A Kaplan news release reports that AAMC will be scheduling additional testing dates in October and November of 2014 as a last-minute chance for pre-meds to take the exam before the planned 2015 test changes. This is the first time in recent history that the exam will be offered that late in the fall, but testers decided to open the new dates to meet the demand of anxious test takers who wish to test before the new exam hits. According to a recent survey, 55% of pre-meds believe they would be unprepared for the new material that will be tested in the 2015 exam (including sociology, psychology, and college-level biochemistry).
66% of pre-meds surveyed believe that the 2015 exam will be more difficult than the current one, compared to 8% who believe the exam will be easier. (18% think the test difficulty will remain about the same, while 11% are unsure.)
Changes in the 2015 MCAT include:
• New subject material – sociology, psychology, and college-level biochemistry (as mentioned above).
• A longer test – 261 question instead of the current 144.
• Additional skills tested – research design, graphical analysis, and data interpretation will be tested in addition to the current MCAT skills tested (critical thinking and content knowledge).
“This unprecedented addition of MCAT test dates in the fall is great news for pre-med students concerned about not being able to take the exam before it changes. In the past, many students have been forced to travel out of state to take the MCAT because of a lack of local seats,” said Kaplan Test Prep’s executive director of pre-med programs, Aaron Lemon-Strauss. “We encourage students to reserve their MCAT testing spot as soon as they know when they want to take the test. This will give them one less thing to worry about as they navigate the medical school admissions process. Knowing exactly when Test Day is will provide students with even more focus as they prepare for the exam.”
See the Kaplan news release for more details.
