Altius Strategy Math Research Method

Strategy, Math & Research Methods
About MCAT-2015
 Structure of the MCAT-2015 Exam: When you sit for your real MCAT exam, you will spend over eight
hours at the testing center. The exam itself will be delivered in four segments, as outlined below.
Passages Questions Time (min)

Examinee Agreement -- -- 10
Optional Tutorial -- -- 5
Chemical and Physical

Foundations of Living 10 59 95
Systems (CP)
Optional Break -- -- 10
Critical Analysis and

9 53 90
Reasoning (CAR)
Optional LUNCH Break -- -- 30
Biological and Biochemical

Foundations of Living 10 59 95
Systems (BB)
Optional Break -- -- 10
Psychological, Sociological
and Biological Foundations 10 59 95
of Behavior (PsS)
Total Seated Time  7 ½ hours

Total Time at the Testing Center  8+ hours
 Ignore the MCAT-2015 Hype:

o THE PERPETUAL HYPE MACHINE: When the MCAT added a writing section a few decades ago, the
big-box prep companies were quick to seize the day. The message was clear: “You are going to fail
this new section unless you sign up for our program.” Years later, when the MCAT changed from a
pencil-and-paper test to a computerized (CBT) exam, the hype was even greater. For the past two
years, the MCAT-2015 hype has been over-the-top. Big-box prep companies use any change to the
testing protocol as an opportunity to drive sales through intimidation. We’ll spare you the drama.
The truth is, the MCAT did not change in 2015. You read correctly. The MCAT did NOT change in
2015—at least not substantively. You now have permission to relax. Everything is going to be okay.
o MCAT-2015 = NEW TOPICS, SAME TEST: As part of our exhaustive preparations for the MCAT-
2015 transition, we developed a custom algorithm for analyzing AAMC MCAT questions. Using this
tool, we analyzed every question released by the AAMC over the past twenty-five years, plus every
question they have released for the new MCAT-2015 exam. To our knowledge, a longitudinal, whole-
spectrum analysis of the MCAT on this scale has never been completed by any prep company, most
likely not even by the AAMC themselves. The results were revealing. First, we learned that the crux
of the MCAT, how they test, how they ask questions, and the kind of critical thinking they require,
did NOT change—at least not in any significant way from what the old MCAT exam had become in
recent years.
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Strategy, Math & Research Methods Altius
 The old MCAT exam did CHANGE drastically: The MCAT exam used through January 23,
2015 changed noticeably between its original inception and its final form. These were
substantive changes—not the changes to content and length changed for MCAT-2015. The exam
gradually transformed from a detail and calculation instrument into a concept-based critical
thinking exam. These were the kind of changes that made it a truly “different” exam that
required a different study approach and a unique set of critical thinking skills. For the most part,
big-box prep companies misunderstood the old exam, produced questions that were not well-
matched, and suggested study methods that were questionable at best. This continues to be of
concern for MCAT-2015. In fact, the practice materials currently available from status quo prep
companies for the new MCAT-2015 exam are even more inaccurate than they were before.
Here’s the good news: Altius had the most accurate understanding of the MCAT exam before the
MCAT-2015 transition and that gap has only widened.
 The old Biological Sciences Section CHANGED significantly over the final decade of its
lifespan. This move was a steady—and in the end almost complete—transition from passages
adapted from lab manuals or textbooks, to passages adapted from published scientific journal
articles. This trend is important for MCAT-2015 examinees because this emphasis on
“Journal Adaptation Passages” has not only been conserved, but has been EXPANDED
on the new MCAT-2015 exam.
 The “new” Critical Analysis and Reasoning Section (CAR) is identical to the old Verbal
Reasoning Section: Any attempt by the AAMC to paint this as some new or innovative way to
test “Critical Analysis and Reasoning” is absurd. The AAMC has only changed the name of the
old Verbal Reasoning (VR) section to create the new Critical Analysis & Reasoning (CAR) section.
They have included passages drawn from a few new disciplines (e.g., linguistics, population
health) and removed passages drawn from some other disciplines (e.g., science and
technology). However, the list of disciplines from which passages are drawn is something they’ve
changed from time to time in the past; it is not a change to the substance or difficulty of the
section itself. Adding “population health” as a subject area from which passages will be drawn is
no different than adding a passage to one of the science sections on a topic that hasn’t been
tested previously. The field of topics or subject areas may have expanded, but the unique way
the MCAT exam is testing you has not.
 Introducing the AAMC Recycling Program: Proof that CAR = VR. More-than-sufficient
proof that the new CAR section is nothing more than the old Verbal Reasoning section with a
new name is provided below. We list multiple cases in which the AAMC has already recycled old
Verbal Reasoning passages into so-called “new” MCAT-2015 CAR passages. If you are thinking
they probably altered the passage adaptation slightly, or changed a few questions, you would be
mistaken. The following passages have been re-used as-is, word-for-word, with zero changes to
the text or the associated questions.
 RECYCLED PASSAGES:
 Party Identification Passage
 Originally used on: AAMC 6R
 Recycled on: Official Guide to the MCAT-2015.
 Metaphor Passage
 Originally on: AAMC 3R
 Recycled on: Official MCAT-2015 Practice Exam
 Patient Confidentiality Passage
 Originally on: AAMC CBT 4
 Recycled on: MCAT-2015 Preview Guide
Official Guide to the MCAT-2015
 James Fenimore Cooper Passage
 Originally on: Official Guide to the MCAT-OLD
 Recycled on: MCAT-2015 Preview Guide
MCAT-2015 Companion Guide
Official Guide to the MCAT-2015
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 RECYCLING ON OTHER MCAT-2015 SECTIONS: The examples just described by no means

constitute a complete list. These are only those recycled passages we have verified as being
re-used on the MCAT-2015 CAR section. The AAMC has also reused previously-released
passages from the PS and BS sections of the old MCAT on the new CP and BB sections of
MCAT-2015. In fact, the AAMC has a long and established pattern of recycling retired
passages from one “Official AAMC Practice Resource” to another. The very old (20+ years)
“Practice Items” questions have shown up on fairly recent practice materials, including the
first edition of The Official Guide to the MCAT. Passages have been bounced around from the
archaic 1990’s exams (AAMC 1 and 2), to the retired long-form exams (3R, 4R, 5R, etc.), to
the just-retired CBTs (CBT3 through CBT11), and finally to the recently-released (but
already retired) “AAMC Self-Assessment Package.” Fully 100% of the passages and
questions on the new “AAMC Question Packs” currently for sale on the AAMC website are
taken from old AAMC materials written prior to the MCAT-2015 transition.
 What does the AAMC Recycling Program mean for me? Don’t get us wrong, we
aren’t necessarily criticizing the AAMC for regularly reusing their own materials. Good
standardized exams are difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to create. We are,
however, using this fact as an absolute refutation of any claim that MCAT-2015 is an
entirely new, scary, or even fundamentally different, testing instrument. At least in the
case of these recycled passages, it is—in fact—the exact same test. Once again, you
have permission to relax, take a deep breath, and forget anything you may have picked
up about MCAT-2015 from the fear-mongering big-box MCAT prep companies. A few
important things did change on the new MCAT-2015, but they are all cases for which the
skills one needed to succeed on the old exam apply equally well to the new exam. We’ll
discuss these aspects of MCAT-2015 next.
 Changes for MCAT-2015: The most defining aspect of the MCAT over the past decade has been its
unique way of testing conceptual understanding. The AAMC authors consistently employ their own brand
of question types that require critical thinking, passage-based reasoning, logic, and prediction. These
defining characteristics of the exam have continued on MCAT-2015 unaltered. However, there are four
important aspects of the new exam that survive the hype and are worthy your consideration. These are
the only substantive aspects of the exam that really changed.
1) The NEW Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior Section (PsS): With
the addition of this fourth section, Psychology and Sociology topics have been added to the MCAT
prerequisites. Topics on the MCAT-2015 topic list for PsS are intended to be those covered during a
one-semester survey course in each discipline, such as Psychology 101 and Sociology 101. Here are
some of the most interesting characteristics we observed during our analysis:
 A lot more to memorize! The MCAT has been steadily gaining momentum in its surge away
from all things memorization and toward all things conceptual. The new PsS section is a
noticeable departure from that trend. The kinds of passages and critical thinking required by the
PsS section are a bit of an odd brew. On one hand, they often use the same challenging critical-
thinking-based question blueprints they use for the hard science sections. On the other hand,
they frequently reward the examinee for having simply memorized a definition or theory.
 INSIGHTS ABOUT THE PsS SECTION FROM THE AAMC QUESTION BLUEPRINTS: The
algorithm tool mentioned earlier allowed our team to identify specific, reliable question types
the AAMC authors have been using religiously throughout the past decade, and which they
continue to use on MCAT-2015 (further evidence that the most important characteristics of
the exam did NOT change). These data led to a telling insight about the PsS section:
 Question Blueprint #1 (QB1): Overall, and by a large margin, the most frequent
AAMC question blueprint on the CP and BB sections is the “Make a Prediction” blueprint.
In the aggregate, 10% of all AAMC questions use the QB1 blueprint. This question
type asks the examinee to use basic science knowledge to predict the outcome of
something. Examples of QB1 question stems include: “Which set of experimental
conditions will result in the greatest increase in inflammation among the patients in
Experiment 1?”; “Based on the passage information, administration of an
acetylcholinesterase agonist will have what impact on nerve transmission?”; “Which
change to Trial 1 will result in the least chromatic aberration?”; “All of the following
changes will increase the speed of the block depicted in Figure 1, EXCEPT:”
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 Question Blueprint #31 (QB31): By contrast, one of the least frequent AAMC
blueprints is the “Identify an Example of a Theory, Principle, or Term” question format.
In the aggregate, about 1% of all AAMC questions use QB31. This question type
asks the examinee to recognize an example or illustration of a theory, principle, or term.
Examples of QB31 question stems include: “Addition of either reactant to the Reaction 1
mixture increases the production of hydrazine. This is an illustration of which chemical
principle?”; “The increased willingness of study participants to purchase a car after
purchasing parts from the dealership’s parts department is an example of which
phenomenon?”; “The results of Experiment 3 most strongly support which theoretical
model of learning?”
 A MAJOR DEPARTURE: The data we just described for QB1 and QB31 frequencies is
reliably true for the MCAT as a whole—and has been for over a decade. It is also true for
the questions found on both the CP and BB sections of MCAT-2015. However, these
frequencies do NOT hold true for the new PsS section. In fact, the PsS section is a
startling reversal. Based on all currently-released AAMC MCAT-2015 materials, QB31 is
the most frequently used question blueprint on the new PsS section! To avoid any
possible confusion, we will emphasize again that this is true for the PsS section only.
The blueprint trends listed above still hold true for the hard science sections of MCAT-
2015; it is only the new PsS section which deviates. You may see already why we called
the PsS section a “strange brew.” What has been one of the rarest of all question types
in the past (QB31), and remains so on the other sections of MCAT-2015, plays the
starring role on the new PsS section.
 What does the PsS departure in testing style mean for me? It means you need to
know—by name—all of the theories, terms, theoretical perspectives, and psychological
disorders from psychology and sociology extremely well. Approximately 1 out of every
7 questions on PsS will use QB31! This question type will often require that you
identify a real-life example, case study, or experiment as an illustration of a theory or
term from psychology or sociology. Therefore, you’ll have to do more than rotely
memorize. Your goal should be to understand the theory, but unlike the hard science
sections, a sizeable number of PsS questions may reward you just for having memorized
the theory. There are more terms and definitions you will need to memorize for
the PsS section than there are for the rest of the MCAT-2015 exam combined!
2) The NEW emphasis on Journal Adaptation Passages: As we mentioned previously, the journal-
adaptation passage format was steadily increasing in frequency on the old Biological Sciences
section. On MCAT-2015, this approach has taken over the science sections almost completely, as
shown in the table below:
Passage Type Old MCAT MCAT-2015
BS = 40-70% BB = 0-20%
Lab Manual
or PS = 100% CP = 25-50%
Textbook Excerpt
Did not include a
PsS = 0-20%
PsS section
BS = 30-60% BB = 80-100%
Journal Article
PS = 0 % CP = 50-75%
Did not include a

PsS = 80-100%
PsS section
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 What does the shift to journal adaptation passages mean for me? It means that more
than ever before, to score well on the MCAT you must develop a talent for quickly and
confidently analyzing dense journal adaptations and answering the AAMC question blueprints
asked about those passages. These journal-adaptations always feature one or more of the
following (sometimes all of them):
 Challenging scientific language and vocabulary
 Multiple acronyms to keep track of mentally (e.g., TNF-, CDKAL-1, ms2t6A)
 Dense textual explanations of biochemical relationships or cascades. For example,
the hypothetical language in the two examples below may sound like gibberish right now,
but it is exactly what you’ll see on journal-adaptation passage types:
 The t-2GAM regulator binds L2A in the presence of the -2g modulator, increasing
transcription of the PARK-2 gene.
 Protein C preferentially binds -2SDAP, an -CMG-1 agonist.
 Challenging graphs and figures taken directly from the journal article. These often
feature multiple axes and unfamiliar labeling or coding conventions. The MCAT-2015 graphs
and figures are noticeably more difficult than the average figure found on the old MCAT
exam. Consider the two examples given below:
3) The NEW Exhaustingly Long Test Day:

 You are Preparing for a Mental Marathon: MCAT-2015 is anything but an academic sprint. It
is a marathon in every sense of the word. In fact, top competitors can usually run a marathon in
a little over two hours, so you could complete four marathons in the time it will take you to
complete the MCAT-2015 exam. Okay, y-o-u probably couldn’t run four marathons in a row, but
if your superhuman roommate could, he might beat you home from taking the MCAT!
You should plan to arrive at the testing center at least thirty minutes prior to your official start
time. Given that check-in times can vary from a few minutes to thirty minutes or more, and
adding in the actual seated time of 7.5 hours, you will be at the testing center for over eight full
hours. With this in mind, an important part of your MCAT preparation must include purposely
training yourself to sit in one place and study for increasingly longer periods of time. Do NOT
study for twenty minutes, then call someone on your cell phone, then study for another fifteen
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minutes, and so on. Begin by studying for at least two hours at a time. As time goes on, study
for three, four, or five hours in a single sitting. If you need to take breaks, strictly limit them to
ten minutes, and only after a minimum of 95 minutes of continuous studying (to mimic the 95-
minute length of most MCAT-2015 sections).
4) The new MCAT-2015 Scoring System
o THE GOOD NEWS: Most students are already familiar with the old scoring system of 1-15 per
section, with a maximum composite score of 45 for three equally-weighted sections. The good news
is, MCAT-2015 is still scored on a 15-point, standardized score scale.
o THE BAD NEWS: This 15-point scale does not start with the number one. In order to clearly
differentiate old scores from new scores, the AAMC took the same 15-point scale and moved it up the
number chain. This means the number of possible scores on a section, and the relative difference
between scores is the same, but the score numbers themselves are entirely different—and entirely
unfamiliar to pretty much everyone.
o SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON: We think the easiest way to understand the new system is to compare
it side-by-side with the old scoring system. Most of you are already familiar with the idea that a 15
on an MCAT section represents a perfect score, so feel free to understand the new system in terms
of the old one:
Total Score Section Score

