What’s the MCAT exam?

The Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) is a standardized, multiple-choice, computer-based test that has been a part of the medical school admissions process for more than 90 years. Each year, more than 85,000 students sit for the exam. All medical schools in the United States and many in Canada require MCAT scores for regular admission to medical school. Many health profession schools and graduate programs also accept MCAT scores in lieu of other standardized tests.

The MCAT exam tests examinees on the skills and knowledge that medical educators, physicians, medical students, and residents have identified as key prerequisites for success in medical school and practicing medicine. The content is divided into four sections:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

How is the MCAT exam scored?

You will receive five results from your MCAT exam—one for each of the four sections and one combined total score.

• Section scores: Each of the four section scores will range from 118 to 132. Test takers will receive scores for each of the four sections.
• Total score: Scores for the four sections are combined to create a total score. The total score ranges from 472 to 528.

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

This section asks you to solve problems by combining your knowledge of biological and biochemical concepts with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. It tests processes unique to living organisms, such as growing and reproducing, maintaining a constant internal environment, acquiring materials and energy, sensing and responding to environmental changes, and adapting. It also tests how cells and organ systems act independently and together to accomplish these processes and asks you to reason about these processes at various levels of biological organization.

This section is designed to:

• Test introductory-level biology, organic chemistry, and inorganic chemistry concepts.
• Test biochemistry concepts taught in first-semester biochemistry courses.
• Test cellular and molecular biology topics from introductory biology and biochemistry courses.
• Test basic research methods and statistics concepts important to success in science courses.
• Require demonstration of scientific inquiry and reasoning, research methods, and statistics skills.

Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

This section asks you to solve problems by combining your knowledge of foundational concepts with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. It tests understanding of how psychological, social, and biological factors influence perceptions, reactions, behavior change, cultural and social differences, and relationships between social stratification and well-being.

This section emphasizes concepts needed by future doctors to serve diverse populations and understand behavior's impact on health. It communicates the need to handle human and social issues in medicine.

This section is designed to:

• Test psychology, sociology, and biology concepts foundational for learning behavioral and sociocultural determinants of health.
• Test concepts from first-semester psychology and sociology courses.
• Test biology concepts related to mental processes and behavior.
• Test basic research methods and statistics important in science courses.
• Require scientific inquiry, reasoning, research methods, and statistics skills applied to social and behavioral sciences.

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

This section asks you to solve problems by combining your knowledge of chemical and physical foundational concepts with scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. It tests understanding of mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of tissues, organs, and systems. It also assesses your knowledge of chemical and physical principles underlying body mechanisms and your reasoning about them.

This section is designed to:

• Test biology, organic/inorganic chemistry, and physics concepts.
• Test biochemistry at the level taught in first-semester biochemistry courses.
• Test molecular biology topics from introductory biology and biochemistry courses.
• Test basic research methods and statistics concepts important to success in science courses.
• Require demonstration of scientific inquiry and reasoning, research methods, and statistics skills.

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

This section is similar to many verbal reasoning tests taken during your academic career. It includes passages and questions that test reading comprehension, analysis, and reasoning. The section focuses on passages from social sciences and humanities disciplines.

Passages are short (500-600 words), complex, and sophisticated. Everything needed to answer the questions is in the passage itself. The section emphasizes analyzing relationships between ideas, authors' intentions, tone, and language.

This section is designed to:

• Test comprehension, analysis, and reasoning skills.
• Include content from ethics, philosophy, diverse cultures, population health, and social sciences/humanities.
• Provide all information required within the passages and questions.