Everything about the MCAT can be found here!

Do you want to know everything there is to the MCAT? It is an intimidating test, but it is not so bad if you know how to approach it. In this section, learn about the Medical College Admissions Test, where and when to sign up, what review courses will help you to do well on this exam!

First, allow me to introduce the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). This test is designed and implementedto measure the problem solving and critical thinking ability of medical school applicants. The scores give the admissions committee a way to distinguish applicants apart. Because medical school is difficult, it is withouta doubt that if the admission committee allowed everybody to be accepted, there would be very high attrition rate. This is very costly for the medical school because they want to produce doctors and a waste of their time. In orderto prevent that, this test was introduced first in 1928.

This exam has evolved since its first administration in 1928. Without going into too much detail about its evolution,the test today is administered through computers. It became a computerized based test (CBT) starting in January, 2007.The good thing about the test changing from paper based to computer based is that it is administered much more throughoutthe year. In 2009, the test is available 24 times, whereas the paper based test was available twice a year, April andAugust. Also, the paper based test used to take two months before a student received their score. The CBT versiontakes one month before students get their score. Supposedly, they were going to cut that down to two weeks, butit hasn't happened yet.

The MCAT is structured so that there are four parts to it:
1) physical science section - 70 minutes with 52 questions
2) verbal section - 60 minutes with 40 questions
3) writing section - 60 minutes with two prompts (30 minutes for each prompt)
4) biological science section - 60 minutes with 52 questions

This test should be registered 4-5 months prior to taking it. Seats tend to fill up fast, you need to make sureto register for the test as soon as AAMC opens registration. The cost is $210 to register.

How to Prepare

The MCAT is not an impossible test, however, it is a difficult to test so it's in your best interest to spend a good 3 months studying for the test. The ideal time to take it is during the summer, where you won't have to study for school. Click here for more information about mcat preparation.

How the test is Scored

This test is scored on a scale of 45, where each section is scored from a scale of 1-15. A perfect score of 45 is nearly impossible to achieve, but it not necessary to get into your medical school of choice. Click here for more information about how this test is scored

Average Scores

The average MCAT score of those who applied to allopathic schools in 2008 was 28.1P. The average score of those who matriculated to medical school in 2008 was 30.9P.

The average score of those who applied to osteopathic or DO schools in 2007 was 23.36. The average score of those who matriculated to an osteopathic or DO school in 2008 was 25.52. Click here for more information about average scores

MCAT Review Courses

Now, if you want to study using review courses, such as Kaplan or Princeton Review, that is up to you. I personally used Princeton Review. It is expensive, but it is worth it because they provide you with lectures, material and access to computer based exams online. Click here for my review of the Princeton Review course

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