When Should I Register To Take Mcat

Last Updated On: March 4, 2022

It's the MCAT test day. Yous feel confident considering yous know yous'll nail the test.

Everything's going smoothly, until… you realize you don't have your ID and you tin't enter the test heart! To avoid making similar mistakes on your actual test solar day, permit's review what y'all demand to bring with you.

MCAT Test Mean solar day Schedule

Earlier you decide what to bring on your test day, yous demand to know what to look and plan effectually that.

Your MCAT exam begins at viii:00 am sharp. The test centers sometimes close their doors even earlier, so make sure you don't make it as well shut to the commencement time.

A adept rule of pollex is to make it at the location at least 30 minutes earlier. This volition give yous plenty time to go through the security and cheque-in.

To successfully check-in, y'all'll demand a valid ID and, possibly, have your photo taken or get a digital scan of your palms. Next, you lot'll be given a locker where yous should put and keep your belongings during the unabridged time.

Hither'south what the rest of your day will look like according to the AAMC standard format:

Scheduled Sections	Time (minutes)
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems	95
Break	x
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills	90
Mix-Exam Break	30
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems	95
Break	x
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior	95

In total, y'all get three breaks: one 30-minute break and two 10-minute breaks. Use them to visit the restroom, swallow, or unwind.

You'll also become a few extra minutes for the void question and the optional survey at the finish. If you don't desire to have the survey, yous can leave the testing room.

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Examination Day Rules

You lot need to brand certain y'all're post-obit the MCAT rules to become admitted to the testing eye, but also to accept a more pleasant experience during the exam.

Nosotros've already mentioned one unwritten rule—arriving at least 30 minutes before the actual exam. Now, nosotros'll focus on what you can bring to the MCAT.

Allowed Items in the Testing Room

You're allowed to bring the following medical equipment with you with no prior approval [1]:

Inhaler
Braces/Casts/Slings
Eyeglasses
Pillow/Cushion
Insulin pump
Canes/Crutches/Walkers
Wheelchairs

The listing doesn't terminate there. Cheque out the total list on the AAMC website.

Allowed Items During the Break

You're allowed to bring food, h2o, and medication to the MCAT, but you tin simply use it during break time and not during the actual test.

Items that Require Prior Approval

If you accept a special condition that requires adjusting the standard testing conditions, you need to contact MCAT Accommodations Services.

You should support your asking with appropriate medical documentation that shows why you lot need special items or other adjustments.

You can ask the MCAT Accommodations to let you:

Bring additional medical equipment with yous
Take extended or finish-the-clock breaks
Choose a locker that suits your needs
Accept your exam in a separate room
Write your exam for an extended time

How can I contact MCAT Accommodations Services?

Send them an email at [e-mail protected] or call 202-828-0600 every weekday from viii a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

Information technology'due south of import you explain your situation well. Tell them exactly why you lot want to bring your medical equipment or crave special exam weather condition, similar extended breaks or testing fourth dimension.

Valid Identification

A valid ID is the near important thing you need to bring to the MCAT. If you don't have it, you won't become admitted to the testing center, nor will yous exist able to take your MCAT.

The two almost common forms of ID students bring to the MCAT are:

Commuter'due south license
Passport

Your ID has to fulfill certain requirements gear up by the AAMC to be considered valid:

The name on your ID matches the name you entered on your MCAT registration. You used the exact proper noun(s) and name order from your ID on your registration.
The ID is in English. Your ID must be issued by a authorities agency and no international IDs are currently accepted.
The ID is current. The expiration engagement is prepare after the day of the exam.
The ID contains your photo. The photograph can easily be used to place yous.
The ID contains your signature. The signature can easily be traced back to y'all.
The ID is whole and tangible. Your ID shouldn't contain whatever testify of tampering.

Make sure you bank check if your ID fulfills all these requirements earlier your MCAT examination solar day.

Unacceptable IDs

Any IDs that don't fulfill the requirements we listed in a higher place are considered invalid, and they won't go you to the examination room.

Here are a few examples of unacceptable IDs:

Credit cards.
Student IDs.
Paper IDs.
Library cards.
Nativity certificate.
Social security card.

These IDs don't fulfill one or more of the in a higher place requirements. For example, credit cards aren't issued past a government agency, while birth certificates don't incorporate your signature.

