The Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) is divided into four sections and is required for admission to most medical schools in the United States. Two sections of the MCAT® are used to evaluate a test-factual taker’s knowledge of the physical and biological sciences, respectively. The test-critical taker’s thinking and reasoning abilities are assessed in the third section. The fourth and final section of the MCAT® evaluates the test-written taker’s communication skills.
Successful completion of the two MCAT® sections on scientific knowledge typically necessitates significant prior university-level science coursework. Indeed, many undergraduate students who want to apply to medical school take science courses that cover topics covered on the MCAT® sections. Most MCAT® test-takers have completed at least one year of biology, one year of physics, and two years of chemistry coursework at the university level, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, which oversees the MCAT® exam.
The physical sciences, specifically general chemistry and physics, are covered in the first MCAT® section. Test-takers should have a thorough understanding of the periodic table of the elements, as well as the principles of chemical processes and molecular bonding, among other topics, in order to prepare for the chemistry questions. The physics questions demand a thorough understanding of fundamental physical laws as well as concepts such as motion, energy, light, and atomic structure.
The biological sciences, including organic chemistry, are assessed in the next MCAT® section. This section covers a wide range of topics, from enzyme structure to evolution. Test takers must have a solid understanding of molecular biology, including DNA structure and function, as well as microbiology, including viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic cell characteristics. Test takers should also be familiar with all of the major biological systems found in larger animals. Finally, organic chemistry topics include everything from covalent bonds to biological molecule properties.
The verbal reasoning section of the MCAT® is the third of four sections that assesses the test-abilities. taker’s Specific factual knowledge is not required in this section. Rather, the questions are designed to assess reading comprehension, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and analytical abilities. Taking MCAT® practice tests is the most common way for test takers to prepare for this section of the MCAT®.
The final MCAT® section requires the test-taker to write an essay that will be graded on grammar, structure, and organization. A topic statement is followed by three writing tasks in each MCAT® writing section. In the body of the essay, all three writing tasks must be addressed in relation to the topic statement. Test-takers can use an index of more than 100 topic-and-task example sets on the official MCAT® website to prepare for this section of the exam.