Medical College Admission Test

Medical College Admission Test

Acronym	MCAT
Type	Computer-based standardized test
Administrator	Association of American Medical Colleges
Skills tested	Physical sciences, biological sciences, verbal reasoning
Purpose	Admissions to medical colleges
Year started	1928; 96 years ago (1928)
Score range	118–132 for each of four sections, totaling 472–528[1]
Score validity	Usually 2 to 3 years[2]
Offered	25 times from January 2017 through September 2017[3]
Restrictions on attempts	Maximum of three times in a one year period; four times in a two year period; and seven times for life[4]
Regions	Mainly United States and Canada, in addition to 19 other countries[5]
Languages	English
Prerequisites	Preparing to apply to a health professional school (fluency in English is assumed)[6]
Fee	US$310–US$460[7] ("Fee Assistance Program" available to U.S. citizens, permanent residents or refugees, demonstrating financial need.[8])
Used by	Medical colleges (mostly in United States and Canada)
Website	students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; /ˈɛmkæt/ EM-kat) is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students (both Allopathic M.D. and Osteopathic D.O.) in the United States, Australia,^[9] Canada, and the Caribbean Islands. It is designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis and knowledge of scientific concepts and principles. Before 2007, the exam was a paper-and-pencil test; since 2007, all administrations of the exam have been computer-based.

The most recent version of the exam was introduced in April 2015 and takes 7+1⁄2 hours to complete. The test is scored in a range from 472 to 528. The MCAT is administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).^[10]