BeMo Ultimate Guide to Preparing for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

The MCAT Exam: What Does the MCAT Look Like?

The exam has four sections, each section written over 90 or 95 minutes and consisting of 59 or 53 questions. You get a short break in between sections and the whole thing takes about 7.5 hours. The MCAT Essentials document provided by the AAMC illustrates that the exam is written as follows:

The Biology, Chemistry and Psychology sections have both passage-based questions and independent questions. The Critical Analysis and Reasoning section has just passage-based questions.

The AAMC has a very comprehensive web-based service that tells you exactly what’s on the exam. It offers sample questions and explanations for each section. And it’s free! (https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/whats-mcat-exam/)

The 10 Foundational Concepts Covered by the MCAT:

• Biomolecules have unique properties that determine how they contribute to the structure and function of cells, and how they participate in the processes necessary to maintain life.
• Highly-organized assemblies of molecules, cells, and organs interact to carry out the functions of living organisms.
• Complex systems of tissues and organs sense the internal and external environments of multicellular organisms, and through integrated functioning, maintain a stable internal environment within an ever-changing external environment.
• Complex living organisms transport materials, sense their environment, process signals, and respond to changes using processes that can be understood in terms of physical principles.
• The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living systems.
• Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence the ways that individuals perceive, think about, and react to the world.
• Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence behavior and behavior change.
• Psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors influence the way we think about ourselves and others, as well as how we interact with others.
• Cultural and social differences influence well-being.
• Social stratification and access to resources influence well-being.

What is a good MCAT score? Follow that link to find out! Worried about your MCAT score? Check out our video, "Can you get into med school with low MCAT and GPA scores?"

There are five scientific inquiry and reasoning skills tested across the four sections of the MCAT:

1. Knowledge of Scientific Principles

2. Scientific Reasoning and Problem-solving

3. Reasoning about the Design and Execution of Research

4. Data-based Statistical Reasoning

5. General Mathematical Concepts and Techniques

Also, there three CAR skills tested in the MCAT:

1. Foundations of Comprehension

• Understanding the basic components of the text.
• Inferring meaning from rhetorical devices, word choice, and text structure.

2. Reasoning Within the Text

• Integrating different components of the text to increase comprehension.

3. Reasoning Beyond the Text

• Applying or extrapolating ideas from the passage to new contexts.
• Assessing the impact of introducing new factors, information, or conditions to ideas from the passage.

Want to do some MCAT CARS practice? We've got you covered in that link, with a difficult sample CARS question and expert response!

MCAT Study Schedule

It is really smart to start with a study schedule six months out from your test date. A schedule could look like this for an end of August test date with an in-person night time prep course:

Follow this link to learn the MCAT test dates and score release dates!

Products to Help You Prepare for the MCAT:

Preparatory Courses

Aim to take a preparatory course in the eight weeks prior to your test date. MCAT preparatory courses are worth the time and money for most people. Unless you excel at multiple choice tests and have scored very well on practice tests and are very disciplined, you need a preparatory course.

It doesn’t matter if you take one online, in person or in a boot-camp style. It just has to work for you, given your own schedule, demands and financial means.

If you took a preparatory course the last time you wrote the MCAT and are wondering if you should take one again, it depends. If you took the course to prepare for the old MCAT, you should take another one. If your score was high enough to avoid it, you wouldn’t be taking the MCAT again. If you are considering writing again but you already took the new MCAT, take it again if you think you didn’t give it everything you had the first time. You won’t need to buy as many new materials but it will be another expense.

Online Study Resources for Content Review

• Khan Academy 
• Chemistry Study Guide 
• Psychology Study Guide 
• Biology Study Guide 
• Critical Analysis Study Guide 

Practice Products

MCAT Practice Tests from MCAT prep companies are available on Amazon and in your campus bookstore.

• e-MCAT Practice from the AAMC 
• The AAMC Official MCAT Guide 

Sage Advice

• Dr. Andrea Tooley and Christine Hou 

This test is a masterful mind tease. If you’re prepared, know the concepts, and have been scoring well on practice tests, you are ready. Don’t let your confidence be shaken by a low baseline score and attack the prep according to schedule. It will all be over soon enough. 

Are you wondering, "When should I take the MCAT?" Follow that link for advice from our experts!

Click here to grab a copy of our AMCAS training mini video course series.

Click here to grab a copy of our OMSAS training mini video course series.

About the author:

Dr. Ashley Faye White is currently a rural medicine resident at McMaster University and a senior admissions expert at BeMo. She has an M.D. from McMaster medical school and has navigated her way into med school as a non-traditional applicant.

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting Inc.