[Official MCAT News from the Association of American Medical Colleges] Vol 1 Issue 14 [Boo!] In honor of All Hallow's Eve, we couldn't help but get into the spirit! So on this evening of fright, let us dispel some common myths about the exam that are tricks you should watch out for. Trick or Treat? You have to take specific courses to be eligible to take the exam. Trick: The exam covers concepts in introductory level biology, chemistry, and physics, and first-semester biochemistry, psychology, and sociology. Because courses vary by undergraduate institution, there are no required courses that you must take to be eligible to register and take the exam. We recommend that you speak with your pre-health advisor or even a faculty member to assist with course selection at your institution that will help you best prepare for the exam. The MCAT exam is graded on a curve. Trick: There is no curve associated with the MCAT exam. In any one testing year, many different test forms are administered. The different forms are designed to measure the same basic skills and concepts, but each form contains different questions. While care is taken to make sure that the test forms are equivalent, one form may be slightly more or less difficult than another. We use special statistical techniques to adjust for these slight variations in difficulty. These adjustments make the scores from different test forms comparable in meaning. After you sit for your exam, you are free to talk about anything you saw and felt on the exam. Trick: Before you sit for the exam, read through your Examinee Agreement<http://echo4.bluehornet.com/ct/73662519:Tx5d1tyNS:m:1:2692870743:FE9B26C713A22E031B6F91C812B0310B:r>. This binding contract outlines what you agree to when you take the exam, including what can be disclosed about the exam and what can't be. (Please note, you will have to agree to the Examinee Agreement on test day!). For example, this includes talking about specific passages, correct or incorrect answers, how frequently a topic appears, or the steps to answer a question. To help clarify what can or can't be discussed on the exam, the AAMC has also put together guidelines<http://echo4.bluehornet.com/ct/73662520:Tx5d1tyNS:m:1:2692870743:FE9B26C713A22E031B6F91C812B0310B:r>, which include frequently asked questions. Be sure to read through them before exam day. Remember, these guidelines extend to not only what you say in person or over the phone, but also to social media (think Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit)! Apply for Fee Assistance before you register for the MCAT exam. Treat: The Fee Assistance Program<http://echo4.bluehornet.com/ct/73662521:Tx5d1tyNS:m:1:2692870743:FE9B26C713A22E031B6F91C812B0310B:r> is designed to help those who would be unable to take the exam or apply to medical school without financial assistance. If you are eligible for Fee Assistance, you must apply before you register for the exam! You will receive a reduced registration, as well as, free MCAT preparation resources. These benefits aren't retroactive, so you must be approved first! Hopefully, this information will help alleviate any future scares! Happy Halloween! . © 2015 AAMC | Privacy Policy<https://www.aamc.org/44866/privacy.html> Association of American Medical Colleges, 655 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001