Assistance with MCAT and DAT Preparation
The Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) is a standardized, multiple-choice exam designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles needed as a prerequisite to the study of medicine. Scores are reported for Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences, Writing, and Biological Sciences. Nearly all U.S. medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT exam scores. To assist you in the planning process, you may obtain the current MCAT Exam Schedule for the United States and Canada from the MCAT exam website.
2013 and 2014 MCAT
If you plan to take the MCAT exam in 2014, please note that the Writing Sample section will no longer be part of the exam. In its place, a voluntary, unscored trial section will be added to the MCAT exam starting in January 2013. These unscored questions within the trial section will test content added to the MCAT in 2015, including psychology, sociology, and biochemistry. The trial section will consist of 32 questions and will be administered in a 45-minute time period after all three operational sections (Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, and Biological Sciences) have been administered. Including the trial section, the 2014 total testing time will not change.
Examinees who volunteer to participate in the trial section, and put forth a good faith effort, will be compensated. The trial section will be administered under standard conditions for all examinees who volunteer to participate and scores will not be reported for this section. Please note that admissions officers will continue to receive Writing Sample scores from exams taken in 2012 and prior.
Resources for Current Version of the MCAT:
- Free practice exam
- Official Guide to the MCAT The Dimensions Loan Library (W.S. 102) has multiple copies of this book available for checkout.
- MCAT You-Tube Tutorials
- MCAT Self-Assessment Package (Available through the American Association of Medical Colleges for $104)
Periodic updates to the MCAT exam are important to ensure it keeps pace with medical school requirements and provides admissions committees with pertinent information about candidates' readiness for the medical school curriculum. As such, a revised MCAT will be launched in the spring of 2015. The new MCAT will be enriched by giving attention to the concepts tomorrow’s doctors will need. Here are some of the most significant changes:
- Natural sciences sections of MCAT2015 reflect recent changes in medical education.
- Addition of the social and behavioral sciences section, Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior, recognizes the importance of socio-cultural and behavioral determinants of health and health outcomes.
- And the new Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section reflects the fact that medical schools want well-rounded applicants from a variety of backgrounds.
Resources for MCAT 2015
- MCAT Review Process
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Preparation Materials
- Test Sections
- AAMC MCAT2015 Resource Guide
Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
- The DAT is a mutiple choice, standardized exam taken by potential dental students in the United States and Canada. The DAT is comprised of four sections: survey of the natural sciences, (90 minutes), perceptual ability (60 minutes), reading comprehension (60 minutes), and quantitative reasoning (45 minutes). The DAT is a computer-based test that can be administered almost any day of the year.
Dimensions funding is used annually to support Cornell students who are preparing for the MCAT or the DAT exam. This funding is utilized to purchase study materials and full-length, proctored practice exams for our students.