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MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) Syllabus

Standardized exam required for admission to U.S. and Canadian medical schools.. The complete MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) outline — 5 subjects, 21 chapters and 74 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.

5Subjects

21Chapters

74Topics

173Sub-topics

254Flashcards

~90hEst. first pass

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) subjects

Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

5 chapters · 17 topics · 45 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 52 flashcards Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

5 chapters · 22 topics · 53 sub-topics

~25h first pass · 51 flashcards Organic Chemistry for the Biological Sciences

3 chapters · 10 topics · 24 sub-topics

~10h first pass · 50 flashcards Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

5 chapters · 16 topics · 32 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 51 flashcards Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)

3 chapters · 9 topics · 19 sub-topics

~10h first pass · 50 flashcards

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) flashcard decks

254 question-and-answer cards across 5 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.

How to work through the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) syllabus

The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.

Weight your plan accordingly: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems carries 22 topics while Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) carries 9. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).

The ~90 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) syllabus FAQ

What subjects are in the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) syllabus?

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) covers 5 subjects: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, Organic Chemistry for the Biological Sciences, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS). Together they contain 21 chapters and 74 named topics.

How many topics does the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) syllabus contain?

The full MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) outline breaks down into 21 chapters, 74 topics and 173 sub-topics. Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems is the largest single subject with 22 topics across 5 chapters.

How long does it take to cover the whole MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) syllabus?

Roughly 90 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 4 weeks.

Are there MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) flashcards?

Yes — 254 question-and-answer flashcards across 5 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.

Is this MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) syllabus free to use?

Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.

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