MCAT

By: Megan Aldworth

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a somewhat scary topic for those prospective medical students that must take on the test in order to apply for medical school. The MCAT is a very important test for medical students that requires months of preparation to perform successfully on.

The MCAT is a standardized test administered and scored by the Association of Americal Medical Colleges (AAMC). The test is seven and a half hours long and has four main components: Scientific Reasoning: The Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Scientific Reasoning: The Biological Sciences, and an optional trial section. This test requires a significant background in science during undergraduate programs including courses in physics, biology, chemistry, and organic chemistry. The MCAT basically includes all of the information students learned during their undergraduate programs.

Recently the MCAT became a test performed on the computer and the questions asked are predetermined, or not chosen based on performance. Because this test is performed on a computer it is important to become accustomed to the style of the test in a similar setting before taking it. It is recommended by many who have taken the MCAT to take the full test in a similar setting as the proctored test before going in to take the real test. This is a reasonable recommendation, being that most test takers have never completed a test as long or intellectually involved as the MCAT. Many practice tests are available to complete in preparation for the test and it is important for test takers to take advantage of these.

The test is scored using a 118 to a 132 range for each section present and overall scores are centered at 500, ranging from 472 to 528. Performing well is imperative for staying competitive among other prospective medical students and is necessary for admittance into medical school. For any readers with friends or family interested in medical school, wish them the best of luck! And for those readers planning to take the MCAT, I wish you the best of luck!

"MCAT Overview." MCAT Overview. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
"About the MCAT® Exam." About the MCAT® Exam. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Photo 1: "About the MCAT® Exam." About the MCAT® Exam. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Photo 2: "ISU Pre-Health Professions Advising Newsletter Archive: MCAT Score Guide (2015 MCAT)." ISU Pre-Health Professions Advising Newsletter Archive: MCAT Score Guide (2015 MCAT). Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Photo 3: "Medical Students in the Office: A Satisfying Choice." Https://www.themedicalbag.com/doctor-blogs/pierre-manzo/medical-students-in-the-officea-satisfying-choice. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.