MCAT

Thenew Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a prerequisite for admission to nearly all the medical schools in North America. Each year, over 50,000 applicants to American and Canadian medical schools submit MCAT test results. While the actual weight given to MCAT scores in the admissions process varies from school to school, often they are regarded in a similar manner to your college/university CGPA (i.e. your academic standing).

In applying for medicine at some medical schools, for example, the MCAT score is as important as your four years of undergraduate study! On the other hand, some universities will set a minimum level of performance on the MCAT and then analyze school grades to decide who will be invited to the interviews. Either way, doing well is imperative for most applicants.

To register for the MCAT, you should consult your undergraduate/premed adviser, register online and/or contact:

MCAT Program
P.O. Box 4056
Iowa City, Iowa, 52243
Phone: (319) 337-1357
Web site: www.aamc.org or click here: MCAT Registration

Click here: MCAT Test Dates

The MCAT changed in 1991 then instituted some minor changes in 2003; in 2007, the MCAT became somewhat shorter and changed to a Computer Based Test (CBT).

Here is a summary of the changes that have existed since 2007:

• the MCAT is now shorter (approximately 5 hours vs. the previous testing time of 8 hours).
• Students receive their test scores more quickly.
• the exam is offered more frequently throughout the year (often more than 20 testing dates).
• the exam is now given in smaller, climate-controlled rooms.

The computer based exams at MCAT-prep.com prepare you for the new format of the MCAT.

The MCAT will not only test your scientific knowledge in biology, physics, inorganic and organic chemistry, but will also measure your problem-solving, critical thinking and writing skills. The exam is divided into four sections: Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, the Writing Sample and Biological Sciences.

The Physical Sciences section contains physics and general chemistry. The Biological Sciences section contains biology and organic chemistry. All questions, save the Writing Sample, are multiple choice with four choices per question.

The MCAT is about five hours long (including optional breaks). Click here for the schedule for test day: MCAT Schedule

The MCAT is scored for each of the four sections individually. The sections consisting of multiple choice questions are first scored right or wrong resulting in a raw score. Note that wrong answers are worth the same as unanswered questions so ALWAYS ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS even if you are not sure of certain answers. The raw score is then converted to a scaled score ranging from 1 (lowest) to 15 (highest). The scores are scaled to ensure that the same proportion of individual marks within each section (i.e. 1-15) are given year to year.

The essay is scored by two readers on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 6 (highest). The combined scores from the two essays (2 to 12 out of 12) are then converted to a scale ranging from J (lowest) to T (highest):

J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T
2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	1 2

The scores for each section and a cumulative score (i.e. a maximum of 45T) are reported to you, the schools you designate and, with your permission, to your undergraduate advisor.

Every MCAT includes a small number of questions which will not be scored. These questions are either used to calibrate the exam or were found to be either too ambiguous or too difficult to be counted. So if you see a question that you think is off the wall, unanswerable or inappropriate, it could well be one of these questions so never panic!

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, you may do the exam essentially as often as you wish to a maximum of 3 times per year. Subsequently, the medical school to which you would apply may do any one of the following:

(i) evaluate the most recent score;
(ii) evaluate only the highest individual and/or set of scores;
(iii) evaluate an average of the sets of scores;
(iv) consider all scores equally and note the improvements.

We generally recommend that students complete at least 3 of the 4 basic sciences in either university, college/CEGEP, advanced high-school courses, and essay writing or speed reading courses if necessary. Some students may begin our courses weeks, months or even years prior to the anticipated time to write the actual MCAT depending on their knowledge or experience. Keep in mind, our program does not just review the information, MCAT-prep.com teaches the information you need to know to excel at the MCAT. In other words, we teach the 4 basic sciences, essay writing, speed reading, etc.

No.

1 year (12 months)

The content and structure of the MCAT changed in 1991. In 2003 the new MCAT changed a bit in structure but you are responsible for essentially the same content as all MCAT exams since 1991. All paper exams including actual past exams which you receive in our Platinum Program require the same knowledge, though the structure is slightly different, as compared to the current exam. All our online exams and tests reflect the new format in content, structure and scoring.

