Key Foundational MCAT® Skills

By section of the MCAT® Exam

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Getting into your top-choice medical school is highly competitive, so you'll want to prepare thoroughly for the MCAT®. This exam is unlike any other standardized test. Even the most gifted students will often score poorly on this test unless they know how to approach it.

Luckily, Dr. Stuart Donnelly can teach you the key concepts and correct strategy for each section of the MCAT®. His unique strategies are extremely effective at dealing with even the most difficult passage-based problems on the test and will help significantly improve your score.

Private MCAT® tutoring with Dr. Donnelly is available either in person at our office or online via Zoom, so contact Stuart today. Schedule a FREE Consultation Now.

Stuart is considered by many leading educators to be,  "One of the most experienced and qualified private MCAT® tutors in the country."

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Doctor MCAT's student increases MCAT score

5 star review

"Stuart's strategies were very helpful in tackling the MCAT passage based questions. After just a few meetings, I felt more confident approaching the exam. I just got my scores and I did very well!! I got a 518 overall/97th percentile - (130 on Chemistry/Physics, 130 on Bio, 127 on CARS, and 131 on Psychology/Sociology). Thanks for your help preparing!"

Emily S., San Diego CA.

Doctor MCAT's student increases MCAT score

5 star review

"I appreciated how Dr. Donnelly concisely tailored his teaching to fit my learning style. His strategies are unique and helped me improve my MCAT score by 17 points to an amazing 523! - I got a perfect 132 score on the Bio section and near perfect scores on all of the others (130 on Chem/Phys,, 130 on CARS, and 131 on Psych/Soc). Thank you Dr. Donnelly!"

Vismaya S., Colorado (online student).

Doctor MCAT's student increases MCAT score

5 star review

"Like many others, I took the MCAT many times before with suboptimal scores. And after my score went down, I was desperate for a good tutor to bring my score up. I was about to go with a company when I found Dr. MCAT. After our intro session, I knew right then and there that his methods were unique and he catered to the individual unlike many big companies, whose methods seem to only help a few people because of how general the strategies are. (I can say this because I use Kaplan twice before for the MCAT). My problem was definitely how I approached the test and Dr. MCAT definitely helped with that greatly. In ten weeks, he and his strategies took my score from the 66th percentile all the way to the 92nd percentile!! I highly recommend Dr. MCAT! And even if you don't live nearby, he offers tutoring sessions over Skype so don't be shy to reach out to him if you need MCAT help!"

Jenil B., Blauvelt, New York.

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The 4 Sections Of The MCAT®

What You Need To Know

The MCAT® exam tests for mastery of basic concepts in physics, biology, biochemistry, general chemistry, organic chemistry, sociology, and psychology. It also assesses the examinees’ capacity for problem-solving and critical thinking. The four sections of the exam, in the order they appear, are:

Click on the links below to learn more:

  1. Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
  2. Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
  3. Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
  4. CARS - Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

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Overview of the MCAT®

Section by Section

The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section of the MCAT

Three Key Concepts Tested

The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section of the MCAT is a 95-minute section containing 59 multiple-choice questions.

This section asks you to combine your knowledge of three key foundational biological and biochemical sciences concepts with your scientific inquiry, reasoning, and research and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.

Foundational Concept 1:

Biomolecules have unique properties that determine how they contribute to the structure and function of cells and how they participate in the processes necessary to maintain life.
  • 1A: Structure and function of proteins and their constituent amino acids
  • 1B: Transmission of genetic information from the gene to the protein
  • 1C: Transmission of heritable information from generation to generation and the processes that increase genetic diversity
  • 1D: Principles of bioenergetics and fuel molecule metabolism
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Foundational Concept 2:

Highly-organized assemblies of molecules, cells, and organs interact to carry out the functions of living organisms.

  • 2A: Assemblies of molecules, cells, and groups of cells within single cellular and multicellular organisms
  • 2B: The structure, growth, physiology, and genetics of prokaryotes and viruses
  • 2C: Processes of cell division, differentiation, and specialization
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Foundational Concept 3:

Complex systems of tissues and organs sense the internal and external environments of multicellular organisms, and through integrated functioning, maintain a stable internal environment within an ever-changing external environment.

