The new world of the MCAT
Alex Elias (aeliasTPR@gmail.com)
What is the MCAT?
The MCAT
• Medical College Admission Test
• Offered by AAMC (www.aamc.org/mcat)
• Required for entry into most Canadian medical and vet schools
• Computer‐based test
• In 2015, offered approximately 14 dates per year
• Receive scores after app. 30 days
• Can take it a maximum of 3 times in 1 year
Summary of MCAT 2015 Changes!
‐ New names for Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences and Verbal Reasoning
‐ A new section focusing on psychology, sociology and biology
‐ The test will be MUCH LONGER –
approximately 7.5 hours, including breaks.
‐ Greater emphasis on biochemistry
‐ New Scoring Scale: 472 – 528, centered around 500
‐ New Computer Based Tools and Functionality
‐ Check out www.aamc.org/mcat for more info!
Old MCAT Passages and Questions
Tools: Highlight, Strike‐Out & Mark
MCAT 2015 Passages and Questions
MCAT 2015 Passages and Questions
Content of the MCAT 2015: Physics
Biology
Gchem
OChem
BioChem
Psychology
Sociology
The MCAT 2015 Section 1:
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (formerly known as Physical Sciences)
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: The Essentials
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95 minutes
59 questions total
 Passage Based Questions (75%)
• Retrieve info/data from the passage
• Apply info from the passage/make inferences
 Discrete Questions (25%)
Topics covered in this section:
 General chemistry (30%)
 Physics (25%)
 Biochemistry (25%)
 Organic Chemistry (15%)
 Biology (5%)
Scored from 118‐132
The MCAT:
Verbal Reasoning
The MCAT 2015 Section 2:
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills ‐CARS – (formerly known as Verbal Reasoning)
http://at4all.pbworks.com/f/Books.jpg
CARS: The Essentials
• 90 minutes
• 53 questions
 Sample Humanities Topics: art, ethics, philosophy, literature
 Sample Social Sciences Topics: anthropology, economics, history, linguistics
 Passage‐Based (100%)
• No background knowledge required
• Tests:
 Reading skills
 Critical thinking
 Logical reasoning
• Scored from 118‐132
The MCAT 2015 Section 3:
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems : The Essentials
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95 minutes
59 questions total
 Passage Based Questions (75%)
• Retrieve info/data from the passage
• Apply info from the passage/make inferences
 Discrete Questions (25%)
Topics covered in this section:
 Biology (65%)
 Biochemistry (25%)
 Organic Chemistry (5%)
 General Chemistry (5%)
Scored from 118‐132
The MCAT 2015 Section 4:
Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior: The Essentials
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95 minutes
59 questions total
 Passage Based Questions (75%)
• Retrieve info/data from the passage
• Apply info from the passage/make inferences
 Discrete Questions (25%)
Topics covered in this section:
 Psychology (65%)
 Sociology (30%)
 Biology (5%)
Scored from 118‐132
Preparing for the MCAT
Some important considerations
Student Questions and Considerations
• When should I take the MCAT?
• How should I study for the new Psych/Soc section?
• What will Medical Schools do with my old scores?
• Should I plan on taking the MCAT twice?
• How do I prep for the MCAT? Where to start?
The new world of the MCAT
Alex Elias (aeliasTPR@gmail.com)
The Princeton Review
Preparation Options
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Start with a practice test! – National Mock MCAT Day – Saturday March 7th across Canada!
– www.princetonreview.com/events
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MCAT Ultimate course
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123 hours of live instruction (105 In‐Person, 18 LiveOnline)
128 hours of LiveOnline office hours (16 per week)
Team of expert instructors – 4 to 6 instructors
12 practice tests (including all AAMC released materials)
Online Tools (recorded lessons, Amplifire, diagnostic exams)
Course books delivered as soon as you enroll!
Satisfaction Guarantee
Convenient Schedules Tuition: $2299+tax
Private Tutoring and LiveOnline Options available as well!
How is MCAT 2015 different?
As much as 50% of the content has changed.
• AAMC added a new section called Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior. This section tests your ability to understand sociocultural, biological and psychological influences on behavior and social interactions as well as how people process emotion and stress. You can understand why medical schools value these skills in applicants.
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The Biological Sciences section now includes an emphasis on biochemistry and is titled “Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems.” This new material covers the biochemistry content found in many first‐semester biochem courses.
The test is longer
• All sections have increased both in time and number of questions.
• The addition of the new section and the increased length of existing sections will raise the seated time for the test from 5 hours and 10 minutes to 7 hours and 30 minutes. This will add almost 50% to the total testing time, making the test significantly more challenging.
New score scale.
• Each individual section on the exam is scored using a 118 to 132 range, with a median score of 125. You'll receive a score for each section, plus an overall score. Total scores will be centered at 500, with ranges from 472 to 528