How to prepare yourself for the MCAT and ace it!

In order to get into any medical college, one must first get through the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) and be successful too while they are at it! There is plenty of hype surrounding the MCAT, but it is not quite difficult to ace the examination is one is prepared and have studied adequately for the same. Here are some tips and guidelines regarding how to study for the MCAT examination:

1. As with any other standardized tests, one should always prepare in advance. Last minute cramming doesn’t always work. If you are serious about your career in medical science then you have to take MCAT seriously. Start by prepping yourself two or three months in advance. If you are a person with a busy schedule then fix a certain time period as to when you want to start your preparation. Give yourself enough time to study.

1. When studying for the MCAT, try and take a lighter class load. Don’t overburden yourself with too many things.

1. Your study schedule must be developed for the long run. Determine a deadline for each subject to be covered and try to stick to it. This can help you to remain focused and instill a sense of urgency into your mind.

1. Go for mock tests. If you are prepared for something better, you might be able to come out of it successfully. Hence take full-length mock tests, don’t cheat yourself, schedule the time to undertake such exams under the real test conditions. You can take three mock tests to assess where you stand. First, at the beginning of your studies to determine your position. Next, in the middle of your preparation so that you can assess your progress. And finally take a mock test after all your preparation to assess your readiness for the MCAT.

1. Purchase official resources for studying and for reference. You can buy the study materials offered by the AAMC such as the MCAT Student Manual or the practice tests, etc. They are easily available in most of the bookstores and libraries. However, if you have too much trouble finding it then you can also purchase online. These books will help you a lot to achieve your goal and to successfully pass the MCAT.

1. You might also want to consider getting a study guide for the MCAT. Get suggestions from friends or teachers as to which guides are the best.

1. Go for prep course, register early. You’ll be thankful that you did later! Prep courses can be quite expensive at times; hence you should go for the one that suits your budget and your needs.

1. Two’s always a company! Get a close friend or a study partners and fix timing for group research and group studies. This way you not only share the misery but can also prep yourself the social way!

1. Try to pay attention in class and do not disregard the notes provided. Forty five minutes of classroom learning is equivalent to days of learning all by yourself. Hence pay attention in class, it pays off in the long run! Good Luck!

Evolution of the MCAT

The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) has certainly evolved a lot since the time it was introduced. Previously, it was a paper based examination, however from 27^th January 2007 onwards, the MCAT has become computer-based. Let’s take a look at the evolution of the MCAT in detail:

1. The Moss Test

This existed in the period between 1926 and 1946. During the early 1920s there was a sudden rise of the rate of dropouts in the US medical schools, from a mere 5% to a shocking 50%. This lead to the need for developing a test that would be able to measure the student’s readiness for entering the medical schools. F.A Moss, a physician, along with the help of his colleagues formulated a test known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test for Medical Students. This test mostly comprised of multiple choice questions and true or false questions on various topics such as scientific definitions, visual memory, scientific vocabulary, logical reasoning, premedical information, etc. This test helped to bring down the level of dropouts among the freshman medical students.

1. A simpler test

There was an evolution of the test in the period of 1946-62 due to the advancements in test measurement technology. There were introduction of machine scoring for the tests and also the views regarding test scores and readiness for medical college changed. There was also a decrease in the subtests of the exams; it became simpler with only four subtests which were quantitative ability, science achievement, understanding modern society and verbal ability. Things became much simpler and easier for the students with the total score ranging from 200 to 800 only.

Later on in the 1940s, the simpler test was given the name “Professional School Aptitude Test”. However, later on it was again changed to MCAT (Medical College Admission Test by the Graduate Record Office, who was, at that time, under the contract with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

1. Status quo

The third stage in the evolution of the MCAT was from the year 1962 to 1977. The format of the MCAT remained pretty much similar to its previous format; minor changes such as the section “understanding modern society” was renamed into “general information”.

1. The fourth phase

Taking place in the period between 1977 and 1991, this fourth phase witnessed MCAT undergoing several changes. The general information section from the third phase was eliminated and new topics were introduced. The score was also made simpler and ranged from 1 to 15 instead of the previous 200-800. The social and cultural bias was reduced and the AAMC claimed that the new version of this examination was better.

1. Finally the fifth stage in the evolution of the MCAT, which began in 1992 and continues to this day. The MCAT format we see today is a result of further modifications that took place in the fifth stage.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) – Its format

MCAT which stands for Medical College Admission Test is a standardized examination that is basically computer based. This examination is taken by prospective students who are pursuing their careers in medical science. The MCAT is a specially designed examination which assesses critical thinking, scientific knowledge, writing skills and concepts or principles of the medical students. Before 19th August 2006, MCAT was a written test. At present the administration of such examinations have become entirely based on computers. In Canada and the U.S, in order to get admission in medical schools, it is mandatory for all the applicants to undertake MCAT examination and emerge successful. In fact the MCAT scores are also required to be submitted in the application process. Hence the MCAT must be taken seriously if one wants to get admission in a medical school. The duration of the MCAT is usually 5 to 5 and a half hours and it covers a large variety of topics such as organic chemistry, physics, introductory biology, chemistry, etc and also assess the writing skills and the comprehending skills of the medical students. In North America, the MCAT is held for about 14 times a year in all testing centers and it is administered by AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). In order to take this test, all the registrations must be done in advance because thousands of medical students appear for the exams and hence in order to ensure availability, the students have to register in advance. The format of the MCAT is very simple and straightforward. There are four sections and for each section, a specific time period is allowed. The first section is Physical Sciences, which covers both physics and chemistry topics. There are 52 questions in this section and the time allowed is seventy minutes. The next section is Verbal Reasoning, it has comparatively less questions (only 40) and the time allowed is an hour. Next is the Writing Sample section where the students are expected to write two essays and the time allowed is thirty minutes for each essay. The last section is Biological Sciences, which deals with Organic Chemistry and Biology; this section has 52 questions and seventy minutes are provided for writing the answers. The resources that can be used to prepare for this examination can be found both online or in textbooks. Because it is illegal to sell the real MCAT questions which belongs to AAMC, many companies prepare sample test questions that are written in house. Hence the only resource that offers questions from the real MCAT examinations is the AAMC practice test that can be accessed online at their site. A lot of students rely on university textbooks as well as free web resources for their preparation for MCAT.