MCAT

Education & Academia abbreviation · Standardized Test

MCAT
Stands forMedical College Admission Test
CategoriesEducation & Academia

MCAT stands for Medical College Admission Test, a standardized test abbreviation.

Computer-based exam required by nearly all US and Canadian medical schools, developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Its four sections, covering biological, chemical, physical, psychological and social foundations plus Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS), are each scored from 118 to 132 for a total of 472 to 528.

Example: Matriculants at the medical school had a median MCAT of 517 and a GPA of 3.89.

Usage notes

The current version, introduced in 2015, takes about seven and a half hours including breaks, making it one of the longest admissions tests. A score of 500 sits near the middle of the distribution. Most schools accept scores up to three years old, and the AAMC limits attempts to three per year and seven in a lifetime.

More standardized test abbreviations

  • LEQ – Long essay question
  • LNAT – National Admissions Test for Law
  • LSAT – Law School Admission Test
  • MAP – Measures of Academic Progress
  • MAT – Miller Analogies Test
  • MCAS – Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System
  • MCQ – Multiple-choice question
  • NAEP – National Assessment of Educational Progress
  • NAPLEX – North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination
  • NAVLE – North American Veterinary Licensing Examination
  • NCE – National Counselor Examination
  • NCLEX-PN – National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses

See all 106 standardized test abbreviations →