OVERVIEW
The Medical Colleges Admission Test (MCAT) is a multiple-choice and computer-based aptitude test required by the applicants of the medical school in Canada, Australia and United States. The test is designed to assess student preparedness for medical studies and measures the knowledge they acquired from high school curriculum.
MCAT is owned by Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and provides medical colleges with a generalized entrance exam. This helps universities to create a standardized merit and assess students on a common frame.
FORMAT
MCAT is based on the high school biology, chemistry and physics curriculum. Not only does this test assesses your knowledge but also measures your critical thinking abilities and reasoning skills.
The test is expected to long for 7.5 hours with some optional breaks and a lunch break.
The test is divided into four integrated sections mentioned below. Integrated sections mean to assess knowledge by overlapping subjects and not individually as the same will happen in a medical college.
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
HOW IS MCAT SCORED?
A total of five scores are awarded to you – one for each of the four sections and one total score.
Each section is scored from a range of 118 to 132 and the overall score ranges from 478 to 152. These scores are usually available 30-35 days after the test date.
MCAT is offered 25 times in a year and one can only take MCAT 3 times a year or a total of 7 times in life. Results are only valid for three years.