MCAT Validity Committee Mission
The MCAT Validity Committee (MVC) was created nearly 10 years ago from a diverse pool of admissions professionals, educators, and prehealth advisors representing a broad range of medical school missions, curricula, institution types, and applicant pool characteristics. The MVC research program has followed multiple cohorts of medical students through graduation and studied how they did. Findings from this research have been turned into concrete, actionable resources to support schools in their admissions decision-making and student success. Learning from the MVC’s work will continue to drive development of resources to help students from sociodemographic groups underrepresented in medicine prepare for and succeed in medical school. Learn more about the MVC's charge and the resulting research findings in the video below.
Diversity, Fairness, and Academic Preparation
Research on diversity, fairness, and academic preparation aims to understand the examinees’ demographic characteristics, test preparation, test-taking behavior, and test scores in years before and after the introduction of the new MCAT exam. Results are used to inform and guide the AAMC's development and dissemination of free and low-cost test preparation information and resources to all aspirants, especially those who are educationally- and socioeconomically-disadvantaged.
Admissions Decision-Making
Research on admissions decision-making aims to understand how admissions officers and their committees use the new MCAT scores in the admissions process. Results are used to develop resources to ensure that admissions officers and their committees can use MCAT scores in good and balanced ways in medical school admissions.
Predicting Academic Performance
Research on predicting academic performance aims to understand how well medical students’ MCAT scores predict their academic performance at different stages of their undergraduate medical education. Results provide evidence about how well scores on the new MCAT exam predict medical students’ academic performance at different stages of their undergraduate medical education and can help admissions officers and their committees make good use of MCAT scores and other application information in admissions decisions.