What is the MCAT?

The MCAT is the Medical College Admissions Test which is one of the major factors in your medical school application. This timed test contains 4 major sections which are as follows:

(1) Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems - C/P

(2) Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills - CARS

(3) Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems - B/B

(4) Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior - P/S

The MCAT is a 7-hour exam and administered throughout the application cycle, as well as a few months prior to the start of the application cycle (January).

The MCAT is scored in 4 weeks with a scale of 472 - 528 and percentile values that dynamically change each testing date. Each section is scored from a scale of 118 - 132. Usually, the 500 mark - 125 average in each section - is the 50th percentile, meaning you scored higher than half the test takers that day but lower than the other half of test takers. Traditionally, it will be extremely difficult to get into medical school with a below 500 MCAT score (albeit not impossible, especially for DO schools).

Studying for the MCAT will take time and dedication. There are worlds of free and paid resources that can adequately prepare you for the MCAT. Personally, I did not pay for MCAT prep, except for purchasing AAMC official MCAT practice exams and practice questions. Every individual will tell you different approaches for prepping for this exam, so you should find what works for you.

NOTE: Please know that having a high MCAT (>509*) score does NOT automatically guarantee admission to any medical school, as you still have to have great essays and extracurricular activities to supplement your application. On a similar note, having a low MCAT score (<510*) does NOT automatically exclude admission to any medical school, as most schools will consider your GPA, essays, and extracurricular activities as well.

*In general, these are relative scores for MD schools at least. A "high" and "low" MCAT score will depend on whatever medical school you are applying to. You should look up class profiles from previous cohorts for each school you're interested (and/or check MSAR/ChooseDO Explorer).

MCAT Content Review

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Kaplan Review: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AgQV3UmqMZDSok5_8NrVcKvpPMAy?e=3xQKu2

College Note Taking Strategies

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