You’ve decided to apply to PA school—congratulations! You’re about to embark on an exciting (and busy) couple of years on your way to becoming a PA-C. As PA school application numbers have grown, administrators have started to use the Physician Assistant College Admission Test (PA-CAT) by Exam Master to help determine applicant knowledge and assist in the admissions process. So what is this exam, do you need to take it, and how can you prepare with a Qbank?
First things first: What is the PA-CAT exam?
The PA-CAT exam measures your knowledge of core subjects that are prerequisites for PA school. It’s designed to test your academic ability and determine your knowledge base to see if you’re a good fit for the program you’re applying to.
The PA-CAT exam consists of 240 multiple-choice questions that cover nine core subjects (listed below). You have 4.5 hours of total time for the test, and it’s administered electronically at testing sites.
Which subjects does the PA-CAT exam cover?
The PA-CAT exam covers knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis in these nine subjects:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- General Biology
- Biochemistry
- General and Organic Chemistry
- Microbiology
- Behavioral Sciences
- Genetics
- Statistics
Should I take the PA-CAT exam?
If the programs you’re applying to require it, absolutely! Otherwise, you can consider taking it as a self-assessment tool or to increase your core subject knowledge.
How can I prepare for the PA-CAT exam?
The point of the exam is not to test your memorization skills—it’s designed to show that you understand the material and can properly apply it. Some memorization will be necessary (like with anatomical terms), but your focus should be on truly knowing the material before you memorize anything.
This is where a Qbank with practice questions, which you can use to create your own PA-CAT practice test, becomes invaluable. And Blueprint PA (formerly Rosh Review) is the only Qbank with practice questions approved by Exam Master to prepare for the PA-CAT exam.
Why is using a Qbank so critical when preparing for your PA-CAT exam?
Retrieval Practice
Answering a practice question forces you to retrieve the information from your memory, which is a much more effective way to cement the knowledge in your memory than if you only read from a review book or textbook.
Spaced Repetition
Answering PA-CAT practice questions repeatedly over days to weeks creates stronger memory bonds between topics and solidifies your knowledge.
What will I find in the PA-CAT Qbank?
Hundreds of Practice Questions
All practice questions in the Rosh Review PA-CAT Qbank match the categories and learning objectives from the Exam Master blueprint for the PA-CAT.
Each question is written by experienced clinicians and educators who distill exactly what you need to know about anatomy, physiology, general biology, biochemistry, general and organic chemistry, microbiology, behavioral sciences, genetics, and statistics, so you won’t be spending valuable time on unrelated subjects.
Comprehensive Explanations
Each question in the Qbank includes detailed explanations of the correct and incorrect answers—because understanding why an answer is incorrect is just as important as knowing why one is correct. Explanations also include custom teaching images that simplify difficult concepts and help you visualize them.
Here are some examples of images you’ll see in the PA-CAT Qbank:
Anatomy
Physiology
General Biology
Biochemistry
General and Organic Chemistry
Microbiology
Behavioral Sciences
Genetics
Statistics
Personal Analytics
The PA-CAT Qbank includes an analytics section that shows your progress as you answer questions and tracks how well you’re doing in each category. This allows you to spend your time wisely by focusing on weak topics.
For example, if your analytics show that you have a good foundation of anatomy but your statistics could use some work, you know to repeatedly target statistics questions until you’ve grasped the concepts.
Practice Exams
With the PA-CAT Qbank Bundle, you’ll also have access to the Mock PA-CAT, a practice test that mimics the actual exam. Taking the Mock PA-CAT will give you an even better idea of the areas you still need to focus on before exam day.
When you take the mock exam with the same time constraints and settings as the actual test (sitting in one place without music, your phone, or frequent snack breaks), it will prepare you for what to expect on exam day. This practice run will also help you get a boost of confidence, knowing you aren’t walking into an unknown.
Mobile App
You can access your Qbank from an free, easy-to-use app on your mobile device, allowing you to get in bursts of studying on the go. Waiting for an appointment or commuting on the subway? No problem—you haven’t lost valuable study time! And when you get home, easily switch over to your computer or tablet—your progress is saved across all devices.
Final Thoughts
Preparing for PA school is step 1 on your journey toward becoming a PA-C. If the PA-CAT exam is in your future, you’ve got this! Remember that building this foundation of knowledge early on will better serve you through school and your career—and more importantly, it will help you provide more well-rounded care for your future patients.
As a takeaway, here are four key points to achieve a high score on your PA-CAT exam:
- Study with the only PA-CAT practice questions approved by Exam Master for the PA-CAT
- Learn exactly which subjects are covered on the PA-CAT to avoid wasting valuable time on areas that won’t appear on your exam
- Use practice questions and a combination of learning techniques such as retrieval practice and spaced repetition
- Pay attention to Blueprint PA’s custom teaching images—they’re ideal for visual learners who better understand topics by seeing them drawn out
Looking for even more pre-PA tips? Check out these other posts on the blog!
