The MCAT Exam:
Year at a Glance
2015
©2015 AAMC. May be reproduced and distributed with attribution and
without alteration by and within AAMC member organizations only.
What we will talk about today?
1. How is the new MCAT exam different from the old?
2. What are the characteristics of students who took the
new exam?
3. How did examinees prepare for the new test?
4. How well did the new score scales work?
5. How well did examinees score on the new test?
6. Which 2015 examinees applied for 2016 admission?
7. What information is available about the predictive validity
of scores from the new exam?
8. What else will we learn about the impact, use, and
validity of the new exam?
2
How is the new MCAT exam
different from the old?
3
New MCAT shifts the focus from testing
what students know to testing how well
they use what they know.
4
•
Asks students to apply knowledge by solving scientific
problems and reasoning about research and data
•
Requires broader preparation
•
Gives attention to behavioral and sociocultural aspects
of health
•
Incorporates the latest science on information
processing
It tests new concepts and skills.
Content
5
New MCAT Exam
Biology
Chemistry
Physics



Verbal reasoning
Biochemistry
Psychology
Sociology




Old MCAT
Exam




The new exam has four sections.
6
What are the characteristics of
students who took the new exam?
7
Students took the new exam in the same
proportions as they took the old exam.
Percentage of Examinees Taking the New MCAT Exam by Gender,
Race/Ethnicity, Fee Assistance Status, Testing Condition, and Repeater Status
(N=59,996)
Male
Female
46%
54%
White
Black
Race/Ethnicity1,2
Hispanic
Asian
American Indian/Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Other
Fee Assistance
Testing Condition3
Repeater
8
Status4
48%
11%
11%
26%
1%
<1%
4%
Did Not Receive
Received
94%
6%
Standard
Nonstandard
99%
1%
Non-Repeater
Repeater
93%
7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
How did examinees prepare
for the new test?
9
Higher percentages of examines took
biochemistry, psychology, sociology, and
statistics courses than in the past.
Percentage of Examinees Taking the New MCAT Exam Who Completed
College Coursework in the Natural, Behavioral, and Social Sciences or MCAT
Preparation Courses (N=59,996)
Biochemistry
77%
Psychology
79%
Sociology
43%
Research Methods
Coursework1
37%
Statistics
76%
Biology
91%
General Chemistry
83%
Organic Chemistry
95%
Physics
From a university/medical school
MCAT
Commercial
Preparation
Courses
10
91%
7%
43%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
How well did the new score
scales work?
11
The new test needs new scores.
•
New and old exam test different knowledge and skills,
requiring a new score scale
•
New score reports pair scores with percentile ranks that
help attach new meaning to scores
•
Percentile ranks for 2015 scores were calculated by
weighting the data from early examinees to reflect a
typical testing year
12
The distribution of scores from the full
testing year was similar to the distribution
of weighted scores for early examinees.
Early Examinees
(mean = 500.0; N = 11,251)
Full Year
(mean = 499.6; N = 64,504)
4.0%
3.5%
3.0%
2.5%
2.0%
1.5%
1.0%
0.5%
0.0%
472 476 480 484 488 492 496 500 504 508 512 516 520 524 528
MCAT Total Score
13
472 476 480 484 488 492 496 500 504 508 512 516 520 524 528
MCAT Total Score
How well did examinees score
on the new test?
14
New MCAT Total Scores for 2015 Examinees
Overall and by Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Fee
Assistance Status, Testing Condition, and
Repeater Status (N=64,504)1
For every group, there was wide variation
in scores.
Total
Total (mean = 499.6; N = 64,504)
Female (mean = 498.3; N = 35,240)
White (mean=501.6; N = 29,217)
Race/
Ethnicity2
Black or African American (mean = 492.6; N = 6,895)
Hispanic (mean = 494.8; N = 6,793)
Asian (mean = 500.8; N = 15,765)
American Indian or Alaska Native (mean = 496.4; N = 614)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (mean = 496.6; N =…
Fee Assistance
Testing Condition3
Repeater
Status4
15
Male (mean = 501.2; N = 29,125)
Gender
Did Not Receive (mean = 499.9; N = 60,819)
Received (mean = 495.0; N = 3,685)
Standard (mean = 499.6; N = 64,039)
Nonstandard (mean = 500.9; N = 465)
Non-repeater (mean = 500.1; N = 55,573)
Repeater - 1st attempt (mean = 495.4; N = 4,423)
Repeater - 2nd attempt (mean = 497.4; N = 4,423)
472 476 480 484 488 492 496 500 504 508 512 516 520 524 528
Which 2015 examinees applied
for 2016 admission?
16
The median score of 2016 applicants is
slightly higher than that of 2015 examinees
New MCAT Total Scores for 2015 Examinees and 2016 Applicants
17
What information is available about
the predictive validity of scores from
the new exam?
18
Scores from the Psychological, Social, and
Biological Foundations of Behavior section
prototype correlate well with grades in
several types of courses.
19
Correlations between MCAT scores on the
prototype and grades in foundations of
psychiatric medicine were higher than
correlations with the old section scores.
20
What else will we learn about the
impact, use, and validity of
the new exam?
21
The validity research is just beginning.
Admissions officers and researchers from 18 medical are
starting a validity research program
•
Determine how well scores from new exam predict
performance in medical school
•
Examine how students prepare for the exam
•
Determine whether there are ways to improve
information and resources available
•
Study how scores are used with other information in
admissions decision making
Fairness will play a key role. Results will be reported
annually.
22
Applicants with old and new scores
•
34% who took the new exam also took the old
•
Applicants who took both had higher
percentiles on the new exam than the old.
• Why?
1) Repeaters start with lower scores.
2) Repeater percentile ranks on old and new
tests were similar in size.
3) Examinees with higher percentile ranks
ultimately apply to medical school.
24
Distributions of section scores on the new
MCAT Exam
25