Percentile MCAT‐
OLD MCAT OLD MCAT MCAT‐2015
Rank 2015
>99 42‐45 523‐528 15 132
99 38‐41 521‐522 14 131
97 36‐37 518‐519 13 130
95 35 515‐516 12 129
92 34 514 11 128
90 33 513 10 127
85 31 510 9 126
75 30 507 8 125
65 28 504 7 124
50 25 500 6 123
5 122
4 121
3 120
2 119
1 118
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 Understanding the Exam: What MCAT-2015 is NOT

o MCAT-2015 is NOT a plug and chug exam. Altius has thoroughly analyzed every official question
published by the AAMC over the past twenty years. Only about 5% of the exam questions can be
classified as calculation-based. This does not mean you won’t need to know the pertinent formulas
and how to solve them. Getting that 5% of questions correct is absolutely necessary if you want to
earn a great score. It does mean that you should focus primarily on the conceptual questions that
make up the overwhelming majority of the exam. Your ability to analyze, visualize and synthesize
concepts will always be far more important than your ability to compute. One of the Altius mantras
you will hear throughout the program is:
Don’t Memorize, Conceptualize!
We are also fond of reminding our students that on MCAT-2015:
How You Think ≫ What You Know
Both of these important mantras emphasize that while questions which require factual recall or plug-
n-chug calculation will absolutely appear on your exam, it is extremely important to keep these
question types in perspective. Nearly ninety percent of the exam will be conceptual in nature, so you
must allocate your study time accordingly. Given the strange departure of the PsS section, it would
qualify as a partial exception to this rule. On the PsS section only you are far more likely to be
rewarded for memorization.
o MCAT-2015 is NOT a test you can do well
on just because you received an “A” in all IMPORTANT NOTE
your science classes. The MCAT tests an
entirely different skill set. Most intelligent We cannot overemphasize that the crux of the
students can earn an “A” in college-level science MCAT—what really matters—did NOT
courses by memorizing and cramming.
change in 2015. Clearly, there are changes
Honestly, did you remember what was on your
first organic chemistry exam two months after
from the old form to the new one: it is longer,
you took it? it now tests biochemistry, and there is a new
PsS section. Those, however, are changes to
For MCAT-2015, the bar has been risen. You will CONTENT, not changes to SUBSTANCE. In
need to understand the basic sciences at a fact, the way in which the AAMC authors
deeper, more conceptual level. You will also
need to recall all of the major concepts from
present questions, and the unique flavor of
organic chemistry, plus all of the concepts from critical thinking required to perform well on
biochemistry, plus all of the concepts from those questions, is simply a continuation of
general chemistry, plus all of the concepts from what the MCAT has been for the past decade.
physics, plus all of the concepts from biology,
plus all of the concepts from psychology, plus all
of the concepts from sociology (and do so all at
once), all for a single exam. Think of MCAT-
2015 as a comprehensive final covering your entire college science career, but in a conceptual,
critical-thinking way that is unlike how your professors have been testing you previously.
 Does this intimidate you? If it does, it shouldn’t. Remember that Altius students have already
been destroying this new exam. However, it should give you a healthy level of respect for the
MCAT, whether you are a straight-A student or someone who barely passed the pre-requisites.
Ironically, the MCAT is an equalizer. Our internal research has shown that program
adherence and overall discipline are much better predictors of MCAT-2015 score than
any measure of previous academic achievement. Be confident. The Altius system has been
pumping out 90th percentile scores at FIVE to EIGHT TIMES the national average, and 99th
percentile scores at about TEN TIMES the national average, for over a decade. Our systems work
seamlessly on MCAT-2015 because—as we’ll say one more time—the exam itself hasn’t changed.
During the 2015-16 cycle, students who completed all aspects of the Altius MCAT Mentoring
Program averaged a 515.1 on MCAT-2015. That is approximately the 95th percentile, and it is
only the average score. If you are committed to logging the study hours necessary, if you are
willing to accept correction and learn from your tutor-mentor and others, if you will determine
this very moment that you will do everything this program asks of you—then you have
absolutely nothing to worry about. Follow the Altius System with exactness and you will earn an
incredible score on the new MCAT-2015 exam!
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o MCAT-2015 is NOT a test on which you can earn an average score by putting forth an
average amount of effort. Students who put forth an average or mediocre effort usually score
below the national average. The national average is a 500. With a score of 500, a student has no
chance of being accepted to an MD school, and almost no chance of being accepted to a DO school.
For most students, it will require a diligent effort just to earn an average MCAT score. A truly
exceptional effort is required to earn a score in the 90th percentile or above—which is about where
you need to be to be truly competitive at most MD schools.
 Understanding the Exam: What MCAT-2015 IS

o MCAT-2015 is a test that focuses primarily on the conceptual understanding of basic
science principles. You will still need to know a few formulas, but you should always focus on
understanding why and how things happen, rather than just committing to memory that they do. If
your tutor ever teaches you something without explaining the why and how behind it, ask that they
go back and explain it. Remember: Don’t Memorize, Conceptualize!
o MCAT-2015 is a very difficult test if you do not have the correct focus, adequate
preparation, and tremendous self-discipline. Ask around and you’ll find many intelligent
students who took the MCAT expecting to do well, but who were severely humbled. Altius will give
you all of the tools you need to earn a top score, but you must do Y-O-U-R part.
1) Accept the advice given in the Student Study Manual, in the Weekly Strategy Sessions, and by
your tutor-mentor. Listen. Be humble. Work hard to apply these principles and best practices.
2) Do not pick and choose from among the strategies, activities, and program assignments. We can
only assure you of success if you adhere to every aspect of this proven program. That point is so
vital, it bears repeating: We can only assure you of success if you adhere to every aspect
of this proven program. If you do anything less, you are basically making up your own
program; and we have no way of knowing what the outcome will be.
3) Be 100% disciplined. We all procrastinate and lose focus. However, during these next few
months you must find a way to overcome this common shortcoming. If your MCAT studies don’t
interfere with other aspects of your life, if you aren’t studying to the point that you get very tired
of studying, then you are probably not doing enough. This is not the season of life to seek
perfect social and academic balance. The MCAT is sufficiently challenging, and the required study
time is sufficiently large, to merit you placing other priorities on hold for a while to give MCAT-
2015 your full attention. Don’t compare what you’re doing to what others are doing. You should
expect to work much harder than your friends taking other prep courses. After all, you are
planning to score much higher than your friends taking other prep courses!
o With the proven Altius system, extremely high MCAT scores are within anyone’s reach. The
average among students who complete the Altius MCAT program has consistently been a 90th
percentile score or above. An exceptional effort from an intelligent Altius student with a solid science
background will always result in a score in this range. Each year, Altius students earn scores in the
99th percentile and above at a per capita rate that is several times higher than the national averages.
Such a score is within the reach of any Altius student if they are willing to: 1) dedicate the necessary
time and effort, and 2) faithfully complete EVERYTHING the Altius program asks of them. Many,
many Altius students have done it in the past. Why not you?
 The 90/10 Rule:

o In the opening pages of this manual, we first introduced you to the 90/10 Rule. Restated simply,
90% of the questions you will face on the MCAT will require conceptual thinking, reading
comprehension, logical inference, analysis, or synthesis of information, and only 10% of the
questions you will face will require memorized vocabulary, background knowledge, formulas, or
calculations. Because we believe it is so essential to your ability to earn a high score, we will now
discuss The 90/10 Rule again in greater depth—and will continue to discuss and emphasize it
throughout the course. [NOTE: The PsS divergence into QB31 will cause a noticeable uptick in the
number of questions requiring memorization, but this will be isolated to the PsS section only. Even
with the abundance of QB31 question blueprints, the PsS section is still 60-70% conceptual.]
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o The Average MCAT-2015 Passage: To set the stage for the importance of The 90/10 Rule, let’s
take a look at the anatomy of the average MCAT-2015 passage.
 OBSCURE PASSAGE TOPICS: On the BB and CP sections, most of the passages you encounter
will discuss obscure science topics that are clearly beyond the scope of sophomore-level science
classes. Examples of such passages include: “Characterization of the -241 Immunoregulatory
Protein in Murine Models,” “The Sexual-Asexual Poly-Life Cycle of the South-African Red Spore
Fungus,” or “A Schematic Electrochemical Model of Axonal Transmembrane Conductance.” These
topics can seem very intimidating to students at first glance. Fortunately, however, they never—
we repeat, never—require prior knowledge of these obscure subjects. The MCAT authors
present these passages to evaluate how well you can apply basic science concepts. Although the
passage examples just described may sound intense, these passages were only testing simple
science concepts such as: proteins, the central dogma, mitosis, meiosis, Mendelian genetics,
electrical circuits, and osmosis.
 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE TOPICS OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE: On the PsS section you will
encounter passages that are obscure for completely different reasons. Only 5-10% of the PsS
passages are likely to match the scientific complexity of a CP or BB passage. Most PsS passages
will be about sociology or psychology experiments that sound tame by comparison. Examples of
such passages include: “The Effect of Stereotype Threat on Women,” “Why African-American
Males Visit the Doctor Less Frequently,” or “Memory Recall Tests Before and After Head
Trauma.” The challenge presented by this kind of passage is that it will force you well outside of
your normal “science student” comfort zone. Speaking definitively about theoretical
perspectives, Freudian thought regarding sexual repression, or seven different psychologists who
all have a different theory of motivation, can be uncomfortable for many premeds.
 JOURNAL-ADAPTED ARTICLES: As described earlier, this is the future of the MCAT and all
indications are that this passage type will only become more and more frequent. Already, it
would not be surprising if on test day 100% of your BB passages, and perhaps 80-90% of your
CP passages, were adapted from actual experiments published in peer-reviewed journals.
 COMPETING THEORIES OR EXPERIMENTS: This passage type presents two or more competing
theories, hypotheses, or experiments. These passages are very similar to CAR passages and
focus primarily on your ability to understand, contrast, and evaluate the two theories. Questions
often ask things such as: “Which of the findings from the passage most strongly supports the
Induction Hypothesis of embryological development?” or “Which finding, if true, would most
WEAKEN the hypothesis that the PARK-3 gene is necessary for decreased dopamine production
and PD onset?”
 LAB OR TEXTBOOK EXTRACTS: As noted previously, while this passage type is decreasing in
frequency, you will still encounter some of these passages on MCAT-2015. These passages could
be seen as much as 50% of the time on CP, but somewhere closer to 25% is more likely. They
will only appear on the BB section occasionally, and you shouldn’t be surprised if your actual
MCAT exam doesn’t include any of these easier-to-read textbook-like passages.
 STORY PASSAGES: Reasonably considered outliers, this is a rare passage type that is very
conversational in tone and usually tells the story of a character such as John or Mary. The
passage may describe the daily activities or health concerns of the character, or some significant
biological, psychological, or sociological event of interest in their lives. Leading up to the MCAT-
2015 transition, these were already rare, occurring at a rate of 1-2%. Therefore, you can
imagine our surprise when two of them showed up on the Official MCAT-2015 Sample Exam. We
do not believe this unusual distribution is representative of MCAT-2015 as a whole. We do not
see any benefit to giving special attention to this rare passage type, but mention it here so that
you won’t be surprised if you happen to see one on test day. After speaking to the initial round
of MCAT-2015 examinees, most students reported seeing none of these “story-like” passages,
while a few students recalled that they “might” have had one, but weren’t sure.
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o The Average MCAT-2015 Question: Next, let’s discuss the most common MCAT-2015 question
types that will accompany the passages we just described.
 The most common MCAT question type is QB1: “Make A Prediction” This is the same
question blueprint described previously, which requires the examinee to make a prediction about
a reaction product, physiological change, or other outcome, based only on basic science
knowledge. You will encounter this question frequently, about 1 out of every 10 questions.
 The second-most common MCAT question type is QB2: “Application of Conceptual
Knowledge to a Real-Life Scenario.” This question blueprint tests subjects you have probably
heard about before, but tests them at a deeper, more conceptual level. Memorized knowledge
never suffices on this question type, as critical thinking and solid understanding is always
required. Example of such stems include: “What is the principle quantum number of the orbital
from which electrons are removed when Mg(s) becomes Mg2+(aq)?" or "At a certain point, 75%
of the crotonic acid in solution is deprotonated. At which point in the following titration curves
could this ratio of molecules be found?" This is where reliance on memorization will come back to
haunt you and do serious damage to your score. You may have memorized the quantum
numbers and the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, but they will be of no use to you here. To
answer confidently, you will need to understand at a subatomic and molecular level what is
actually going on in these real-life scenarios.
 The third-most common MCAT question type is QB3: “Present New or Advanced
Information & Test Understanding.” This question blueprint will feature question stems such as:
“When performing a CT scan, the diagnostician can fine-tune which variable?" or “Based on
passage information, the best method for preventing the effects of BH2 blockers is:” Such
questions are clearly not on the MCAT topics list. The MCAT-2015 authors do not expect you to
know anything about the actual technical specifications of a CT scan, or how to inhibit the
deleterious effects of BH2 blockers. However, they do expect that when presented with new or
advanced information in the passage you will be able to digest the information provided and
make reasonable conclusions or connections.
 An increasingly common MCAT question on MCAT-2015 will be QB4: “Draw a Conclusion
from Passage Data.” This question type will require you to analyze a graph, diagram, or figure,
and form a conclusion based on that data. This question was asked on the older MCAT form, but
is increasing in frequency on MCAT-2015. Common stems may include: “Based on Figure 1,
which conclusion is most reasonable regarding the influence of Drug A on hemophilia?” or “The
results of Experiment 1 suggest which relationship between TNF- and macrophage function?”
 Another common MCAT question is QB6: “Explain Why.” This question type asks you to
explain why something happens. “Which of the following best explains the observation that
humans cannot digest the beta-glycosidic linkages in cellulose, but can digest the beta-glycosidic
linkages in lactose?” or “The sRNA molecule in Experiment 2 binds with less affinity than the
nucleotide model synthesized in the lab. Which statement best explains the increased binding
strength of the synthetic RNA?” Expect to see QB6 several times on each section. The
observation you are asked to explain could be stated directly in the question stem, or may have
been explained only in the passage. These observations are rarely something with which you
would be familiar. Instead, they require you to use your basic understanding of science to
explain why something happens, more or less on the spot.
 Another common question type is QB7: “Why a Specific Tool, Step, or Reagent?” This
question type is likely to ask something like: “The researcher most likely separated the bacterial
cultures following Step 2, because:” or “The purpose of acidification prior to addition of the
inhibitor was to:” These questions require you to explain the specific purpose for conducting an
experimental procedure or step, for selecting one reagent or compound over another, or for
reporting data via one particular type of graph or data output.
 OTHER BLUEPRINTS: For now, we want you to focus heavily on the most-frequent question
blueprints outlined above. The Altius algorithmic tool revealed a total of forty (40) statistically
significant recurring question types for the BB and CP sections and twenty (20) CAR question
blueprints. We will eventually expose you to all of these question blueprints during your time in
the program. The PsS section uses twenty-seven blueprints, all of which are shared in common
with the BB and CP sections. The number of question types is lower for PsS because the skills or
topics tested by some hard science question types, such as mathematical calculations, reaction
mechanisms, or the manipulation of equations, are not used in psychology or sociology.
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o Use these valuable insights to improve your MCAT performance! Given the above insights into
the most common MCAT passage formats, and the most common MCAT question types, the
importance of the 90/10 Rule becomes even more clear. When you are asked “If the student had
conducted Experiment 1 in a vacuum, what changes would have been observed in the results?” there
are no vocabulary terms, facts, or formulas you could have memorized from physics that would help
you answer the question. You are entirely dependent on your conceptual understanding of
those forces that influence the motion of an object, your understanding of vacuum
conditions, and your ability to synthesize those concepts to make an accurate prediction.
Similar realities apply to the other question types presented above. In other words, for 90% of the
questions, you will be entirely dependent on your ability to: read and comprehend the passage, read
and interpret graphs and diagrams, abstract information from charts, apply new information or
experimental results to the present experiment and its conclusions, infer logical explanations for
scientific observations, and make predictions based on new or changing parameters. Understanding
these realities makes it abundantly clear why committing to memory every word from your
prerequisite textbooks could still leave you woefully unprepared to succeed on MCAT-2015. We’ll say
it once again: Don’t Memorize, CONCEPTUALIZE! Don’t focus too heavily on content, because:
How You Think ≫ What You Know!
o How Do I Study for the 10% (Knowledge-Memorization-Based) Portion of MCAT-2015?
 To perform well on the 10% of the MCAT that tests background knowledge, formulas,
calculations and the like, you will need to do the following:
1) Memorize, but use Elaborative Rehearsal when doing so. Yes, as much as we feel
other programs hurt students by overemphasizing memorization, and as much as we try to
refocus you on conceptual thinking instead, you still need to commit some things to
memory. Focusing solely on memorization would result in a terrible score, but memorizing
nothing would also result in a poor score. There are several questions on each exam for
which you would have very little hope of getting the correct answer if you did not remember
the pertinent equation, or did not understand basic science vocabulary. Spend whatever
time is necessary to commit to memory all pertinent facts, formulas and vocabulary terms
highlighted in the Altius Student Study Manual. Your efforts to learn facts and formulas will
be greatly reduced if you engage in Semantic Processing and Elaborative Rehearsal—two
concepts explained in the Psychology 1 chapter of this manual. Particularly important
information and equations are listed in bold italics—be absolutely sure you have these
mastered. Fortunately, Altius asks you to memorize far less than most MCAT prep programs.
2) Practice Skill-Based Problems Repeatedly: A certain sub-set of MCAT-2015 questions
are highly-conserved from one question to another. Essentially, they are testing a basic skill
or problem-solving requirement. Examples of skill-based questions include such things as:
manipulating equations, performing mole-to-mole conversions, reading organic chemistry
spectra, assigning R/S designations, solving lens problems, and so forth. As you encounter
these question types during the program, practice them with your tutor-mentor until they
become second-nature.
These skill-based question types require repetitive practice. Too many students assume that
because they can perform one mole-to-mole conversion, they will automatically be able to
perform a mole-to-mole conversion on the exam. Add in the stress of the exam, limited
timing, and a question that is presented in a slightly different way than the few you
practiced, and your risk of missing a relatively easy skill-based question increases
significantly. To prevent this, you must repetitively practice such problems over and over
until they become second-nature. As you encounter skill-based questions during the
program, practice them with your tutor-mentor until you can solve at least twenty problems
in a row without making an error. This will be a solid indicator that you are ready to perform
at a high-level on such questions at that moment. Remember, however, that your accuracy
and skill will decrease over time. Therefore, you must include regular repetition to
reinforce those skills. The multiple opportunities for repetition integrated into the Altius
program are the ideal way to ensure repetitive practice. We have intentionally designed the
program so that you will see skill-based problems in the manual, during tutoring, during SRS
sessions, during Mastery Sessions, and so forth. All of this planned repetition will of course
do you no good whatsoever if you do not attend the session. Decide this minute that
there is never a good excuse for missing a Group Session, Student Review Session,
Mastery Session, or Proctored Study Hall Session.
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o How Do I Study for the 90% (Conceptual/Critical-Thinking-Based Portion) of MCAT-2015?

