Exam (elaborations)
Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam (Second Edition) September 2012
Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam (Second Edition) September 2012
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2015MCAT
A Better Test for Tomorrow’s Doctors
Preview Guide
for the MCAT 2015 Exam
(Second Edition)
September 2012
MCAT® is a program of the Association of
American Medical Colleges and related
trademarks owned by the Association include
Medical College Admission Test, MCAT, and
MCAT 2015.
,This is the second edition of the Preview Guide to the MCAT2015 Exam. The original guide was published in November 2011.
For more information about the MCAT2015 exam, please see the MCAT2015 website www.aamc.org/mcat2015.
,Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam (Second Edition)
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Chapter 1: Why is the MCAT Exam Changing? ........................................................................................ 4
Chapter 2: What will the MCAT2015 Exam Measure? ................................................................................ 6
Chapter 3: How will the MCAT2015 Exam Test Knowledge and Skills in the Natural, Social, and
Behavioral Sciences? .................................................................................................................................. 9
Chapter 4: What will the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section Test? .... 22
Chapter 5: What will the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section Test?...... 61
Chapter 6: What will the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
Section Test? ............................................................................................................................................. 91
Chapter 7: What will the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Section Test? .................................... 132
Chapter 8: What Preparation Products and Services are Available? ...................................................... 152
Chapter 9: Where can Additional Information about the MCAT2015 Exam be Found?.......................... 154
© 2012 AAMC. May not be reproduced without permission. 1
, Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam (Second Edition)
Introduction
The Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam (Second Edition) is a blueprint for the exam that will be
introduced in spring 2015 1. It describes the new exam’s content and format. It also lists and discusses
the new exam’s conceptual framework ― which is organized around foundational concepts, content
categories, and scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. It provides sample test questions, and includes
information about products and services that are designed to help you and others prepare for the
MCAT2015 exam.
While the Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam (Second Edition) is written for you, the prospective
MCAT examinee, the information it provides is likely to be useful to pre-health advisors, other
baccalaureate faculty, medical school admission officers, and medical school faculty. The information
provided in this guide will help you formulate a strategy to prepare for the exam. It will help pre-health
advisors and other baccalaureate faculty familiarize themselves with the new exam and what they can do
to help you prepare. And, it will provide medical school admissions officers and faculty with important
and valuable information to help them interpret their applicants’ scores.
The Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam (Second Edition) answers the following questions:
Why is the MCAT exam changing?
When will the new exam first be administered?
How many sections does the new exam include?
What does each section measure?
How does the new exam test knowledge and skills in the natural, social, and behavioral sciences?
How does it test critical analysis and reasoning skills?
What does the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section test?
What does the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section test?
What does the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section test?
What does the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section test?
What products and services are available to help you prepare?
What products and services are available for pre-health advisors and other baccalaureate faculty?
1
This is the Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam (Second Edition). This edition responds to questions from readers since
the first release in November 2011 and includes new information on some of the content outlines. Specifically, the changes
include (1) updated descriptions of the Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills (Chapter 3); (2) a description of the
mathematical, statistical, and research concepts you are expected to know (Chapter 3); (3) updated descriptions and content
lists in the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section (Chapter 4), Chemical and Physical
Foundations of Biological Systems section (Chapter 5), and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
section (Chapter 6); (4) updated information about the percentages of questions that will test each foundational concept and
discipline on the three natural, behavior, and social sciences sections; and (5) updated descriptions of the analysis and
reasoning skills tested by the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section (Chapter 7). Additional information about the
products and services available for students, advisors, and other faculty also are included in this version.
© 2012 AAMC. May not be reproduced without permission. 2
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