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About the Official PCAT Practice Tests and Study Guide
The publishers of the PCAT have developed the Official PCAT Practice Tests and Study Guide to provide you
with a unique opportunity to prepare for the actual test. Three components are now available for purchase:
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PCAT Multiple-Choice Practice Tests - Three complete sets
of five multiple-choice subtests include items like those you will find on the actual test,
provide explanations for each item, and allow you to print out a diagnostic score report with your
results. You may purchase access to an individual Practice Test for $45.00,
two Practice Tests for $65.00, or all three for
$85.00.
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PCAT Writing Practice Tests - Four different writing prompts
allow you to compose essays on topics like you will find on the PCAT, have your essays scored
electronically, and immediately receive a score report with your results. You may purchase access to
one Writing Practice Test prompt for $30.00, two prompts for
$50.00, three prompts for $70.00, or
all four prompts for $90.00.
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PCAT Study Guide - This 150-page booklet contains detailed
information about the structure and contents of the PCAT, scoring information, and sample items for
the five multiple-choice subtests (formerly on Practice Test 1) and the Writing subtest. You may
purchase the Study Guide (electronic access) for $25.00.
All purchases are nonrefundable and provide you with access to all test preparation components purchased
from your date of purchase until the following January 31, when the current annual test cycle ends.
No refunds will be granted, even if you choose not to access a
component that you pay for.
To access these test preparation components, you must first register for the Official PCAT Practice Test.
Click the link below to register. Once you have registered on the Official PCAT Practice Test site, you may
purchase the Multiple-Choice Practice Tests, the Writing Practice Tests, and the Study Guide from the "My
Profile" page. You only need to register once and can reuse the site as often as you like. If you have
registered previously, click the "Login" link to get to the "My Profile" page.
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Register for the PCAT Practice Test
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Browser Requirements
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Adobe® Reader is required to view all score reports. Download Adobe® Reader here.
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See below for more information about the Multiple-Choice Practice Tests, the Writing Practice Tests, and the
Study Guide.
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The PCAT Multiple-Choice Practice Tests
The three PCAT Practice Tests currently available include multiple-choice items like those you will find in
the five multiple-choice subtests on the actual PCAT. Comparative analyses have shown that individuals who
took a Practice Test before taking the actual PCAT earned significantly higher PCAT scores than those who
did not.
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Practice Tests 2 and 3 have been available since the spring of 2012 and have not changed since
then. Practice Test 4 is completely new.
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Each Practice Test contains the same number of multiple-choice items that are on the actual
PCAT. Over 80% of the items have appeared on actual PCAT test forms, and all have been written
specifically for the PCAT.
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PCAT Multiple-Choice Practice Test
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Subtest
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Number of Items
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Descriptions
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Part 1:
Verbal Ability
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48 |
General, nonscientific word knowledge and usage using analogies and sentence completion
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Part 2:
Biology
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48 |
Principles and concepts of general biology, microbiology, and human anatomy and physiology
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Part 3:
Chemistry
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48 |
Principles and concepts of general and organic chemistry and basic biochemistry processes
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Part 4:
Reading Comprehension
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48 |
Reading passages on social or natural science-related topics and questions involving the
comprehension, analysis, and evaluation of passage content
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Part 5:
Quantitative Ability
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48 |
Mathematical processes, concepts, and relationships, including applications of basic math,
algebra, probability and statistics, pre-calculus, and calculus.
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240 |
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PCAT Practice Test Structure and Contents
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These five PCAT multiple-choice subtests include correct answers and explanations for each
question (not printable), with a timer provided if you choose to simulate timed conditions of
the actual PCAT.
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A separate, printable Diagnostic Report is produced for each of the five multiple-choice subtests
and for the Composite score (the five multiple-choice sections combined).
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At any time while using a Practice test, you may choose to score an individual subtest. Once you
choose to score a subtest, you will be able to continue to review the questions and print out a
Diagnostic Report as many times as you wish from your date of purchase until the following January
31, when the current annual test cycle ends. However, you will
not be able to score any subtest more than once.
Sample Practice Test Diagnostic Score Report
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Each Subtest Diagnostic Report displays an approximate percentile score range for the subtest
to show how your score compares to scores of other examinees from the same reference group used
to determine actual PCAT percentile ranks.
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The Diagnostic Report also lists the number of questions for each specific subject area within
a subtest and shows the number and percent of questions you answer correctly for each, which
identifies your strengths and weaknesses.
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The PCAT Writing Practice Tests
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The Official PCAT Writing Practice Test provides a unique opportunity for you to practice writing an essay
on topics just like you will encounter on the actual PCAT and to receive a score just like the score assigned
following the actual test.
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Each Writing Practice Test consists of one prompt that has appeared on the actual PCAT, space
provided for you to compose an essay, and a printable Score Report with your score displayed on a
scale from 1-6 along with a brief description of what the score means.
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When taking the Writing Practice Test, you will first be presented with a prompt (i.e., a topic)
that states a problem similar to those used on the actual PCAT. You will then be able to compose
an original essay suggesting a solution to the problem stated in the prompt in an online
environment similar to what will be presented on the actual test.
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A timer is provided should you choose to simulate the 30-minute session like the actual PCAT.
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After you complete and submit the essay, your writing will be analyzed and scored electronically,
with results available almost immediately. Your essay will be rated on the same 1-6 scale that is
currently used to score the actual exam.
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The automatic scoring used for the Writing Practice Test generates a single score, rather than a
score that is an average of two manually determined scores, as you will earn for your essay on the
actual PCAT.
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Your Writing Practice Test score thus represents a general suggestion of your writing performance
relative to the criteria used to determine the PCAT Writing score.
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Each Score Report displays an earned score and a one-word score descriptor, along with a detailed
description of the earned score in the form of the scoring criteria that the score meets.
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After completing your essay, you may choose to score it at any time during the current annual test
cycle. You will be able to continue to review the essay and print out a Score Report as many times
as you wish from your date of purchase until the following January 31, when the current annual test
cycle ends. However, you will not be able to score any essay more
than once.
Sample Writing Practice Test Score Report
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The PCAT Study Guide
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The 150-page PCAT Study Guide has been developed to help you prepare for the current PCAT. This Study
Guide contains detailed information about the structure and contents of the PCAT and provides examples
of test items (formerly on Practice Test 1) for each content objective assessed.
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The entire PCAT test blueprint is included to provide a complete overview of the specific content
objectives assessed on the test.
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A detailed description of each of the Writing subtest score points is provided, along with
examples of complete essays that illustrate each score point.
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Forty or more sample test items are provided for each of the five multiple-choice subtests,
including at least one example of each specific content objective assessed, along with a
detailed explanation of the correct answer for each sample item.
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