The MCAT is the exam you'll need to take in order to get into
medical school. It is a standardized test, administered all over the United
States (as well as outside of it) in the same days. The general form of
the exam is as described in the following table:
| Verbal Reasoning |
65 Questions, 85 Minutes |
| Break |
10 Minutes |
| Physical Sciences |
77 Questions, 100 Minutes |
| Break |
60 Minutes |
| Writing Sample |
2 Essays, 30 Minutes each |
| Break |
10 Minutes |
| Biological Sciences |
77 Questions, 100 Minutes |
It is highly recommended to take the exam after completeing
the premedical
science requirements. The MCAT is a paper and pencil exam and
is administered twice a year: in mid-April and in mid-August. Being a standardized
test, the exams are being graded on a curve such that each person's score
depends on how well the others did in comparison. Each of the multiple
choice sections is graded from 1 to 15 (mean is somewhere around 8) while
the writing sample is graded from J to T. Each one of the writing sample
receives a grade from 1 to 6 and the addition of these two grades is, then,
being translated into the corresponding letter (J for 2 and T for 12).
The most frequently asked question about the MCAT is, by far "how to
study for this test?" Unfortunately, there are as many answers as
there are test takers. Often students take a course with Kaplan,
Princeton Review, ExamKrackers, or
Dr.
Blank Review. Other students study by themselves (and I am not
convinced they are at a disadvantage...)
There is a variety of commercial books containing tutorials in the spirit
of the MCAT or practice tests. Those can be easily bought in any respectable
textbook store. A place to see a good collection (and, perhaps, purchase)
is here and here.
In addition, Columbia Review, ExamKrackers,
and the Berkeley Review also
offer their books online. The most important tools (IMHO), however, are actuall
old MCATs, which are released and sold directly by the AAMC,
the creators and administrators of the MCAT. These, along with the most
valuable book for medical school applicants - the Medical School Admission
Requirements (MSAR) - can be ordered using this
form. The AAMC
section on the MCAT includes various information among which are the
writing sample items. In this
page you'll be able to find a sample
MCAT.
|
Useful Links
|
