MCAT Overview
The MCAT is changing to keep up with rapid advances in science, transformations in the health care system, and diversifying populations. Tomorrow’s doctors need to be prepared for these changes, and the MCAT will help shape what students will need to know before, and when they are in medical school. The MCAT will build questions from a set of competencies, which are concepts that students need to know and skills they need to perform. It is each student’s responsibility to ensure they have met the competencies before taking the exam.
- Computer-based test
- Registration Fee: $345
- $140 with AAMC Fee Assistance Program
- Exam Dates: January, March - September
- Register as soon as the MCAT opens!
- Register in October for dates in January-June.
- Register in February for dates in July-September.
- ~2-5 exams/month
- Exam Location
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- ONLY ONE testing center for the entire state
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Accommodated Testing: If you have a disability or medical condition that requires adjustments to standard testing conditions, it is highly encouraged to apply for accommodations.
Sections
4 Sections:
- Science Sections: 10 passages (4-7 questions each) & 15 discrete questions (questions that require any passage knowledge)
- CARS: 9 passages (4-7 questions each)
- Content knowledge is expected in every section - except CARS!
- 6.25-hours of answering questions
- ~8 hour test day
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school in the following foundational concepts:
- Chemical & physical sciences
- Scientific inquiry
- Reasoning
- Research/statistic skills
30% General Physics, 25% Physics, 25% Biochemistry, 15% Organic Chemistry, 5% General Biology
Preparatory Courses:
BIOL 171/L, BIOL 172/L, CHEM 161/L, CHEM 162/L, CHEM 272/L, CHEM 273/L, PHYS 151/L or PHYS 170/L, PHYS 152/L or PHYS 272/L, MATH 140+, BIOL 402/BIOC 441
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)
Critical analysis of information in social science/humanities studies:
- Ethics
- Sciences
- Cultural studies
- Population health
**Specific knowledge of these disciplines not required **
Preparatory Courses:
ENG 100+, courses in the social sciences and humanities that require extensive reading and writing
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school in the following foundational concepts:
- Biological & biochemical sciences
- Scientific inquiry
- Reasoning
- Research/statistic skills
65% General Biology, 25% Biochemistry, 5% General Chemistry, 5% Organic Chemistry
Preparatory Courses:
BIOL 171/L, BIOL 172/L, BIOL 275/L, CHEM 161/L, CHEM 162/L, CHEM 272/L, CHEM 273/L, MATH 140+, BIOL 402/BIOC 441
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
Provide solid foundation for learning about the behavioral and socio-cultural determinants of health and health outcomes.
Knowledge and use of the concepts in:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Biology
- Research methods
- Statistics
65% Psychology, 30% Sociology, 5% General Biology
Preparatory Courses:
PSY 100, SOC 100, BIOL 171/L, BIOL 172/L, MATH 140+
Time Breakdown
| Test Section | # of Questions | Time |
| Examinee Agreement | — | 8 minutes |
| Tutorial (Optional) | — | 10 minutes |
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems | 59 | 95 minutes |
| Break (Optional) | — | 10 minutes |
| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills | 53 | 90 minutes |
| Mid-Exam Break (Optional) | — | 30 minutes |
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems | 59 | 95 minutes |
| Break (Optional) | — | 10 minutes |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior | 59 | 95 minutes |
| Void Question | — | 5 minutes |
| Satisfaction Survey (Optional and used for creating a more thorough/efficient testing experience for future test takers) | — | 5 minutes |
| Total Content Time | — | 6 hours, 15 minutes |
| Total "Seat" Time | — | 7 hours, 33 minutes |
Scoring
- Released ~30-35 days after exam date
- Total of 230 multiple choice questions split into 4 sections
- Each section:
- Score range: 118 - 132
- Midpoint: 125
- Many schools have a minimum score of 125 for each section.
