an overview of the new mcat exam

MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015

An Overview of the New MCAT Exam

Marc KroopnickManager, MCAT2015 Development & Psychometrics

Presentation made at the Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences Conference

Arlington, VAMarch 14, 2014


Today’s Agenda• Overview of exam changes

• Schedule

• Description of the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section

• Support for Students, Advisors, and Faculty • Outreach• Q&A


Overview of Exam Changes• Preserve what works best• Eliminate what doesn’t• Enrich exam with concepts that future

physicians are likely to need• Use a testing format that has proven to be

successful


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Schedule• The new exam will launch in the spring of 2015• The current exam will be administered for the last

time in January 2015


MCAT2015 Exam – Four SectionsBiological & Biochemical

Foundations of Living Systems

Chemical & Physical

Foundations of Biological Systems

Psychological, Social, & Biological

Foundations of Behavior

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills


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What’s innovative?• Mirrors the interdisciplinary nature of scientists’

work• Asks examinees to use their knowledge, not repeat

it• Speaks to current initiatives in competency-based

science education• Recognizes the behavioral and socio-cultural

determinants of health• Balances testing in the natural sciences with

testing in the social and behavioral sciences and critical analysis and reasoning


Natural and Behavioral/Social Sciences sections:

Natural or Behavioral/ Social Sciences Concepts

Scientific inquiry, reasoning, research methods, and statistics skills

Questions

Questions will ask examinees to combine: • knowledge of natural or behavioral/social

sciences concepts with • scientific inquiry, reasoning, research methods

and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school


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MCAT2015 – 4 Sections, 4 ScoresBiological & Biochemical

Foundations of Living Systems

Chemical & Physical

Foundations of Biological Systems

Psychological, Social, & Biological

Foundations of Behavior

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills


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Chemical & Physical Foundations of

Biological Systems

Solve problems combining knowledge of chemical and physical foundational concepts with scientific inquiry and reasoning skills that demonstrate one is ready for medical school.


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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.

Concept 5•The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living systems.


Biological Systems


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Biological Systems

Exam content draw from:• Introductory general chemistry – approx. 30%• Introductory organic chemistry – approx. 15%• Introductory physics – approx. 25%• First semester biochemistry – approx. 25%• Introductory biology – approx. 5%


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Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

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.


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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 matter4E: Atoms, nuclear decay, electronic structure, and atomic

chemical behavior

Content Categories



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4C: Electrochemistry and electrical circuits and their elements

• Electrostatics (PHY)• Circuit Elements (PHY)• Magnetism (PHY)• Electrochemistry (GC)• Specialized Cell – Nerve Cell (BIO)

Content Category



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


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5A: Unique nature of water and its solutions5B: Nature of molecules and intermolecular interactions 5C: Separation and purification methods5D: Structure, function, and reactivity of biologically-relevant

molecules5E: Principles of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics

Content Categories



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5E: Principles of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics

• Enzymes (BC, BIO)• Principles of Bioenergetics (BC)• Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions – Thermochemistry,

Thermodynamics (GC, PHY)• Rate Processes in Chemical Reactions – Kinetics and Equilibrium (GC)

Content Category



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Scientific Inquiry & Reasoning Skills

Knowledge of Scientific Concepts & Principles

Scientific Reasoning and Problem Solving

Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research

Data-based and Statistical Reasoning

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2

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Natural and Behavioral/Social Sciences sections:

Natural or Behavioral/ Social Sciences Concepts

Scientific inquiry, reasoning, research methods, and statistics skills

Questions

Questions will ask examinees to combine: • knowledge of natural or behavioral/social

sciences concepts with • scientific inquiry, reasoning, research methods

and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school


Support for Students, Advisors and Faculty• Developing resources for:

Prospective examinees Pre-health advisors and faculty


Resources for prospective examinees:• The Preview Guide for MCAT2015 (free)

• Detailed descriptions for all 4 sections, including knowledge and skills tested

• Detailed topic lists• Sample test questions

• Videos describing MCAT2015 and preparation• Dedicated web site: www.aamc.org/mcat2015


Resources for prospective examinees:• Free, on-line Khan Academy video tutorials and

review questions In collaboration with the AAMC, and with

funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Developed by medical students First video tutorials launched in October 2013 500 videos (and 1,000 review questions)

anticipated by this summer• Sociology and Psychology Textbook Resource

(May 2013)


MCAT2015 Exam: Test Preparation

• MCAT2015 Interactive Content Outline

• The Official Guide to the MCAT, Fourth Edition (2015 Exam)

• Sample Test

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www.aamc.org/mcat2015


Resources for pre-health advisors and other faculty:

• The Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam• Presentation materials that can be used with

colleagues and students• Webinar recordings on exam content• Course-Mapping Tool for the MCAT2015 Exam


Pre-health Collection within MedEdPORTAL’s iCollaborative• Online repository of instructional materials recommended

for teaching pre-health competencies

• 100+ pre-health teaching resources in the collection, including self-study materials

• Searchable by competency, MCAT2015 Foundational Concepts, or key words

• User community comments and shares resources

• Khan Academy video tutorials and review questions included

www.mededportal.org/icollaborative/pre-health


• Share a resource you created

• Refer a resource you like


Help Us Grow the Pre-health Collection!


New Call for Submissions• Submit an original resource that teaches a pre-

health competency• Six prizes of $750 for best submission

• biology• biochemistry• chemistry• physics• psychology • sociology

• Opens May 1, submissions due June 30, 2014


Questions? Juan [email protected]

Ralf [email protected]

Jen [email protected]


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MCAT2015 Exam: Outreach

www.aamc.org/mcat2015/admins

Ideas? E-mail [email protected]

• Q-UPP eNewsletter and webinars• Resources for medical schools, pre-health

advisors, undergraduate faculty and pre-med students—find it all on our website!

• Outreach to a broad audience• Students without pre-health advisors• Under-resourced undergraduate institutions

without formal health advising programs


Questions?

www.aamc.org/mcat2015/admins

[email protected]


Thank you!

an overview of the new mcat exam

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