How Much Math Is on the MCAT?
Can you use a calculator?
Can you use a calculator on the exam?
The bad news: No, the MCAT does not allow the use of calculators on the exam!
The good news: The math on the exam is not difficult and can be mastered with sufficient practice.
This means that all calculations, regardless of the section of the MCAT, have to be completed mentally. The MCAT will not test you on difficult math and the majority of answer options will be spaced far apart enough, numerically, such that with strong estimation skills you may be able to skip detailed calculations altogether.
Math is important on the MCAT. Imagine being in a situation where you are faced with a calculation question that you know how to answer but cannot do so accurately within the time you have left. MCAT test-takers often underestimate the quantitative skills required and find themselves in such positions. Fortunately, as with most other skills on this exam, math skills can be strengthened with sufficient familiarity and practice.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Not all versions of the exam will demand the same kind of mathematical rigor. As you write mock exams, you will see that some tests will be math-heavy and others will not. You have no way of predicting what your exam will look like on test day, therefore, it is your best bet to practice mathematical skills and not waste time thinking about how to get to the answer or trying multiple calculations to get to your endpoint. On calculation questions, the MCAT will expect that your answer is accurate and calculated in a timely manner.
Is there calculus on the MCAT?
You will like this answer – no, there will not be any calculus on the MCAT!
Why? Remember, this is first and foremost a critical thinking skills exam. Medical schools will be using this as a yardstick to determine whether you can absorb and analyze information presented to you and use it to answer questions, correctly. Doing advanced math in a short time and without a calculator doesn’t necessarily mean you would be a good future physician.
Therefore, you will not see any advanced math on the MCAT. The only math you will find are questions you will be able to do in your head or on scrap paper if given the constants or variables necessary.
KEY TAKEAWAY
So then what kind of math should you prepare to learn? Here’s a list of common topics that have been known to show up:
- Rounding, Arithmetic and Estimation
- Order of Operations (BEDMAS/PEDMAS)
- Manipulating Factors of 10 and Moving the Decimal
- Scientific Notation (this one is very important!)
- Fractions, decimals and percents
- Squares and Square Roots
- Logs and Negative Logs
- Trigonometry and Angles
Statistical Analysis and Reasoning
We cannot stress this enough: in the world, we live in today, we are surrounded by data. In fact, humans collect more data than we can probably analyze. The areas of medicine and healthcare and business become increasingly data-driven day by day. What does this mean for you?
Whether for the MCAT, as a future physician or in any other professional role, you will need sound analytical and reasoning skills to be able to do your job! Treat the MCAT as an opportunity to begin building on these. Not only will your statistical skills and reasoning ability be tested in EVERY section, but it is also one of the four skills that the AAMC highlights will be tested on the MCAT; this means that it is significant!
Click here to learn more about how the AAMC will be testing your data skills on the MCAT.
If you’re wondering what data-based and statistical reasoning means and how it will be embedded into question types, here are ways you can expect to see these skills on the MCAT according to the AAMC:
- Analyzing and interpreting data in figures, graphs, and tables
- Using data to explain relationships between variables, make predictions by extrapolating or denying the existence of a relationship or correlation
- Using data to answer research questions and draw conclusions
- Identifying conclusions that are supported by research results
- Applying measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) and measures of dispersion (range, inter-quartile range, and standard deviation) to describe data
- Understanding random and systematic error in experimental design
- Reasoning about statistical significance and uncertainty (e.g., interpreting statistical significance levels, interpreting a confidence interval)
- Determining the implications of results for real-world situations