 To perform well on the 90% of the MCAT that tests conceptual thinking, reading comprehension,
analysis, logic, etc., you will need to: 1) Master the Socratic Method, 2) Study Conceptually, 3)
Become an MCAT author, 4) Take Classroom Sessions Seriously, and 5) Attend Student Review
Sessions Regularly. Let’s examine each of these important components in more detail:
1) Master the Socratic Method: Later in this same chapter, we will describe how to use the
Socratic Method. It is also the first of the Weekly Strategy Sessions. If you learn only one
thing from the Altius program, learn to use the Socratic Method. The 90% question
types on MCAT-2015 require certain kinds of conceptual thinking, such as analysis,
comparison, contrast, evaluation, extrapolation, inference, and so forth. Proper use of the
Socratic Method leads your brain naturally, almost automatically, into these exact avenues
of thought. Use the Socratic Method on every single question on the MCAT and your score
will increase tremendously. As with so many things, you cannot become proficient at using it
just by reading about it. You will need to practice applying it over and over as you attempt
questions—constantly evaluating how you can do it more effectively.
2) Study Conceptually: When you study the lesson outlines from the Student Study Manual
your number one priority should be to understand the how and why behind each concept.
This kind of knowledge does not come easily. You will need to invest a significant amount of
time studying and researching each topic using the “Expensive Memory Principle Study
Links.” As you do so, use the Four Conceptual Questions to guide you.
 Four Questions that Test Conceptual Understanding: Ask yourself the following
four questions about each topic or principle you study. If you can answer each question
confidently for every line of every Altius lesson, then you will excel at the conceptual
aspects of the MCAT (in other words, 90% of this exam). We cannot overemphasize the
importance of these four questions. Keep them close by every time you study and
answer them thoroughly for every single topic in the Altius Student Study Manual.
1) Can I visualize it?
2) Can I draw a picture, graph, or diagram of it?
3) Can I explain it to someone else in layman’s terms?
4) Can I think of and describe real-life examples?
3) Become an MCAT Author: There is nothing that would be of greater value to the
commander of an army than to have his opponent’s battle plan. In a similar way, there are
few things that will benefit you more in terms of earning a high MCAT score than being able
to confidently break down, analyze, understand and reproduce the exact “battle plan” used
by the authors who create the MCAT. As we attempt real AAMC questions during the Group
Sessions, we will point out common MCAT trends, question designs, passage types, and so
forth. This will be no substitute, however, for analyzing each passage and question you
attempt and drawing up your own “MCAT Battle Plan.”
To Become an MCAT Author means to analyze, evaluate and categorize each real AAMC
question you attempt until you can confidently reproduce your own practice questions—
questions that are near-perfect replicas of a real AAMC question in terms of style, content,
difficulty, design, and delivery. We promise you that if you can develop that skill the MCAT
will suddenly open up to you. Your confidence will soar. You will not be intimidated because
you can see and predict exactly what the MCAT authors are going to do. For example, for a
student who has taken the advice to Become an MCAT Author, our strong emphasis of the
90/10 Rule would not even be necessary. Through the process of Becoming an MCAT Author,
this student would have already recognized the approximate 90/10 distribution of each
question type for themselves.
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 The MCAT Journal: Each Altius student is encouraged to regularly maintain an MCAT
Journal. Keeping this journal will allow you to systematically move toward “Becoming an
MCAT Author” in an organized way. In this journal, each student will take careful notes
on MCAT trends, passage types, question types, question and passage design, and so
forth. Always have your journal with you during Group Sessions so that you can
immediately note observations from the MCAT questions you are attempting.
We suggest that you separate your journal into multiple sections. For example, you will
want to have a section on “Passage Types.” In this section you would make a small note
about the basic characteristics of each passage you attempt during Group Session. What
was the topic of the passage? How was the information presented? Were equations
included? What about charts, graphs, diagrams, flow-charts, or mechanisms? Was the
passage difficult, moderate, or easy? Was the topic something most premeds would be
familiar with, or did the authors intend it to cover new territory? Another logical section
would be one on “Question Types.” In this section you would take notes on the format,
design, and difficulty of each question. It would be a very wise idea to track the
occurrence of the most frequent question blueprints. As your journal of observations
grows, begin looking for trends. For example, how frequently do they ask a question
about graphs when one is included in the passage? What types of questions are
commonly asked about graphs? A third section might be focused on “Types of Question
Stems” and a fourth section on “Types of Answer Choices.” You will discover clear,
repeatable trends in the way the AAMC authors phrase or organize question stems,
answer choices, and nearly every other aspect of the exam.
As you synthesize all of this information, use it to write your own AAMC-style MCAT
questions that are as close to the real thing as possible. Recall that you should be
writing ten (10) of your own AAMC-style MCAT questions each week: five
science questions, plus five CAR questions. Writing these questions in your journal
will make it easy to share them with your tutor and with other students. Seek regular
feedback from both your tutor and the members of your SRS Group on the quality of the
AAMC questions you are writing. Do your questions match the tone, style, format, and
feeling of the real AAMC questions you have seen previously?
4) Take Classroom Sessions SERIOUSLY: This includes Group Sessions, Mastery
Sessions, and Proctored Study Hall Sessions. These interactive group components are
one of your greatest tools in mastering the 90% question type. First, attend every single
session offered at your program level—without exception. Second, attend every
session with an aggressive attitude that you are there to learn as much as humanly possible,
within that short time frame, about yourself and about the exam. As you faithfully maintain
your MCAT Journal, you will have several items you know you want to focus on and try to
improve. For example, you may have noted over the last few sessions that you tend to miss
questions that involve the introduction of new information within the question stem. As a
result, you may have spoken with the proctor or with your tutor about possible ways to
improve and, hopefully, have been carefully observing other students in the group who tend
to answer these questions correctly. You might have also noted that you tend not to read
the passages carefully enough to tease out the necessary information. As you attack the
practice problems presented on this particular day, you have a few specific things in the
forefront of your mind to focus on. This should always be the case. Begin every session
with a specific goal in mind. Isolate one particular strategy, skill, problem, or error and
attack it during that session.
As you analyze the practice MCAT-2015 questions presented during these sessions,
don’t allow yourself—or other students—to flippantly gloss over a question, answer,
explanation, or strategy. Simply explaining how to answer the question correctly is far from
sufficient. For each question, the group should discuss questions such as these:
 In what unique or characteristic way was the question written?
 What did the question author intend to evaluate/test?
 What approach or strategy was necessary to reach the correct answer?
 What aspect of the question made it most difficult?
 How is this question similar to other questions we have attempted previously?
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5) Attend Student Review Sessions (SRS) Regularly: You have been assigned to a small
Student Review Session (SRS) Group consisting of three to five students. You are to meet
with your SRS Group a minimum of one time for each chapter of the Student Study Manual.
Prior to that SRS meeting, you should have divided up the content from a previous chapter
into equal sections and assigned each member a section. During the SRS meeting, take
turns teaching each other your assigned parts. The ability to teach a topic to others at a
deep, conceptual level is indicative of having attained one of the highest degrees of true
conceptual mastery.
Meeting with your SRS Group at least one time per chapter is the minimum expectation.
However, the most successful students make the members of their SRS Group their go-to
study partners. We suggest you study together as an SRS group as often as possible.
The Altius MCAT-2015 program was designed to deliver as many spaced repetitions, in as
many scientifically-proven learning environments, as is reasonably possible in a four- to six-
month time span. If you are always attending Group Sessions, Mastery Sessions, Proctored
Study Hall Sessions, and SRS Groups, you are getting an unparalleled level of problem-
based experience and repetition. All that being said, there is a point at which we can do little
more than provide you with the opportunity to succeed.
The ULTIMATE responsibility for your MCAT-2015 score rests with you.
You must study on your own. You must show up at every course activity. You must be
disciplined enough to make yourself do things that you may not want to do. SRS Group
meetings are particularly easy to neglect because they are the only portion of the program
that is not directly scheduled and proctored by Altius staff. Nevertheless, meeting regularly
with your SRS group is one of the most beneficial aspects of the Altius program. These
meetings will provide you with “Teaching Repetition.” Repetition of a concept by
teaching it to others is the most powerful semantic processing activity in which
you can engage.
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o EXAMPLES OF THE 10% AND 90% QUESTION TYPES: The two sample MCAT-2015 questions that
follow are excellent examples of the 10% and 90% question types, respectively. These two questions
would likely appear with a passage describing a titration performed as part of an experiment that
was reported in a journal article. The passage would most likely include charts, graphs and tabulated
results from each trial.
Sample MCAT Questions
1) If the student conducting Trial 1 noted the original concentration of hydronium ions to be 2.0 x 10-4 M,
what is the concentration of hydroxide ions in the same solution?
A) 1.0 x 10-14 M
B) 2.0 x 10-11 M
C) 5.0 x 10-11 M
D) 3.0 x 10-7 M
Solution: The product of [H+][OH-] always equals 1.0 x 10-14. Note that a hydronium ion is H3O+, but is equivalent to H+.
To get the [OH-] simply divide 1.0 x 10-14 by the [H+], 2.0 x 10-4, to get Answer C. This is a 10% question type.
2) The titrant used in Trial 3 has a vapor pressure very near atmospheric pressure. What effect might this
have on the students’ calculated molar concentration for Sample 2?
A) It would have no effect, because vapor pressure is independent of titration volume.

B) The students’ estimated concentration would be too high.
C) The students’ estimated concentration would be too low.
D) The students’ estimated concentration would be equal to the vapor pressure.
Solution: Because the vapor pressure is near atmospheric pressure we know the titrant is a very volatile liquid almost ready
to boil. Thus, many molecules will be escaping into the gas phase, decreasing the amount available to react. The student may
have calculated that he or she added 1.0 moles of titrant, but subtracting that which evaporated before it could react, fewer
than 1.0 moles of titrant were actually available to react with the analyte. The student will use the stoichiometric point to
determine that the number of moles of titrant added equals the number of moles of analyte in the sample. This estimate will
be too high because some of the titrant evaporated—making Answer B correct. This is a 90% question type.
o MEMORIZATION IS NEVER ENOUGH ON MCAT-2015! As you can see from the above examples,
knowing formulas and calculations may be necessary, but understanding concepts is far more
important. You could memorize every single word from the acid/base chapter of your chemistry
textbook and still be unable to answer Question #2. That is why we say:
Don’t Memorize, CONCEPTUALIZE!
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Altius MCAT Strategy
 Make Strategy a Priority:

o WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU ISN’T ALWAYS EASY: It seems to be human nature to avoid or dislike
strategy. When we speak of MCAT strategy we aren’t discussing the gimmicks the big-box prep
companies propose for “gaming the test.” You cannot earn a top-notch MCAT-2015 score through
tricks or gimmicks. The MCAT is a well-written test that requires superb conceptual mastery of basic
science as well as excellent critical thinking skills. When test day arrives, you will either have those
skills or you will not, and your score will reflect those facts.
The strategies we emphasize at Altius are more akin to “Best Practices,” or “Fundamentals.” Athletic
coaches across the world are constantly trying to get their players to buy-in to the importance of
good fundamentals. Fundamentals are proven best practices basic to the successful execution of a
particular sport or player position. They include practices such as a quarterback always setting his
feet before throwing the football, or a basketball player squaring her elbow before shooting. Great
players perfect these fundamentals, while many mediocre players do not. Athletes will often claim,
“This is how I’ve always shot the ball, it works for me.” It may indeed be how you have always shot
the ball in the past, but it only “works for you” if you accept mediocrity; if you accept the fact that
you will never realize your full potential.
Fundamentals are tried and proven methods that improve performance. While raw talent can carry
someone a long way, talent plus excellent fundamentals will always carry an athlete further. Ask
yourself this question:
Q: When is a high-caliber athlete most likely to throw that rare interception, or miss that shot
they’ve made a hundred times?
A: When that star athlete neglects the fundamentals.
This is the kind of thing that drives coaches crazy! Too many games are lost because of a failure to
execute basic fundamentals. Don’t “lose” the MCAT game because of poor form, or bad habits. Make
it a top priority to understand and implement every strategy we teach you.
As you read the strategies that follow, commit yourself to implement them during the next Group
Session, or while attempting the next Question Set. If you ever encounter a strategy that does not
make sense to you, please discuss it with your tutor. The worst thing you can do is dismiss the
strategy because you do not understand it. We fully acknowledge that some strategies can seem
overly simple at first glance. Others can sound like a real pain to implement on every single
question. All we can say is this: “Please trust us.” These strategies are the antidote for the bad
habits that perpetually cause students to miss questions they ought to have answered correctly.
Each strategy has been born out of watching thousands of bright, intelligent students make
unnecessary mistakes. Adhering to the strategies outlined below will help you earn several
additional points on the MCAT that you will NOT earn if you take this aspect of your
preparation lightly.
Treat strategy like any other subject you need to master. Take regular notes on how well you are
applying strategies, or on specific questions you missed because you failed to apply a strategy. Keep
these notes in your MCAT Journal and remind yourself to focus on improving in these areas the next
time you attempt practice questions.
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 The Altius Timing System for MCAT-2015: The most important of ALL strategies!
o TIMING IS KING: If your timing is off, nothing else matters. Poor timing will kill your MCAT-2015
score. Students who allow their timing to get off-track on the actual exam can see precipitous drops
of ten or more points from their practice exams. This past year, we saw the most precipitous drop
we’ve ever seen by an Altius student. A young lady was earning 90% on most of her Question Sets
and scoring in the 95th percentile on practice exams. She dropped by over twenty (20) points on test
day. What happened? Thinking to herself, “This is the real thing, I’ve got to get this one right,” she
took nearly double the time she had during practice to answer each question. As time ticked down,
she was frantically clicking radio buttons on every section. Please learn from her misfortune; practice
your timing diligently and force yourself to maintain those patterns on test day.
 FACT: When you feel rushed, you become frantic. Research has shown that in this frantic state
brain wave activity becomes randomized, making recall nearly impossible.
 TIMING DEVICES: Wristwatches and timing devices are NOT allowed. There will be a count-down
timer on the computer screen.
 FAULTY MCAT STRATEGIES: Many prep companies have popularized timing strategies that are
simply counterproductive and do NOT work.
 Never do the stand-alone questions first. Do everything in the order in which it appears.
 Never read the questions before reading the passage. Read the passage first, following our
instructions, and then attempt the questions.
 Never skim through the passages, trying to decide which ones are most difficult, so that you
can do the easier ones first. Attempt the passages in the order presented, beginning to end.
 What is probably the most widely-used MCAT prep book in the country suggests the
above method, noting that: “Some MCAT passages are not intended to be attempted
because the test makers intentionally make some passages too hard for anyone to
successfully complete.” That is absolute nonsense. Not only is this a false premise—as
demonstrated by Altius students who regularly score well on every single passage and
earn 99th percentile scores—but it is depressing. What effect does it have on your
psyche to be told by those who are supposed to be helping you that, “You cannot do
some passages; they are just too hard for you.” We are confident that with adequate
preparation and wise application of strategy, you can score well on any MCAT-2015
passage the AAMC happens to throw at you.
 TIMING RULES: SCIENCE SECTIONS = CP, BB & PsS

o FANTASTIC NEWS! Limited timing has always been a major hurdle to students taking the MCAT. The
old MCAT form had a very strict timing scheme, giving students barely more than one minute to read
a complex science passage. MCAT-2015 gives you CONSIDERABLY MORE TIME to read each
passage. This has a significant impact on passage timing and should result in students being able to
show their true abilities under a less-stressful time crunch. That said, it is still a strictly timed test
and you will have to be nearly perfect at monitoring your pacing.
o Timing Rule #1: Spend a total of eight (8) minutes per passage on the science sections:
CP, BB and PsS. This includes the time needed to read the passage and the time you spend
answering the questions. Here is a summary of the important characteristics of each section and
passage, and how these factors dictate this allocation of timing:
 There are always ten (10) Passages per science section
 You are given ninety-five (95) minutes to complete each science section
 Fifteen (15) minutes should be reserved to answer exactly fifteen (15) stand-alone questions
 Eighty (80) minutes are therefore available to complete all ten (10) passages
 80/10 = 8 minutes per passage
o Timing Rule #2: Spend exactly one (1) minute on every question, whether passage-based
or stand-alone.
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o Timing Rule #3: Spend three minutes reading and analyzing each science passage. Nearly
every MCAT-2015 passage will have either four (4) or five (5) accompanying questions. Passages
with six (6) questions do appear, but are quite rare. If the passage you are attempting has only four
questions, you will technically have one extra minute available that you could spend analyzing the
passage. If the passage has five (5) questions, you will have exactly five minutes to attempt those
five questions, after having spent three minutes reading the passage. If you happen upon a passage
with six (6) questions, you will have either slightly less time to read the passage, or slightly less than
one minute per question. Regardless of the number of questions presented, you should spend a total
of eight (8) minutes per passage. This is easy to remember and allows you to consistently stay on
course throughout the exam. As you prepare for the MCAT, try to get a natural feel for what
1-minute and 8-minute time periods “feel like.”
o Timing Rule #4: Always maintain a timing chart on your scratch paper throughout the
exam; use it every single time, period. The cost-benefit analysis (or if you prefer, the risk-
reward ratio) for getting off track on your timing is grossly skewed. If you lose track of your timing,
your chances of scoring well on MCAT-2015 is close to zero. Losing track of your pacing will cause
you to miss several questions that you absolutely would have answered correctly had you remained
on track. Avoiding such a disaster is the benefit of perfecting your timing. What is the cost? Almost
nothing. To maintain a timing chart, you must first determine to do so. Next, you must form the
habit of using a timing chart throughout the program. Third, you must take approximately three to
five seconds at the end of each passage or stand-alone set to update your timing chart. No cost,
high risk of disaster if you do not, huge benefits and rewards if you do. This is a no brainer.
 At the beginning of each science section, write the total time available on your scratch
paper. That is 95 minutes for CP, BB or PsS. The timer on the AAMC software does not list total
minutes, it lists the time remaining in the hours:minutes format. Thus, you’ll need to get used to
dealing with numbers like 1:35 (the start time) and 1:27 (what the timer should say at the end
of the first passage).
 MAINTAINING YOUR TIMING CHART:
1) Begin the exam by writing down 1:35. This is the total time allotted for a science section.
Next, but still before the exam begins, cross out this number and subtract eight from it.
Write the answer below the first number. This is what the on-screen timer should say at the
END of the first passage. If, at any time while attempting the first passage, you wish to
check your time, simply glance at the paper and then at the on-screen timer.
2) After completing the first passage, click the “Next” button to determine if your next task will
be a passage or a stand-alone set.
3) If a passage is presented next, subtract eight from the current number and cross out the
upper number. This is the time the on-screen timer should read AFTER you complete this
passage. If the next task is a stand-alone set, subtract 3 if there are three questions in the
set, and 4 if there are four questions in the set. This is what the on-screen timer should read
AFTER you complete the stand-alone set.
4) REPEAT this process until the exam is complete.
An example of a timing chart is given below. The notes in parentheses are to emphasize that you
write down the time at which you should finish the current passage PRIOR to starting that
passage.
Sample Science Section Timing Chart
Time progression 
1:35 (start time) 1:35 1:35
1:27 (note before 1st passage) 1:27 1:27
1:19 (before 2nd passage) 1:19
1:15 (before 4 stand-alones)
NOTE: The labels in parentheses are for illustration purposes only; you would not actually write
these on your timing chart. The columns are also for illustrating how to maintain the chart as the
exam progresses; you will build your timing chart downward in a single column.
18 | P a g e
o Timing Rule #5: Do NOT go over your assigned time limit on any question, period. On all
sections, CP, BB, CAR and PsS, you have approximately one minute per question. Practice timing
during every Group Session, Mastery Session, Practice Exam and Question Set with the express
purpose of developing an intuition for what a one-minute time period feels like. Even with a timing
chart, if you go way over the limit on a single question or passage, all the timing chart will do for you
is verify how truly terrible your circumstance has become: “Wow, I am seven minutes behind, that is
almost one entire passage!” Making up time on the MCAT is an awful and dangerous task. Most
people who fall behind never get caught up again. Avoid this problem by being absolute in your
commitment to MOVE ON when one minute is up, even if you are still unsure of the correct answer.
Make an educated guess and move on.
 REMEMBER: Moving on before successfully answering a single question costs you one
point. Falling behind on your timing will cost you dozens of points.
 Beta Questions: We include this note regarding beta questions here because it further
illustrates the importance of sticking to Timing Rule #5. Beta questions are questions included in
the MCAT exam which have not been officially approved for use. They are being tried out to see
how students score on them and to reveal any potential bias or errata. On any real MCAT there
will be both individual beta questions and entire beta passages. Beta questions are not scored—
you do not miss a point if you answer incorrectly, but you do not earn a point if you answer
correctly either. Imagine this futility: You spend a considerable amount of extra time on one
difficult, puzzling passage. This causes you to fall behind on your timing and negatively impacts
your performance on the entire section. Unknown to you, the entire passage is a beta passage.
Even if you answered every question correctly in the end (after ruining your score on the entire
section in the attempt), none of it counts. After the exam, the AAMC looks at the data and sees
that most students unreasonably struggled too, and they permanently discard the passage. The
presence of numerous beta questions on each exam form almost guarantees that this very
scenario happens to test takers all the time, entirely unbeknownst to them.
How many of these beta questions are included in each test? The AAMC may have revealed the
answer—perhaps even unwittingly—in an older version of The Official Guide to the MCAT. In this
book they clearly documented that they do use beta questions and that they are not scored.
They provided a comparison between the raw scores of students in their first attempt of the
MCAT and on a retake. The highest raw score listed was 38. There were 52 questions on this old
form of the exam. What happened to those 14 questions? One might assume that higher raw
scores aren’t included because no one who earned a raw score above 38 retook the exam.
However, the charts on the following pages displayed the same relationship between take-retake
scores from the same survey, but use the scaled scores 1-15 instead. There were several people
who received a 15 on that section and did retake the test. It is impossible that they earned a
raw score of 38/52 and received a scaled score of 15. Therefore, the 14 missing questions must
be accounted for by the difference between the actual raw score, and the actual raw score that
counted toward the score after beta questions were removed.
Remember this little caveat about beta questions. It should overwhelmingly convince every
student that sticking to your timing chart and never going over the time-limit on any one
question is the only sane thing to do. Furthermore, it also speaks to the need to stay calm and
never allow yourself to get rattled by a difficult question or passage. That one passage that is
so frustrating may not even count toward your score. Nevertheless, such a beta passage
can and will impact your score if you allow it to shake your confidence or disrupt your timing.
 TIMING RULES: CRITICAL ANALYSIS & REASONING SECTION = CAR

