Medical education leaders today believe that the medical professionals of tomorrow need to be able to pair their scientific knowledge with their scientific inquiry & reasoning skills. That, in part, is the purpose of testing your scientific inquiry & reasoning skills ability as part of the new MCAT test. Certain questions on the test will challenge your ability to display inquiry and reasoning skills that are critical for natural, behavioral and social scientists to advance their work and profession.
You will be asked to demonstrate your inquiry and reasoning skills on the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section, the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section, and the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior Section of the MCAT.
Scientific Inquiry & Reasoning Skills Overview
As you work your way through the MCAT exam, you will be asked to demonstrate your ability to perform four skills. These skills include:
- Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles
- Scientific Reasoning and Problem Solving
- Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research
- Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning
You will also be required to display your general mathematical concepts and techniques. We expand and dive deeper into each skill in other portions of this site.