About the MCAT
What should you bring to the MCAT? (Three things)
Valid ID, Food, and Water (& any medications)
Test Center will provide:
What bond is used to construct DNA?
a) Phosodiester bonds
b) Glycosidic bonds
c) Peptide bonds
d) Nucleic bonds
a) Phosodiester bonds
The focal point for a mirror is 56cm behind the mirror. Is the mirror concave or convex, and what is its radius of curvature?
a) Concave with radius of curvature of 112cm
b) Convex with radius of curvature of 112cm
c) Concave with radius of curvature of 28cm
d) Convex with radius of curvature of 28cm
b) Convex with radius of curvature of 112cm
Since the focal point falls behind the mirror it must be convex. The radius of curvature can be found using the focal length equation.
f=(1/2)Rc
Rc=2(56cm)=112cm
Which of the following is a strong acid?
a) Hydrocyanic acid
b) Hypobromous acid
c) Hydrofluoric acid
d) Nitric acid
d) Nitric acid
Jane is teaching her son the importance of making his bed before he goes to school. Each time he makes his bed she takes away his chore of taking out the nightly trash. What type of conditioning is Jane using?
a) Positive punishment
b) Negative reinforcement
c) Positive reinforcement
d) Negative punishment
b) Negative reinforcement
Approximately how long is the MCAT (with breaks)?
~7 hours and 30 minutes
Carbonic anhydrase is an organic enzyme. Which of the following is true of carbonic anhydrase? Assume no CO2 or bicarbonate is lost in the reaction.
I. It lowers the activation energy for the conversion of carbon dioxide to carbonic acid
II. It shifts the equilibrium toward carbon dioxide in experimental conditions
III. It modifies chemical species at its allosteric site
a) I,II, & III
b) I only
c) II & III
d) II only
b) I only
A low resistance light bulb and a high resistance light bulb are connected in parallel with each other. This parallel combination is in series with a 12V battery. Which bulb is brighter?
a) Only the high resistance bulb will be lit
b) Both bulbs are equally bright
c) Only the low resistance bulb will be lit
d) The low resistance bulb
e) The high resistance bulb
d) The low resistance bulb
The brightness of each bulb depends on its power, or how much energy it dissipates per unit time. This can be calculated using the equation:
P=I2∗R
If the bulbs are in parallel with each other, the bulb with lower resistance will receive more current, since current will tend toward the path of least resistance. Current is squared in the power equation, so it is of greater importance in determining the power. The bulb with greater current and lower resistance will thus have more power and will shine more brightly.
Which of the following represents chloric acid?
a) HClO3
b) ClO3-
c) HClO2
d) HClO
a) HClO3
Which description is correct for short term memory?
a) Brief duration, small capacity
b) Long duration, medium capacity
c) Brief duration, large capacity
d) Long duration, small capacity
a) Brief duration, small capacity
How many questions are in the C/P, B/B, and P/S sections? How long are you given for each of these sections?
59 questions in 95 minutes
For CARS, you are given 53 questions and 90 minutes.
Which of the following experimental methods cannot be used to measure the relative abundance of a particular mRNA?
a) Western blot
b) Polymerase chain reaction
c) Microarray
d) Northern blot
d) Northern blot
Two point charges are placed 2 meters apart in a vacuum. The first charge, Q1, has a magnitude of +5 mC, and the second charge, Q2, has a magnitude of −3µC. Given that the constant k is approximately 8.99×10^9 N⋅m2/C2 in a vacuum, what is the magnitude of the electrostatic force between these charges?
a) 2.37 N
b) 400 N
c) 33.7 N
d) 60 N
c) 33.7 N
Which of the following bases is the weakest?
a) KOH
b) NH3
c) CH3NH2
d) Ca(OH)2
b) NH3
Which part of the brain plays a critical role in the consolidation of declarative memories from short-term to long-term storage?
a) Cerebellum
b) Hippocampus
c) Thalamus
d) Amygdala
b) Hippocampus
How much time do you need to spend on each question (approximately) per section?
a) 13 minutes
b) 8 minutes
c) 5 minutes
d) 1 minute
d) 1 minute
How does prokaryotic DNA differ from eukaryotic DNA?
I. Prokaryotic DNA lacks nucleosomes.
II. Eukaryotic DNA has telomeres.
III. Prokaryotic DNA is replicated by a different DNA polymerase.
IV. Eukaryotic DNA is circular when not restricted by centromeres.
a) I only
b) IV only
c) II and III only
d) I, II, and III only
d) I, II, and III only
A copper wire in a medical device must maintain a resistance of no more than 10 Ω to ensure accurate readings. The copper wire has a resistivity of 1.724×10−8Ω⋅m and a radius of .65 mm. What is the maximum length of this wire that can be used in the medical device to the nearest meter?
a) 769m
b) 77m
c) 770m
d) 0.770m
a) 769m
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an amphoteric species?
a) Amphoteric species can act as an acid or a base, depending on its environment.
b) Amphoteric species can act as an oxidizing or reducing agent, depending on its environment.
c) Amphoteric species are sometimes amphiprotic.
d) Amphoteric species are always nonpolar.
d) Amphoteric species are always nonpolar.
In the context of memory processes, which term refers to the phenomenon where more recent information is better remembered than earlier information?
a) Primacy effect
b) Recency effect
c) Primary effect
d) Retrograde amnesia
b) Recency effect
What are the sections on the MCAT?
Section 1: Biological and biochemical foundations.
Section 2: Chemical and physical foundations of biological systems.
Section 3: Psychological, social, and biological foundations of behavior.
Section 4: Critical analysis and reasoning skills.
During which phase of the cell cycle are DNA repair mechanisms least active?
a) G1
b) S
c) G2
d) M
d) M
What is the optical power of a lens with focal length of 500mm?
a) 2 W
b) 5 D
c) 2 D
d) 5 W
c) 2 D
Optical power of a lens / Strength: S = 1/f where f is focal length. Units for S is Diopters (D) and focal length is meters (m)
A solution is prepared with an unknown concentration of a theoretical compound with a Ka of exactly 1.0. What is the pH of this solution?
a) Higher than 7
b) Exactly 7
c) Less than 7
d) There is not enough information to answer the question.
c) Less than 7
In the context of classical conditioning, which of the following terms best describes the process by which a conditioned response weakens and eventually disappears when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus?
a) Extinction
b) Spontaneous recovery
c) Generalization
d) Discrimination
a) Extinction