- Section scores will be combined to create a total score,
- Score range: 472 - 528
- Midpoint: 50
- 50th Percentile: 501
- 80th Percentile: 510
- 99th Percentile: 522-523
- Each section has "trial questions" that are NOT scored
- Trial questions are used to determine if questions should be incorporated into future exams.
- Test takers will not be able to tell which ones are trial questions.
Official AAMC Resources
- AAMC Official Resources Store
- Official MCAT Question Packs
- AAMC MCAT Section Bank
- Prepare for the MCAT Exam includes:
- Practice for the MCAT Exam
- Practice with the Exam Features
- MCAT Test Prep Bulk Order Purchasing
- Official Prep CARS Diagnostic Tool
Everything below is FREE unless started otherwise.
- Altius Prep 2015 Exam
- AAMC MCAT Official Prep Bundle - FREE with the Fee Assistance Program
- Contains 4 full length exams
- Tests can be purchased individually - Practice Exams from AAMC
- AAMC Official MCAT Sample Test (no scaled score)
- AAMC Official MCAT Practice Test
- Blueprint (1/2 length diagnostic + full length)
- EBSCO PrepSTEP:
- For UH Students
- Free access to 1 practice test
- Also provides practice sets
- Jack Westin MCAT CARS Practice Exams
- Kaplan
- MedSchool Coach (1/2 length exam)
- Princeton Review
Prep Resources
PAC DOES NOT endorse any particular test preparation resource and this is NOT an exhaustive list.
- Altius Test Prep: UH System students use promo code NAAHP500 for $500 off!
- Email London, UHM's contact, for other additional possible discounts at london@altiustestprep.com.
- Anki Flashcards
- Berkeley Review
- Blueprint Prep (Free Webinars) - Use promo code INST9872 for 15% off
- Chegg Test Prep
- Exam Krackers
- Gold Standard MCAT Practice Tests
- Jack Westin
- FREE Khan Academy MCAT Collection
- Over 900 videos and 3,000 review questions that cover all natural and social sciences content
- 11 Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills passages with questions
- Kaplan Test Prep
- Magoosh
- MCAT Study Schedule
- FREE MCAT Trial
- Free prep for students who qualifies for the AAMC's Fee Assistance Program
- McGraw-Hill
- Medical Student Mentorship Program (MSMP) MCAT Secrets
- Tips and tricks from current JABSOM medical students
- Join the MSMP for more medical school advice and tips
- Premed Peers
- Princeton Review: Use promo code RAINBOW15 for 15% off!
- Hawaii State Public Library System
- For Hawaii residents and military personnel + their dependents
- Borrow books from Kaplan Publishing, Princeton Review and McGraw-Hill Education to review MCAT-based content
- UWorld
- Fruitions Etutoring
- Phone number: 808-232-1460
- Instagram: @fruitionsetutoring
- Email: fruitionsetutoring@gmail.com
UH Mānoa students ONLY: To borrow test preparation material for free, check out our Lending Library.
Funding Opportunities
IMPORTANT: Get to know your exam before you start studying!
Your most important preparation for the MCAT is your undergraduate courses (not only the prerequisites for medical school), many of which sharpen your writing and verbal reasoning skills. Remember that your Verbal Reasoning score is not only the most accurate predictor of how well you will do in medical school, but also the most difficult score to improve.
Study Plan Should Include:
- Content Review: ( Kaplan or Princeton Review Books, Past Lecture Notes, Online Resources, Study Groups, Tailored Tutoring, In Person or Online Classes)
- Retrieval/Active Recall Strategies: (Anki Cards, Kahn Academy, U World Question Banks, and/or Kaplan Question Banks)
- Practice Exams: (Kaplan, AAMC, Princeton, and/or Kahn Academy)
How long people study for the MCAT:
- AAMC: 260 hours for the average test taker
- ~11 hours/week for 6 months
Important Notes:
- Spaced Repetition is key
- Typical student takes ~7-8 Full-Length Exams
- Practice 1-2 CARS Passages every day of MCAT prep
- Taking breaks is essential
- There is no correct way to study. Your study plan should be tailored to your liking/preference to ensure success on the examination.
