Dr. Jordan Bilezikian By: Dr. Jordan Bilezikian
Free MCAT Practice Test

Take our free MCAT practice test below to prepare for your exam.

Our MCAT practice questions mimic actual exam questions and include detailed answer explanations to help you learn important concepts.

Summary: Take a MCAT practice test below. For more help, consider one of the best MCAT courses.

MCAT Practice Test

Make sure to review the answer explanations for each of our MCAT practice tests above. These answer explanations will help you better understand specific topics and concepts.

Find Your Prep Course

We ranked and reviewed prep courses to help you find your best match. See which course fits your need.

Best MCAT Prep

If you want some more MCAT practice after using our questions above, use one of the providers in the table below.

These providers offer various MCAT diagnostic tests to help you figure out what information you know, and what information you do not know.

Resource Notes Provider
Princeton Review MCAT Diagnostic Test Take a MCAT diagnostic test. Full-length exam with MCAT sample questions. Princeton Review
Blueprint MCAT Diagnostic Tests Take a ½ length MCAT diagnostic test. Also take a full-length MCAT practice test. Blueprint
Magoosh MCAT Diagnostic Test Use their MCAT practice questions to prepare for the exam. Magoosh
Altius MCAT Diagnostic Exam Use their MCAT practice questions to prepare for the exam. Altius

In order to provide you with a better understanding of MCAT practice questions, we have provided you with a quick overview of some MCAT example questions. We have provided some examples from different sections that are tested on the MCAT.

Question #1

Category: Biological and Biochemical Foundations

Question: A scientist using mouse models to determine the response of blood hormones to large levels of glucose in the body discovers a new hormone not previously described. 

According to his data, this hormone is found both inside and out of cells when carrying out its function, increase the amount of nucleic acid in the cell while functioning, and are derived from a structure containing four hydroxycarbon rings. 

This will likely be categorized as which type of hormone?

  1. Enzymatic
  2. Steroid
  3. Peptide
  4. Amino Acid

Answer: B. Steroid hormones, derived from cholesterol, act on intracellular receptors and produce mRNA specific to the outcome they produce. Thus, they are found both inside and out of the cell. 

Peptide hormones, such as insulin, act on outer membrane receptors, but are polarized, so they cannot enter the cell. Amino acid hormones can have the ability to enter the cell, but are usually made up of very small combinations of amino acids, and never of cholesterol, a four hydroxycarbon ring.

Question #2

Category: Chemical and Physical Foundations

Question: One of the many reasons that the eukaryotic cell can possess so much information in its DNA is the ability to condense coding regions when they are not being expressed. When acting on DNA, which of the following processes will usually lead to a decrease in gene expression?

  1. Increased histone acetyltransferase activity
  2. Decrease in histone deacetyltransferase activity
  3. Increase in methylation activity
  4. Increase in heterochromatin:euchromatin ratio

Answer: C. This is a straightforward question that assesses knowledge of modification of DNA segments. Although in the real world these methods are not exclusive to increasing or decreasing activity, for MCAT testing purposes, histone acetyltransferase (HAT) frees DNA from histone proteins for expression.

Histone deacetyltransferase (HDAC) binds DNA more tightly to histone, creating more heterochromatin, which is not expressed. Methylation is an epigenetic modification that generally trends toward silencing gene expression.

Question #3

Category: Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations

Question: A patient comes into the ER looking extremely agitated. They are acting aggressive, and claiming they need medication or “bad things will happen”. What is the likely state of this patient’s dopamine system?

  1. There is decreased dopamine in the synaptic cleft.
  2. There are decreased dopamine receptors on the post-synaptic membrane.
  3. There is cell death in the areas with high dopamine cells.
  4. There is seizure-like activity in the dopamine brain areas.

Answer: B. This question comes off much like a biology question, but is actually a first-level derivative of a psychology/behavior question testing the concept of tolerance. Long-time stimulant drug users have excessive amounts of dopamine in the synaptic cleft due to inhibition of re-uptake.

Because of this, the body responds by decreasing the amount of available receptors. This leads to tolerance, or the individual needing more drug to maintain the same level of physiological response. A person in withdrawal likely has a high tolerance built up over an extended period of drug use.

There are 4 different sections on the MCAT. Those sections are:

  1. Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: 59 questions, 95 minutes
  2. Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS): 53 questions, 90 minutes
  3. Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems: 59 questions, 95 minutes
  4. Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior: 59 questions, 95 minutes

An overview of the MCAT

(click on image to enlarge)

You can learn more about the exam with our MCAT overview guide.

What is the MCAT?

MCAT stands for Medical College Admissions Test. This exam is used by medical schools in the United States when determining admissions for prospective students. The exam is multiple-choice and is administered by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Is the MCAT all multiple-choice?

The MCAT utilizes a multiple-choice, computer-based format for its test takers. It is designed to test applicants’ knowledge in Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, Biochemistry, General Biology, Psychology, Physics, and Sociology.

How long is the MCAT?

The exam is approximately 7.5 hours long. Three sections are 95 minutes, and one section is 90 minutes. There are two 10-minute breaks and one 30-minute break.

How much does the MCAT cost?

You will need to pay $275 to register for the exam. There are fee waivers available to eligible students.

How do you register for the MCAT?

You will need to register through the AAMC website. You can read more about MCAT test dates and registration information.

Can you use a calculator on the MCAT?

Test takers may not use a calculator on the MCAT. All calculations are expected to be done by hand. It is best to not use a calculator when taking free MCAT practice exams.

How many practice tests should I take for the MCAT?

You should take at least 3 MCAT practice tests before taking the actual exam. The first one should be your MCAT diagnostic test. This should give you a better idea of what you know and what you need to focus on.

The second practice exam should be halfway through your studies. You should see some progression from your diagnostic exam. Continue to focus on the topics you struggle on.

The final MCAT practice exam should be once you feel you have completed your studies and are getting close to the actual test day. If you are still uncomfortable after taking this exam, keep studying and take more practice exams.

How many times can you take the MCAT?

You are able to take the MCAT 7 times in your lifespan. You can take the exam up to 3 times during a single testing year and 4 times during a two-consecutive year period.

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