What Is the Format of the MCAT?
The MCAT is:
Passage-based. 80% (185 of 230) of MCAT questions are based on passages of text that vary widely in length, format, and topic. Each passage is followed by a set of 4-6 questions. The predominantly passage-based format of the MCAT poses unique challenges for students. It requires you to absorb new information and integrate it with prior knowledge in order to answer the questions. Passages are often deliberately confusing and it can be a chore to sift through all the superfluous data to pinpoint the exact information that’s germane to the questions. The other 20% of MCAT questions (45 of 230) are independent “freestanding” questions that are not based on a passage. The Science sections have 10 passages accompanied by 44 passage-based questions and 15 freestanding questions (roughly 3:1 ratio). The CARS section has 9 passages and all 53 questions are passage-based.
Computerized. The switch to a computerized format was greeted with universal dread but the computerized test has many user-friendly features. You can, among other things, highlight text, strikethrough answer choices, flag questions to revisit later, review a section as a whole, and bring up a periodic table. It’s not all positive, however. One downside is that reading off a computer screen is slow and mentally draining compared to reading off paper. For this reason, it is important to do lots of computerized full-length practice MCATs to build up your concentration stamina on a computer screen.
Multiple-choice. With the disappearance of the dreaded Writing Sample section some years ago, the MCAT became entirely multiple-choice. MCAT multiple-choice questions are trickier than what you’re accustomed to in university courses. Generally speaking, university professors don’t deliberately try to fool you with tempting wrong answer choices. MCAT wrong answer choices, however, are artfully crafted to trap careless test-takers who make predictable errors in reasoning.
Interdisciplinary. The MCAT takes an interdisciplinary approach with 3-5 subjects in each Science section. It blends subjects together in passages and questions and requires you to continuously synthesize knowledge from different fields of study – all under tight time constraints. If medical schools want assess your knowledge of basic Science, they use your GPA. If they want to assess how clearly you think through complexity under pressure – an essential skill for a physician – they use your MCAT scores.
