What do mcats test for

Learn more about the changes to the MCAT exam and why they are important for building the physician workforce of the future.

The MCAT program considers the integrity and security of the exam process to be very important. If you observe any irregular behavior or exam security violations before, during, or after an examination, please call or email the MCAT Security tip line. If you choose to remain anonymous, the AAMC will not disclose your identity unless required by law. Submit a tip anonymously. The integrated content on the MCAT is broken down into four test sections that comprise the exam:.

Each of the four sections of the MCAT is scored from to , with the mean and median at This means the total score ranges from to , with the mean and median at See more on how the MCAT is scored below. An understanding of the basic chemical and physical principles that underlie the mechanisms operating in the human body—and an ability to apply your understanding of these general principles to living systems—is essential.

The physical sciences are tested in the context of the biological sciences, which is a departure from the traditional way we learn these sciences. A significant amount of biochemistry also appears in this section.

A periodic table is available during the MCAT, but a calculator is not. The rest of the section questions come from passages offered on the exam, and they require both information from the passage and outside content knowledge. Number of questions on CARS.

Minutes to complete CARS. Score range on CARS. The formal name of this section is Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. All information necessary to answer the questions is included in the passage. The CARS section is essentially testing you on how well you are able to analyze arguments and find the underlying assumptions and inferences. The section is 90 minutes in length, with 53 questions, all of which are connected to their respective passages.

Equally important in the study of medicine is your knowledge of how cells and organ systems within an organism act both independently and in concert to accomplish these processes. These are the newest subjects tested on the MCAT, introduced because of their increasing importance in medical education. While most medical schools do not require psychology or sociology as part of their prerequisite coursework, the MCAT recommends one semester of introductory courses in each of these subjects.

This section is an essential addition to the MCAT since it assesses your ability to implement research and statistical principles within the realm of behavioral and sociocultural determinants of health and health outcomes.

Basically, you are required to integrate psychological, sociological, and biological bases of behaviors and relationships. Take a free practice test. How would you do if you took the MCAT today? Get The Test. You might also like Researching and Evaluating Medical Schools. Medical Schools for Internal Medicine.

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