MCAT - What you may not know

"I’ve heard that med schools allow multiple attempts, so it’s OK to take it multiple times.

Sort of… here’s what you should know:

The overall record of testing attempts can be important

It’s common for medical scores to use the highest score, but many programs look at all attempts and either average the scores or weight the highest score more and the other attempts’ score less to obtain a weighted average. This knowledge may not be available outside the admissions committee.

What this means for you:

• The official exam should not be taken to “see how you’ll do”. That will be the first attempt on your record, which displays all attempts, and could limit your program application options to only those who take highest-score only. You may be unable to determine if individual programs average all attempts or not, so best to plan accordingly.

All 4 sections scores are important

Most schools have minimum score requirements for all 4 sections, which may be the only criteria, or may be in combination with a minimum superscore (overall exam score). Some schools will take the highest score for each section from different attempts, while others use all 4 section scores (and superscore, if applicable) from one attempt (all from the same test date). This may or may not be knowledge available outside the admissions committee.

What this means for you:

• Within reason (considering admissions deadlines), the official exam should not be taken if one or more sections are significantly below other sections, particularly if a section’s score on practice tests is below the minimum section score requirement for many programs overall, or for programs of particular interest. It’s tempting to focus on the superscore and calculate the the stronger sections will be high enough to counterweight the lower section and provide a superscore above a minimum, but this could rule out being able to apply to programs that also (or only) look for a minimum score from all sections.

MCAT scores and GPAs are 2 of many factors that are typically weighted in an overall admissions formula.

Two applicants with similar amounts of volunteering, research, and clinical hours and similarly scored personal statements and letters of recommendation could have the same overall score if one’s GPA is proportionately higher than the other’s but their MCAT score is proportionately lower, and vice versa. What this means for you: It is extremely important to consider your overall (and specifically math/science) undergrad GPA compared to your desired programs’ average overall and science GPAs when determining your needed minimum MCAT score.

Sample scenario:
This student’s practice test can help them determine if they should test and when, based on programs they want to apply to, the overall/superscore, and individual section scores. Their undergraduate GPA is 3.89. These are two of the programs they are considering:

Let’s say this student has 8 months to get their med school apps in and have their scores back, so they need to test in about 7 months. They may want to have a chance for a retest in case they need to get a higher score. Note the superscore is estimated at 501, but the confidence band (possible variance in score) runs from 499 to 503. While this is basically at or above the current minimum score for Program A, it’s still well below the published average MCAT (super)score for both programs (A= 514 and B= 520). If we want to at least be at the average of program A’s current students, we need to grow at least 13 points, and for program B, it’s about 19 points.

Also check out the individual section scores. We probably want those to all be at least 125 each, as some programs may use section minimums. The confidence band for CARS starts at 122 and for Chem/Phys at 123.

This student has to think through some options and decide what’s best for them:

• How much prep time do they actually have (day-to-day or regularly each week) during the 5-7 months they have until they test? This must factor in work, family responsibilities, classes/ assignments.

• Comparing their desired programs, timeline, and available study time, do they…

  1. Keep their application list the same and work hard to meet the goal MCAT scores needed to be competitive in those programs (time is sufficient)?
  2. Adjust their application list to fit programs that align with the MCAT score they can likely achieve within the current timeframe?
  3. Adjust their timeline to apply a year later in order to have sufficient time for the growth in MCAT score needed to be competitive in the top programs?

Note that these decisions don’t necessarily have to be made up front. Students might designate some check-in spots to reassess how it’s going and which option makes the most sense as they go.

The CARS section is almost 100% dependent on advanced reading skills plus confidence.

There is no particular knowledge set you can study for CARS. It is designed to measure how you handle various types of new information presented to you. Good general vocabulary can be helpful, but most of the skill in CARS is gained by practice, while using effective reading strategies, over time.
Confidence or self-doubt makes a huge difference in this section as it requires flexible thinking and making connections between information to form conclusions.

What this means for you:

• The CARS section is generally the slowest area of growth and the work needs to start ASAP. It must also be consistent, either every day or multiple days per week. Early on, it’s crucial to try a practice test or multiple practice passages and analyze your thought process. How many questions were missed because you rushed, overlooked key information in another part of the passage, panicked and had less flexible thinking? It takes a lot of practice and time, with the right strategies, to regulate our thinking so that it becomes a tool for understanding rather than getting in the way.

The Psychology and Sociology (Psych/Soc) section is a mix of external knowledge and advanced reading skills.

In this section, the student needs to already know concepts and theories from psychology and sociology. The section is laid out in passages, similar to CARS, but all the passages will be related to psychology and sociology. Many questions will require using both information from the passage read with prior knowledge of a psych or sociology concept or theory.

What this means for you:

• The Psych/Soc section requires regular practice much like the CARS section, so may take some time to see improvement. However, unlike CARS, specific knowledge is required and gaining any of the missing concepts and theories from psychology and sociology will be integral to increasing the score.

Chemistry and Physics (Chem/Phys) and Biology and Biochemistry (Bio/Biochem) are almost entirely reliant on external knowledge of these subjects.

In this section, the student needs to already know concepts and theories from Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Biochemistry. This information is foundational in nature, mostly derived from the undergraduate courses required by most medical schools, occasionally expanding beyond these courses. The information is not generally medical in nature nor are clinical applications of anatomy and physiology expected for this exam. Much of each section is laid out in passages presenting information from these disciplines, so some reading comprehension is required but it is very narrow in focus to the sciences. An additional concept may be explained in a passage but will be dependent on knowing and understanding existing information (concepts and facts). Passages may also require interpretation of scientific graphs, tables and diagrams. There are a small number of independent questions, meaning that they are not connected to a passage.

What this means for you:

• For current undergrad science majors, the courses themselves are a key source of preparation for these sections. Limited review of content going forward to hold onto course concepts will be needed.
• For non-science majors who may be taking the pre-reqs only and not the optional-but-recommended courses (typically, Cell Bio, Genetics, Anatomy, Physiology, Molecular Bio), you may need to review courses you’ve taken and expand your knowledge to include these areas.
• For anyone who has had a gap since taking science courses, several months of review are likely needed to regain facts and concepts before working on test strategies and sitting for the MCAT.