2026 MCAT Study Guide — Everything You Need to Prepare

The Medical College Admission Test, better known as the MCAT, is a 7.5-hour standardized exam for premeds that assesses foundational science knowledge and critical thinking skills. It’s a grueling 7.5-hour test that requires significant hours of planning, studying, practicing, and preparing. The MCAT is a critical piece of your medical school application that can make or break your chances of acceptance.

An Introduction to the MCAT Sections

The test is split into four sections, each worth 132, for a perfect MCAT score of 528. Below, we’ll cover MCAT basics, how the MCAT is scored, 7 MCAT study strategies, MCAT resources, and FAQs. The sections are:

• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys)
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)
• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (Bio/BioChem)
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psych/Soc)

Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills

Sections 1, 3, and 4 of the test require a deep knowledge of scientific facts and concepts, as well as the ability to integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines through inquiry and reasoning. On the exam, you will be asked to demonstrate the following skills:

• Knowledge of scientific concepts and principles
• Scientific reasoning and problem-solving
• Reasoning about the design and execution of research
• Data-based and statistical reasoning

Detailed Section Breakdown

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys)

The Chem/Phys section on the MCAT is worth 132 points, with 59 total questions (44 passage-related, 15 standalone). It tests your knowledge of biology, biochemistry, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics in combination with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills.

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)

Section 2 of the MCAT, CARS, is a little different. It doesn’t require any memorization; instead, it tests your critical analysis and reasoning skills. In this section, you are asked to read passages and then answer questions about those passages. The section includes nine passages, each between 500 and 600 words. For each passage, you will need to answer 5-7 questions for a total of 53 questions.

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (Bio/BioChem)

The Bio/BioChem section of the MCAT has 59 questions, 44 passage-related and 15 standalone. This portion of the test combines your knowledge of biological and biochemical concepts, such as cells and organs, how these systems work together, and your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills.

Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psych/Soc)

The Psych/Soc section of the MCAT also has 59 total questions, including 44 passage-related and 15 standalone. It tests your understanding of psychological, social, and biological factors and how they shape health. It requires knowledge of perceptions, behavior, and behavior change, what people think about themselves and others, cultural and social differences, and the influence of other social relationships.

MCAT Scoring and Testing Categories

The MCAT is broken into four sections, each worth a maximum score of 132 points. A perfect MCAT score combining all four sections is 528. Each of the 3 science-related sections has 59 total questions (44 passage-related, and 15 standalone). The CARS section is scored a little differently, but it is still worth the same amount of your total score—132 points.

The following table details how each section is broken down into testing categories based on the subject matter: