MCAT Key Vocabulary
Essential terms and definitions you must know before exam day.
Key Vocabulary
CARS
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills — the only MCAT section without outside content knowledge.
Equating
Statistical process used by AAMC to make scores comparable across different test forms.
Composite score
The sum of the four section scaled scores, ranging from 472 (118 × 4) to 528 (132 × 4).
Voided
Cancel your scores before seeing them — valid on test day. Counts as an attempt.
Vocabulary Study Tips
- 1.Build content knowledge first with a structured course (Kaplan, Princeton Review, or UWorld).
- 2.Do 500+ CARS passages specifically — no shortcuts for this section.
- 3.Use AAMC official practice materials exclusively in the last month — they're the most representative.
- 4.Review wrong answers deeply. Understand WHY each is wrong.