An Overview of the MCAT Exam
One of the most significant parts of the medical school application is the MCAT. The MCAT (along with your GPA) makes up a significant part of your academic profile on your application. Therefore, you should prepare to set aside a good amount of time to prepare for the exam and do your best.
Personally, this is one of my favorite topics to talk about because the MCAT was a long and tough journey for me, but it was SO rewarding to take the exam and get the score! Plus, something cool is that those topics you learn on the MCAT come back in the first year of med school, and as a result, you have a solid foundation base to build on.
All that being said, it can be pretty stressful to think about and prepare for, so we wanted to first provide a concise overview of what it is and then dive into MCAT advice in some upcoming posts!
What Is The MCAT?
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized test required for MD & DO medical school admissions. To fully submit your medical school application to be reviewed, you will need an MCAT score documented.
What Does The MCAT Test?
It is a 4-section exam that tests (in this order):
Chemistry/Physics (CP)
Critical Analysis and Reasoning section (CARS)
Biology/Biochemistry (BB)
Psychology and Sociology (PS)
How Is The Test Structured?
There are 59 questions in the CP, BB, PS sections and 53 questions in the CARS sections. The test itself has 10 minute breaks in between each section with a longer 30-minute break between CARS and BB.
How Is It Scored?
Once you take the test, you will receive a three-digit score ranging from 472 to 528, which will also correlate with different national percentiles. The higher, the better :)
Can I Re-Take the MCAT?
Yes! You can take it up to 7 times in your lifetime, with a maximum of 3 times a year. However, each attempt will be visible to the medical schools, so it is important to put your best foot forward each time.
How Long Does My MCAT Score Last?
Generally, medical schools will accept MCAT scores going back two or three years ago. Each medical school has its own policy on how old your MCAT score can be, so it is essential to check school websites when planning your application (especially if you took the exam a while ago).
Having just read this, take a moment and breathe! It's a lot, I won't lie, but super manageable in small steps. Plus, we’re here to help! Our team is full of skilled and experienced MCAT test-takers who all took different approaches, so you'll see a variety of ways to tackle this!
In upcoming posts, we will break down the MCAT into smaller chunks and highlight popular questions about the test, such as "when to take it," "what resources should I use", etc.…
PS. Don't forget to message us or tweet us if you have questions or want some additional advice!