What Are the MCAT Sections?
The MCAT is a rigorous 7.5 hour exam comprising four test sections. Three sections test foundational concepts in different science disciplines and include the following: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior.
The fourth section, known as Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills or CARS, requires candidates to critically read passages from the Humanities and Social Science disciplines and answer questions based on these passages. Test takers are required to understand and analyze the information they read using logic and inference skills.
If you are in the process of MCAT prep, the disciplines and skills for each of the four MCAT sections can be found on this page.
MCAT Sections
Explore the MCAT exam by expanding the four MCAT sections below.
- Disciplines:
- 25% First-semester biochemistry
- 65% Introductory biology
- 5% General chemistry
- 5% Organic chemistry
- Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills:
- 35% Knowledge of scientific concepts and principles Demonstrating understanding of scientific concepts and principles. Identifying the relationships between closely related concepts.
- 45% Scientific reasoning and problem-solving Reasoning about scientific principles, theories, and models. Analyzing and evaluating scientific explanations and predictions.
- 10% Reasoning about the design and execution of research Demonstrating understanding of important components of scientific research. Reasoning about ethical issues in research.
- 10% Data-based and statistical reasoning Interpreting patterns in data presented in tables, figures, and graphs. Reasoning about data and drawing conclusions from them.
Foundational Concepts:
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 (55%)- Structure and function of proteins and their constituent amino acids.
- Transmission of genetic information from the gene to the protein.
- Transmission of heritable information from generation to generation and the processes that increase genetic diversity.
- Principles of bioenergetics and fuel molecule metabolism.
Highly organized assemblies of molecules, cells, and organs interact to carry out the functions of living organisms (20%)
- Assemblies of molecules, cells, and groups of cells within single cellular and multicellular organisms.
- The structure, growth, physiology, and genetics of prokaryotes and viruses.
- Processes of cell division, differentiation, and specialization.
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 (25%)
- Structure and functions of the nervous and endocrine systems and ways these systems coordinate the organ systems.
- Structure and integrative functions of the main organ systems.
- Disciplines:
- 25% First-semester biochemistry
- 5% Introductory biology
- 30% General chemistry
- 15% Organic chemistry
- 25% Introductory physics
- Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills:
- 35% Knowledge of scientific concepts and principles Demonstrating understanding of scientific concepts and principles. Identifying the relationships between closely related concepts.
- 45% Scientific reasoning and problem-solving Reasoning about scientific principles, theories, and models. Analyzing and evaluating scientific explanations and predictions.
- 10% Reasoning about the design and execution of research Demonstrating understanding of important components of scientific research. Reasoning about ethical issues in research.
- 10% Data-based and statistical reasoning Interpreting patterns in data presented in tables, figures, and graphs. Reasoning about data and drawing conclusions from them.
Foundational Concepts:
Complex living organisms transport materials, sense their environment, process signals, and respond to changes using processes understood in terms of physical principles (40%)- Translational motion, forces, work, energy, and equilibrium in living systems.
- Importance of fluids for the circulation of blood, gas movement, and gas exchange.
- Electrochemistry and electrical circuits and their elements.
- How light and sound interact with matter.
- Atoms, nuclear decay, electronic structure, and atomic chemical behavior./li>
The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living systems (60%)
- Unique nature of water and its solutions.
- Nature of molecules and intermolecular interactions.
- Separation and purification methods.
- Structure, function, and reactivity of biologically relevant molecules.
- Principles of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics.
- Disciplines:
- 65% Introductory psychology
- 30% Introductory sociology
- 5% Introductory biology
- Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills:
- 35% Knowledge of scientific concepts and principles Demonstrating understanding of scientific concepts and principles. Identifying the relationships between closely related concepts.
- 45% Scientific reasoning and problem-solving Reasoning about scientific principles, theories, and models. Analyzing and evaluating scientific explanations and predictions.
- 10% Reasoning about the design and execution of research Demonstrating understanding of important components of scientific research. Reasoning about ethical issues in research.
- 10% Data-based and statistical reasoning Interpreting patterns in data presented in tables, figures, and graphs. Reasoning about data and drawing conclusions from them.
Foundational Concepts:
Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence the ways that individuals perceive, think about, and react to the world. 25%- Sensing the environment
- Making sense of the environment
- Responding to the world
Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence behavior and behavior change. 35%
- Individual influences on behavior
- Social processes that influence human behavior
- Attitude and behavior change
Psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors influence the way we think about ourselves and others, as well as how we interact with others. 20%
- Self-identity
- Social thinking
- Social interactions
Cultural and social differences influence well-being. 15%
- Understanding social structure
- Demographic characteristics and processes
Social stratification and access to resources influence well-being. 5%
- Social inequality
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills:
- 30% Foundations of comprehension Understanding the basic components of the text Inferring meaning or intent from immediate sentence context
- 30% Reasoning within the text Integrating distant components of the text to infer an author’s message, intent, purpose, belief, position, bias, assumptions Recognizing and evaluating arguments and their structural elements (claims, evidence, support, relations)
- 40% Reasoning beyond the text Applying or extrapolating ideas from the passage to new contexts Assessing the impact of incorporating new factors, information, or conditions on ideas from the passage
Passage Content:
- Humanities (50%)
- Architecture
- Art
- Dance
- Ethics
- Literature
- Music
- Philosophy
- Popular Culture
- Religion
- Theater
- Studies of Diverse Cultures
- Social Sciences (50%)
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Economics
- Education
- Geography
- History
- Linguistics
- Political Science
- Population Health
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Studies of Diverse Cultures
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