How can I prepare for the MCAT science sections?

Related Resources Preparing for the MCAT Preparing for the MCAT FAQ MCAT Practice Tests Includes sample sections from MCAT Practice Test 3R

The science sections of MCAT will assess your abilities to use prior knowledge in the basic physical and biological sciences and to demonstrate your science problem-solving skills. It is important that your preparation include both review of content and development of facility with the problem-solving skills needed to answer the questions.

The scientific competencies you will be expected to demonstrate on the MCAT are derived from basic principles and concepts in biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. These principles and concepts are treated in the basic biology, chemistry, and physics courses offered at most undergraduate institutions at the introductory course level. The topics included on the MCAT were determined in collaboration with the undergraduate faculty members, medical educators, medical students, and practicing physicians. These individuals were asked to rate potential topics on three criteria:

• Level of coverage received in basic undergraduate course sequences
• importance to mastering the medical school curriculum; and
• usefulness in the actions and decisions of medical practice.

Since MCAT questions do not assess simple memorization of facts, your preparation should include practicing the following problem-solving skills:

• Recall of Information. Some questions may ask you directly to use basic information in the physical and biological sciences. For other questions, recall of science concepts and principles may be stimulated by cues in the passages, tables or graphs. In those instances, your recall of information may be dependent on other skills such as understanding the passage or interpretation of data. While a good understanding of basic science is needed, mastery of the facts is not sufficient for answering all of the questions.

• Comprehension of Text. Since the majority of questions are linked to passages, you should practice analyzing passages presented in Online Practice Test 3R. Do not be concerned if you see topics in the passages that you have not studied. Rely on your comprehension skills to understand unfamiliar material in the passages.

• Interpretation of Data. You need facility with interpreting graphs, tables, diagrams and figures in order to answer some questions. Examples of these will be found in Practice Test 3R; they may also be found in your textbooks, laboratory manuals or science journal articles. Although there is not a separate section for assessment of quantitative skills, you may be required to apply math concepts in interpreting data and solving problems.

• Application of Concepts. You will need to know how and when to apply concepts that you learned and recall from your basic physics, chemistry, biology and math courses as well as those presented in passages to answer some of the questions.

• Evaluation. You will be required to evaluate methods, evidence and conclusions and to assess the consistency of information and validity of arguments presented in the passages.

Because the depth of knowledge you will be expected to demonstrate is limited, it is usually not advantageous to enroll in advanced science courses for the purpose of improving your performance on the MCAT exam. Well-designed introductory courses in biology, chemistry, and physics with laboratory sessions that feature a variety of experiences should enable you to acquire this knowledge.

To determine if the content and the problem-solving skills needed for the science sections are covered in introductory science courses at a specific school, you can check course descriptions in catalogs and syllabi, review class notes and laboratory exercises, or talk with instructors about the coursework as it relates to the MCAT topic skills. If you discover that the basic science courses at your school did not address the required skills and content areas, then additional coursework or preparation may be necessary. If you have already completed your undergraduate degree, you may want to explore Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs.

You may want to consider science and non-science courses that foster the development of needed problem-solving skills. Other activities such as reading and analyzing science journals or working in a laboratory where you can be involved in research planning or analysis can serve as supplemental activities for further skill enhancement.

Another way of assessing preparedness for the MCAT is to work through Practice Test 3R. Concentrate on both the content and problem-solving skills needed to answer the questions. An analysis of any items that you answered incorrectly can help you determine areas where you need further preparation. Try to identify whether an item you miss is due to an error in recall of specific concepts, comprehension of the passage, interpretation of data, application of principles, or evaluation. Focus your MCAT study and practice on relevant problem areas.

For sample sections on MCAT Practice Test 3R, see MCAT Practice Tests.

Contact Us    © 1995-2008 AAMC    Terms and Conditions    Privacy Statement