MCAT Exam Pattern 2023: The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) prescribes the MCAT exam pattern on its official website. Students are advised to check the MCAT exam pattern as it will give them an understanding of the different sections and skills, and topic-wise weightage in terms of percentage and number of questions. The MCAT exam is an assessment of a medical aspirant’s aptitude for health professions programs. The duration of the MCAT exam is
The MCAT exam pattern gives an overview of the structure of the test in terms of the weightage of different disciplines, foundational concepts, and scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. Further, it gives the total exam duration and duration for each of the four sections, and the number of questions in each section. The four sections in the MCAT exam are biological and biochemical foundations of living systems ; chemical and physical foundations of biological systems; psychological, social, and biological foundations of behaviour; and critical analysis and reasoning skills.
Also Check: MCAT Syllabus
The MCAT exam consists of multiple-choice-based questions and there is no negative marking in the exam. The MCAT test is taken by students who are aiming to study medical sciences in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean Islands. Most medical colleges in the United States and Canada require MCAT scores as a part of their admissions process. In order to achieve a high MCAT score, it is recommended that students thoroughly go through the syllabus and exam pattern of the MCAT test.
MCAT Exam Pattern 2023
The MCAT Exam pattern consists of the outline of the four sections and four skills that constitute the test. MCAT, which is a test used for admissions to medical schools, is an evaluation of the candidate’s scientific inquiry and reasoning skills.
There are 4 scientific inquiry and reasoning skills assessed in the MCAT exam, which are as follows :
- Data-based and Statistical Reasoning
- Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles
- Reasoning about the Design and Execution of Research
- Scientific Reasoning and Problem-Solving
The four sections of the MCAT test which examine the candidate’s understanding of various foundational concepts in Science include the following :
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behaviour
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
MCAT Section-wise Exam Pattern
|
Section
|
Exam Pattern
|
|
Psychological, Social, and Biological
Foundations of Behavior
|
59 questions consisting of:
- 10 passage-based sets of questions
( 4-6 questions per set)
|
|
Chemical and Physical Foundations of
Biological Systems
|
59 questions consisting of:
- 10 passage-based sets of questions
( 4-6 questions per set)
|
|
Biological and Biochemical Foundations
of Living Systems
|
59 questions consisting of:
- 10 passage-based sets of questions
( 4-6 questions per set)
|
|
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
|
53 questions consisting of:
(5-7 questions per passage)
|
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
The section on biological and biochemical foundations of living systems has 59 questions and a duration of 95 minutes.
|
Category
|
Components
|
Percentage of Questions
|
|
Discipline
|
Introductory Biology
|
65%
|
|
First-Semester Biochemistry
|
25%
|
|
General Chemistry
|
5%
|
|
Organic Chemistry
|
5%
|
|
Foundational Concept
|
Foundational Concept 1(Biomolecules)
|
55%
|
|
Foundational Concept 2(Cells)
|
20%
|
|
Foundational Concept 3(Tissues, Organs, Organ System)
|
25%
|
|
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skill
|
Skill 1 : Knowledge of scientific principles and concepts
|
35%
|
|
Skill 2 : Scientific reasoning and problem-solving
|
45%
|
|
Skill 3 : Reasoning about research design and its execution
|
10%
|
|
Skill 4 : Data-based and Statistical Reasoning
|
10%
|
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
The section on chemical and physical foundations of biological systems has 59 questions and a duration of 95 minutes.
|
Category
|
Components
|
Percentage of Questions
|
|
Discipline
|
First-Semester Biochemistry
|
25%
|
|
Introductory Biology
|
5%
|
|
Organic Chemistry
|
15%
|
|
Introductory Physics
|
25%
|
|
General Chemistry
|
30%
|
|
Foundational Concept
|
Foundational Concept 4 : Physical Principles that Facilitate Living Processes
|
40%
|
|
Foundational Concept 5 : Chemical Principles that Govern Molecular Dynamics of Living Systems
|
60%
|
|
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skill
|
Skill 1 : Knowledge of scientific principles and concepts
|
35%
|
|
Skill 2 : Scientific reasoning and problem-solving
|
45%
|
|
Skill 3 : Reasoning about research design and its execution
|
10%
|
|
Skill 4 : Data-based and Statistical Reasoning
|
10%
|
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behaviour
The section on psychological, social, and biological foundations of behaviour has 59 questions and a duration of 95 minutes.
|
Category
|
Components
|
Percentage of Questions
|
|
Discipline
|
Introductory Psychology
|
65%
|
|
Introductory Sociology
|
30%
|
|
Introductory Biology
|
5%
|
|
Foundational Concept
|
Foundational Concept 6
|
25%
|
|
Foundational Concept 7
|
35%
|
|
Foundational Concept 8
|
20%
|
|
Foundational Concept 9
|
15%
|
|
Foundational Concept 10
|
5%
|
|
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skill
|
Skill 1 : Knowledge of scientific principles and concepts
|
35%
|
|
Skill 2 : Scientific reasoning and problem-solving
|
45%
|
|
Skill 3 : Reasoning about research design and its execution
|
10%
|
|
Skill 4 : Data-based and Statistical Reasoning
|
10%
|
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
There are 53 questions in the section on critical analysis and reasoning skills, and the time duration is 90 minutes.
|
Skill
|
Percentage of Questions
|
|
Foundations of Comprehension
|
30%
|
|
Reasoning Within the Text
|
30%
|
|
Reasoning Beyond the Text
|
40%
|
|
Passage Content
|
Percentage of Questions
|
|
Humanities
|
50%
|
|
Social Sciences
|
50%
|
