MCAT Physical Sciences

Class Location: The Internet.

Description: This class will prepare students for taking the Physical Sciences portion of the MCAT.

Objective: Score high on the Physical Sciences section of the MCAT.

The physical sciences section of the MCAT gives you 100 minutes to answer 77 questions. It generally includes ten or 11 passages of about 250 words each followed by between four and eight multiple-choice questions on each passage. The test also includes 15 independent questions that are not related to a passage. The test poses science problems, with data presented in the form of charts, tables, or graphs. This section tests your knowledge of introductory general chemistry and non-calculus physics. You will need to interpret, analyze, and integrate information in the passages with your knowledge in these areas to answer the questions.

The physical sciences section tests your knowledge of the following areas of general chemistry:

• Electronic structure and periodic table

• Bonding

• Phases and phase equilibria

• Stoichiometry

• Thermodynamics and thermochemistry

• Rate processes in chemical reactions (kinetics and equilibrium)

• Solution chemistry

• Acids and bases

• Electrochemistry

The exam also tests your knowledge of the following physics areas:

• Translational motion

• Gravitational force and motion

• Equilibrium and momentum

• Work and energy

• Waves and periodic motion

• Sound

• Fluids and solids

• Electrostatics and electromagnetism

• Electronic circuit elements

• Light and geometrical optics

• Atomic and nuclear structure

• Basic concepts and general techniques of physics, including metric units, graphing techniques, and error analysis

Unlike the verbal reasoning section, the physical sciences section tests detailed scientific knowledge. You will need to use what you learned during your college coursework, so it’s a very good idea to prepare your class notes separately for your MCAT studies. If you follow the MCAT Student Manual as a guide and outline your coursework as you go, you’ll have a study guide ready for the MCAT. Be sure to design a schedule that allows you to study all this information steadily over the course of a few months, rather than waiting to the last minute and having to cram for the test.