The MCAT has four sections that test your knowledge of natural sciences, behavioral sciences, and critical reading. The entire exam takes about 7 hours and 30 minutes of seated time, with 6 hours and 15 minutes of actual testing across 230 questions. Each section is scored from 118 to 132, giving a total score range of 472 to 528.
The Four Sections at a Glance
Three of the four sections are science-based, and one tests reading comprehension. Here’s the breakdown:
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: 59 questions, 95 minutes
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS): 53 questions, 90 minutes
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems: 59 questions, 95 minutes
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior: 59 questions, 95 minutes
The three science sections each contain 10 passage-based question sets (with 4 to 6 questions per passage) plus 15 standalone questions. CARS is entirely passage-based, with 9 passages and 5 to 7 questions each. There are no standalone questions in CARS.
Chemical and Physical Foundations
This section covers the physical sciences as they relate to biological systems. General chemistry makes up the largest share at roughly 30% of questions, followed by introductory physics at 25% and first-semester biochemistry at 25%. Organic chemistry accounts for about 15%, and introductory biology rounds things out at 5%.
In practical terms, you need a solid grasp of topics like atomic structure, thermodynamics, kinetics, acid-base chemistry, fluids, optics, electrostatics, and circuits. The organic chemistry questions focus on reaction mechanisms, functional groups, and molecular structure. Biochemistry questions in this section lean toward enzyme kinetics, metabolism, and the physical properties of biological molecules. The key thing to understand is that nearly every question is framed around a biological or medical scenario, so you’re not just solving abstract physics problems. You’re interpreting data from an experiment or applying chemistry concepts to how the body works.
Biological and Biochemical Foundations
This is the most biology-heavy section on the exam. Introductory biology dominates at about 65% of questions, with first-semester biochemistry at 25%. General chemistry and organic chemistry each make up roughly 5%.
The biology topics span a wide range: cell structure and function, DNA replication, transcription and translation, genetics, the immune system, the nervous system, the endocrine system, organ systems, and evolution. Biochemistry questions focus on amino acids, protein structure, enzyme function, and metabolic pathways like glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. If you’ve taken a standard pre-med course sequence of two semesters of biology and one semester of biochemistry, you’ve seen most of this material. The challenge is applying it under time pressure while interpreting experimental data in passages.
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
CARS is the section that surprises many pre-med students because it has nothing to do with science. It tests your ability to read dense, unfamiliar passages and answer questions about their arguments, assumptions, and implications. No outside knowledge is required or even helpful.
Passages come from two broad categories. Humanities passages draw from disciplines like philosophy, ethics, art, literature, music, religion, architecture, and cultural studies. Social sciences passages pull from anthropology, economics, history, political science, sociology, linguistics, education, and population health. You might read an excerpt about 18th-century political theory followed by a passage on the economics of healthcare. The skill being tested is always the same: can you identify what an author is arguing, what evidence supports it, what’s implied but not stated, and how the argument would hold up if new information were introduced?
With only 90 minutes for 9 passages, you have about 10 minutes per passage and its questions. Strong readers who are used to analyzing arguments tend to do well here, while students who focus exclusively on science content during their prep often find CARS the most difficult section to improve on.
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
This section tests introductory psychology (about 65% of questions), introductory sociology (30%), and a small amount of introductory biology (5%). It was added to the MCAT to reflect the growing recognition that doctors need to understand how psychological and social factors influence health.
On the psychology side, expect questions about learning and memory, cognition, motivation, emotion, personality theories, psychological disorders, sensation and perception, and developmental psychology. Sociology topics include social stratification, demographics, culture, socialization, group dynamics, and how institutions shape health outcomes. The biology content in this section relates to the biological underpinnings of behavior: how the brain processes information, the role of neurotransmitters, and the influence of genetics on behavior. About 5% of questions specifically test biologically relevant psychology concepts on top of the biology content.
You’ll also need familiarity with basic research methods and statistics, including concepts like experimental design, variables, significance, and common study types. These come up across all the science sections but are particularly prominent here.
How the Scoring Works
Each of the four sections is scored on a scale from 118 to 132, with 125 as the midpoint. Your total MCAT score is the sum of all four sections, ranging from 472 to 528. A 500 represents the midpoint of the scale. Scores are released approximately 30 to 32 days after your test date, by 5:00 p.m. ET on the scheduled release date. For example, a January 9 test date in 2026 has scores released on February 10.
Registration Costs and Deadlines
Standard registration costs $355. If you qualify for the AAMC’s Fee Assistance Program, the price drops to $145. Testing outside the U.S., Canada, or U.S. territories adds a $130 international fee. The last day to schedule an exam is 10 days before your test date, and no changes of any kind are allowed after that point.
Rescheduling fees depend on how far out you make the change. Moving your date 60 or more days before the exam costs $55. Between 30 and 59 days out, it’s $110. Within 10 to 29 days, the fee jumps to $210. Cancellation costs a flat $175 if done at least 10 days before, but if you’re within the final 10-day window, you can’t cancel at all and forfeit the registration fee.
What This Means for Your Prep
The MCAT pulls from roughly eight college courses: two semesters of general chemistry, two semesters of introductory biology, two semesters of physics, one semester of organic chemistry, one semester of biochemistry, one semester of introductory psychology, and one semester of introductory sociology. Most students also benefit from a statistics or research methods course.
Because the exam is passage-based, raw content knowledge isn’t enough. Every science section presents you with experimental data, graphs, or research scenarios and asks you to apply what you know to interpret them. This means your study plan should balance content review with extensive passage practice. Many students spend three to six months preparing, though timelines vary based on how recently you took the prerequisite courses and how many hours per week you can dedicate to studying.