Washington, D.C., July 18, 2005 - The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) announced today that it will convert the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) to an entirely computer-based format within the next two years. The AAMC has signed a contract with Thomson Prometric, part of The Thomson Corporation, to deliver the computer-based MCAT to locations in the United States and around the world. The paper version of the test will be administered only through 2006.

The upgrade to computer-based format will provide examinees and medical schools with more test dates each year, faster score results, a more controlled testing environment, and a shorter test day. As the exam is converted to the new format, the number of questions on the MCAT will be significantly reduced.

Thomson Prometric currently administers the MCAT in computer format at selected test centers as an alternative for examinees who prefer a computer-based test to the "fill-in-the-bubbles" paper version. This pilot implementation has allowed the AAMC and Thomson Prometric to develop effective systems and processes for the computer-based test and will be continued through 2006. A trial implementation at all testing locations will occur during the August 2006 administration of the MCAT.

"Our goal is to enhance the testing experience for examinees and the usefulness of the results for the medical schools and other professionals schools that use the MCAT," said Ellen Julian, Ph.D., associate vice president for the AAMC and director of the MCAT. "We have taken the time to do this right and are pleased with the project plan, the timeline, and our partnership with Thomson Prometric."

The new MCAT will also include technology that can capture an examinee's thumbprint electronically, rather than on paper as is the current practice. This innovative verification technology will shorten pre-test check-in time and will enhance test administrators' ability to verify examinees eligible to take the test.

The AAMC currently administers more than 60,000 MCAT examinations each year, at more than 600 locations around the world. The MCAT (www.aamc.org/mcat) is a standardized, multiple-choice exam designed to assess facility with problem solving, critical thinking and writing skills in addition to knowledge of science concepts and principles that are prerequisite to the study of medicine. Medical college admission committees consider MCAT scores as part of their admission decision process.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 129 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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