Stephanie Myers
Premed advisor for Chemistry & Physics

 The current MCAT version has been used for 24 years.
 It’s time for a review
 It should reflect the current practice of medicine
 Changes based on interviews with /surveys from
 Medical school faculty
 College (BS) school faculty
 Medical students and residents

https://www.aamc.org/students/services/343550/mcat2015.html

Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills
Knowledge of scientific concepts & principles
Scientific reasoning and problem solving
Reasoning about the design and execution of research
Data-based and statistical reasoning

 Skill 1: Knowledge of Scientific Principles
 Skill 2: Scientific Reasoning and Problem Solving
 Skill 3: Reasoning about the design and execution of research
 Skill 4: data based and statistical reasoning
 General mathematical concepts and techniques

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of
Living Systems
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59 items, 95 minutes
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This section asks you to combine your knowledge of foundational concepts in the biological and biochemical sciences with your scientific inquiry, reasoning, and research and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.
 Understanding the processes unique to living organisms, such as growing and reproducing, maintaining a constant internal environment, acquiring materials and energy, sensing and responding to environmental changes, and adapting, is important to the study of medicine. You will be tested on your knowledge of how cells and organ systems within an organism act both independently and in concert to accomplish these processes, as well as your ability to reason about these processes at various levels of biological organization within a living system.

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Foundational Concept 1
Biomolecules have unique properties that determine how they contribute to the structure and function of cells, and how they participate in the processes necessary to maintain life.
Foundational Concept 2
Highly-organized assemblies of molecules, cells, and organs interact to carry out the functions of living organisms.
Foundational Concept 3
Complex systems of tissues and organs sense the internal and external environments of multicellular organisms, and through integrated functioning, maintain a stable internal environment within an ever-changing external environment.

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Discipline:
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First-semester biochemistry, 25%
Introductory biology, 65%
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General chemistry, 5%
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Organic chemistry, 5%
Foundational Concept:
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Foundational Concept 1, 55%
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Foundational Concept 2, 20%
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Foundational Concept 3, 25%
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skill:
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Skill 1, 35%
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Skill 2, 45%
 Skill 3, 10%
 Skill 4, 10%

Chemical and Physical Foundations of
Biological Systems
 59 items, 95 minutes

This section asks you to combine your knowledge of foundational concepts in the chemical and physical sciences with your scientific inquiry, reasoning, and research and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.
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Understanding the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of tissues, organs, and organ systems is important to the study of medicine. You will be tested on your knowledge of the basic chemical and physical principles that underlie the mechanisms operating in the human body, and your ability to apply an understanding of these general principles to living systems.

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Foundational Concept 4
Complex living organisms transport materials, sense their environment, process signals, and respond to changes using processes that can be understood in terms of physical principles.
Foundational Concept 5
The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living systems

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Discipline:
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First-semester biochemistry, 25%
Introductory biology, 5%
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General chemistry, 30%
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Organic chemistry, 15%
 Introductory physics, 25%
Foundational Concept:
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Foundational Concept 4, 40%
 Foundational Concept 5, 60%
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skill:
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Skill 1, 35%
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Skill 2, 45%
 Skill 3, 10%
 Skill 4, 10%

Psychological, Social, and Biological
Foundations of Behavior
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59 items, 95 minutes
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This section tests your knowledge and use of the concepts in psychology, sociology, biology, research methods, and statistics that provide a solid foundation for learning in medical school about the behavioral and socio-cultural determinants of health and health outcomes.
 Understanding the behavioral and socio-cultural determinants of health is important to the study of medicine. You will be tested on your knowledge of the ways in which psychological, social, and biological factors influence perceptions and reactions to the world; behavior, and behavior change; what people 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.

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Foundational Concept 6
Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence the ways that individuals perceive, think about, and react to the world.
Foundational Concept 7
Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence behavior and behavior change
Foundational Concept 8
Psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors influence the way we think about ourselves and others, as well as how we interact with others.
Foundational Concept 9
Cultural and social differences influence well-being.
Foundational Concept 10
Social stratification and access to resources influence well-being

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Discipline:*
Introductory psychology, 65% **
Introductory sociology, 30%
Introductory biology, 5%
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Foundational Concept:Foundational Concept 6, 25%
Foundational Concept 7, 35%
Foundational Concept 8, 20%
Foundational Concept 9, 15%
Foundational Concept 10, 5%
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Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skill:Skill 1, 35%
Skill 2, 45%
Skill 3, 10%
Skill 4, 10%

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Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
53 items, 90 minutes
 This section asks you to critically analyze information from a wide range of social sciences and humanities disciplines. Specific knowledge of these disciplines is not required for this section; all of the information you will need appears in the passages provided. Among the areas from which content is drawn are ethics and philosophy, cultural studies, and population health.

