authorize their release to others.

 

Specific Exam Content

Beyond testing for the mastery of basic concepts in biology, general and organic chemistry, and physics, the exam also assesses capacity for problem solving and critical thinking as well as general writing skills. By testing for these varied skills, medical school faculty hopes to encourage undergraduates with broad educational backgrounds to consider careers in the health professions and to persuade premedical students to explore a wide variety of course offerings outside of the natural sciences—as well as to identify those candidates most likely to be successful in the study of medicine. That is why the exam consists of the following diverse sections:

• Physical Sciences,
• Verbal Reasoning,
• Writing Sample, and
• Biological Sciences

The chart below provides an overview of each of these four sections, including the number of questions and the time allotted to that segment. More detailed information on each section follows below.

Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences
The Physical Sciences section assesses problem-solving ability in general chemistry and physics, and the Biological Sciences section evaluates these abilities in the areas of biology and organic chemistry. Each section contains 7 passage-based sets of questions and 13 independent questions. Each passage-based set consists of four to seven questions.

 

The questions, both passage-based and independent, evaluate your knowledge of basic physical and biological science concepts and your facility at problem solving using these concepts. They do not test your ability to memorize scientific facts.

 

Verbal Reasoning
The Verbal Reasoning section evaluates your ability to understand, evaluate, and apply information and arguments presented in prose style. The test consists of seven passages, each of which is about 600 words long, taken from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Each passage-based set consists of five to seven questions, assessing your ability to extrapolate information from the accompanying passage.

 

*Please note that each multiple-choice section will include some experimental items that do not count toward your score.

 

Writing Sample
The Writing Sample consists of two 30-minute essays, each of which addresses specific topics that require an expository response and assesses skill in the following areas:
• Developing a central idea,
• Synthesizing concepts and ideas,
• Presenting ideas cohesively and logically, and
• Writing clearly, with the ability to follow accepted rules of grammar, syntax, and punctuation consistent with the level of a timed, first-draft composition.

 

Topics do not assess subject-matter knowledge in or pertain to the content of biology, chemistry, or physics; the medical school application process or reasons for the choice of medicine as a career; or social and cultural issues not in the general experience of college students.