MCAT Physical Sciences

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Please note that the following information applies to the old MCAT exam. For students who are practicing for the MCAT using old MCAT test prep exams, this information will be useful for understanding the section. In addition, this information is still necessary to the new MCAT.

Content tested on this section is drawn from physics and general chemistry.

General Chemistry:

You should be familiar with such topics as solution chemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, and electrochemistry and with the fundamentals of stoichiometry, electronic structure, bonding, phase equilibria, and acids and bases to solve basic chemistry problems and evaluate research in general chemistry.

Physics:

Topics also include mechanics, wave motion, electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and modern physics. You should be prepared to apply your knowledge of these concepts to experimental situations. You will also need to be familiar with the conventions of problem solving in physics.

Top MCAT Physical Sciences Tutors

  • Austen H.

    Austen is a medical student at NYU. When she was a pre-med, she worked with Tutor the People tutors on her MCAT prep! Austen is eager to help other students master the newest version of the MCAT test. She benefitted…

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  • Devin V.

    Devin graduated from Haverford College in 2014 with a degree in religion and is currently in the midst of the medical school application process. After graduating, he self-studied for the MCAT for two months and scored a 41, placing him…

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  • Esther S.

    Esther is a non-traditional medical school applicant from Brooklyn, NY. She decided to pursue medicine halfway through her studies at the University of Chicago, where she majored in ancient Near Eastern history in addition to taking pre-med coursework. Although she…

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MCAT Physical Sciences Study Packages

Top-Scoring MCAT Tutors

Our MCAT tutors score within the 94th percentile or above on the exam. In addition to top scores, we vet our tutors to make sure they have a digestible didactic method. We’re exclusive: only 2% of tutors who apply make the cut.

Money-Back Guarantee

We add a Free Introductory Hour to every package, so students can meet their tutor and develop a customized study plan before beginning their paid package hours. All unused hours are refundable, so you can try our MCAT tutoring risk-free.

Free AAMC® Materials

Prep using materials from a wide variety of companies in addition to AAMC® materials issued directly from the test-makers. We include an AAMC® MCAT Guidebook and MCAT Practice Test with your study package.

Med-Student Advisor

Speak with a current medical student to see what worked for them.

Payment Plans

We offer multiple extended payment options. Contact us to find out which installment plan suits your budget.

Customized Scheduling

Use your study hours as best suits your needs. Some students meet with a tutor daily, while others space it out to weekly meetings.

1-on-1 Sessions

There is no better way to prepare for the MCAT than 1-on-1 sessions that are focused on your needs.

How Our MCAT Tutors Can Help:

Although the concepts listed constitute the background knowledge you will need in order to answer all of the questions, they are difficult because you have to deal with situations or problems you have not yet previously encountered under strict timing conditions. Our tutors will work with you to gain a mastery of the required knowledge and a strategy for encountering these new situations on test day so there is no problem you cannot manage.

On the test, you’ll see passages that describe experiments, situations, or ideas from which questions are drawn. The information may be presented in the guise of journal or textbook articles, experimental research, data analysis, or scientific-style editorials. This passage-and-question structure allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the science presented in the passage, no matter how obscure or foreign. In addition the format tests your ability to quickly assess the kinds of situations feasible given the information in the passage. Our MCAT test prep can provide reading materials and strategies that will familiarize you with the language of these types of passages, and how to approach each type of question. This prerequisite familiarity will result in increasing your speed and accuracy on test day.

Need Help Preparing for the MCAT Physical Sciences?

Let one of our MCAT tutors help! Call us today at 800-277-5508 and let us help you better prepare for the physical science portion. You can also fill out our online contact form.

To read about the new section, Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems tutoring, please click here.

Success Stories
“ I have had an amazing experience working with Tutor the People. The MCAT can be really intimidating but from the moment I contacted them I have received nothing but support, valuable information and encouragement. Since I had to study during the semester, I was very concerned about fitting in enough time to properly prepare between classes and research. But my tutor immediately helped me organize a great, personalized study plan and assisted me in finding the best MCAT prep materials I didn't even know existed. In the end, I earned a 522 (99% percentile) and I know I couldn't have done it without the help from Tutor the People! ”
Ashley L. MCAT
522, 99th %
“ I learned how to maximize my study time, which materials to use, and how to attack specific kinds of questions that I frequently struggled with. Both of my tutors took time to make sure that I understood the answer to each question. They pushed me to dedicate significant amounts of time to studying, and they helped me use this time in the best way. I am so happy with my choice to work with Tutor the People and study independently rather than taking a course through a well-known company. This opportunity raised my MCAT score by 7 points from my first practice test and helped me excel in my weakest subjects. I would highly recommend Tutor the People if you are looking to work hard with tutors who are committed to your success and if you want to master the new MCAT in an efficient and fulfilling way. ”
Austen H. MCAT
522, 99th Percentile
“ I never thought I would be able to achieve a 12 on the Physical Sciences, and if I had only done a group class, I never would have. All of my friends are extremely impressed because I am the one who went with the tutor and self-discipline study method, and so far, I have scored the highest on the MCAT. With a good tutor like Ben from Tutor the People and the drive to succeed, achieving your goal is most definitely possible. ”
Stasha O. MCAT
37, 98th Percentile
“ I can't say enough good things about Crystal. She's super patient, knowledgeable, and encouraging. The first time I took the MCAT I got a 31 even though I felt I've done all I could in terms of content. I wanted to improve my score but was hitting roadblocks studying independently because I couldn't pinpoint exactly why I got certain questions wrong, and thus did not know how best to correct them. Crystal was extremely good at this and taught me many strategies to conquer types of questions that I couldn't previously. There were also times during verbal review that I just felt burnt out and discouraged given how hard it is to improve verbal scores, but Crystal was patient with me and drilled strategies with me constantly. I ended up getting an 11 on verbal! ”
Lisa S. mcat
36 MCAT Score, 97th Percentile

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