If you are considering going into some sort of post-graduate program, you would have probably heard of the GMAT. For those considering law school, then you will be studying for that LSAT score for that 175 like Elle Woods. Medical Schools also have their own equivalent to a standardized test, called the MCAT.
What is the MCAT?
The Medical College Admission Test, more commonly known as the MCAT, is one of the most important components of your medical school application. All students would have to take this test to submit their scores to their respective schools they are applying to, where their schools will be using it as a measurement of the foundational science knowledge. The MCAT is a 7.5 hours long examination done on a computer, where students would be asked 230 questions across all of the sections.
The four sections of the MCAT are:
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
The Scoring System
The full score of the MCAT is 528, however, students will be judged mostly on their percentiles. Wrong answers and unanswered questions are treated the same, meaning that there are no penalties for wrong answers. The number of correct numbers in each section is converted to a scale score ranging from 118 to 132. All the scores from the sections added together will equal the full score of the exam which is 528.
For the CU-MEDi program specifically, the MCAT score is how successful applicants will be able to pass through to the next MMI round. The admissions committee at CU-MEDi will rank the scores of all the applicants and only the top 60 students will be able to go through to the next round. And it is for this very reason that the MCAT is the most important part of your CU-MEDi application.
How to Prepare
We would suggest students to study for at least 3 months for the MCAT before taking it to ensure that they have time to cover all the materials that they would need. To start, try doing a diagnostic test online to see your initial score and where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and use those to create a personalized study plan.
For the students who are ready to dive right in, we would suggest you pause and create a study plan first. Having a study plan will ensure that you are being organized on all the topics that you have to go through, creating a system that you will stick to and allow you to best prepare yourself.
An effective MCAT study guide should include a list of topics that you will need to study, on which days you will be going over them. Make a checklist of all the materials that you will have to cover, which is available on the MCAT Official Website
We are also lucky to be living in a time with endless amounts of online resources that can help students prepare for the MCAT. Take advantage of the YouTube videos of students sharing their journey’s online and see if their technique resonates and work with you.
And perhaps the most important part is the registration! In Thailand, there are limited seats for the MCAT test so we would suggest that you sign up as soon as it is available to secure your spot.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us, if you need help planning your MCAT test strategies. Send us message via Line: @EduSmithGradMBA or Facebook Page
