USA’s MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test)

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a computer-based standardized examination  administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and designed for prospective medical students in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean Islands. The test has been invented with the objective to assess knowledge on concepts of social and natural sciences including problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis and knowledge of scientific concepts and principles all with the purpose to help them get admitted in the study of medicine.

The test takes approximately 7+1⁄2 hours to complete (including breaks) and is scored in a range from 472 to 528.

The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (59 number of questions)- Time 95 minutes

The section is designed with the objective to test the candidate’s ability in the context of processes that are unique to living organisms, i.e. growing and reproducing, maintaining a constant internal environment, acquiring materials and energy, sensing and responding to environmental changes, and adapting. In addition, ways in which cells and organ systems within an organism act independently and in concert to accomplish these processes are also tested. The section also asks the candidate to reason about these processes at various levels of biological organization within a living system.

The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (59 number of questions)- Time 95 minutes

This section tests a candidate’s understanding towards the ways in which the social, psychological, and biological factors influence perceptions and reactions to the world; behavior and its changes; what people actually think about themselves and others; the cultural and social differences that influence well-being; and the relationships between social stratification, access to resources, and well-being.

The Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems(59 number of questions)- Time 95 minutes

The section tests one’s understanding of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of human tissues, organs, and organ systems. In addition, the section also aims to test candidates knowledge of the basic chemical and physical principles that underpin the mechanisms operating in the human body and one’s ability to reason about and apply understanding of these basic chemical and physical principles to living systems.

The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (53 number of questions)- Time 90 minutes

This section tests one’s ability to comprehend the read they have done. The section mostly incorporates asking a candidate to read and think, relatively short in between 500 and 600 words passages from varied disciplines in the areas of social sciences and humanities, followed by a series of questions that lead one through the process of comprehending, analyzing, and reasoning about the materials one have read.