As with biology and chemistry, the revised MCAT has altered the way it tests knowledge of physics . In line with the addition of psychosocial science and biochemistry, the exam now focuses on applying science to the human body. Keeping the intent of the Association of American Medical Colleges in mind while preparing can help you best strategize to meet your goals.
1. There’s an emphasis on application: The new MCAT is more integrative than its predecessor. As a result, physics concepts will only be tested within the context of living systems. The questions that you might see in an undergraduate physics class are not likely to appear on the new MCAT. However, the underlying concepts in those questions are — perhaps in the context of an exercise physiology passage.
As you prepare for the physics portion of the MCAT, ensure you explicitly focus on the flexible application of basic physics concepts to the body.
[Check out these strategies for studying for the new MCAT.]
2. Expect a shift in passage structure: The shift in focus can also explain the shift in section structure. Since applying concepts to contexts within living systems requires elaboration of context, there is an increased frequency of passage-based questions on the revised MCAT. For many students, it can be a challenge to determine what the passage is talking about and what the question is asking.
Thus, for all test-takers, the skills from the critical analysis and reasoning Ssills section are even more applicable to physics than they have been in the past. For instance, you are expected to follow each passage and to connect its information to the tested undergraduate physics topics.
You must learn to recognize and ignore unnecessary information, as well as to anticipate what questions will be asked. As previously noted, this is a skill, so begin honing it with practice questions well before your test date.
[Get tips to help students sit for the longer MCAT.]
The remaining questions — those that are not related to a passage — can allow you to maximize your time management. One preparation strategy involves answering such discrete questions first. This can also boost your confidence if passage-based items are a source of anxiety for you.
Others prefer to take the MCAT in its intended order, as discrete question sets can serve as a brief break from passages. For those test-takers who fear physics more broadly, it is worth noting that the number of physics questions has fallen from 26 to about 15.
2. Certain topics have been removed: A line-by-line comparison of the content outlines for the old and new MCAT tests reveals several key changes. One of the largest is the removal of multiple Newtonian mechanics concepts.
Momentum will not be tested, and gravity is less emphasized. Periodic motion and wave characteristics have been removed, save for the potential energy of a spring-block system. The third significantly altered concept is electricity. Alternating current, for instance, is no longer assessed.
[Follow a three-month MCAT study plan.]
Your approach to the new MCAT will ultimately depend on your goals. If you are aiming for an elite score, you will still need to review the omitted topics — in an MCAT guide, rather than your college textbook — and you will still need to understand the fundamental concepts so that you can apply elements of this knowledge to the new questions.
While studying, be sure to stress how a complete understanding of this basic information informs higher-order concepts like energy, power and pressure.
While the changes to the physics content may seem superficial, they emphasize a more sound understanding of fundamental concepts and their application to living systems. If you keep these changes in mind while you prep, and practice reading passages and discrete questions, you will improve your score by thinking like an applied scientist — which is the modern doctor that schools and hospitals now seek.
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3 Tips to Help Prepare for Physics Questions on the New MCAT originally appeared on usnews.com
