About MCAT Test Scoring
If you plan to attend medical school, one hurdle you must overcome is successfully passing the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Medical schools place just as much emphasis on the MCAT score as they place on an applicant's cumulative grade point average for his entire college career. The MCAT tests physical science, verbal reasoning, biological science and writing. The highest score an applicant can achieve on the MCAT is a 45.
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Physical Science
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On the physical science portion of the MCAT, the applicant can receive a score between one and 15. The average score is an eight. The higher the score, the better the applicant performed. The physical science portion consists of multiple choice questions on general chemistry and physics.
General chemistry includes bonding, phases and phase equilibria, stoichiometry, thermodynamics and thermochemistry, kinetics and equilibrium, solution chemistry, acids and bases, electrochemistry. Physics includes translational motion, force and motion, gravitation, equilibrium and momentum, work and energy, waves and periodic motion, sound, fluids and solids, electrostatics and electromagnetism, electronic circuit elements, light and geometrical optics, and atomic and nuclear structure.
Verbal Reasoning
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The verbal reasoning portion of the MCAT is scored between one and 15. The average score is an eight. Applicants answer multiple choice questions on four different areas. Comprehension relates to understanding the thesis, determining context, applying background information, establishing relationships between ideas, and identifying assumptions. Evaluation determines the credibility of a source, evaluates conclusions, weighs the strength of evidence and distinguishes claims. Applicant tests the applicants ability to apply information to predict an outcome or solve a problem. Incorporation of New Information evaluates the impact of additional information on the conclusion.
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Biological Sciences
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The biological sciences portion of the MCAT is scored between a one and 15. The average score is an eight. Applicants answer multiple choice questions in biology and organic chemistry. The biology section includes molecular biology, microbiology, generalized eukaryotic cells, specialized eukaryotic cells and tissues, nervous and endocrine systems, circulatory, lympathic, and immune systems, digestive and excretory systems, muscle and skeletal systems, respiratory system, skin system, reproductive system and development, genetics and evolution. The organic chemistry section includes the covalent bond, molecular structure and spectra, separations and purification, hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing compounds, amines and biological molecules.
Writing Section
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The writing section portion of the MCAT consists of two essay questions. Applicants receive a score between J - T. T is the highest score an applicant can receive. The average applicant score is an O. Applicants receive a topic sentence and three tasks relating to the topic sentence. Students must interpret the topic sentence and apply the tasks to it, explaining their analysis with examples.
Exam Information
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The MCAT is offered 28 times a year and takes half a day to complete. Examiners calculate MCAT scores based on the number of questions each applicant answered correctly. Wrong answers or incomplete answers do not count. They take each student's raw score based on the number of questions answered correctly and convert it to the scaled score between one and 15. Each essay completed during the writing portion of the exam is scored by two different graders. The total writing section score is the total of four scores, two scores for each of the two essays. The scaled scores appear on the final score report. The average MCAT score for an applicant applying to a top medical school is around a 34.
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References
- Association of American Medical Colleges: Content Outline for Physical Sciences Section of the MCAT
- Association of American Medical Colleges: MCAT Verbal Reasoning Skills
- Association of American Medical Colleges: Content Outline for Biological Science Section of the MCAT
- Association of American Medical Colleges: Writing Sample Items
- Cornell University, Cornell Career Services: MCAT Basics
Resources
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