The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a marathon of an exam, lasting nearly 7.5 hours and covering an extensive range of content. It’s designed to assess the skills and knowledge essential for succeeding as a first-year medical student. However, it’s not just about mastering complex scientific concepts—it’s about demonstrating the broader abilities needed to thrive in medicine.
So what exactly is on the MCAT? And how can you organize your MCAT prep to ensure you master it all without feeling overwhelmed? Let’s break it down together.
MCAT Skills and Competencies
Although there’s a lot to cover on the MCAT, this isn’t a simple memorization test. To be successful on the MCAT, you need to combine your skills with your knowledge. You will be tested on your problem-solving and critical thinking skills in addition to your content knowledge. More specifically, you will need to demonstrate the following competencies:
- Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles: This is your content knowledge and knowledge of scientific principles. How well do you know what is being tested on the exam?
- Scientific Reasoning and Problem Solving: These are skills every doctor needs, whether you’re working in research or with patients.
- Reasoning about the Design and Execution of Research: Can you demonstrate that you understand how scientists work and think? This skill focuses on the components of scientific research and how to identify what’s important and analyze the results.
- Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning: Can you analyze research data, identify patterns, and draw conclusions based on what’s presented?
What Kind of Content Is on the MCAT?
The MCAT consists of four timed multiple-choice sections, each lasting 90–95 minutes, covering distinct topics and subtopics. These sections are designed to evaluate your grasp of various scientific principles, as well as your ability to navigate and reason through complex problems.
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
The Chemical and Physical Foundations (Chem/Phys) section has a mix of passage-based and discrete questions. There are 59 questions broken down as:
- 25% Basic (or “First Semester”) Biochemistry
- 5% Introductory Biology
- 30% General Chemistry
- 15% Organic Chemistry
- 25% Introductory Physics
You should have a basic understanding of these topics from your required pre-med courses. However, as mentioned above, there is more to all MCAT sections than just content knowledge—you will also be tested on certain skills.
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills tested:
- 35% Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles
- 45% Scientific Reasoning and Problem Solving
- 10% Reasoning about the Design and Execution of Research
- 10% Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning
Foundational Concepts tested:
- 40% Foundational Concept 4
- Translational motion, forces, work, energy, and equilibrium in living systems
- Importance of fluids for the circulation of blood, gas movement, and gas exchange
- Electrochemistry and electrical circuits and their elements
- How light and sound interact with matter
- Atoms, nuclear decay, electronic structure, and atomic chemical behavior
- 60% Foundational Concept 5
- Unique nature of water and its solutions
- Nature of molecules and intermolecular interactions
- Separation and purification methods
- Structure, function, and reactivity of biologically-relevant molecules
- Principles of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics
Further Reading
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
The Bio/Biochem section tests you on exactly what the title of this section suggests: Living systems. Shocker, right? Let’s get into the topics.
- 25% Basic (or “First Semester”) Biochemistry
- 65% Introductory Biology
- 5% General Chemistry
- 5% Organic Chemistry
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills tested:
- 35% Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles
- 45% Scientific Reasoning and Problem Solving
- 10% Reasoning about the Design and Execution of Research
- 10% Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning
Foundational Concepts tested:
- 55% Foundational Concept 1
- Structure and function of proteins and their constituent amino acids
- Transmission of genetic information from the gene to the protein
- Transmission of heritable information from generation to generation and genetic diversity
- Principles of bioenergetics and fuel molecule metabolism
- 20% Foundational Concept 2
- Assemblies of molecules, cells, and groups of cells within single cellular and multicellular organisms
- The structure, growth, physiology, and genetics of prokaryotes and viruses
- Processes of cell division, differentiation, and specialization
- 25% Foundational Concept 3
- Structure and functions of the nervous and endocrine systems and how they coordinate the organ systems
- Structure and integrative functions of the main organ systems
Further Reading
🤔 What Do You Actually Need to Know for Biochemical Pathways on the MCAT?
🎨 A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Intermediates: How to Optimize Studying Biochemistry
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)
Unlike other sections, CARS focuses on your skills rather than your content knowledge. In fact, this part of the exam does not rely on any specific foundational knowledge. Instead, you will need to demonstrate your ability to interpret what you’ve read.
This section consists of 53 questions spread across 9 passages, each followed by related questions. Preparation requires practice, not memorization. Effective time management is crucial for success in this section.
CARS Breakdown:
- 30% Comprehension
- 30% Reasoning Within the Text
- 40% Reasoning Beyond the Text
Subject Breakdown:
50% Humanities
50% Social Sciences
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
The Psych/Soc section will test you on your understanding of how psychological factors and social/cultural factors can influence situations. As doctors across all fields, this can help you understand your patients better. The questions break down into these topics:
- 65% Introductory Psychology
- 30% Introductory Sociology
- 5% Introductory Biology
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills tested:
- 35% Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles
- 45% Scientific Reasoning and Problem Solving
- 10% Reasoning about the Design and Execution of Research
- 10% Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning
Foundational Concepts tested:
- 25% Foundational Concept 6
- Detection and perception of sensory information
- Ability to attend to the environment, think about what we experience, and use language to communicate with others
- How we process and experience emotion and stress
- 35% Foundational Concept 7
- Individual psychological and biological factors that affect behavior
- Social processes that influence human behavior
- How learning affects behavior
- 20% Foundational Concept 8
- The notion of self and identity formation
- The attitudes and beliefs that affect social interaction
- The actions and processes underlying social interactions
- 15% Foundational Concept 9
- Understanding social structure
- Demographic characteristics and processes that define a society
- 5% Foundational Concept 10
- Social inequality
Master the Material
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