What You Need To Know About The MCAT

As standardized testing becomes increasingly popular in the school systems in America, fewer and fewer people, know what each test stands for. The MCAT stands for the Medical College Admissions Test. This test is required for almost all colleges that are accepting students into a medical program at their institution. The MCAT scores are heavily weighted for students going into the medical field.

The MCAT test is worth 45 points for a perfect score. Although, a perfect score on MCAT tests is nearly impossible. The average MCAT scores range from 23 to 25. Each year, the number falls somewhere in between these three numbers. This is not because of a lack of MCAT preparation, MCAT scoring makes it extremely difficult to score high on the test. There are only three sections that contain fifteen multiple choice questions to make up an entire test that determines what type of medical school a student will get into. While this does not seem like many questions, they are not simple yes or no questions. The questions go much deeper and are much more analytical then a standard SAT test making the MCAT much harder to take. This is why many people do not do well the first time they take it because they do not know what to expect.

MCAT registration timing is extremely important. MCAT test dates usually run from January until September and are only administered a couple times each month. The best way to take the test is to take it in the early winter months so that the scores can be received before any applications are sent to medical schools. Some schools require a certain MCAT scoring and while most schools require an application fee, if the score is not high enough, money could actually be saved in application fees.

As with any standardized test, it is important to get good nights sleep and eat a good breakfast. It is almost impossible to do well on a standardized test by cramming a couple days before the test. As with the MCAT, the best strategy is to know all of the aspects of the test well before it comes time to take the actual test.

The test is long and takes around five and a half-hours to complete fully. Along with the multiple-choice questions, there is also an essay. The questions are based on a reading passage, but not all 15 are on one single passage, so it is important to watch the time as the test goes along. There are breaks in the test as well, which will be much needed.

As the medical field continues to grow, the MCAT continues to be a deciding factor if many students are accepted into a medical program or not. The MCAT is taken much more serious than traditional standardized tests such as SAT or ACT exams. While SAT or ACT exams still are required in many colleges, they are not looked at as much as the MCAT in the medical field. So, much more time and studying should be involved in preparing for this type of test.

As for preparation for the MCAT testing, there is an abundance of it. There is a ton of websites online that offer a free MCAT practice test online. These MCAT practice tests can help some students very well and hurt other students. MCAT prep does not consist of just taking sample tests, as most of the questions on the sample test will not be the same on the actual test. A MCAT preparation course is a great way to help study for the test in addition to the online test and online MCAT prep. Along with the MCAT practice exam, there are also MCAT free practice questions available online that are not sample tests. Preparation is the key for the MCAT test. It is important to get involved in as many different types of studying as available. Online tests, paper tests, group studies, books, and many more programs offer great advice as well as knowledge for the MCAT testing.

These are the best way to study for the test and if the test is being taken again, then take a different approach at studying then the first time The important thing to remember about the MCAT is unlike other standardized tests, it measures the ability for a person to think rather then how a person can memorize or how hard they work. It takes answers from questions that analyze how the person reacted to a certain reading or a certain chart or data, not the information that was actually in the reading or actually on the chart. This is another reason that it is impossible to actually cram for this type of test because there is no hard memorization. It would be much easier to answer the questions if there were a general knowledge of all of the aspects instead of just a few strong points.

While the SAT and ACT exams continue to become a thing of the past, the MCAT tests continue to be the standard for the medical field. Many test results show that based on what a person scored on their test is what medical field they will end up in. For example, people with one certain score end up in the emergency room while people with another score end up as family doctors. Therefore, it is extremely important to research this after taking the test so that the right field can be chosen. The medical field is a hard, pressing field that requires a lot of work and energy and the MCAT is the first step to this. If the MCAT seems like a lot of work, then it is probably not worth it to go into the medical field at all.