The introduction of the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section to the MCAT has added a new dimension of material not previously addressed on the test. Prior to this addition, few pre-med programs included exposure to psychology or sociology coursework, and few medical school admissions boards listed these courses as prerequisite. As a result, many undergraduate students pursued extensive coursework in the physical and biological sciences—biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics—while giving little thought toward social science. The innovation of the MCAT changes this precedent, requiring students to know not only Mendel and Darwin, but Piaget and Pavlov as well. Whether you need top MCAT tutors in New York, MCAT tutors in Chicago, or top MCAT tutors in Los Angeles, working with a pro may take your studies to the next level.
With relatively few resources available to help one prepare for the revised test, the MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences section has become a bit of an enigma. Many students not only feel unequipped to tackle topics in the fields of psychology and sociology, but struggle even to identify the scope of the materials covered on the exam. Let’s try to break it down.
There are 59 questions in the MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences section, with an allotted time of 95 minutes. Like the rest of the exam, most of these questions are passage-based, though there are a few discrete questions as well. The content covered is designed to require knowledge from one term of psychology coursework, one term of sociology coursework, and a minimal smattering of biology coursework. Varsity Tutors offers resources like free MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences Question of the Day to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an MCAT tutor.
Psychology topics represent the majority of the information covered. Though most of the psychology topics appear relatively basic (few extend beyond the scope of the AP Psychology exam), the passage-based nature of the section’s question delivery demands a deeper understanding of these topics. Though it may sound cliché, simple memorization is not adequate; students must be able to apply their knowledge. When preparing for this subject, students should focus on the following areas:
-Cognition, including memory, speech, and learning
- Emotion and stress
- Influences of behavior, such as attitude, personality, and motivation
- Sense of self and identity
- Psychological abnormalities, disorders, and treatments
- Theories and influential studies in psychology
Sociology topics in the MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences section range from cultural influence to group psychology and topics of social inequality. These topics can be applied to an incredible variety of different scenarios on the exam, requiring students to think critically about sociological theories and applications in a context of real-world issues and circumstances. Topics covered from sociology include the following:
- Group behavior and individual behavior in a group
- Culture and cultural interactions
- Norms and social institutions
- Social inequality, discrimination, and social movements for change
- Theories and fundamental principles in sociology
Biology content represents by far the smallest discipline within the Social and Behavioral Sciences section, and is limited almost exclusively to the nervous system. Students are expected to understand sensory organs, sensory input, and sensory processing, as well as general neural physiology. Some brain physiology is tested, especially as it pertains to psychological disorders. In addition to the MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences Practice Tests and MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences tutoring, you may also want to consider using some of our MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences flashcards.
Preparing for the MCAT is a daunting task. Learning new material from courses you may not have taken in college compounds the difficulty of that endeavour. To successfully prepare for your exam day, take the time to fully familiarize yourself the the concepts covered on the MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences section. While part of this preparation can be self-taught, working with a tutor can enhance your grasp on the concepts you may not have been taught in class. Varsity Tutors offers the MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences tutoring and preparation resources to help you master these difficult disciplines. In addition, Varsity Tutors’ free MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences Practice Tests can help you get a sense of each topic covered on the exam, and identify those areas in which further study could be most beneficial to your preparation. Each free MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences Practice Test consists of twelve questions that mimic the style and formatting of those you will encounter on the revised MCAT. Each question is accompanied by a complete explanation, so you can identify exactly how you erred in any questions you answer incorrectly. By making a free Learning Tools account, you can track your results and your progress over time. The MCAT’s Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section may seem like the test’s most daunting, but with the right preparation, you can feel prepared to tackle any challenge it presents you with on test day!
Our completely free MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences practice tests are the perfect way to brush up your skills. Take
one of our many MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences practice tests for a run-through of commonly asked questions. You
will receive incredibly detailed scoring results at the end of your MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences practice test to
help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Pick one of our MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences practice tests now
and begin!
Practice Tests by Concept
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-consciousness-and-thought
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 3 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-cognition
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 14 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-cognitive-development
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 19 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-cognition-principles_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 1 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-consciousness-and-sleep
Questions: 7
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 8 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-pathways-and-processed-of-consciousness-altering-drugs
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 29 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-sleep-cycles-and-stages-of-sleep
Questions: 7
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 2 mins 20 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-memory
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 25 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-memory-creation-and-encoding
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 14 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-memory-disorders-aging-and-forgetting
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 15 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-memory-recall_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 52 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-memory-principles
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 34 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-speech-and-language_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 0 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-language-and-cognition_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 1 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-physiology-of-language-and-the-brain_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 29 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-environment-and-sensation
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 6 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-hearing
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 20 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-physiology-of-the-ear
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 17 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-processing-and-integrating-auditory-signals
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 7 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-senses-and-sensation-principles
Questions: 10
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 4 hrs 17 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-principles-of-sensation
Questions: 10
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 4 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-detection-theory-and-sensory-adaptation
Questions: 4
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 2 mins 53 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-sensory-principles
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 28 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-perceptual-concepts-and-organization
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 12 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-perceptual-processing-theories-and-gestalt
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 43 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-sensory-threshold-and-weber-s-law
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 39 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-senses-and-receptors_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 31 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-somatosensation-receptors-and-processing_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 3 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-vision
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 22 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-physiology-of-the-eye
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 22 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-processing-and-integrating-visual-signals
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 32 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-visual-receptors_aa
Questions: 4
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 41 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-group-behavior-and-sociological-phenomena
Questions: 5
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 7 hrs 6 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-attribution-discrimination-and-stereotype
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 2 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-development-of-attributions-and-perceptions-of-others_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 30 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-discrimination
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 14 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-prejudice
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 19 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-behavioral-phenomena-within-a-group
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 11 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-bystander-effect
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-deindividuation
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 25 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-group-polarization-and-groupthink
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 28 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-culture
Questions: 3
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 59 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-cultural-phenomena
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 46 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-assimilation
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 12 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-culture-lag
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 30 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-cultural-principles_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 35 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-institutions-and-norms
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 29 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-health-and-illness
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 40 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-social-institutions
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 11 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-norms-and-mores
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 12 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-behaviors
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 50 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-explaining-social-behavior
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 27 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-social-behaviors_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 39 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-change
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 30 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-globalization
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 14 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-aspects-of-social-change_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 9 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-movements_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 16 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-class-and-inequality
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 0 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-inequality-in-healthcare_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 10 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-social-inequalities_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 58 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-power-privilege-and-prestige
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 36 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-mobility_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 18 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-stratification-and-socioeconomic-class_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 27 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-spatial-inequality
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 47 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-sociological-foundations-and-principles_aa
Questions: 3
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 2 mins 30 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-demographics_aa
Questions: 3
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 27 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-gender_aa
Questions: 3
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 34 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-individual-behavior-and-learning
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 28 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-behavior-and-the-individual_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 2 mins 46 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-motivation_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 23 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-motivators-and-influencing-motivation_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 14 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-theories-of-motivation_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 41 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-conditioning-learning-and-behavior-change
Questions: 3
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 2 mins 8 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-associative-learning
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 25 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-classical-conditioning
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 32 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-identifying-positive-and-negative-reinforcement_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 32 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-operative-conditioning
Questions: 3
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 40 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-learning-and-behavior-change
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 46 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-elaboration-likelihood-model
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 30 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-factors-affecting-behavior-change-and-learning_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 18 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-aspects-of-behavior-change
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 35 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-social-cognitive-theory
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 3 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-identity-and-self-expression_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 48 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-identity-development_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 33 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-self-concept-and-social-identity_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 32 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-self-esteem-and-locus-of-control_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 46 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-physiology-of-behavior
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 20 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-brain-and-nervous-system
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 14 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-studying-the-brain-and-nervous-system
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 9 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-neural-physiology
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 39 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-neurons-and-neural-physiology
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 48 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-factors-on-behavior_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 37 mins
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-developmental-factors_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 27 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-psychological-disorders-and-anomalies
Questions: 14
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 6 d 16 hrs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-biology-and-treatment-of-specific-disorders
Questions: 4
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 39 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-biology-and-treatment-of-other-disorders_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 21 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-parkinson-s-disease-and-alzheimer-s-disease
Questions: 3
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 21 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-schizophrenia-and-depression
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 12 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-studying-psychological-disorders
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 10 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-classifying-disorders
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 7 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-research-approaches-and-methods_aa
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 47 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-types-of-psychological-disorders
Questions: 9
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 2 mins 10 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-anxiety-and-trauma-related-disorders
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 31 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-bipolar-disorder
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 11 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-depressive-disorders
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 19 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-obsessive-compulsive-disorders
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 15 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-psychological-disorders_aa
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 41 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-personality-disorders
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 50 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-schizophrenia
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 16 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-stress-and-emotion
Questions: 8
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 2 mins 14 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-emotion
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 47 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-concepts-of-emotion
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 59 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-theories-of-emotional-processing
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 5 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-stress
Questions: 7
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 32 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-other-stress-principles
Questions: 1
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 59 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-physiology-and-stress
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 1 mins 0 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-responses-to-stress
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 55 secs
mcat_social_and_behavioral_sciences-stress-management
Questions: 2
Test Difficulty:
Average Time Spent: 46 secs
All MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences Resources