About the MCAT
Background Test Information
The MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) is managed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and administered by American College Testing. You can only register for the MCAT online at the AAMC website.
Test Format
The MCAT has four parts:
- Physical Sciences
- Verbal Reasoning
- Writing Sample
- Biological Sciences
Each part is scored separately, with the verbal reasoning, biological and physical sciences on a scale from 1 to 15 (where 15 is the highest) and the writing sample on a scale from J to T (where T is the highest).
The testing session is structured as follows:
Component
|
Number of Questions
|
Time (minutes)
|
| Physical Sciences |
52 |
70 |
| |
|
Optional Break (10) |
| Verbal Reasoning |
40 |
60 |
| |
|
Optional Break (10) |
| Writing |
2 |
60 |
| |
|
Optional Break (10) |
| Biological Sciences |
52 |
70 |
|
|
4 Hours 50 Minutes
|
Science Content
Physics
|
General and Organic Chemistry
|
Biology
|
- Units
- Graphs
- Trigonometry
- Translational Motion
- Forces
- Energy, Work, Power, and Momentum
- Fluids and Solids
- Electrostatics and Electromagnetism
- Capacitors
- Waves and Simple Harmonic Motion
- Optics
|
- Atoms, Elements, and the Periodic Table
- Bonding and Molecular Formation
- Reaction Classes, Balancing Equations,
Reaction Kinetics
- Equilibrium Dynamics
- Thermodynamics
- Solutions and Solubility
- Gases
- Phase Changes
- Acid-Base Chemistry
- Electrochemistry
- Carbon Bonding
- Stereochemistry
- Hydrocarbons
- Alcohols, Phenols, and Ethers
- Aldehydes and Ketones
- Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
- Amines, Amino Acids, and Proteins
- Carbohydrates
- Separation and Identification of
Organic Compounds
|
- Eukaryotic Cells
- DNA
- Reproduction
- Developmental Biology
- Bacteria, Viruses, and Fungi
- Biochemical Pathways
- Human Gas Exchange, Circulation,
Digestion, and Musculoskeletal Function
- Human Renal, Endocrine,
and Nervous Systems
- Heredity
- Evolution, Populations, and Ecology
|
