Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) · Medical school admission in the US and Canada.
The MCAT
The long one: six and a quarter hours of content, about seven and a half in the chair.
The shape of it
| Section | Time | Questions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems | 95 min | 59 | |
| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills | 90 min | 53 | No outside knowledge — everything is in the passage. |
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems | 95 min | 59 | |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior | 95 min | 59 |
Every claim, and where it came from
Hover or focus a row to read the wording that supports it; the dagger opens the page it was read from. Nothing on this list was written from memory.
Total content time 6 hours 15 minutes CONFIRMED
AAMC "What's on the MCAT Exam?": "Total content time" — "6 hours and 15 minutes".
https://students-residents.aamc.org/whats-mcat-exam/publication-chapters/whats-mcat-exam
Total seated time About 7 hours 30 minutes CONFIRMED
Content, plus breaks and the administrative parts.
AAMC "What's on the MCAT Exam?": Total "seated" time — "About 7 hours and 30 minutes".
https://students-residents.aamc.org/whats-mcat-exam/publication-chapters/whats-mcat-exam
Chemical and Physical Foundations 95 minutes · 59 questions CONFIRMED
AAMC section table: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems — 59 questions, 95 minutes.
https://students-residents.aamc.org/whats-mcat-exam/publication-chapters/whats-mcat-exam
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills 90 minutes · 53 questions CONFIRMED
The only section that tests no science content.
AAMC section table: Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills — 53 questions, 90 minutes.
https://students-residents.aamc.org/whats-mcat-exam/publication-chapters/whats-mcat-exam
Biological and Biochemical Foundations 95 minutes · 59 questions CONFIRMED
AAMC section table: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems — 59 questions, 95 minutes.
https://students-residents.aamc.org/whats-mcat-exam/publication-chapters/whats-mcat-exam
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations 95 minutes · 59 questions CONFIRMED
AAMC section table: Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior — 59 questions, 95 minutes.
https://students-residents.aamc.org/whats-mcat-exam/publication-chapters/whats-mcat-exam
Section score 118–132, midpoint 125 CONFIRMED
AAMC score scale: "Each of the four sections...is scored from a low of 118 to a high of 132, with a midpoint of 125."
https://students-residents.aamc.org/mcat-scores/mcat-exam-score-scale
Total score 472–528, midpoint 500 CONFIRMED
The four sections added together.
AAMC score scale: "The total score ranges from 472 to 528. The midpoint is 500."
https://students-residents.aamc.org/mcat-scores/mcat-exam-score-scale
Scores released By 5 p.m. ET on the scheduled date CONFIRMED
Each exam date has its own release date on AAMC's calendar.
AAMC US MCAT calendar: "Scores are released by 5:00 p.m. ET on the scheduled score release date," with a release date listed against every exam date.
When you can sit it
Remaining 2026 testing year — read from Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) on 2026-09-08.
| Test | Registration by | Late | Scores | Countdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 September 2026 | — | — | 13 Oct | today |
| 12 September 2026 | — | — | 13 Oct | tomorrow |
AAMC's 2026 calendar runs from January to September, and only the last two sittings are still ahead. Registration for the January–September 2027 dates opens 20–22 October 2026, by test-centre location. There are far more MCAT dates in a year than the seven or eight a typical admissions test offers — check AAMC's calendar for the full 2027 list when it opens.
Practice, from the people who write it
AAMC's own practice exams and question packs, some free. Official practice for the MCAT.
This site reproduces no testing body’s questions. Official practice material is the only material written by the people who write the real test, and it is free for every test on this list.