o TIMING ADAPTATIONS FOR THE CAR SECTION: The CAR section follows the same basic timing
principles, but features slightly different numbers because the CAR section has a different number of
total questions and passages, and does NOT include stand-alone sets. Here are the general
characteristics of the CAR section that dictate the most logical approach to timing:
 There are always nine (9) passages per CAR section
 You are given ninety (90) minutes to complete each CAR section
 There are no stand-alone sets on the CAR section, so all available time is reserved for passages
 90/9 = 10 minutes per passage
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 QUESTION NUMBER VARIES: The number of questions on CAR passages varies. Passages
can include five, six, or seven questions. The difference between reading a challenging
passage and answering five questions, and reading the same passage and answering SEVEN
questions, is quite large. The option exists to simply think of having an average of 10
minutes per passage, but then you lose the advantage of actually having extra time allotted
(up to 11 minutes) when you face a passage with more questions. We have MCAT-2015
examples of very challenging passages that also have seven (7) very challenging questions.
Looking at these passages specifically, we knew it would make a significant difference for an
examinee to know they had eleven (11) full minutes to complete the passage. This led us to
devise a variable timing system that allows you to use extra time when you need it.
o Timing Rule #1: The amount of time you will spend on each CAR passage is determined by
the number of questions:
 5 Questions = 9 MINUTES
 This includes the time needed to read the passage and to answer the questions.
 FINITE POSSIBILITIES: During our analysis of the CAR section we determined that because
there are exactly 53 questions, there are only a few possible permutations of passages with
5, 6 or 7 questions that will add up to exactly 53 total questions. All of the possible
arrangements are shown in the chart below. The three rows shaded in blue are the
combinations you are most likely to see on your actual MCAT-2015 exam. The “Total Time
Required” column represents the number of minutes utilized if one uses the variable 5/6/7
timing approach outlined above (9/10/11 minutes per question, respectively). As the table
demonstrates, for any permutation of questions the AAMC throws at you, using this system
will occupy 89 out of the total 90 minutes available.
Total Time Number of Questions Total

Required (min) on Each Passages Questions
89 ‐ 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 53
89 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 53
89 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 53
89 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 5 5 53
89 7 7 7 7 ‐ 5 5 5 5 5 53
o Timing Rule #2: Spend exactly one (1) minute on every CAR question.
o Timing Rule #3: Spend four (4) minutes reading and analyzing each CAR passage. This is
actually a significant amount of time to read a 500- to 650-word passage. On the old form of the
MCAT you had to read the same challenging passages in about three minutes. During your CAR
training, continue increasing your speed until you can read and understand the passage comfortably
in about three minutes. Toward the end of your MCAT preparation, you can adjust upward to four
minutes per passage and it will suddenly feel like you have a ton of time. If you only target four
minutes and never get used to three minutes, four minutes will feel about the same as three. As long
as you religiously end your passage reading period at four minutes, you will always have exactly one
minute available per question, regardless of whether there are 5, 6 or 7 questions.
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o Timing Rule #4: Always maintain a timing chart on your scratch paper throughout the
exam; use it every single time, period. We won’t rehash the cost-benefit analysis, but please,
use a timing chart!
 At the beginning of each section, write the total time available on your scratch paper.
That is 90 minutes for the CAR section. The timer on the AAMC software does not list total
minutes, it lists the time remaining in hours:minutes. Thus, you’ll need to get used to dealing
with numbers like 1:30 (the start time), 1:21 (what the timer should say after a 5-question
passage), 1:20 (what the timer should say after a 6-question passage), 1:19 (what the timer
should say after a 7-question passage).
 MAINTAINING YOUR TIMING CHART:
1) Before the exam begins, write down 1:30 on your scratch paper. This is the total time
allotted for the CAR section.
2) As soon as the exam begins, click through to the first passage and count the number of
questions. By the time you take your actual MCAT, it should be second-nature to instantly
recognize: 5 questions = 9 min.; 6 questions = 10 min.; 7 questions = 11 minutes. Cross
out 1:30 and subtract the appropriate number (10, 11, or 12); write the answer below 1:30.
3) After completing the first passage, click the “Next” button to see how many questions are on
the next passage. Subtract the appropriate number (10, 11, or 12), write the answer down,
and cross out the previous number.
4) REPEAT this process until the exam is complete.
An example of a timing chart is given below. The notes in parentheses are to emphasize that you
write down the TIME by which you should finish the current passage PRIOR to starting the
passage.
Sample CAR Timing Chart
progression 
1:30 (start time) 1:30 1:30
1:20 (1 passage, 6Q)
st
1:20 1:20
1:11 (2nd passage, 5Q) 1:11
1:00 (3rd passage, 7Q)
NOTE: The labels in parentheses are for illustration purposes only; you would not actually write
these on your timing chart. The columns are also for illustrating how to maintain the chart as the
exam progresses; you will build your chart downward in a single column.
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 How to Approach MCAT-2015 Questions: The importance of how you approach an MCAT question
cannot be overemphasized. Foolish errors account for a difference of several points on your overall
scaled score. Because you have no way of knowing when you will make an error, the only way
to reduce errors is to follow proven strategies and best practices on every question.
1) Learn and Use the Socratic Method. According to tradition, when Socrates taught his students he
never lectured. Instead, he asked his students a series of questions that progressively led them
toward the correct answer. In other words, he helped them to start thinking in the correct way and
then allowed them to arrive at their own answers. This is the same approach we encourage our
tutors to employ. You as a student can also benefit by employing the Socratic Method on individual
MCAT questions. Believe it or not, most students already have in their arsenal all of the information
necessary to answer a difficult conceptual MCAT question. However, they continue to struggle with
these questions because they are unable to retrieve the necessary information, relate it to the
question and generate a principle by which to examine the answer choices. Fortunately, this skill is
not something you’re either born with or you’re not; it can be learned. As simple as it sounds, you
need to spend more time “thinking” about the topic and less time waiting for your brain to magically
generate an answer for you. Thinking is an active process—one in which your brain’s retrieval
system should not be left to its own devices. You can assist your brain by asking yourself questions.
Below is a list of scenarios with the accompanying questions you might be asking yourself as you
apply the Socratic Method. In its most basic sense, it is a list of questions anyone proficient at critical
thinking would naturally raise when presented with a problem.
 SITUATION/PROBLEM: You are asked to select a graph that best represents the
acceleration of the object described in the passage. “What do I know about acceleration?”
“What is acceleration?” “Do I know a formula that involves acceleration?” “How does acceleration
change in this scenario?” “What else changes in this scenario?” Once you get an answer to one
of these initial questions, you can repeat the process: “I know acceleration is change in velocity
per time; is velocity changing in this question?” Looking at the graphs (or at any graph on the
MCAT for that matter) there are some questions you definitely want to ask yourself: “What does
the slope of the line on this graph represent?” “What are the values on the x and y-axes?” “How
are those changing over time?” “What does a negative value on this graph represent?” “Is the
graph changing linearly or exponentially?” And so forth.
 SITUATION/PROBLEM: You are asked the most plausible explanation for why H2S is a
gas at room temperature, but H2O is a liquid. “What do I know about H2S?” “What do I
know about H2O?” “What are the differences between these two molecules?” “How do they differ
in structure, shape, molar mass, electronegativity, etc.?” “Would any of these differences explain
the difference in states?” “What do I know about gas to liquid, or liquid to gas transitions?”
“What determines a molecule’s state?” Looking at the available answer choices I might ask
myself, “If that is true, have I seen any other examples of it in real life or in the lab?” “If that
answer is true would anything else I know be challenged?” “Does the statement sound logical?”
“Have I ever heard it before or seen anything to support it?”
 SITUATION/PROBLEM: You are asked how a new discovery will impact the conclusions
drawn by the scientist in the passage. “How are the new discovery and the information in
the passage related?” “What did the scientist assume in making his conclusions and does the
new information challenge those assumptions?” “What is the main thrust of the scientist’s
conclusion?” “Does the new information directly contradict it, or could they both be true?”
 SITUATION/PROBLEM: You are asked a question on a subject that seems very obscure
or esoteric—possibly beyond the scope of the MCAT. “Were there any references to this in
the passage?” “Could anything mentioned in the passage be extrapolated to apply to this
situation?” “Does the information provided in any chart or graph relate in any way to this
question?” “What are some possible simple-science concepts that I could relate to this
situation?” “By reading the answer choices can I infer anything about the question?”
 SITUATION/PROBLEM: You are presented with an observation and asked which of the
theories in the passage is STRENGTHENED by it. “How can the gist of each theory be stated
most simply and succinctly?” “What is the relationship between this observation and the most
basic aspect of each theory?” “If this observation were always true in every situation, could each
theory still be plausible?” “How can I simplify each answer choice?” “What does each answer
choice say or imply with respect to each theory?”
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 SITUATION/PROBLEM: You are asked to predict the result of substituting NH3 for H2O
in Step 2 of a synthetic scheme. “What are the differences between NH3 and H2O?” “What are
some other reactions I know of that involve these two molecules?” “By looking at the product,
can I tell where the atoms of the water molecule end up in the product?” “What product would
be formed if those atoms were substituted with the atoms from the NH3 molecule?” “Which parts
of each molecule are involved in the reaction?” “Do those atoms have similar reactivity?” “Does
the product I’ve predicted appear stable?” “Does it violate the Octet Rule?”
 The Socratic Method can also help you catch mistakes on easy problems. When you’re about
to mark a question, ask yourself, “What do I know about acceleration?” “Is the answer I’ve
chosen supported by that knowledge?”
 In summary, using the Socratic Method leads you automatically into the very lines of
reasoning that define critical thinking. Practice using it. Notice how your tutor and other
successful students use it. Sincerely try to get better at it, and you will.
2) Read the entire question stem very carefully. We mean in an anal-retentive, obsessive-
compulsive sort of way. You cannot be too careful. Read every single word with care and make sure
you understand what each word means and how it changes the question being asked.
3) Rephrase the question stem in your own simplified words. This will ensure that you truly
grasp the question stem and—more importantly—it will make it easier for your brain to assimilate
the question and decide on an answer.
4) Read and consider each answer choice, A through D, individually. Students seem to have a
hard time forcing themselves to do this. They want to look at all the answers at once and just “pick
one.” This is foolish. A wrong answer choice will often tempt you into thinking it is true, or affect
your evaluation of the other answer choices. If necessary, hold your finger on the screen over
answers B through D while you look at A. Decide if A is true or not, then do the same, one by one,
for answer choices B through D.
5) As you consider each answer choice, restate it with the question stem. Time and time again,
students lose mental track of the question stem while considering the answer choices. They forget
the exact way in which the stem was phrased and are tempted into a wrong answer choice. To
prevent this, always read each answer choice along with your paraphrased version of the question
stem. For example, suppose the question stem was “Which of the following is NOT a function of the
liver?” and answer choice a) was “Hematopoiesis.” Instead of just staring at “Hematopoiesis” and
trying to decide if it is the right answer or not, combine the stem with the answer and say it to
yourself silently (or even speak out loud softly): “Hematopoiesis is NOT a function of the liver.” Then
simply ask yourself if that is a correct statement. This avoids any chance of confusion. If you will do
this on every single question, you can almost entirely eradicate these kinds of errors.
6) If an answer choice is wrong, consider it a “probably not.” If an answer choice is correct,
think of it as a “maybe.” Although you cannot actually mark “maybe” on the computer, this is
what you want to think in your head. In other words, don’t get sold too quickly on an answer choice
being correct, or decide too quickly that an answer choice is definitely incorrect. If it sounds correct,
consider it a “possibility,” but then give the same exact attention to each of the other answer
choices. There is often a better or more correct answer choice later on. Leave wrong answer choices
as possibilities until you find one that is definitely better. Many of the AAMC’s correct answers can
sound odd or unusual at first glance. This leads most students to immediately dismiss the answer
choice without serious consideration. Such a distractor can turn an otherwise easy question into a
difficult one. Finally, AVOID the strikeout feature available in the testing software during the first
run-through on a question. Only after you have reconsidered and re-evaluated every option, and are
very confident that an option is wrong, should you cross out that answer choice.
7) Be extremely careful of questions with the words NOT, EXCEPT, LEAST, WEAKENS, or
STRENGTHENS. Whenever you come to one of these questions, write out on your scratch paper, in
big, bold letters NOT, EXCEPT, etc. This will create a visual cue and mental checkpoint that
dramatically decreases the likelihood you will lose track of the qualifier.
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8) What to do when you get completely stuck. When you come to a question that completely
perplexes you, the first thing you must do is employ the Socratic Method. Have you asked yourself
enough questions to draw out everything you know? The following steps are additional physical and
mental actions you can take to help your brain work toward the correct answer.
 Write down everything you can
 List all related formulas
 Draw pictures and diagrams
 Write it Down and Draw it Out!
 Go back to the passage
 Go back to the question stem
 Look for clues in the answers choices
 Remind yourself that there is a simple explanation using only basic science or reading
comprehension.
 No matter what you do, never let the MCAT intimidate you. We’ve already established that part
of the authors’ “Battle Plan” is to present passages that can appear intimidating because they
cover very obscure topics. Armed with knowledge, however, you need not be worried. The
answers are always given by either applying simple science principles to the novel situation, or
by simply understanding and applying passage information.
 When you run out of time for any question—regardless of whether or not you have
figured out the answer—move on (Remember the beta questions!).
IMPORTANT NOTE
Always remember there is a simple

science answer to every question. If you
haven’t figured it out yet, that is NOT an
indication that the question is hard, or that
you’ve forgotten something from your
studies; it is only an indication that you
need to keep on thinking. Using the
Socratic Method will help guide your
thinking toward those missing links. Trust
us, it’s there, just keep looking!
24 | P a g e
Math Review
 Estimating:
o Round everything! MCAT answer choices are usually very far apart. In the rare case that the
answer choices are fairly close, this is a clue that it is a simple calculation, where greater precision
could be expected. You can always go back and narrow your calculations if you need to, but if you
are too precise from the beginning you’ll get bogged down and waste precious time.
o Estimating Decimals: The MCAT rarely gives answers as fractions. Thus, you should be generally
familiar with decimal equivalents. Commit to memory the following decimal equivalents: 1/2,
1/3, 1/4, 1/5 and 1/8.
o Estimating Fractions:
IMPORTANT NOTE
 For fractions where the numerator is larger, create
a compound fraction. For example, 13/5 becomes
2 3/5 or exactly 2.60. Don’t forget to estimate. It is surprising
how often students get stuck because
 For fractions where the denominator is larger, try they forget this simple tool. One
the “high/low” method. Change the denominator AAMC practice question results in
to one digit higher and to one digit lower. In most
original answer of 16/81. Eight out of
cases, this will yield at least one familiar fraction.
For example, 3/7 is changed to 3/6 and 3/8. It is ten students get stumped at that point
thus a little less than 0.5, say 0.45. Similarly, 7/13 because they can’t reduce this fraction
is changed to 7/12 and 7/14. Thus it is a little and it’s not one of the answer choices.
more than 0.5. However, if you remember to estimate,
you could simply round it to 16/80,
o Estimating Square Roots:
which simplifies to 4/20, or 1/5th.
 It is first helpful to know the square of all whole
numbers from 1 through 15. Commit these
squares to memory if you haven’t already.
 Once these are committed to memory, start squaring numbers. Find one you know that is just
more than the number you are taking the square root of, and one that is just less. The answer
will be in between those two. For example, the square root of 72 is estimated by saying that 82
is 64 and 92 is 81. Seventy-two is approximately in the middle of 64 and 81, so the square root
of 72 is about 8.5.
o Q1. Practice your estimation skills by completing the following calculations in your head: a) What is
the square root of 75? b) Change 24/45 to a decimal. c) What is the square root of 120? d) What is
the decimal equivalent for 3/13? e) Change 2/7 to a decimal. f) What is the decimal equivalent of
16/3? g) What is the cube root of 25? Check your answers using a calculator.
 Scientific Notation:
o Scientific notation not only allows you to make remarkably accurate estimates of large calculations, it
also greatly reduces errors when compared to long division or multiplication. The number part of
scientific notation (i.e., 2.0) is called “the mantissa.” The exponent part (i.e., x 104) is called “the
power” or “the exponent.”
 Q2. What should you do to the exponents (i.e., do you add them, multiply them, etc.) when you
perform the following functions on numbers in scientific notation? a) add or subtract two
numbers in scientific notation, b) multiply two numbers in scientific notation, c) divide two
numbers in scientific notation, d) raise a number in scientific notation to a power, e) take the
square (or other) root of a number in scientific notation.
 Q3. How do you simplify if you end up with a number such as 0.05 x 10-2 or 220 x 1012?
 Q4. How do you represent a small whole number, such as 5, in scientific notation?
25 | P a g e
 Trigonometry Review:
o Sin 0° 30° 45° 60° 90°
0 1/2 √2/2 √3/2 1
o Cos 0° 30° 45° 60° 90°
1 √3/2 √2/2 1/2 0
 Commit to memory the following approximate decimal equivalents related to the sin and cosine
of common angles: √2 = 1.4; √3 = 1.7; √2/2 = 0.7; √3/2 = 0.9
o Trigonometric Relationships:
 sin = O/H ; cos = A/H ; tan = O/A

 cosecant, secant and cotangent are the inverses of sin, cos and tan, respectively.
 tan = sin/cos
 sin2x + cos2x = 1
o Other Important Trigonometry Formulas:
 Area of a circle: A = r2
 Circumference of a circle: C = d or C = 2r
 Area of a triangle: A = 1/2bh
 Volume of a sphere: V = 4/3r3
 Surface Area of a sphere: SA = 4r2
 Pythagorean Theorem: A2 + B2 = C2
 Q5. All of the angles in any triangle must add up to: .
 Converting from degrees to radians:  radians = 180°; 2 radians = 360°. There are
approximately 6 radians in one circle. Thus, if something is rotating at 12 rad/s, you know that it
is making two revolutions per second.
 SI Units & Prefixes:

o For questions in the CP and BB sections of MCAT-2015, you will always need to know your SI units
well and learn to track them on every question. This is not just an irritant; it will help prevent
mistakes and help you see the solution in cases when you otherwise would not. We won’t list the
units here, but will mention them for each entity as we cover it. You should, however, be absolutely
confident with the following prefixes:
 Q6. Provide the fraction and the exponent associated with each of the following prefixes (i.e.,
deci = 1/10 or 10-1): deci-, centi-, milli-, micro-, nano-, pico-, femto-, deca-, hecto-, kilo-,
mega-, giga- and tera-.
 To change from an obscure unit to the standard SI units, make the number the mantissa in
scientific notation and add the appropriate power:
 650nm = 650 x 10-9m
 700Mw = 700 x 106W
26 | P a g e
 Graphs: You will need to be proficient at reading and analyzing graphs in many forms. The angle and
shape of the line on a basic x-y plot provides important information.
o Recognizing Linear vs. Non-Linear Relationships: If two variables are both in an equation, and
one of them contains an exponent, log, ln, or root, the graph of either variable vs. the other will yield
a non-linear graph. However, if BOTH variables contain the exact same math (i.e., both are cubed,
or both are square rooted), the graph of one versus the other will be linear.
 Q7. Draw the general shape of each of the following graphs: y = x ; y = 1/x ; y = x2 ; y = x3 ; y
= x ; y = lnx ; y = sinx ; y = cosx
 For example, for the equation X = 1/2at2:
 X vs. t; t vs. X; a vs. t; and t vs. a will all be non-linear

 X vs. a; or a vs. X will be linear
 For the equation v = (2gh):
 v vs. g will be non-linear

 g vs. h (because they are both under the square root) will be linear
o Graphs as Answer Choices: Often, the four answer choices for a question will be four different
graphs. When asked to choose or predict a graph, ask yourself the following three questions.
1) Does the y-value start high or low? In other words, when the graph first begins, is the value
represented on the y-axis large or small? ASK YOURSELF: “Is it most logical at the beginning of
this experiment or trial for this value to be high (i.e., at its max value) or for it to be low (i.e., at
its minimum value)?
2) What is the slope? What does the slope represent? (i.e., on a displacement vs. time graph the
slope is equal to velocity; on a velocity vs. time graph it is equal to acceleration, etc.) ASK
YOURSELF: Should the slope be positive or negative? Should it be linear or non-linear?
3) What is the sign of the y-axis? Is the value on the y-axis always positive, always negative, or
is it both? This will help you decide whether your graph should start above or below the x-axis,
and if you expect it to ever cross the x-axis.
o Q8. Practice selecting the proper graph by doing the following activities: a) Sketch a possible graph
for how velocity changes with respect to time as a ball is thrown into the air and returns to the
ground. b) Sketch a possible graph for acceleration vs. time for the same ball. c) Sketch a pressure
vs. time graph for a balloon pierced by a small pin hole (Remember to ask yourself the questions
outlined above).
o Q9. Describe the difference between a log-log and a semi-log graph.
o Q10. If a variable is changing exponentially, will it be linear or non-linear on a semi-log graph? On a
log-log graph?
27 | P a g e
Sample MCAT Question
3) A student rolls balls down a ramp from various heights and measures the final velocity of the balls at
the end of the ramp. The final velocity of each ball will:
A) increase linearly with increasing initial height.

B) increase non-linearly with increasing initial height.
C) decrease linearly with increasing initial height.
D) remain constant for any initial height.
Solution: The formula v = (2gh) describes this relationship. Because h is under the square root and v is not, B is the best
answer. We won’t cover this formula until Physics 1, but the principles of linear vs. exponential are true for any equation.
 Manipulating Equations:
o The ability to accurately manipulate equations is highly rewarded by the MCAT. This is the
ability to use an equation to predict what will happen to one variable if a second variable changes by
a specified amount (and all other variables stay the same). In other words, given the equation x = y2,
what happens to y if x doubles?
o There are six basic rules and two important caveats you must know when manipulating equations:
 RULE #1: If two variables are on the same side of the equation and on the same side of the
division line, (numerator vs. denominator) they are inversely related.
 RULE #2: If two variables are on the same side of the equation and on different sides of the
division line, they are directly related.
 RULE #3: If two variables are on opposite sides of the equation and on the same side of the
division line, they are directly related.
 RULE #4: If two variables are on opposite sides of the equation and on different sides of the
division line, they are inversely related.
 CAVEAT #1: The process of manipulating equations only works for equations that involve
multiplication and/or division and do NOT involve addition or subtraction. For example, for
any value of b other than zero, you cannot look at y = mx + b and say that y is directly
proportional to m.
 CAVEAT #2: In order for this process to work for any equation, we must assume that the
two variables we are considering are the only ones changing and that all other variables
remain constant. On the MCAT, you will always assume the other variables are unchanged,
even if the question doesn’t specifically state that fact.
 Q11. Write out a hypothetical equation with multiple variables above and below the denominator
on both sides of the equation. Then, for each rule described above, demonstrate the relationship
described. Draw an up arrow to represent a variable increasing, and a down arrow to represent
it decreasing. If the relationship is direct, the arrows should go the same direction, if it is
indirect, they should go in opposite directions.
 Have your tutor drill you on simple manipulating equation problems. Don’t stop until
you can do several in a row without a mistake.
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o More Complex Examples of Manipulating Equations: In some cases, the equations you will need to
manipulate will contain exponents or roots. For these situations, remember the following rules:
 RULE #5: If the variable you are manipulating bears the exponent or root, do the described
math to the factor by which you are manipulating it. The result will be the factor by which the
other variable (the one you are trying to predict) will change.
 Q12. As an example, what will happen to distance traveled if time is tripled?
 RULE #6: If the variable you are manipulating does not contain an exponent or root, but the
other variable (the one you are trying to predict) does, ask yourself the following question:
“What factor can I plug in to the other variable so that after I do the math to it, it will match the
factor by which I am manipulating the first variable?”
 Q13. As an example, given the equation X = 1/2at2, what will happen to time if the distance
traveled is tripled?
 Q14. Have your tutor drill you on complex manipulating equation problems. Don’t stop until
you can do several in a row without a mistake.
o Manipulating Equations Using Fractions and Percentages: Sometimes you will be asked to manipulate
an equation using a non-whole number such as a fraction or percentage. Q15. For example, what
happens to distance traveled if time increases by a factor of 3/2?
 Recall that if 3/2 is the factor, and the variable being manipulated has a square on it, you do the
math to both the top and bottom, so the factor by which the other variable will change is 9/4.
 For percentages, you need to be able to accurately change a percentage into a factor. If
something goes down by 20%, by what factor has it changed? It has been multiplied by a factor
of 4/5. Thus, if the other variable is directly related, it will also be multiplied by 4/5; if it is
inversely related, it will be multiplied by 5/4. Q16. Try this same process for something going
down by 25%.
 Q17. Multiplying a variable by what fraction (factor) would be equivalent to: 1) an increase of
33%, 2) an increase of 100%, 3) an increase of 120%, 4) an increase of 233%, 5) a 20%
decrease, 6) an 80% decrease.
 Have your tutor drill you on manipulating equations using fractions and percentages.
Don’t stop until you can do several in a row without a mistake.
o Recognizing when to manipulate equations: One of the most frequent problems students face is an
inability to recognize when they should manipulate equations. Here are some common examples of
scenarios where you should apply the manipulating equations skills we’ve just described:
1) “If X doubles what happens to Y?”: This is the easiest manipulating equations question to
recognize. You will see a few of these, but they’re usually more obscure.
2) Two Trials: Any time you can calculate that some variable changed by a specific factor between
two trials, experiments, etc., you can use manipulating equations to predict the effect of that
change on a second variable (assuming you know an equation that contains both variables).
3) Data Charts: This is really another way of representing multiple trials. Many students will not
recognize, however, that they can look at a chart and calculate the factor by which something
changed between trials.
4) Half in the Passage, Half in the Question: Often students will fail to realize they can
manipulate equations when half of the information is given in the passage (i.e., they randomly
mention that volume doubled, or a chart demonstrates that volume doubled) and the other half
is asked for in the question stem (i.e., the question asks: “What is the pressure at the end of
Trial 2?”).
5) What is the Ratio Between A and B: Questions often ask something such as, “What is the
ratio between the velocity at the end of Trial 1 and the velocity at the end of Trial 2,
respectively?” This may be two values directly listed in a chart or graph, but it is more likely
something you will have to figure out by taking the info given for one trial and manipulating
equations to determine the value for the second trial. Finally, you’ll take these two answers and
determine the ratio that exists between them.
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Sample MCAT Question
4) The Carson-Magleby equation describes the velocity of a charged particle in a non-idealized magnetic
field where air resistance impedes velocity. If the frictional drag coefficient of the surface of the
particle, , is increased by 25%, by what percentage will the velocity decrease?
v = 2Fz/qBsin
A) 25%
B) 20%
C) 125%
D) 40%
Solution: The two variables in question are inversely related. If  is increased by 25% that is the same as multiplying  by
5/4. Velocity, being inversely related, must therefore be multiplied by 4/5. It has thus lost 1/5 of its original value, or 20%.
Answer B is correct. In case you are wondering, the Carson-Magleby equation is a figment of our imaginations. We created
it just to illustrate that your familiarity with an equation, or lack thereof, is unimportant. All equations follow the same
mathematical rules, so don’t be intimidated if you encounter an equation on the MCAT you’ve never seen before.
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Research Methods
 Research Design & Execution

o The Scientific Method
 You’ve probably been learning about the scientific method since elementary school. The specific
steps ascribed to the scientific method vary by source and we do not expect that MCAT-2015 will
expect precision in determining what is or is not specified by this general term. Generally
speaking, the scientific method refers to:
 Scientific Method = The systematic process by which scientists ask questions, develop
testable hypotheses, gather data, conduct experiments, and then analyze, interpret, publish,
and verify the results of those investigations.
 It is more likely that MCAT-2015 will expect you to evaluate research studies presented to you in
passages and critique them. Most of the section that follows gives you concepts you can use to
understand experimental design and judge its quality. Based on current AAMC practice materials
and feedback from early test takers, you should expect to see questions something like this:
“A potential weakness in the experimental design of the study presented in the passage is:”
Three aspects of the scientific method that could be important in evaluating the strengths or
weaknesses of research design are highlighted below. Throughout this section we will be adding
to a growing list of ways in which you can evaluate the quality of research.
 Testable Hypothesis: Well-designed research must begin with a hypothesis that is
testable. A testable hypothesis is one for which an experiment can be used to verify
a clear yes or no answer. Thus, testable hypotheses must be narrow, specific, and
answerable. Asking “What are regulatory binding proteins and how do they work?” is not a
testable hypothesis because there is no experiment or study that can answer that question
directly. A testable version would be: “Is the presence of the 2-DRP protein necessary for
the adhesion of neutrophils to endothelium during the inflammatory response?” Questions
framed as an If-Then, or a Stimulus-Outcome pair often make the best research questions
(e.g., If Drug A is administered daily at X dosage will blood pressure decrease within a two-
month study period? or Does inhibition of cofactor Y decrease in vivo inflammation in
response to tissue trauma?)
 Q18. Which of the following questions are testable hypotheses? Rank them in order of
quality as subjects for experimental research. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of
each research question: a) Which fruit is more healthy: bananas or apples? b) Who is
the best professional basketball player? c) Is surgery effective as a treatment for illness?
d) Which blood plasma clotting factor has the greatest impact on blood coagulation? e)
Is intravenous administration of nitrous oxide an effective treatment for acute high
blood pressure? f) How does cognitive dissonance impact voting behavior when
candidates previously supported by a voter are involved in scandals that violate the
voters pre-existing code of personal ethics?
 Peer Review: The process by which research submitted for publication is first reviewed and
critiqued by one’s colleagues prior to publication. Most journals use single-blind peer review,
in which the reviewers (a.k.a., referees) know the author of the paper, but the author never
learns who refereed his or her paper.
 Verification: (a.k.a., Replication) Good science must be something other investigators can
replicate and thereby verify. In fact, the findings of a study aren’t considered settled until it
is known that other investigators have been able to replicate the results. This is one reason
why research must include a detailed methods section—so that other scientists can mimic
the conditions used when attempting to verify the results. If a finding cannot be replicated,
it will be assumed that some error or confounding variable unique to the experiment or lab
conditions caused the observed result.
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o Types of Research:
 Experimental or “Basic Science” Research: Laboratory research conducted in a highly-
controlled environment; NOT on human subjects. This type of research allows investigators to
have the strictest level of control over all possible variables and conditions; basic science
research is therefore thought to be the most reliable way to indicate causation.
 Human Subjects Research: Research conducted outside the laboratory, often on human
subjects. Drug trials are a common and familiar example. Less control over conditions than in
basic science research, making conclusions less definitive. For example, a study drug may fail to
decrease blood pressure in some subjects. However, it could later be discovered that all
participants did not follow the strict low-sodium diet required by the study guidelines. This
deviation from protocol would influence blood pressure measurements in those patients.
There are two kinds of Human Subjects Research:
 Experimental = Research involves a specific intervention controlled by the investigator.
Subjects are separated into control and treatment groups. (e.g., to test the efficacy of a new
drug, patients with allergies are separated into groups randomly and given either the drug
or placebo).
 Observational = Investigator observes data without direct control over the variables, or
implementation of interventions. (e.g., an investigator reviews case studies from COPD
[chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] patients and examines demographic information
and lifestyle choices in an attempt to identify risk factors associated with COPD).
 MEDICAL ETHICS: Ethical questions often arise during Human Subjects Research. We will
discuss general medical ethics concepts here, but note that they apply to medical and
scientific practices globally, not only to conducting research.
 Beneficence = Do good. Doctors and researchers have an obligation to promote the
welfare of patients or study participants. Patient welfare should always be a primary
consideration in study design and execution.
 ENDING A STUDY BECAUSE OF POSITIVE RESULTS: One classical application of
beneficence in Human Subjects Research is the obligation to END an experimental
study when it is clear a drug or intervention results in obvious benefit. This may
sound counterintuitive, but remember that each study must have control groups. If
a drug is found to save the lives of dying cancer patients, it is not ethical to
continue the study long-term and thereby save the lives of those in the treatment
groups while those in the control groups are withheld from taking a drug
researchers know could help them.
 Nonmaleficence = Do no harm. This is the physician’s oath, but applies equally to
researchers. Doctors and researchers have an obligation to not harm their patients or
study participants.
 ENDING A STUDY BECAUSE OF NEGATIVE RESULTS: The theoretical opposite of the
previous example, researchers are similarly obligated to end a research study as
soon as it is verified that a treatment harms the subjects. Most early research that
is criticized today is drawn into question because it violated this principle. The
famous psychology study involving “Little Albert,” for example, while revealing
evidence about conditioning, is now thought to have had an unethical impact on the
young child involved. Albert was conditioned to have severe generalized phobias of
animals and the study involved obvious emotional trauma to Albert.
 Autonomy = Patient autonomy and informed consent. Physicians and researchers have
an obligation to inform patients or study participants and allow them to make decisions
about their own health and treatment. At times, some deception (e.g., placebo) is
necessary to effect research. However, this should be the minimal amount possible, the
truth should be revealed as soon as possible, and deception in general should be
approved by an Internal Review Board (IRB).
 Justice = Equal treatment of all people; Equal allocation of resources, to the extent
possible, without bias, prejudice or discrimination.
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 Observational Research Study Types:

