- Content
- Structure and Format
- Scoring System
MCAT Content
The MCAT has 4 sections that cover physical sciences (physics and general chemistry), verbal skills (based on reading passages), writing (2 essays), and biology (cellular biology, physiology, and organic chemistry). Some graduate admissions exams, such as the GRE, GMAT, and LSAT, could theoretically be passed by an intelligent and well-prepared high school student. But the MCAT requires university-level knowledge of science subjects and high-level reading skills. For this reason, it is one of the most challenging admission tests administered in the US.
To to well on the MCAT Physical and Biological sciences section, one must review and memorize vast amounts of information and basic principals from physics, biology, and chemistry. There are no heavy computation problems on the MCAT science sections; instead, the questions test your knowledge of concepts and facts.
The Verbal Reasoning section of the MCAT does not require specific medical and scientific knowledge, although such knowledge can only help you. The passages can be very dense and technical, and without some understanding of the topic, the accompanying questions may be opaque. In total, there are 9 passages with 4-10 questions each.
For the Writing Sample, you will complete two essays, and each essay must address three tasks. The first task of each essay is always "Explain what you think the above statement means." The second and third tasks vary according the essay prompt, but some examples of MCAT writing tasks are to offer a counterpoint illustrated by a concrete example, explain how two conflicting points of view can be resolved, or offer a concrete example that supports the assertion.
MCAT Structure and Format
The MCAT is given on the computer, but not in adaptive format; that is, the questions are predetermined before you arrive to the testing center. The timing for the MCAT sections are as follows:
| Section | Questions | Minutes |
| Phys. Sci. | 52 | 70 |
| Verb. Reas. | 40 | 60 |
| Wr. Sample | 2 | 60 |
| Bio. Sci. | 52 | 70 |
All the questions, except for the essays, are multiple choice with 4 answer choices each. There is a 10 minute break between the verbal and writing sections. In total, the exam lasts about 4.5 hours.
MCAT Scoring
The Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, and Biological Sciences sections are scored on a scale of 1-15. Thus, the composite score for the multiple choice sections ranges from 3 to 45. Among admissions committees at medical schools, there is some preference for balanced scores. For example, suppose Anna receives scores of 13, 12, and 11, and Ben receives scores of 15, 13, and 8. Both have composite scores of 36, but Anna's individual scores are more balanced, while Ben has that one low score. In this case, Anna's scores would be better.
The Writing Sample is scored on a scale of J to T, with J being the lowest and T being the highest.
MCAT Score Statistics
The average and median MCAT composite score is about 25, and the average MCAT score of students accepted to medical school is around 32. For Physical and Verbal, the average test taker scores are 8, while Biology has an average of 9.
The median Writing sample score is "O", which is the middle letter between J and T. If you receive a score of "O" on the MCAT writing sample, don't panic even though it looks like a zero!
MCAT Books:
