PCAT Test

PCAT Test: What You Need to Know

The PCAT test, which stands for Pharmacy School Admissions Test, is generally given three times per year, in January, April, and October. Schools of Pharmacy across North America use the results of the PCAT to help determine which students will be admitted to their programs. In almost all cases, the applicant's PCAT score will be given even more weight than his or her college grade point average. The test is scored on a scale of 100 to 300, with most scores falling between 170 and 230. There is not any "passing" score on the PCAT; each College of Pharmacy determines for itself the acceptable range of scores for the PCAT test.

The test takes about four and a half hours to complete, and there are usually around 275 questions, although this is always subject to change. There are six sections on the test, each timed separately. The first, Verbal Ability, consists of analogies that require the applicant to choose the answer which best completes a sentence. Next is Quantitative Ability, which covers geometry, algebra, probability and statistics, pre-calculus, and calculus. Next is Biology, where over half the questions will be on general biology and the other half on microbiology and anatomy and physiology. Next up is Chemistry, with about two thirds of the questions being on general chemistry and the rest on organic chemistry. The final multiple-choice section will be Reading Comprehension, which is pretty straightforward. The last section of the PCAT test requires the test taker to write an essay on a given topic.

Needless to say, the PCAT is a very difficult admissions test. While technically there is no failing score, a substantial percentage of the people who take the test every year fail to score high enough for admission into any pharmacy program. It is not uncommon for people to take the PCAT three and four times and still never qualify for pharmacy school. In fact, unlike many standardized admissions tests, there is a limit to how many times a person can take the PCAT: five. After that, an applicant must apply for a written waiver to take it again. Although the PCAT is demanding and exhausting, many people do make high scores on it every year. The best approach is to get a good PCAT test study guide and make good use of it prior to the test date.

The PCAT Exam: Can You Make the Grade?

The PCAT exam is a difficult intellectual challenge that thousands of people line up to take every year. That is because making a good grade on the PCAT is a requirement for anyone who hopes to be admitted to a College of Pharmacy and one day become a pharmacist. There is no way around this hurdle. Even if a person has a 4.0 grade point average and glowing letters of recommendation from college faculty members, he or she is not going to become a pharmacist with a poor score on the PCAT exam.

You may think you are ready for this grueling exam, but are you aware that the PCAT has one of the highest failure rates of any admissions test out there? Technically, of course, there is no such thing as a failing score, but making a score that is so low that no pharmacy college will accept you is the same thing, for all intents and purposes. Many people who are confident of their abilities to make a high PCAT score when they walk into the testing site walk out of the place a few hours later feeling devastated, knowing they blew it. Many of these same people go on to take the PCAT again and again, only to keep being disappointed.

If this sounds like hyperbole, rest assured that it is not. It is impossible to overemphasize just how difficult the PCAT test really is. It covers calculus, statistics, chemistry, organic chemistry, verbal ability, geometry, algebra, physiology, anatomy, general biology, microbiology, and other topics and also requires a written essay. Doing well in all these subjects is not something many people can do without getting help. Talk to any person who has taken the PCAT in the last several years. They will verify just how hard the test really is. They will also tell you that anyone who takes the PCAT exam without making use of an excellent study guide is simply asking to do poorly. Do not think that you are the exception. Many individuals who think that go on to fail the PCAT exam.

PCAT Study Guide: How to Choose One

Which PCAT study guide is the right one for you? There are a lot of options to consider, and with the stakes being as high as they are for your PCAT score, you want to make sure you select the best option. Some people may tell you that a study guide is not necessary and choose to study on their own for the PCAT. Well, good luck to them. If you talk to a few people who have actually taken the exam, though, you will be hard pressed to find one who says you do not need a PCAT study guide to do well.

So what criteria should you use in selecting a good study guide? First, do not go by price alone. Some people subscribe to the notion that the higher something is priced, the better its quality, so many companies in the market raise their prices because they know people will think a high price means a better product. That may be true with some products or services, but it is far from being a universal axiom, and it certainly does not apply in this case. Do not fall for that business tactic. You can get a good PCAT study guide at a very reasonable price.

Next, look for a company that has been around for a while and has testimonials to back up the quality of its study guide. If it does not offer any, it means one of two things: either the company's study guide is new and untested, or the company has been around a while but does not have any satisfied customers. Neither one is a good bet when your future pharmacy career is on the line. Finally, make sure they offer a money back guarantee. If their product is as good as they say it is, they should not hesitate to back it up. If they do not, think long and hard about why that is before risking your money-and your future as a pharmacist-on a product the publisher will not guarantee. Keep these rules in mind, and you should have no trouble finding an excellent PCAT study guide for a great price.

Pharmacy College Admission Test: How to Achieve a High Score

So you are planning on taking the Pharmacy College Admission Test? Congratulations on having the ambition to tackle one of the hardest standardized tests in existence. As you well know, making a high score on the PCAT can mean the difference between attending one of the best pharmacy schools in the country and putting your dreams of being a pharmacist completely on hold for another year. A large number of people attempt the PCAT every year, and a lot of them fail the test. It need not happen to you, though. Here is how you can make a high score on the Pharmacy College Admission Test.

First, get a good study guide for the PCAT at least several weeks in advance of the test. Then, have a set time every night (or day-whatever time best fits your schedule) when you spend an hour or two reviewing the material the test covers. You want to avoid last minute cramming, as this is usually a recipe for disaster. Cramming for the PCAT (or any other standardized test, for that matter) rarely works and is often harmful, as a test taker who is frazzled from cramming will struggle to do their best.

Once you have gotten your study guide and have set your regular study sessions, you will be making good progress. As the test day approaches, you will need to give extra attention to the PCAT section that will be the most difficult for you. For many aspiring pharmacists, this will be chemistry or organic chemistry. For others, it may be the math or verbal sections. From this point forward in your study sessions, spend at least one third to half of your study time mastering the section that is giving you the most trouble, while continuing to study the other sections with the remaining time. This approach is effective because, for many people, it is only one section of the PCAT that ruins their overall score. They do very well on a couple of sections, average on others, but completely fail another one. This brings their total score way down. By preparing with a good study guide, you will not have to worry about this happening to you when you take the Pharmacy College Admission Test.