 Cohort Study
 Cross-Sectional Study
 Case-Control Study
 Q19. Provide a conceptual definition for the following observational study types and
provide two real-life examples of each: a) cohort study, b) cross-sectional study, c)
case-control study.
o Independent vs. Dependent Variables
 INDEPENDENT VARIABLE = The variable MANIPULATED or directly changed by the
investigator. Also called the “predictor variable.” It can be thought of as the “cause” and
always goes on the x-axis.
 DEPRENDENT VARIABLE = The Variable MEASURED as a response to changes in the
independent variable. Also called the “outcome variable.” It can be thought of as the “effect”
and always goes on the y-axis.
 Q20. Identify the independent and dependent variables in the following scenarios: a) time
spent studying and test score; b) gas mileage and octane rating of the gas used; c) dosage
of medication used and lab rat survival rate; d) level of aggression and amount of exposure
to violent video games.
o Controls:
 Control Group = A group or trial in which all conditions and environmental factors are
IDENTICAL to the treatment group, EXCEPT for the treatment.
 Positive vs. Negative Controls
 Q21. Provide a conceptual definition of a positive control and a negative control and give two
real-life examples of each.
o Evaluating Research for Potential Bias:
 Sources of Experimental Bias or Error
 Selection Bias = Method used to select participants is not truly random. Therefore, the
results are not representative of the whole population. There are systematic BASELINE
differences among participants because true randomization was not achieved.
Types of Selection Bias:
 Specific Real Area Bias
 Self-Selection Bias
 Pre-Screening or Advertising Bias
 Exclusion Bias
 Healthy User Bias
 Berkson’s Fallacy
 Overmatching
 Q22. Provide a conceptual definition for the following forms of selection bias: a)
specific real area bias, b) self-selection bias, c) pre-screening or advertising bias, d)
exclusion bias, e) healthy user bias, f) Berkson’s Fallacy, and g) overmatching.
 Observer Bias = Observers or researchers know the goals of the study or the hypotheses
and allow this knowledge to influence their observations during the study.
 Demand Characteristics = Participants form an interpretation of the experiment's purpose
and unconsciously change their behavior to fit that interpretation.
 Information Bias = Wrong or inexact recording of variables or data. With continuous
variables (such as blood pressure), this is referred to as measurement error; with
categorical variables (such as tumor stage), this is known as misclassification.
 Confounding Variables (a.k.a. confounding factor, confounder) = An extraneous variable
that influences the variables being studied, but is not part of the expected correlation or
causal pathway being investigated.
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 Placebo Effect: One example of a confounding variable. The placebo effect occurs
when participants given a placebo (i.e., sham treatment) during a study experience real
or perceived health benefits as a result of their belief that they are being treated.
 EXAMPLE: Suppose the relationship between A and B is being investigated. A is
hypothesized to increase B. Experimental results support this hypothesis. It is later
discovered that a third variable, C (a.k.a., extraneous variable), influences both A and
B, decreasing A and increasing B. In fact, it was C that created the observed result in B
that was attributed to A. Variable C is a confounding variable.
 Detection Bias = Systematic differences between groups caused by inconsistency in the
method of detection or diagnosis.
 EXAMPLE: A study reports that inner city children suffer from ADHD at twice the rate of
suburban children. It is later discovered that systematic differences existed between the
diagnostic tools and training available at inner city hospitals included in the study vs.
suburban hospitals included in the study.
 Performance Bias = Systematic differences between groups in terms of the actual care or
treatment provided.
 EXAMPLE: A physician unconsciously pays closer attention to and conducts more follow-
up with patients the doctor knows to be enrolled in a heart study. This results in
differences in care for those individuals not accounted for in the study.
 Experimenter Bias (a.k.a., Researcher Bias) = Errors introduced into a study due to the
expectations of the investigator. Examples could include confirmation bias, or reporting bias
by the investigator with respect to results, or unconscious communication of expected
results to the participants, influencing their behavior.
 Confirmation Bias: The tendency to favor information that confirms one’s hypothesis or
preconceived notions, and to dismiss information that discredits them. This will be
discussed in further detail in the Psychology 2 chapter.
 Reporting Bias: Systematic differences resulting from some findings being reported and
other findings not being reported. Investigators may withhold or ignore data that does
not support their hypothesis (if conscious and intentional this would be a clear violation
of ethics). Statistically-significant results are usually far more likely to be reported than
are statistically insignificant results, although both are important to an unbiased
determination.
 Measurement
 Accuracy vs. Precision
 Q23. Provide a conceptual definition for the terms accuracy and precision.
 Q24. Label the following situations as accurate, precise, accurate and precise, or
neither: a) A ruler that is systematically off by ¼ inch. b) A study using blood pressure
cuffs, where the cuffs are known to over-report blood pressure by 15 mmHg c) Two
chemists try to determine the concentration of a solution known to be 3.2 M: Chemist 1
conducts three trials and obtains values of: 2.1 M, 4.5 M, 3.1 M d) Another researcher,
Chemist 2 conducts three trials and obtains values of 2.1 M, 2.0 M, and 2.2 M.
 Reliability vs. Validity
 RELIABILITY = Results are consistent and repeatable.
 Test-Retest Reliability
 Inter-rater Reliability
 Q25. Provide a conceptual definition for test-retest reliability and inter-rater
reliability.
 VALIDITY = The test or experiment measures what it purports to measure, and uses
methods that meet scientific standards.
 Failure to adhere to the standards of the scientific method or other accepted
experimental best practices results in low internal validity.
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 Correlation vs. Causation

 Correlation Coefficient, r2
 LINEAR REGRESSION: Correlation coefficients relate to linear regression analysis. A
large number of trials involving changes in the independent variable are graphed against
the dependent variable, resulting in a scatter plot. A “Least Squares” or “Best Fit” line is
drawn that best approximates the trend of the data points. The correlation coefficient is
a measure of how tightly the data fit to this line. The closer the data are, as a whole, to
the trend line, the higher the r2 value.
 Correlation Coefficients vary from 0 to 1. An r2 value of 1.0 would be a perfect
correlation.
 The correlation coefficient is said to explain the amount of variance in y
ACCOUNTED FOR by x.
 CAUSATION IS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH! Causation is generally assumed in basic
science research if all conditions were strictly controlled and A is found to be both necessary
and sufficient to cause B. However, even then, most scientists will be reluctant to claim
causation. You may notice language in journal articles, even from basic science experiments,
that is toned-down. Rather than saying “A causes B,” they will report that “An increase in
levels of A is associated with increased B.” Overwhelmingly, the misconception most
likely to be tested on the MCAT is that causation can be assumed when only
correlation actually exists, or there is too little evidence to support causation.
 Hill’s Criteria
 Temporality IMPORTANT NOTE
 Strength
 Consistency It could be easy to confuse the Hill
 Specificity Criteria with Hill’s Coefficient. They are
 Plausibility completely UNRELATED. Hill’s Criteria,
 Dose-Response Relationship as described here, is a set of guidelines
 Testable by Experiment
 Coherence
used to evaluate whether or not a causal
 Analogy relationship exists. Hill’s Coefficient is a
BIOCHEMISTRY term. In Biochem, the
 Q26. Provide a conceptual definition for Hill Coefficient is used to quantify the
each of Hill’s Criteria and explain how degree of cooperativity present in a
and why that particular criterion
binding association, and is discussed in the
increases the validity of making a claim
of causation: a) temporality, b) Biochemistry 1 chapter. You’ll need to
strength, c) consistency, d) specificity, know both for MCAT-2015.
e) plausibility, f) dose-response
relationship, g) testable by experiment,
h) coherence, and i) analogy.
 Internal Validity vs. External Validity
 External Validity = Generalizability; The degree to which the findings can be extrapolated
to the general population.
 Internal Validity = The extent to which a study’s findings of truth or causation are
justifiable, which is a function of the scientific rigor of the study.
 Necessary vs. Sufficient
 Necessary = A condition that MUST be satisfied in order for an event to occur.
 Sufficient = A condition that, if satisfied, guarantees that an event will occur.
 Blinding:
 Single-blind = Information about the study, control groups, treatment groups, and other
potentially biasing details are concealed from the person doing the assessment.
 Double-blind = The information described above is concealed from BOTH the person doing
the assessment and the subject.
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 Basic Statistics Terminology:

o Sample vs. Population
 Sample
 Population
 Statistic
 Parameter
o Measures of Central Tendency & Distribution
 Mean
 Median
 Mode
 Range
 Standard Deviation (SD)
 Q27. Provide a conceptual definition for the following terms: a) sample, b) population, c)
statistic, d) parameter, e) mean, d) median, e) mode, f) range, g) standard deviation.
o Normal Distribution: Hypothetical perfect bell-shaped curve for which the following is true:
 1 SD = 68% of the population
 Probability:
o Assumption = Outcomes are independent (i.e., do NOT influence one another) and are also mutually
exclusive (i.e., they cannot occur together).
o AND vs. OR
 AND = MULTIPLY the probabilities of individual events to get the overall probability of both
events occurring.
 OR = ADD the probabilities of each individual event together to get the overall probability of
EITHER event occurring.
 Hypothesis Testing:
o Null Hypothesis (H0) vs. Alternative Hypothesis
 The Null Hypothesis: H0 is always the LACK OF A RELATIONSHIP OR GROUP DIFFERENCE. In
testing for group differences, the Null Hypothesis is that there are no statistically significant
differences between groups. When testing for correlation or causation the Null Hypothesis is
that there is NO relationship.
 The Alternative Hypothesis: The opposite of the Null Hypothesis, the PRESENCE OF A
RELATIONSHIP OR GROUP DIFFERENCE. In testing for group differences the Alternative
Hypothesis is that there is a difference between groups. When testing for correlation or
causation the Alternative Hypothesis is that there IS a relationship.
o t-Test or z-Test  p value
 The “test statistic” (either a t-value or a z-value) is calculated.
 This result is compared to a table of t-values or z-values.
 The table indicates the significance level (discussed below) associated with that test statistic;
o Significance Level ()
  = 0.05; 0.01, 0.001

 p < 0.05 means we can be 95% confident that the results are real rather than the result of
random chance. p < 0.01 means we can be 99% confident, and so forth.
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 If the Hypothesis is Directional: (i.e., A is larger than B)

 If p >  we CANNOT reject H0 = NO STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE (e.g., p > 0.05)
 If p < 0.05 we REJECT H0 = STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT
 If Hypothesis is Nondirectional: (i.e., There is a difference between A and B. No assertion is
made as to whether it is larger/smaller, increased/decreased, etc.)
 If p > /2 we CANNOT reject H0 = NO STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE
 If p < /2 we REJECT H0 = STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT
 TYPE I vs. TYPE II Errors
 Type I Error = Claimed difference between groups when none existed (rejected H0 but
should NOT have done so).
 Type II Error = Did not claim a difference between groups when one DID exist (should have
rejected H0 but did not do so).
 Confidence Interval (C.I.)
 95% is standard
 Reflected on graphs as “Confidence Bands.”
 (z score)(SD) = Error Margin
 C.I. = Mean +/- Error Margin
 Standard Error of the Mean (SEM): A quantification of how precisely the mean represents the
true mean of the population. SEM decreases as sample size increases.
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Sample MCAT Questions
5) Which trial from the figure could be cited to question the internal validity of this study?
A) MG only
B) MG and IL1
C) GAPDH only
D) MG, LPS, IL1 and GAPDH
Solution: The data in the figure all have relatively small, and relatively consistent, error margins as indicated by the
confidence bands above each bar. The clear exception is the second bar from the left, which has a much larger error margin.
A large margin of error indicates a greater possibility that the true values may not be what are reflected in the data and
therefore weakens the study’s internal validity. This makes B the correct answer because it is the MG and IL1 trial that is
represented by the second bar from the left.
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Strategy, Math and Research Methods Question Set
To answer many of the questions that follow, you will need to be familiar with the following equations:
X = 1/2at2 ; where X = distance traveled, a = acceleration and t = time.
v = √(2gh) ; where v = initial or final velocity, g = gravity or acceleration and h = height or distance traveled
F = Gmm/r2 ; where F = force, m = one of two masses, G = a constant and r = distance between the two masses
F = ma ; where F = force, m = mass and a = acceleration
PV = nRT ; where P = pressure, V = volume, n = moles of gas, R = a constant and T = temperature
1. Tripling the force on an object traveling at a 5. The final velocity of a moving particle goes from 10
constant 12 m/s2 will increase the acceleration to: m/s to 20 m/s from Trial 1 to Trial 2. Which of the
following could be a plausible explanation?
A. 12 m/s2
I. The distance traveled by the object increased by a
B. 36 m/s2
factor of 4.
C. 48 m/s2
II. The acceleration increased by a factor of 4.
D. The acceleration will not change.
III. The drop height increased by a factor of 2.
2. An object is dropped from a fixed height and

A. I only
strikes the ground in a time, t. If drop height is
doubled, what is the new time, in terms of t? B. II only
C. I and II
A. 2t D. I, II and III
B. 4t
C. 1.4t 6. The initial velocity of a projectile is tripled. The
maximum height of the projectile will increase by a
D. 16t
factor of:
3. Object A is dropped from a height x and is in the

A. 9
air for five seconds. If Object B is in the air for
twenty seconds, which of the following best B. 3
represents the height from which it was dropped? C. 1.7
D. 16
A. 2x
B. 4x 7. If the pressure of an ideal gas in a closed system is
C. 8x doubled, what would one expect to happen to the
volume?
D. 16x
A. It would stay the same.

4. If the height from which a falling body is dropped
doubles, the object’s final velocity will: B. It would double.
C. It would triple.
A. double. D. It would decrease by a factor of 2.
B. increase by the square root of two.
C. decrease by a factor of two.
D. decrease by the square root of two.
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8. Q is inversely proportional to the square of Y. If 13. Suppose the exact gravitational force between the
Y is increased by a factor of three, Q will: moon and the Earth is F. If the mass of the moon were
decreased by 20%, which of the following would give
the new value for F?
A. go up by a factor of 3.
B. go down by a factor of 9.
A. 4/5F
C. go down by a factor of 6.
B. 1/5F
D. go up by a factor of 9.
C. 0.8/F
D. F – 0.2
9. Two planets are separated by a distance r, and
move in space such that the force between them
due to gravity increases by a factor of sixteen. 14. If the volume of an ideal gas is decreased by 40%, the
What is the new distance between the two planets pressure of that same gas will increase by:
in terms of r?
A. 80%.
A. 4r B. a factor of 5/3.
B. 1/4r C. 140%.
C. 1/16r D. Pressure will decrease, not increase.
D. 16r
15. In Trial 1, an object is dropped from a height x and
10. If two stars are attracted by a gravitational force reaches the ground in a time t. In Trial 2, the time
F, what will happen to that force if the mass of required to reach the ground is decreased by 20%, and
one star is cut in half and the distance between the in Trial 3 it is decreased by 80%. Which of the
stars is doubled? following gives the drop heights, in terms of x, for
Trials 1, 2 and 3, respectively?
A. It will double.
B. It will decrease by a factor of 8. A. x, 0.8x and 0.2x
C. It will quadruple. B. x, 0.2x and 0.8x
D. It will be cut in half. C. 0.2x, 0.64x and 0.4x
D. x, 0.64x and 0.04x
11. If the volume of an ideal gas in a closed system is
decreased by 80 percent, what will happen to the 16. For two planets in space, the distance between the
pressure? planets must be multiplied by which of the following
factors in order for the force between the planets to
increase by exactly 125%?
A. It will increase by a factor of 5.
B. It will increase by 80 percent.
A. 4/5
C. It will increase by a factor of 1/5.
B. √1.25
D. It will increase by a factor of 8/10.
C. 2/3
D. 4/9
12. If the distance between two objects in space is
increased by a factor of 5/3, what will happen to
the gravitational force between those objects?
A. It will increase by 25/9.

