MCAT

What is the MCAT?

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, computer-based exam administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and used by most medical schools in the U.S. and Canada. The MCAT asks you to combine your knowledge of foundational concepts with scientific inquiry and reasoning skills to problem solve.

Review our MCAT 101 webinar series for a deep dive on the MCAT.

What’s on it? What kinds of questions can I expect? How long does it take to complete?

It takes approximately seven hours and 30 minutes to complete, with breaks between sections. There is a limit to how many times you can take the test in a given year. The test is separated into four sections:

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
59 questions 95 minutes to complete Tests your knowledge of biological and biochemical concepts with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
59 questions 95 minutes to complete Tests your knowledge of chemical and physical foundational concepts, scientific inquiry and reasoning skills

Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
59 questions 95 minutes to complete Tests your knowledge of foundational concepts with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
53 questions 90 minutes to complete Tests your comprehension, analysis and reasoning skills by asking you to critically analyze information provided in passages

_{(Association of American Medical Colleges, 2020)}

For more information, please review the What’s on the MCAT Exam resource.

How can I request testing accommodations?

Information on MCAT testing accommodations process can be found on the AAMC’S MCAT Exam with Accommodations webpage.

Is there a test waiver available to subsidize the cost of fees?

The AAMC and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) offer a fee assistance program for Canadian examinees, which subsidizes the cost to take the test as well as includes free test preparation resources. For further details, review the fee assistance program.

What test preparation resources can I use to study?

Review AAMC's free and paid-for MCAT prep resources
Consider visiting UWaterloo's Libraries and/or local libraries for admission test resources
Book an appointment with the Centre for Career Development to explore your options further

Back to: All standardized admission tests

Association of American Medical Colleges. (2020). What’s on the MCAT exam? https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/9261/download