MCAT Scratch Paper Policy

The MCAT test centers take an unlimited scratch paper policy, so you tin get every bit much paper as you need to piece of work out the problems.

Raise your paw when yous need more paper, and your proctor will give it to you.

Can You lot Void the MCAT During Testing?

You lot'll be able to void at the cease of your exam. You don't have to look until the last minute to void, though.

You lot tin practise then immediately afterwards you start your testing by skipping the sections until yous go to the void screen.

Nosotros'd advise you against voiding at the very offset. Many applicants didn't await to pass but kept going, and, eventually, they managed to get a passing score. Who says y'all tin't do the same!?

What Should You Article of clothing to the MCAT?

Wear something comfy. If this is the showtime time you're taking the MCAT, you want to experience equally comfortable as possible. Testing is a stressful feel, so you need to ensure you're not making it worse.
Dress appropriately. You can expect a formal atmosphere during your test, and then dress accordingly. Brand sure you're not wearing provocative or otherwise inappropriate clothing.
Dress for the weather condition. Check the weather and plan ahead. The terminal affair you want is to offset freezing or sweating during your exam.

Similar Article: How Much Does the MCAT Cost?

MCAT Examination Twenty-four hour period Checklist

Now, information technology's time for some last-minute MCAT tips. You're required to bring simply one thing on your big MCAT examination day—a valid ID. All the same, since yous'll be at the examination center for a long time, you lot might desire to pack snacks and earplugs to make your experience more pleasant.

Check if you're ready by referring to our 3-point checklist:

A valid ID. We've already established that the almost important thing to bring is a valid ID. Check if your ID fits all the criteria we mentioned higher up at to the lowest degree a few weeks earlier the MCAT test day. If not, you're going to accept to notice some other one or request official changes.
Earplugs. You're going to accept your exam in a room full of students. If you want to accept your test in a distraction-costless environs, yous may need to bring your earplugs with you.
Food. It's of import you take care of yourself during the test mean solar day to retain your focus. Make sure y'all bring something wholesome to eat during your thirty-infinitesimal dejeuner break and something smaller to snack on during the 2 shorter, ten-infinitesimal breaks.

Selection food that volition brand you feel good and give you enough energy to power through this vi-hr exam.

You should put your wellbeing beginning during your examination prep, too:

"Take care of yourself mentally and emotionally also; afterward all, your health and well-beingness also relate to your success on the exam. Information technology'due south all function of the grooming!"

- Kevin Harris, the director of variety access programs at Virginia Commonwealth University[two]

Remember that you lot'll have to put your earplugs, nutrient, and any other personal belongings in your designated locker before you start the examination.

The Best MCAT Prep Course

The most important thing to bring to the MCAT exam is — cognition. The best MCAT prep course that tin assistance you get gear up is the MCAT Cocky Prep.

Information technology'southward our choice #1 considering it's customizable — you lot can tailor the study plan co-ordinate to your needs and how much time before the examination you have.

Another thing we're huge fans of are the different course options.

You tin start with a free course that includes 10 study modules, admission to a video library with over 300 hours of videos, access to a Facebook written report group, and 24/vii messaging back up.

If yous'd like more back up, choose between courses at $9.99, $99.99, or $999.99. All of these offer perks, with the highest-paid course having one-on-one tutoring sessions and a score improvement guarantee.

You're guaranteed to find a course that'll suit your needs no affair if you're a self-starter, or want a tutor that'll guide yous through the MCAT prep.

Pros

Customizable study program
Dissimilar prep course options
Affordable tutoring

Cons

You'll have to buy books and materials separately

Wrapping Up - MCAT Requirements

For many students, taking the MCAT is the most important moment in their lives. They spend a gigantic amount of fourth dimension on examination prep, taking MCAT prep courses or using MCAT prep books, to ensure they'll get into their dream medical school.

Only none of it matters if you don't bring the MCAT essentials—like a valid ID or nutrient and water. Yous need your ID to get into the test center, but yous besides need snacks to proceed yourself in the proper headspace during the examination.

Brand certain you apply our checklist while packing for the MCAT. It will increase your chances of passing the examination—and getting into the medical school of your dreams.

References:

https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/mcat-examination-test-conditions/
https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/enquire-the-experts/ask-experts-preparing-med-schoolhouse-undergrad/