B. It will decrease by a factor of about 3.
C. It will decrease to 3/5 of its original value.
D. It will be multiplied by 1.6.
40 | P a g e
17. A researcher designs a study to investigate the 20. At one point in their orbits, Earth and Venus are 38
question: “What are all of the biomolecules million kilometers apart. At this exact point, how long
involved in cancer proliferation and metastasis?” is required for a radio signal to obtain information from
This study design may be characterized as an Venus? (Note: speed of light = 3.0 x 108 m/s)
example of:
A. Approximately 2 minutes
A. observational research. B. Approximately 4 minutes
B. low external validity. C. Approximately 12 minutes
C. high internal validity. D. Radio signals cannot be used because they will be
D. an untestable hypothesis. diffracted by the Earth’s atmosphere.
18. A student in the lab added 10 mL of ethanol to a 21. Which data set suggests a study with the highest
calorimeter. An exothermic reaction released internal validity? (Note: SEM = Standard Error of the
exactly 500 J of heat into the ethanol and the Mean)
calorimeter. The student used the heat capacity of
the calorimeter and the measured change in
A. p > 0.05 ; Mean = 18 ; SEM= 3.4
temperature to determine that 20% of the heat had
been absorbed by the calorimeter. If the B. p < 0.05 ; Mean = 15 ; SEM = 11.1
temperature of the ethanol increased by 20°C, C. p < 0.01 ; Mean = 19 ; SEM = 1.2
what is the specific heat of ethanol? (densityethanol D. p < 0.01 ; Mean = 12 ; SEM = 4.1
= 0.789g/mL)
A. 3.2 J/g°C
B. 2.5 J/g°C
C. 4.0 J/g°C
D. 12.5 J/g°C
19. The orbital period of mercury is 88 days. Mercury

orbits at an average distance of 57,909,100 km
from the sun. Which of the following gives the
average orbital velocity of Mercury in m/s?
(Note: assume a circular orbit)
A. (1.16 x 1011)()/(88)(24)(60)(60)
B. (5.8 x 1010)()(60)/(88)(24)
C. (5.8 x 107)()/(88)(24)(60)(60)
D. (1.16 x 1011)(2)/(88)(24)(60)(60)
41 | P a g e
Passage 1 (Questions 22-31) 23. Which scenario best describes the terminal velocity of
an object falling from a very high altitude?
Falling bodies behave in highly predictable ways with
respect to their displacement, velocity and
A. Terminal velocity remains constant at all times.
acceleration. Air resistance, however, greatly
complicates the study of falling bodies. In a vacuum, B. The increasing density of the air increases the
all falling bodies, regardless of mass, are affected in an terminal velocity of the object.
identical manner by the forces of gravity. As a result, C. The decreasing density of the air decreases the
two balls, one of Mass A and another of Mass B, will terminal velocity of the object.
both fall at the same velocity v and with the same D. The increasing density of the air decreases the
acceleration a. If both balls are dropped from the same terminal velocity of the object.
height, h, they will both strike the ground at the same
time.
24. If Object A has a mass of 10 kg and Object B has a
If the effects of air resistance are taken into mass of 90 kg, which of the following gives the
consideration, balls of different masses will no longer relationship between the terminal velocities of Objects
exhibit the same fall times, velocities or accelerations. A and B?
If the drop height is sufficiently large, all balls will
eventually reach terminal velocity, a point at which the A. A = 3B
upward forces on the ball due to drag are exactly equal
to the downward forces on the ball due to gravity. The B. 1/9A = B
terminal velocity of any object with a mass m is given C. 9A = B
by the following equation: D. 3A = B
2mg 25. An experiment on falling bodies involved two trials,

V Trial A and Trial B. Between Trial A and Trial B, the
pAC
terminal velocity of two objects of identical mass
Equation 1 quadruples. Which of the following is(are) possible
explanations for the increase in the terminal velocity
Where V is the terminal velocity, g is the strength of between Trials A and B?
the gravitation field, p is the density of the fluid, A is
the surface area of the object colliding with air I. The mass of the object used in Trial B is 16
molecules, and C is a coefficient describing the times that of the object used in Trial A.
aerodynamic properties of the object.
II. Trial A was conducted on the earth, and Trial B
was conducted on a planet with a gravitational
22. For a ball at terminal velocity, if the force of air field 16 times stronger.
resistance is increased by 20%, to maintain III. Although their masses were identical, the surface
terminal velocity, the force due to gravity must: area of the object used for Trial B was 16 times
larger.
A. increase by 20%.
B. decrease by 20%. A. I only
C. remain the same, so that upward forces B. II only
equal downward forces. C. I and II
D. increase by the square root of 5/4. D. II and III
42 | P a g e
26. The terminal velocity, v, of object x in air is 29. Jupiter, the most massive planet in the solar system,
known. Researchers drop this same object has a gravitational field nearly three times as strong as
through a gas with three times the density of air. that of earth. If the terminal velocity of a falling object
If, at the same time, they also increase the surface on earth is 150 m/s, what will be the terminal velocity
area of object x by a factor of three, the terminal of this same object falling near Jupiter? (Note: assume
velocity in terms of v will be: all other factors remain constant)
A. 3v A. 50 m/s
B. 1/9v B. 450 m/s
C. 1/3v C. 925 m/s
D. v D. 255 m/s
27. A falling object is traveling at a terminal velocity 30. Rain drops usually reach terminal velocity before
of 100 m/s when it enters a cloud bank. If the striking the ground. Their fluid nature allows them to
cloud bank is 225% as dense as air, the ball’s new contort in response to air resistance and attain shapes
velocity in the cloud will be: with decreasing surface area. If a rain drop’s surface
area decreases linearly as it approaches the ground,
how will this affect its terminal velocity?
A. slightly more than 50 m/s.
B. slightly less than 50 m/s.
A. It will increase linearly.
C. approximately 66 m/s.
B. It will increase non-linearly.
D. approximately 33 m/s.
C. It will decrease linearly.
D. It will decrease non-linearly.
28. A student drops three balls of increasing mass and
discovers that by altering the humidity of the air
he can cause each subsequent ball to travel at the 31. Which of the following graphs best illustrates the
same terminal velocity despite minor differences relationship between terminal velocity, V, and surface
in mass. If each ball is 33% more massive than area, A, for a falling object experiencing air resistance?
the previous one, the student must: (Note:
Assume humidity is directly proportional to air
A. B.
density)
A. increase the humidity by 66% before

dropping each ball.
B. increase the humidity by 33% before
dropping each ball.
C. decrease the humidity by the square root of C. D.
1/3 prior to dropping each ball.
D. increase the humidity by the square root of
1/3 prior to dropping each ball.
43 | P a g e
Passage 2 (Questions 32-38)
The H1N1 influenza virus, commonly referred to as

the “swine flu,” is a sub-strain of the common
Influenza A viruses that infect human, avian and
porcine hosts. In April of 2009, the first human H1NI
case was confirmed in the United States. Two months
later, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
estimated that there had already been over one
million cases of H1N1 in the United States. That
same month the World Health Organization declared
that a worldwide pandemic was underway.
Epidemiologists have traced the genetic history of the

H1N1 virus to avian populations in Africa. Figure 1 Physician-verified H1N1 infections in one U.S.
Migration, followed by transmission across host community.
species (a rare occurrence made possible in most
cases only by mutation) resulted in the current
prevalence among swine populations worldwide.
Current U.S. isolates from swine and turkey stocks
are triple reassortants, combining human, swine and
avian lineages.
Symptoms of H1N1 infection include chills, fever,

sore throat, muscle pain, severe headache, coughing,
and general lethargy. Because these symptoms are
not specific to swine flu over other influenza strains,
a differential diagnosis of probable swine flu requires
a high likelihood from the patient’s history that he or
she was exposed to the swine flu. For example,
during the 2009 outbreak, CDC advised physicians to
"consider swine influenza infection in the differential
diagnosis of patients with acute febrile respiratory
illness who have either been in contact with persons Figure 2 Laboratory-confirmed H1N1 infections in three
with confirmed swine flu, or who were in one of the states in northern Mexico.
five U.S. states that have reported swine flu cases, or
in Mexico during the 7 days preceding their illness
onset." A diagnosis of confirmed swine flu requires
laboratory testing of a respiratory sample. 32. In tracking the swine flu outbreak, the epidemiologists
who created Figure 1 most likely chose the scale used
Figure 1 tracks the progress of physician-verified in this graph because:
H1N1 infections in a rural community in the United
States during the 2009 outbreak. Figure 2 tracks the
A) it demonstrated the transition from the
prevalence of laboratory-confirmed H1N1cases in
exponential growth of H1N1 cases during the first
three densely populated states in northern Mexico.
15 days to linear growth thereafter.
B) it demonstrated the transition from linear growth
of H1N1 cases during the first 15 days to
exponential growth thereafter.
C) one of the variables to be graphed was changing
exponentially and the other was changing
linearly.
D) after 60 days no additional cases of H1N1were
reported.
44 | P a g e
33. Which of the following provides the best 35. Assuming the first confirmed cases of H1N1 occurred
explanation for the observation that a far greater within the same week in both northern Mexico and the
number of H1N1 cases were reported in the data rural U.S. community, how did the prevalence of H1N1
for Mexico (Figure 2) than were reported in the in both locations compare six weeks later?
data for the United States (Figure 1)?
A) Approximately 8 cases had been confirmed in the
A) Persons in the United States had already U.S. community, but no cases were yet confirmed
developed H1N1 antibodies prior to the in Mexico.
outbreak. B) Approximately 8 cases had been confirmed in the
B) Persons of Mexican lineage had a genetic U.S. community; many cases were likely to have
predisposition to infection by H1N1. been confirmed in Mexico, but this assertion
C) The data for Mexican cases were laboratory- cannot be confirmed by Figure 2.
verified, whereas those for the United States C) Less than 2 cases had been confirmed in the U.S.
were physician-verified. community, but no cases were yet confirmed in
D) The sample size used in the United States Mexico.
study was much smaller D) Less than 2 cases had been confirmed in the U.S.
community and many thousands of cases had
been confirmed in Mexico.
34. According to CDC recommendations, physicians
attempting to make a differential diagnosis of
probable HIN1 influenza during the 2009 36. According to passage information, a triple reassortant
outbreak would have looked for which is most likely a:
symptoms?
A) pig which has developed antibodies to avian,
I. Respiratory illness porcine, and human viral antigens.
II. Likely exposure to the swine flu B) virus containing DNA from viruses known to
III. Fever infect pigs, birds, and humans.
C) virus containing a mixture of avian, porcine, and
human DNA.
A) I only
D) virus capable of utilizing pigs, birds, and humans
B) I and II
as its host, but not other mammals.
C) I and III
D) I, II and III
45 | P a g e
37. If the data from Figure 2 were plotted on a semi- 38. Epidemiologists at the CDC used other data to confirm
log graph, it would appear most like which of the that the prevalence of H1N1 cases in northern Mexico
following? was many times greater than that in the United States.
Suppose additional research were to show that only
40% of physician-verified H1N1 cases were later
A)
confirmed in the laboratory. What effect does this new
information have on the CDC’s conclusion about the
prevalence of H1N1 in Mexico during 2009, and on
their recommendations discussed in the passage?
A) It has no relevance to their conclusions about