  • 3A: Structure and functions of the nervous and endocrine systems and ways in which these systems coordinate the organ systems
  • 3B: Structure and integrative functions of the main organ systems
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The Chemical and Physical Foundations Section

Chemical and Physical Foundations section of MCAT

Two Key Concepts Tested

The Chemical and Physical Sciences section of the MCAT is a 95-minute section containing 59 multiple-choice questions.

This section asks you to combine your knowledge of two key foundational concepts in the chemical and physical sciences with your scientific inquiry, reasoning, and research and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.

Foundational Concept 4:

Complex living organisms transport materials, sense their environment, process signals, and respond to changes using processes that can be understood in terms of physical principles.

  • 4A: Translational motion, forces, work, energy, and equilibrium in living systems
  • 4B: Importance of fluids for the circulation of blood, gas movement, and gas exchange
  • 4C: Electrochemistry and electrical circuits and their elements
  • 4D: How light and sound interact with matter
  • 4E: Atoms, nuclear decay, electronic structure, and atomic chemical behavior
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Foundational Concept 5:

The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living systems.

  • 5A: Unique nature of water and its solutions
  • 5B: Nature of molecules and intermolecular interactions
  • 5C: Separation and purification methods
  • 5D: Structure, function, and reactivity of biologically-relevant molecules
  • 5E: Principles of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics
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The Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior Section

Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior Section

Five Key Concepts Tested

The Behavioral Sciences section of the MCAT is a 95-minute section containing 59 multiple-choice questions.

This section tests your knowledge and use of five key foundational concepts in psychology, sociology, biology, research methods, and statistics that provide a solid foundation for learning in medical school about the behavioral and socio-cultural determinants of health and health outcomes.

Foundational Concept 6:

Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence the ways that individuals perceive, think about, and react to the world.

  • 6A: Sensing the environment
  • 6B: Making sense of the environment
  • 6C: Responding to the world
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Foundational Concept 7:

Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence behavior and behavior change.

  • 7A: Individual influences on behavior
  • 7B: Social processes that influence human behavior
  • 7C: Attitude and behavior change
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Foundational Concept 8:

Psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors influence the way we think about ourselves and others, as well as how we interact with others.

  • 8A: Self-identity
  • 8B: Social thinking
  • 8C: Social interactions
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Foundational Concept 9:

Cultural and social differences influence well-being.

  • 9A: Understanding social structure
  • 9B: Demographic characteristics and processes
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Foundational Concept 10:

Social stratification and access to resources influence well-being.

  • 10A: Social inequality
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The CARS Section - Critical Analysis and Reasoning

CARS section of MCAT

Three Key Skills Tested

The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills - CARS section of the MCAT is a 90-minute section containing 53 multiple-choice questions.

This section of the MCAT exam includes passages and questions that test your ability to comprehend what you read and has been developed specifically to measure the analysis and reasoning skills you will need to be successful in medical school. You will be asked to read and think about passages from a wide range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, then answer a series of questions.

These passages are relatively short, typically between 500 and 600 words, but they are complex, often thought-provoking pieces of writing with sophisticated vocabulary and, at times, intricate writing styles. Everything you need to know to answer test questions is in the passages and the questions themselves. No additional coursework or specific knowledge is required. You will not only need to assess the content but also need to consider the authors’ intentions and tones and the words they used to express their points of view.

Skill 1 (30%):

Foundations of Comprehension

  • Understanding the basic components of the text.
  • Inferring meaning from rhetorical devices, word choice, and text structure.
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Skill 2 (30%):

Reasoning Within the Text

  • Integrating different components of the text to increase comprehension.
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Skill 3 (40%):

Reasoning Beyond the Text

  • Applying or extrapolating ideas from the passage to new contexts.
  • Assessing the impact of introducing new factors, information, or conditions to ideas from the passage.

Passage Types:

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills passages come from a variety of humanities and social sciences disciplines.

Humanities (50%):

Passages in the humanities are drawn from a variety of disciplines, including (but not limited to):

  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Dance
  • Ethics
  • Literature
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Popular Culture
  • Religion
  • Theater
  • Studies of Diverse Cultures
Social Science (50%):

Social sciences passages are also drawn from a variety of disciplines, including (but not limited to):

  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Geography
  • History
  • Linguistics
  • Political Science
  • Population Health
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Studies of Diverse Cultures
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