MCAT Studying Roadmap
- 12 months prior: Pick a date to take MCAT
- 9-11 months prior: Establish understanding and baseline knowledge of the MCAT
- Know the MCAT: What is tested, duration, what to bring, etc.
- Take a free diagnostic test
- Review the test and understand your strengths and weakness
- Begin content review process
- 6-8 months prior: Begin/Continue studying
- Organize and review lecture notes
- Purchase or borrow test prep materials
- Complete Practice Exam 1
- 3-5 months prior: Continue studying and begin retrieval/recall process:
- Consistently apply knowledge to problems
- Register for the Exam (Beginning of October)
- Work on your weakest section — one at a time
- Take a full length test created by MCAT makers
- 1-3 months prior: Do practice exams every two weeks in testing-like conditions and review results
- Test date: Confidently take the MCAT!
Effective Study Strategies/Resources Broken Down By Section:
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (BBLS):
- Kaplan/Princeton review books, lecture notes, Jack Westin review, Blueprint review, Kahn Academy, U World and Kaplan question banks, ANKI, videos, and AAMC practice tests
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (CPBS):
- Kaplan/Princeton review books, lecture notes, Kahn Academy, U World, Blueprint Review, Jack Westin Review and Kaplan question banks, ANKI, videos, and AAMC practice tests
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (PSBB):
- ANKI, Quizlet, videos, and other flashcard resources
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS):
- AAMC/Kaplan Practice Tests, Blueprint review, Jack Westin Review, and practice, practice, practice
General Information: Get to know what the MCAT is and why we take the MCAT
- Official Guide to the MCAT Exam
- What is the MCAT?
- What’s on the MCAT Exam?
- MCAT Update: What You Need to Know
- Frequently Asked Questions
Content Mapping: Determining preparatory classes needed for the MCAT
- Content Mapping Tool
- Include links to Khan Academy MCAT Collection
- Road Map to MCAT Content
- AAMC's Pre-Med Collection
Preparatory Material/Study Plan
- Creating a MCAT Study Plan
- Prepare for the MCAT Exam includes:
- Understand the MCAT Exam
- Creating a Study Plan for the MCAT Exam
- Study for the MCAT Exam
- How I Prepared for the MCAT Exam
- When to take the MCAT
- Preparation Statistics
- PAC's Study Plan
- Gold Standard MCAT Study Schedule
Success Tips Checklist
✓ Learn as much as you can about the exam.
✓ Study material covered in the exam. Ways can include:
- Reviewing courses you took.
- Studying textbooks and materials.
- Taking preparatory courses and/or tutoring offered by private companies (e.g., Kaplan and Princeton Review for the MCAT).
✓ Start preparing for the exams well in advance.
- A year is none too soon - but pace yourself!
- Find a balance between preparing thoroughly and not burning yourself out.
✓ Take practice exams under realistic, timed conditions.
✓ Review the results of your practice exam to identify areas in which you need improvement.
- Spend more time reviewing material in these areas.
- Identify tactical errors you may have made.
- Begin to develop strategies for answering each type of question.
✓ Take time just before the exam to relax.
- Get a good night's sleep
- Eat a good nutritious breakfast
✓ Scope out the exam location prior to your test day.
✓ Plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to the exam's start time.
✓ Remember to bring an MCAT-Accepted ID on the test day!
✓ Do your best the first time to save yourself additional time, money, and energy!
- Can take up to 3 times/calendar year OR 4 times/2 consecutive years
- Maximum lifetime limit of 7 attempts
- Voiding a score will count toward your 7 lifetime takes
- Medical schools will be able to see ALL exam score
- Re-testers tend to obtain higher scores on their second exams
- Examinees who tested a second time and whose score ranged from 472 - 517: Median gain of ~2-3 total score points
- Examinees whose initial score ranged from 518 - 528: Median score gain was 0
- There was considerable variation in the magnitude and direction of score changes
- Some examinees posted increases or decreases greater than 4 points