How to Study and Practice for the PCAT Test
The PCAT is the standardized exam needed to apply to most pharmacy schools in the United States. Doing well on the PCAT exam is as important has having a high GPA and will allow you to gain acceptance at the top ranked pharmacy schools. After completing the test and gaining admission to a school of pharmacy, you are one step closer to become a Pharm.D. or Doctor of Pharmacy.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
First off, check to see if the pharmacy schools that you are applying to require the PCAT examination. Also, if you are an international student, you may need to take the TOEFL exam (check in the link table below).
These schools don't require the PCAT (from the link below):
California Northstate
California - San Diego
California - San Francisco
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Boston MA
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Manchester NH
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Worcester MA
Oregon State University
University of the Pacific
Purdue University
University of Southern California
Touro University - California
Washington State University
Western University -
2
The subjects tested on the PCAT exam include:
Verbal Ability
Biology
Reading Comprehension
Quantitative Ability
Chemistry
Problem Solving (Writing)
Conventions of Language (Writing)A Brief Sample exam will get you familiarized with some of the questions that are asked on the PCAT. I have posted a brief sample PCAT below.
-
-
3
First, do some research to see which books are good to study from. Amazon lists user reviews that are worth looking at. For example for the 2010-2011 KAPLAN PCAT book listed below, users state that it is great for chemistry and biology. It is highly recommended that you pick and choose several PCAT books as each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Other options include an AUDIOLEARN PCAT CD set which lets you listen to the material while driving, lying down in your home, or from your computer. If you are an auditory learner, this product will definitely help you succeed.
After reading the materials provided in each book, do as many practice exams as you can. This will prepare you for the type of questions that may show up as well as the timing constraints that will be present during the PCAT exam.
-
4
Planning your prerequisite courses for pharmacy school in a way where your harder science courses are completed near the time of your PCAT examination date would be helpful to keep the information fresh in your mind. But, I would not want to be only halfway through a semester of Organic Chemistry lecture when I took the exam.
For many students, it could be several years since you have set foot in these lectures, so other resources exist which can prepare you for the PCAT. There are several online resources such as encyclopedias, videos, and other articles to refresh your mind on relevant topics. For example, I can search for a video on Youtube to remind me how covalent bonding occurs in Chemistry.
-
5
For the writing sections, it would be in your best interest to practice writing a well-organized, complete essay in a limited amount of time. Previous essay topics from the PCAT can be found online or you can practice from completely random prompts to get the motion down. Having a clearly defined Introduction, Thesis, 3 Supporting Body Paragraphs, and a Conclusion will allow you to do well on the writing sections.
-
6
Personally, I would only recommend a course study for the PCAT if you are struggling to learn the material on your own. These courses will cost you $1000-$1500, so do your research before cutting a check. Ask friends or look online to get reviews from different learning centers such as Kaplan, Princeton Review, etc.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Practice, Practice, Practice!
You can retake the PCAT exam if you don't do well the first time around. From what others have said on forums, it seems like you should only look to take the exam 2-3 times max.
A solid GPA with a great PCAT score (ex: >70% percentile) will usually get you accepted at most school of pharmacies in the U.S. A lackluster GPA along with a great PCAT score (ex: >80% percentile) could offset the GPA aspect of your application. Check and search user profiles on PharmApplicants.com to see who got accepted where with what stats.