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Skill 1: Foundations of Comprehension
• Understanding the basic components of the text.
• Inferring meaning from rhetorical devices, word choice, and text structure.
Skill 2: Reasoning Within the Text
• Integrating different components of the text to increase comprehension
Skill 3: Reasoning Beyond the Text
• Applying or extrapolating ideas from the passage to new contexts.
• Assessing the impact of introducing new factors, information, or conditions to ideas from the passage.
Passage Types
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills passages come from a variety of humanities and social sciences disciplines.

Comparison of Current vs. MCAT2015 Exam
Current
Exam
X Tests biology, physics, general and organic chemistry
Tests biochemistry, psychology, sociology
Tests problem solving with multiple disciplines
Tests analytical reasoning
Tests analytical reasoning with an increased emphasis on population health, health disparities, ethics, and philosophy
Increases emphasis on scientific problem solving and data-based reasoning
Balances testing competencies in the natural, behavioral and social sciences
X
New
Exam
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
18

At many colleges in introductory:
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Biology
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Physics
And concepts from:
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First-semester biochemistry
First-semester psychology and sociology
Research methods and statistics concepts used in introductory science labs, psychology, and sociology

Foundational Concept
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC1 (E5*and parts of E8*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
FC2 (E6*)
CC2A
CC2A
CC2A
CC2B
CC2B
CC2B
CC2B
CC2B
CC2B
CC1D
CC1D
CC1D
CC1D
CC1D
CC1D
CC2A
CC1B
CC1B
CC1B
CC1C
CC1C
CC1C
CC1C
CC1C
CC1D
CC1D
CC1B
CC1B
CC1B
CC1B
CC1B
CC1B
CC1B
Content Category Topic
CC1A Amino Acids
CC1A Protein Structure
CC1A
CC1A
CC1A
Non-Enzymatic Protein Function
Enzyme Structure and Function
Control of Enzyme Activity
Nucleic Acid Structure and Function
DNA Replication
Repair of DNA
Genetic Code
Transcription
Translation
Eukaryotic Chromosome Organization
Control of Gene Expression in Prokaryotes
Control of Gene Expresson in Eukaryotes
Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology
Evidence that DNA is Genetic Material
Mendelian Concepts
Meiosis and Other Factors Affecting Genetic Variability
Analytic Methods
Evolution
Principles of Bioenergetics
Carbohydrates
Glycolysis, Gluconeogenesis, and the Pentose Phosphate Pathway
Principles of Metabolic Regulation
Citric Acid Cycle
Metabolism of Fatty Acids and Proteins
Oxidative Phosphorylation
Hormonal Regulation and Integration of Metabolism
Plasma Membrane
Membrane-Bound Organelles and Defining Characteristics of Eukaryotic Cells
Cytoskeleton
Tissues Formed From Eukaryotic Cells
Cell Theory
Classification and Structure of Prokaryotic Cells
Growth and Physiology of Prokaryotic Cells
Genetics of Prokaryotic Cells
Virus Structure
Viral Life Cycle
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
NO!
NO!
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Topic taught at your school
Topic On Current
MCAT
Yes
Yes
X
X
Yes
Yes
Yes
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
CHEM 1211
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
CHEM 1212
X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
BIOL 1107 x x
BIOL 1108 x x

MCAT2015
Test Administration

Test Section
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological
Systems
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living
Systems
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of
Behavior
Total Content Time
#
Questions Time
59 95 min
53
59
59
--
90 min
95 min
95 min
Total “Seat” Time --
6 hr, 15 min
7 hr, 30 min

Test Section
Examinee Agreement
Tutorial (Optional)
Chemical and Physical
Foundations of Biological
Systems
Break (Optional)
Critical Analysis and
Reasoning Skills
Number of Questions
--
--
59
--
53
Mid-Exam Break (Optional) --
Biological and Biochemical
Foundations of Living
Systems
59
Break (Optional)
Psychological, Social, and
Biological Foundations of
Behavior
Void Question
Satisfaction Survey
(Optional)
Total Content Time
Total "Seat" Time
--
59
--
--
--
--
NOTE: The total time does not include check-in time on arrival at the test center
Time
10 minutes
5 minutes
95 minutes
10 minutes
90 minutes
30 minutes
95 minutes
10 minutes
95 minutes
5 minutes
5 minutes
6 hours, 15 minutes
7 hours, 30 minutes

