{"id":17,"date":"2016-02-11T18:01:40","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T02:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/mcat\/?p=17"},"modified":"2021-03-05T16:01:05","modified_gmt":"2021-03-06T00:01:05","slug":"taking-the-mcat-what-to-expect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/mcat\/taking-the-mcat-what-to-expect\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking The MCAT: What to Expect"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is it really like to take the most important exam of your pre-medical career?<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

So you\u2019ve made the choice to go to medical school. You\u2019ve completed your prerequisites and have logged plenty of clinical experiences. You have your letters of recommendation lined up and have practiced writing your name with \u201cDr.\u201d in front of it. At this point, the only thing standing between you and a seat in next year\u2019s incoming medical school class is the oft-dreaded MCAT<\/a>. What is the big deal about this test, anyway? It\u2019s just a test, right? If you\u2019ve reached this part of your pre-med journey, you probably already know how important taking the MCAT is to medical school admissions. However, it\u2019s still hard to gauge the test-taking experience without actually taking the test yourself. To help you out, here are<\/p>\n

5 things you can expect when test day comes:<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Content<\/em><\/strong>– The MCAT is now split up into 4 sections that test your proficiency in the natural and behavioral sciences and your ability to think critically and analytically across multiple, often complex, subject areas. In essence, you\u2019re being tested on your ability to think like a physician.<\/li>\n
  2. Format<\/em><\/strong>– The MCAT is a computer-based test (CBT) that is split up into the 4 content sections.<\/li>\n
  3. Length<\/em><\/strong>– The test is 7.5 hrs long. This includes a 10-minute tutorial, two 10-minute breaks, and one 30-minute lunch. While the breaks and tutorial are optional, the total time you will have to answer questions is 6 hours and 15 minutes.<\/li>\n
  4. Questions<\/em><\/strong>– The exam is completely multiple-choice. The 3 science-based sections have discrete and passage-based questions, while CARS has only passage-based questions.<\/li>\n
  5. Score<\/em><\/strong>– Composite test scores<\/a> can range from 472-528, with individual sections ranging from 118-132. Scores are typically released 30-35 days after taking the exam. Keep in mind that when you receive your score you will see a total of 5 numbers, one for each section and one for the test as a whole.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Taking<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Taking the MCAT can be stressful. Knowing what to expect before test day is key to getting the score you want. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":144,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[2336],"class_list":["post-17","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-about-mcat"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTaking The MCAT: What to Expect - Magoosh MCAT Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Taking the MCAT can be stressful. 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