Medical College Admission Test

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess the examinee’s problem solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. Almost all U.S. medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT exam scores.  Many schools do not accept MCAT exam scores that are more than three years old.

The MCAT includes four (4) major test sections:

  • Molecular, Cellular and Organismal Properties of Living Systems;
  • Physical, Chemical and Biochemical Properties of Living Systems;
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences Principles; and
  • Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills.

The first 3 sections are organized around foundational concepts or “big ideas” in the sciences. They reflect current research about the most effective ways for students to learn and use science, emphasizing deep knowledge of the most important scientific concepts over knowledge simply of many discrete facts.

The MCAT2015 exam asks examinees to also combine your scientific knowledge from multiple disciplines with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. You will be asked to demonstrate four scientific inquiry and reasoning skills on the exam:

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

For a free, interactive tool to help you understand all of the content and skills tested on the new exam, please see this link.

A Fee Assistance Program is available.

The MCAT is held more than 20 times per year. There are test dates in January, April, May, June, July, August, and September. To view test dates and to register, visit the American Association of Medical Colleges MCAT website.

Students often take the test between April and August of their junior year to apply to medical schools for admission in the fall after graduation.

MCAT scores are automatically released to AMCAS. You may release your scores to non-AMCAS schools via the MCAT Testing History (THx) System.  Scores generally are processed and sent within 30 days of your test date.