To attend med school, prospective doctors must tackle the daunting Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Produced, administered and scored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), this 5.5 hour exam requires a multitude of preparation and planning in order to achieve a strong score. And you'll definitely need a strong score if you want to remain a competitive applicant.
The Lowdown
Before you sit for the exam, you should have taken two semesters each of biology, physics, chemistry and organic chemistry.
The test has adopted a computer-based (CBT) format. However, unlike some computerized standardized tests, the MCAT CBT is not a computer-adaptive test (CAT). This means that the questions given on the MCAT CBT are predetermined; they are not selected based on the test taker’s performance. If you’d like to acquire a modicum of familiarity before test day, consider taking one of our free online tests.
Scoring
You will receive four scores, one for each component. The verbal reasoning component and the two scientific reasoning components (biological and physical sciences) are scored on a scale of 1 to 15, with 1 being low and 15 high. The writing sample is scored on a scale of J to T, with J being low and T being high.
A growing number of medical schools are beginning to regard scores that are out of balance as undesirable. They often view a candidate with three 10s more favorably than a candidate who scores 12s on both of the science sections and then only an 8 on the verbal section.
Taking the Test
The MCAT is administered on multiple days of the year in morning, afternoon and weekend sessions. To register, visit the AAMC website: www.aamc.org/students/mcat. Click here to see specific test dates.
For additional information regarding the test, please read our MCAT FAQS.