MCAT-prep.com offers a program which is unprecedented in its completeness. As long as you have completed a first year college education including basic sciences and at least one course requiring English reading/writing, we can offer you a complete program. The expression The only prep you need specifically refers to students who dedicate themselves to MCAT exam preparation, register and fully participate in our Platinum Program which consists of videos (DVDs), chat rooms, live online teaching, audio MP3, online and paper exams including released actual past MCAT materials, message boards, comprehensive review books and interactive programs including a speed reading program.

Course extensions are usually purchased in blocks of 6 months at 1/2 the regular course fee. Course extensions (1 year) for the Platinum Program is at the reduced rate of $699. Students who wish to have extensions receive full online access and privileges but do not receive a second set of course materials (i.e. books, audio MP3, DVDs).

No. All course materials including online access are for exclusive use of our students and are non-transferable and non-refundable.

No. The Platinum Program is currently provided to students with a 35% discount which is more than equivalent to receiving all the course materials for free. Thus the same course materials come as a package for all our students.

At MCAT-prep.com, we believe that we are the best at teaching the MCAT exam. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your results, you can repeat the course once for an administrative fee. Of course, you will not receive a second set of course materials. Course refunds are not possible.

Your PC should include: Windows 95, 98, Me, XP, or NT 4.0, or 2000; Pentium 200Mhz or greater; 32 MB RAM or greater (64 MB for NT or 2000); Sound card and speakers or headphones; 28.8k modem (56k recommended) and reliable Internet service; Internet Explorer 5.5 SP1 and Internet Tools or higher; Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher (available as a free download from www.adobe.com); JAVA 2.0 plugin and greater (also available as a free download from www.javasoft.com) and cookies must be enabled; America Online users will need 5.0 or higher, and will need to minimize the AOL window and open Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher.

Click on "Signup" in the top menu.

In the Signup section, it is recommended that you fill out the registration form completely. This gives us a better understanding of what you want as a customer and allows us to give you relevant and accurate information when you need it. We do require, however, you supply the proper information for the fields with an adjacent *.

The contact information we use to identify you. This helps us give quick and efficient technical support and customer service. First Name - your given name ( e.g. John )
Last Name - your family name ( e.g. Doe )
Username - a case-sensitive name that you must create and use when you log into the web site. It must be at least 6 characters long and contain only numbers and digits. (e.g. BigJohn )
Password - a case-sensitive string that you must create and use when you log into the web site. It must be at least 6 characters long and contain only number and digits. (e.g. VRML4You )
E-mail Address - your e-mail address. It must be something like this xxx@yyyy.zz
( e.g. jdoe@mcat-prep.com )
Telephone - your telephone number with area code. We enforce no format. (e.g. (212) 555-1212)

The Billing Information must be the Name and Address as relates to the Credit Card used to make purchase of books, course materials, or course packages offered on this web site.

The shipping information will be used to send materials that come with the packages offered on this web site. Address - your street address (1 Bank Street Apt-2 ).
State/Province - the state or province that you live in (e.g. New York).
Zip/Postal Code - you zip code or postal code (e.g 10215 or K2C 0J4 ).
Country - the country that you live in (e.g. USA ).

Look to the menu at the top of the screen. Click the "Login" button and then use the username and password that you created when you registered.

If you've logged in successfully, you will be taken to your membership MCAT Home page. This page shows your personal information (contact and shipping) and the packages that you have purchased. You will also see a menu at the top of your screen. There you can access the packages. You'll also notice that the login form has disappeared and been replaced with your name and University/College.

Scroll down to the "Add More Packages" on the MCAT Home page. This table shows the packages that you haven't added to your portfolio. Therefore, it shows all the packages on your first visit. The packages move up to the "Package Portfolio" table on the same page as they are added.

After you have selected the package(s) from your MCAT Home page, you will be taken to a payment page. It shows a breakdown of the packages (price, materials, access, etc..) and a form where you can enter your credit card information. Some packages (physics for example) contain materials that will be shipped to you. Please confirm the shipping address by modifying the shipping form. Once all the proper information is inputted, press "Process Payment and Add Packages".

Once your payment has been processed you will receive an e-mail from authorize.net (our merchant provider) or Paypal, with the amount deducted and an invoice number for tracking. If the deduction is unsuccessful, you will also receive an e-mail. It will state the nature of the problem.

Once your payment is processed successfully, you will be directed to a confirmation screen. You will receive an e-mail from MCAT-prep.com support, confirming the package additions. If you have any problems with this, please contact us at support@mcat-prep.com. Please have you invoice number handy.