Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems is a new section added to the MCAT in January 2015. Similar to the other new sections of the 2015 MCAT, the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section will require many hours of dedicated study time. It’s advised to get a jump on studying this section as soon as you can.
Overview of the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section
The Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section will ask you to answer questions by combining your overall knowledge of chemical and physical foundational concepts with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. This section of the MCAT will also test your understanding of the mechanical, physical and biochemical functions of the human tissues, organs and organ systems, as well as your knowledge of the basic chemical and physical principles that underlie the mechanisms in the human body.
There are a total of 59 questions in the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section of the MCAT. Each question is multiple choice and you will be provided with four answers to choose from. You will have 95 minutes to complete the section.
Breakdown of the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section
Via the Association of American Medical Colleges, the following is an estimate of how many questions you can expect to be asked about a discipline, foundational concept, or scientific inquiry and reasoning skill Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section:
Discipline
- 25% First-semester biochemistry
- 65% Introductory biology
- 5% General chemistry
- 5% Organic chemistry
Foundational Concept
- 55% Foundational Concept 1
- 20% Foundational Concept 2
- 25% Foundational Concept 3
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skill
- 35% Skill 1
- 45% Skill 2
- 10% Skill 3
- 10% Skill 4
These figures should only be used a guide and may vary from test to test. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 5%.