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30-minute mid-exam break and two 10-minute breaks
Examinees with extended testing time can test over two days
Hotel discount program
20

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Registration Fee for MCAT2015: $300
Fee Assistance Program (FAP)
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Discounted MCAT registration fee
Free MCAT test preparation materials
Scholarships for accommodated applicants needing updated evaluations
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Registration will open in February 2015
Test dates in the months of April – September
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No October or November test dates
January 2016 exams will be part of the 2016 testing year
Test dates still in line with academic calendar
Carefully studied previous testing calendars
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• Fourteen dates with same number of seats
• All exams will start at 8AM
• No double-day administrations
• Mostly Friday or
Saturday dates
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MCAT2015
Score Scale and Score Reporting

Since old and new scores can’t be compared…
…the new MCAT scores will be reported on new and different scales

The scale for each of the four sections ranges from 118 to
132, and 125 is the “top of the section curve”

The new score scale ranges from 472 to 528, and
500 is the “top of the curve”

Applicants at the “top of the curve” are likely to do well in medical school

MCAT2015 Score Reports
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New scores
 Total score
 4 section scores
Tools to help interpret scores
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Percentile rank for each score
Confidence band for each score
A score profile to highlight strengths and weaknesses

MCAT2015 Score Reports-An Example
 Applicant:Tom Jones
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MCAT test date: May 2015
MCAT total score: 506
 Interpretation tools
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Percentile rank:
Confidence band:
76
+/- 2
Score profile: score in each section

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How does Tom’s MCAT total score of 506 compare?
Check the percentile rank!
Tom’s total score was the same or better than 76% of examinees who will take the new exam in a typical year

Percentile Ranks
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Percentile ranks reported in the first year will be based on the performance of examinees who test on the first few test administration dates in April
We can “estimate” the percentile ranks for a typical year from those first few test dates

How accurate is Tom’s MCAT total score of 506?
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Check the confidence band!
Every score has some uncertainty
Checking this uncertainty helps guard against over-weighing small score differences
While the best estimate of Tom’s score is 506, scores from 504 to
508 are plausible
37

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What are Tom’s strengths and weaknesses?
Compare his profile of scores on the 4 new sections
Tom’s BEST score was from Biological and
Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Section Section
Score
125 Chemical and Physical Foundations of
Living Systems
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
Biological and Biochemical
Foundations of Living Systems
Psychological, Social, and Biological
Foundations of Behavior
127
130
124

MCAT2015 Prototype Score Report
39

 For examinees taking the exam in April or May:
 Scores will take longer than the 30-35 days to be reported due to additional score processing time needed .
 However, these scores will be released before the first AMCAS ® 2016 application release.
 In addition, “preliminary” Percentile Rank estimates will be provided prior to the official score release
 April test-takers will likely have scores released on June 16
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May test-takers will likely have scores released on June 30
June test-takers will likely have scores released on July 21
July test-takers will likely have scores released on August 18

Incentives for April examinees
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To help ensure that numbers of examinees are sufficient to support the analyses associated with the development of the new scales
Examinees taking the exam in April 2015 will receive a gift card from Amazon.com for $150 (equal to half the cost of registration)

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www.aamc.org/mcat2015exam

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Collaboration with Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
Free instructional videos and review questions
Will cover all natural and social science content on new exam
Over 400 videos and hundreds of questions available now
Over 30,000 views daily www.mededportal.org/icollaborative/pre-health

Pre-health Collection within MedEdPORTAL’s iCollaborative
• Free, open access resources for
MCAT2015 content
• For faculty to use in classrooms
• For student independent study www.mededportal.org/icollaborative/pre-health

The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam (MCAT2015), Fourth
Edition
• Includes 120 practice questions and solutions
• Online practice questions option
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$35 for book and online practice questions
$30 book only
•
$10 online practice questions only www.aamc.org/officialmcatguide2015

• Available Fall 2014
• Full-length test
• Representative of the new exam
• Online test
• Score report with number correct
• Estimated scores not possible
• Low-cost $25
56

• Available early 2015
• Reclassify previous
MCAT questions to
MCAT2015
• Hundreds of questions grouped into study sets
• Offer lots of practice with actual questions
• Low cost

• Available Fall 2015 (NOW!)
• Full-length test
• Previously administered questions
• Low-cost resource

 The student website is a key resource for:
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Links to all resources
Exam policies and procedures
Registration and Accommodations
Preparation resources
FAQ’s
Videos
Most up-to-date information www.aamc.org/mcat2015