H1N1 in Mexico, but their recommendations
would be drawn into question.
B) B) The data in Figure 2 confirm their conclusions
about H1N1 in Mexico, but the new information
would have no effect on their recommendations.
C) It would weaken their conclusions about H1N1 in
Mexico, but would strengthen the validity of their
recommendations.
D) It would have no effect on either their conclusions
about H1N1 in Mexico, or on their
C) recommendations.
D)
46 | P a g e
1) B; The formula you will need to manipulate is F = ma. In this problem, the original acceleration is given and the
force changes by a factor of 3. Because force and acceleration are linearly and directly related, if F increases by
3x, acceleration must also increase by 3x. The original acceleration, 12 m/s2 x 3 = 36 m/s2, or answer B.
2) C; It may be helpful for this problem to remember that “height” is the same as “distance.” It is basically distance
in the vertical direction. The formula X = 1/2at2 relates distance and time. If the height is increased by a factor
of 2, then the time on the other side of the equation must increase by some factor such that, AFTER it is squared,
it will also change that side of the equation by a factor of 2. Remember that the SAME thing must be done to
both sides of the equation. This factor is the square root of two, or 1.4 and C is thus the best answer.
3) D; This question shows the reverse of the previous question. Again we use X = 1/2at2, but this time we start with
time. Time goes from 5 seconds to 20 seconds, an increase of 4x. However, if time goes up by 4 times, that side
of the equation actually increases by 16x due to the square on t. The variable for distance is linearly and directly
related, so it must also go up by 16x, or answer D.
4) B; The equation v = (2gh) relates height and final velocity. If the height doubles, that side of the equation will
only increase by 1.4 times due to the square root. The velocity on the other side of the equation is directly related,
so it will also increase by the square root of two, or answer B.
5) C; Statement I could have caused the doubling in velocity described in the question, per the equation v = (2gh).
If the distance traveled is the distance between a drop height and the ground, and it quadruples as the statement
suggests, that side of the equation would increase by a factor of two (after applying the square root). Velocity,
therefore, would also double. Statement II also could have doubled the velocity. If the acceleration due to velocity
quadrupled, this would have the same effect per the same formula. Statement III, however, would NOT cause a
doubling of velocity. “Drop height” and “Distance Traveled” are the same thing when referring to a falling body,
so I and III could not both be true. C is thus the best answer.
6) A; Using the equation v = (2gh), we see that if v increases by a factor of 3, h must increase by some factor
such that AFTER we apply the square root it will match the factor of 3 by which v increased. Because the square
root of 9 is 3, 9 is that factor and A is the correct answer.
7) D; Because P and V are on the same side of the equation and both in the numerator, they are inversely related.
If P goes up by a factor of 2, V must go down by a factor of 2. Answer D is thus correct.
8) B; It would be a good idea on this problem to create an equation where Q is inversely proportional to the square
of Y. One possible derivation would be: Y2 = 1/Q. If Y is increased by a factor of 3, that side of the equation will
increase nine times. Q is inversely proportional, so it must DECREASE by a factor of 9. This makes B the best
answer.
9) B; Using the formula, F = Gmm/r2, we see that if F increases by 16 times, r must DECREASE by some factor such
that AFTER it is squared it will also equal 16. That factor is 4. Because the radius is going DOWN by a factor of 4,
it is 1/4th of what it was, and B is the best answer.
10) B; According to F = Gmm/r2, if the mass of one object is cut in half, the force will also be cut in half. If,
simultaneously, the radius is doubled, that side of the equation will increase by a factor of 4 due to the square
on the r. Because F is inversely proportional to r, F would thus decrease by a factor of 4. With both changes, F
has decreased by 2x and by 4x, for a total of 8x, making B the best answer.
11) A; Using PV = nRT we see that P and V are inversely related. If the volume goes down by 80%, it has lost 4/5 of
its value—which is the same as being multiplied by 1/5, or going down by a factor of 5. Pressure must therefore
go up by a factor of 5, and A is the best answer. Answer B is tempting to many students, but you CANNOT say
for inversely related variables that if one goes up by x percentage, the other will go down by x percentage. You
MUST change percentages to factors or fractions before manipulating. An 80% increase is actually the same as
multiplying by a factor of 9/5. That is clearly different than the correct answer of 5.
12) B; Using the formula F = Gmm/r2, we see that r and F are inversely related. If r increases by 5/3, it will actually
increase by (5/3)2 or 25/9. F will be multiplied by the inverse of this, 9/25. Because 9/27 is exactly 1/3, we can
simplify and say that F is multiplied by 1/3 or goes down by a factor of about 3. Answer B is thus correct.
1|Page
13) A; Again using F = Gmm/r2, we see that m and F are directly related. If the moon loses 20% of its mass, that is
the same as it being multiplied by 4/5. F will thus also be multiplied by 4/5 and Answer A is correct.
14) B; P and V are inversely related in the Ideal Gas Law. A 40% decrease is the same as multiplying by 3/5. Thus,
the pressure should increase by a factor of 5/3, or answer B.
15) D; Using X = 1/2at2 we see that t and X are directly related. If t decreases by 20%, this is the same as being
multiplied by 4/5. Once this is squared, it becomes 16/25 or 64/100. X must therefore also be multiplied by
64/100 or 0.64. In Trial 2 when it decreases by 80%, this equates to being multiplied by 1/5. Squared, this equals
1/25, or 0.04. Thus D is the correct answer.
16) C; Using F = Gmm/r2 we see that F and r are inversely related. The question asks what r is associated with an
increase in F of 125%. An increase of 125% is the same as multiplying F by 9/4 (Not 5/4, which is a common
mistake. 5/4 is only an increase of 25%). If F is multiplied by 9/4, r must increase by something such that AFTER
it is squared it will equal 4/9 (the inverse of 9/4). This can only be the square root of 4/9, which is equivalent to
2/3. Answer C is thus correct.
17) D; The question of “What are all of the biomolecules involved in cancer proliferation and metastasis?” is too broad
of a research question to be answered by a single study. This makes D the best answer. Answer A is false because
this is not an example of observational research, which involves observing participants or gathering data on
existing risk factors among a current population (no manipulation of variables). External validity is a study’s
ability to be extrapolated to the general population, which is usually a measure of the representativeness of the
sample. Internal validity is a measure of the scientific rigor and accuracy of the study itself. We do not have
enough information in the stem to conclude anything on either of those two fronts.
18) B; This question illustrates one of the basic ways in which the MCAT will test your math skills. It may appear that
you need to know calorimetery, or that this should be in a Chemistry Lesson, not in the Intro Lesson. Although it
could certainly fit in a chemistry section, we present it here to show that in many different sections and topics,
the questions require little more than careful, basic math skills. This stem provides all of the information necessary
to solve for specific heat. The UNITS in the answer choices themselves tell you how to calculate it without knowing
any formula at all. REMEMBER that key point. The MCAT may give you a problem you know nothing about, but if
you have units you can work backwards. We need to get an answer in terms of J/g°C, so first we look for Joules.
The stem says 500J, but then tells us 20% went into the calorimeter and not into the ethanol itself. So, multiply
500 by 0.8 to get 400J. Now we look for grams; it is not given, but we are given mL and density in grams per
mL. Many students get stuck at this point on a question of this type. If you look for grams and it is not there,
check the passage. If it is not there either, then you KNOW that there must be a way to derive, calculate, estimate
or even intuit the missing variable. Solve D=m/v for mass and you get 7.89g. The only variable left is degrees
Celsius and it is given. Plug-n-chug from there and you should get answer B, 2.4 J/g°C. Not all that bad of a
question, but one of this kind will be missed by about half of students simply because they get nervous and
intimidated.
19) A; The MCAT-2015 topic list does not include circular motion, but it does include torque and a requirement to be
generally familiar with circles, angles, trigonometry, etc. That is really all that is required for this question.
Treating the circumference of the circle as the linear distance turns it into a simple D = velocity*time problem.
Also, this question uses a common AAMC approach in which the formula isn’t actually required because it is given
in the answer choices. In such cases, all one must do is determine which conversion factors are necessary and
which one are spurious. Without giving you the filled-in formula in the answers, this would be borderline too long
to calculate in one minute, but they save you that time by only requiring that you pick the right set-up that will
produce the correct figure. In these types of questions, it is easiest to focus on something of which you are sure.
For example, if you realize that velocity is in m/s, not m/day, you will know that days has to be converted to
seconds on the bottom of the equation. This rules out answer B. Another good approach is to look for differences
between the answer choices and then figure out which one is right. The first term in each option is clearly derived
from the distance of 57,909,100. This distance is the radius and to determine orbital speed we need the
circumference. The circumference will be equal to the linear distance traveled by Mercury each orbit. From there
the equation becomes V = d/t, making sure the factors are present to change days down to seconds. Hopefully
you’ll also note that you need meters, not kilometers. This leaves only Answer A. Answer B multiplies  by the
radius in meters, instead of the diameter in meters. Answer C has this same problem, plus it leaves the radius in
kilometers. Answer D multiplies by one extra factor of 2: 2*d. There are other issues we could consider as well,
but that is enough to narrow it down to the correct answer.
20) B: This is another classic example of an MCAT trend. They like to take a subject that many students may feel
uneasy about, such as radio waves and the immense distance between two planets, but the question itself really
tests nothing more than basic math. These types of questions are a good illustration of how the MCAT rewards
precision and care. Almost every student who takes the exam can do this math, but a surprisingly large number
will either 1) make a silly error in calculations or set-up of the problem or 2) will be so intimidated and stressed
out that they cannot see their way through to the basic set up and calculation of the answer. In this case, it is a
simple distance = r*time situation. The only concept of important note is that the actual distance traveled by the
2|Page
wave will be round trip, and thus twice the distance to Venus. The speed of light is given here because our focus
is just on math skills from the Intro Lesson, but in most cases it is expected knowledge and will not be given.
Rearranging d = rt to solve for t we get t = d/r. 3.8 x 1010/3 x 108 = 1.27 x 102 seconds for a one-way trip, or
approximately 2 minutes. A round trip, therefore, would take about 4 minutes, or answer B. Answer D may be
tempting to some students. There is an MCAT strategy floating around out there that says the “none of the above”
or “cannot be calculated” type of answer choice is right all the time, or 90 percent of the time. This is NOT what
we have observed at Altius. The trend is indeed there on some practice exams, not so much on others. The take-
home message is this: MCAT trends are there to aide you by giving you additional information to consider
carefully. They draw certain MCAT favorites to your attention but are NEVER hard, fast rules. Avoiding definitive
answer choices falls under the same category. Definitive answer choices are very often wrong, but you have to
keep an open mind because on rare occasions they are correct. You might start to think, what is the value in
pointing out the trends then? Well, as long as you remain skeptical and go through a careful critical thinking
process on each question, these trends can definitely aide you in many situations as one of several factors you
consider. Always remember to follow another important Altius strategy, that of not being sold too quickly, or
dismissing too quickly any one answer choice. Giving each answer its fair consideration gives you your best
chance at success.
21) C; The internal validity of a study decreases if it is not statistically significant, ruling out answer choice A. Answers
C and D could be better answers than A because they have smaller p values, but one should consider the SEM as
well. Answer B has a large SEM, indicating that the results may not be indicative of the true values. Answer C
has the smallest SEM out of C and D, making C the best choice.
22) A; At terminal velocity there is an equilibrium between the force due to air resistance and the force due to gravity.
Any change to one side of that equilibrium would have to be exactly matched on the other side. This makes A the
correct answer.
23) D; This question gives you a hint in the answer choices themselves that the factor to consider is air density.
However, given the fact that density is part of the equation given in the passage, you could legitimately be
expected to pick this out without any mention of density. In such cases, the choices might just be: constant,
increases, decreases, etc. It is required knowledge for the MCAT that the density of air decreases with increasing
elevation. Thus, as a falling body approaches the ground density, p, is increasing. In the equation given, p and V
are inversely related, so D is the best answer.
24) D; Object B has 9 times the mass of Object A. From the equation in the passage, we see that mass and terminal
velocity are directly related. However, due to the square root, a 9X increase will only increase that side of the
equation by 3X. Velocity of B will thus be 3 times that of A and D is the best answer.
25) B; Statement I is true mathematically, but cannot be correct because the stem clearly states that the masses
used in both trials were EQUAL. Be on the lookout for answers that contradict the stem, as they have been
on the MCAT multiple times as distractors. They are always wrong. A correct answer choice must satisfy all the
requirements of the stem. Statement II is true. If g increases by 16X, after the square root is applied that side
of the equation increases by 4X, and thus, so would terminal velocity. Statement III, however, is false because
an increase in surface area would DECREASE terminal velocity. B is thus the correct answer.
26) C; According to the given equation, if air density triples, the terminal velocity (being inversely related) will
decrease by the square root of 3. Because surface area is related to v in exactly the same way as density, a
tripling of this variable will decrease the terminal velocity by a SECOND factor of 3. V is thus divided twice by
3, or you can think of it as multiplied twice by 1/3. In either case, the 3, squared, becomes 3 and C is thus
the best answer. A is not the best answer because we are dividing by 3 twice, not multiplying.
27) C; This question illustrates the great importance of reading wording carefully. To say that something is 225% as
dense as something else is to say that it is 125% more dense. If that’s hard to capture, it may help to remember
that if you said something was 100% as dense as something else that would mean the two densities were equal.
If this seems like a trick question to you, we assure it is not. It is a fair question representative of several real
AAMC questions. Careful attention to, and understanding of, individual words is a requirement of the MCAT. If
you were reading directions in a lab manual, or reviewing the scientific literature, it would be very important that
you know what 50% as dense, or 150% as dense, or 50% increase, or 150% increase each mean. Don’t get
frustrated by small things that trip you up. As time goes on you can gradually get better at catching them—
usually a byproduct of being more careful, skeptical, and systematic as you address question stems and answer
choices. Now, back to the question at hand. A 125% increase is the same as multiplying by 9/4. However, after
applying the square root, that side is only multiplied by 3/2. Because p and V are inversely related, V must
therefore be multiplied by 2/3. Answer C is approximately 2/3 of the original velocity and is thus the best answer.
3|Page
28) B; This problem asks you to manipulate equations in a very different way. Instead of starting with a change in
one variable and trying to predict the way that will influence a second variable, you are given a change in one
variable and asked what change in a second variable would exactly cancel out that change. Because mass and
air density are on the top and bottom of the dividing line respectively, if we simply do the same thing to both we
have essentially multiplied by one and there will be no net effect. In this case, the 33% increase in mass is like
multiplying by 4/3. If we also multiply density by 4/3 we get 4/3 / 4/3, which equals 1. B is thus the best answer.
29) D; From the terminal velocity equation we can see that g and V are directly related. If g increases by 3X, AFTER
the square root is applied this becomes 3, or 1.7. V must therefore also increase by 1.7X. The terminal velocity
on earth was 150 m/s x 1.7 = 255 m/s, or answer D.
30) B; The graph of one variable without any exponents or roots plotted vs. a second variable with an exponent or
root will always be non-linear. Surface area is under a square root in the given equation, and V is not. Because
A and V are inversely related, if A is decreasing, V must be increasing. This makes B the best answer.
31) B; The variables in question, V and A, are inversely related. This means as A increases going across the x-axis,
V must be decreasing—which rules out Answer C. Because there is a square root on one variable and not on the
other, it must be non-linear, ruling out Answer A. This fits the general formula y = 1/x (or in this case 1/√x),
which is also always non-linear. In judging between B and D, we need to ask if the rate of change of velocity will
be greatest for: a) a one-unit change in surface area when surface area is small, or b) for a one-unit change in
surface area when area is very large. If you increase the object from pea size to marble size, the effect off air
resistance is significant. If you increase a falling object the size of an aircraft carrier by the size difference between
a pea and a marble, there will be only the most negligible change in velocity. This makes B the correct choice.
Again, if you know the general shape of y = 1/sqrtx this would also let you know B is correct over D.
32) C; The most common reasons semi-log graphs are used is either 1) when one of the variables is growing
exponentially and/or logarithmically and the other is not, or 2) when one set of data has a very large range and
the other has a small, fixed range. In this case, the number of cases is growing exponentially, but the number of
days is linear, making C correct. You did not, however, need to know these two specific points to answer this
question. Answers A and B are impossible because as long as the units on the y-axis are exponential, any non-
zero slope will represent non-linear growth. To see this, consider that a slope of 1 near the bottom of the y-axis
would represent an increase from 4 to 8 across one unit on the x-axis. At the upper end of the graph that exact
same slope across one unit would represent an increase from 32 to 64. Answer D is logically very unlikely.
33) D; One key to critical thinking is to always remain a bit skeptical. This question tries to imply the observation
that far more people in Mexico were getting swine flu than in the U.S. This was actually the case in the 2009
outbreak, but the stem specifically cites the Figures, changing the question to “Why are there more cases in the
Figure 2 graph than in the Figure 1 graph?” This kind of question, requiring NO background knowledge, only
careful, critical, analytical thinking, is classic MCAT. This is what you are primarily up against. Remember this
when you study and let it direct and impact how you study. In other words, if this is the question type you are
tackling, it is unwise to spend most of your time working equations and memorizing facts. Instead, you want to
spend a lot of time THINKING through things, analyzing your thought processes, practicing more careful
approaches to questions, practicing the Altius strategies, and of course paying VERY close attention during group
session when you get a lot of opportunity to address such issues in terms of real, live, timed AAMC questions.
Now, back to the question at hand. The sample in the U.S. was from one small, rural community. The sample in
Mexico was from three densely populated states. It is obvious that far more cases would be identified in this
much greater sample, even if relative rates of infection were equal. This makes C the best answer. Answer B
attempts to give a semi-logical explanation for the wrong conclusion. The data don’t actually show that far more
Mexicans had the swine flu, so a genetic predisposition argument is moot. This same logic would rule out answer
A as well. Answer C is irrelevant and would only apply to a comparison of reported cases versus actual cases (in
which we might assume some reported cases could not be verified in the lab).
34) D; The passage states that the CDC advice to doctors was to look for “febrile respiratory illness,” which means
respiratory problems associated with a fever. That makes Statements I and III both true. The CDC also states
that diagnosis requires likely exposure to swine flu through recent visits to states with known cases, or to Mexico,
or exposure to a person diagnosed with swine flu. This makes Statement II true and therefore D is correct.
NOTICE, once again, what type of question this is: 100% passage-based with no outside information required.
Hopefully you are getting the message—THIS is the MCAT and it is not what many students have supposed.
4|Page
35) B; This question tests careful, critical analysis of the two graphs—once again, no background knowledge required.
A careful look at the labels of both graphs shows that Figure 1 is measuring in terms of days and Figure 2 in
terms of weeks. The stem, however, asks about 6 weeks. This needs to be translated to gather info from Figure
1. Six weeks is 42 days. On the graph this looks like approximately 8 cases were reported at that time. On Figure
2, six weeks occurs before we see any histogram bars. However, note the scale of the y-axis. The very first tick
is 200,000 cases. It is VERY likely therefore that there was an exponential lead up to 200,000 cases. There are
most likely cases at 6 weeks, but the scale would need to be changed to see them on the graph. This makes
answer B the best answer. Answers C and D would be tempting if you looked at 6 days on Figure 1 and thought
it was 6 weeks.
36) B; This question is given to illustrate yet another point about the conceptual question type that dominates the
MCAT. This question appears as if it would require background info regarding viral life cycles. It is true that
background knowledge may well assist you, but it isn’t a necessity. This is true of so many MCAT questions. If
you come to a topic on which you don’t “know” very much, stay calm and use your reasoning—nearly all MCAT
questions can be answered via conceptual thinking, application of passage info, use of strategies, etc. In fact,
when you come to a passage for which you do “know” a lot, be careful—don’t abandon your critical thinking skills
as these will still be absolutely necessary on most questions. These conceptual reasoning skills will save you, but
they won’t come to you automatically. You will need to work very hard throughout the program to develop and
improve them. Back to the question: The passage states that the reassortants have three DNA lineages. This
same paragraph states that viruses normally do not cross over species to infect different hosts—therefore it is
very logical to conclude that the three lineages referred to are three types of viruses each capable of infecting
different hosts (humans, pigs and birds). This makes Answer B the best choice. Answer A is attempting to confuse
you into thinking a reassortant is not a virus at all but a pig—a little bit funny! Answer C tempts you to accept
the fact that the reassortant is “triple” because it contains DNA from three species. Even if it did, the crux of the
situation described in the passage is the ability for a virus to infect new host species, not to retain genetic info
from different species. Finally, D is wrong only because a bird is not a mammal. Important Note: Recall that 10
percent of the MCAT is indeed knowledge/calculation focused, so don’t misinterpret our chanting about conceptual
question types to mean that you can abandon mastering the knowledge, information, equations, etc. You still
need that to answer the 20-percent questions correctly, and you CANNOT get a good score while consistently
missing those question types.
37) A; This is a very classic “select-a-graph” question type, which also includes a topic from the SMRM Lesson, semi-
log graphs. The growth in Figure 2 is obviously exponential. When it is graphed on a log scale it should be
approximately linear. However, the decline of cases in Figure 2 looks almost perfectly linear, so it should be non-
linear when graphed on a log axis. This narrows our choices to either A or C. The final question—a very common
MCAT requirement we might add—is to decide which non-linear slope is the correct one for describing the
situation. According to A, the rate of change in the y-axis is small at first and then greater toward the end. For
C, it is great at first and then smaller toward the end. On a log scale, one tick mark high on the graph will
represent a VERY large range. So, a gradual, linear decline will not show up as a very steep slope in this region.
However, lower on the graph one unit of the y-axis would pertain to a much smaller range, so the slope would
appear much greater. This makes A the only possible answer.
38) D; Let’s simplify and reword the question stem (i.e., here’s an example of a very important time to use this Altius
strategy—on this very complex stem). RESTATED: Other data showed that Mexico had lots of swine flu, and that’s
why CDC included “trips to Mexico” as an indicator of exposure in their recommendations. A third source shows
that many physician-verified cases are not actually swine flu. So, what does this third source do to 1) CDC
conclusions about Mexico having lots of swine flu, and 2) the recommendations CDC made. Knowing that some
physicians mis-diagnose swine flu would lead us to believe that physician-verified stats are overstated. However,
it is the US stats that are physician-verified, and all Mexico stats are lab-verified. Therefore, the new info draws
into question the accuracy of the US reports, but not the conclusions about prevalence in Mexico. The CDC
recommendations as they pertain to this situation were that a visit to Mexico should be considered a high-risk for
exposure. Nothing about the over-reporting of US cases due to physician error draws that into question. Thus,
neither 1) nor 2) is impacted, and answer D is correct.
5|Page

Altius Strategy Math Research Method

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Strategy, Math & Research Methods

Passages Questions Time (min)

Chemical and Physical

Critical Analysis and

Optional LUNCH Break -- -- 30

Biological and Biochemical

Total Seated Time  7 ½ hours

 Ignore the MCAT-2015 Hype:

 RECYCLING ON OTHER MCAT-2015 SECTIONS: The examples just described by no means

Passage Type Old MCAT MCAT-2015

Did not include a

3) The NEW Exhaustingly Long Test Day:

Total Score Section Score

99 38‐41 521‐522 14 131

97 36‐37 518‐519 13 130

95 35 515‐516 12 129

92 34 514 11 128

90 33 513 10 127

85 31 510 9 126

75 30 507 8 125

65 28 504 7 124

50 25 500 6 123

 Understanding the Exam: What MCAT-2015 is NOT

 Understanding the Exam: What MCAT-2015 IS

 The 90/10 Rule:

o How Do I Study for the 90% (Conceptual/Critical-Thinking-Based Portion) of MCAT-2015?

Sample MCAT Questions

A) It would have no effect, because vapor pressure is independent of titration volume.

Don’t Memorize, CONCEPTUALIZE!

Altius MCAT Strategy

 Make Strategy a Priority:

 TIMING RULES: SCIENCE SECTIONS = CP, BB & PsS

 TIMING RULES: CRITICAL ANALYSIS & REASONING SECTION = CAR

Total Time Number of Questions Total

89 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 53

89 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 53

89 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 5 5 53

89 7 7 7 7 ‐ 5 5 5 5 5 53

Always remember there is a simple

 sin = O/H ; cos = A/H ; tan = O/A

 Area of a circle: A = r2

 Circumference of a circle: C = d or C = 2r

 Area of a triangle: A = 1/2bh

 Volume of a sphere: V = 4/3r3

 Surface Area of a sphere: SA = 4r2

 SI Units & Prefixes:

 X vs. t; t vs. X; a vs. t; and t vs. a will all be non-linear

 v vs. g will be non-linear

Sample MCAT Question

A) increase linearly with increasing initial height.

Sample MCAT Question

 Research Design & Execution

 Observational Research Study Types:

 Correlation vs. Causation

 Basic Statistics Terminology:

  = 0.05; 0.01, 0.001

 If the Hypothesis is Directional: (i.e., A is larger than B)

Sample MCAT Questions

2. An object is dropped from a fixed height and

3. Object A is dropped from a height x and is in the

A. It would stay the same.

A. It will increase by 25/9.

19. The orbital period of mercury is 88 days. Mercury

2mg 25. An experiment on falling bodies involved two trials,