What’s Tested on the MCAT: Psychology and Sociology

The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section of the MCAT, often called the Behavioral Sciences or Psych/Soc section for short, requires you to solve problems based on knowledge of introductory psychology and sociology concepts combined with Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills (SIRS). The content on this section of the test also includes a small amount of biology. You should also be aware that this is a science section of the MCAT, not another CARS (Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills) section.

Keep in mind that the MCAT requires more than just an understanding of behavioral science content. The MCAT is a test of critical reasoning skills. Knowing how to use psychology and sociology information to interpret and solve complex problems is the key to success on this section of the exam.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Overview
• MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Disciplines
• MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Foundational Concepts
• MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Critical Reasoning (SIRS)
• MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Structure of the Section
• MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Section Scoring

MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Overview

The Psych/Soc section of the MCAT is the fourth and final section to be tested, and follows an optional 10-minute break.

MCAT Section	Number of Questions	Time Limit	Section Score Range
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior	59 total (10 passages, 44 passage-based questions, 15 discrete questions)	95 minutes	118-132

Exam content in the Psych/Soc section will draw from psychology, sociology, and biology disciplines, Foundational Concepts #6-10, and Scientific Reasoning and Inquiry Skills #1-4. Each type of exam content for this section is explained in detail below. 

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MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Disciplines

The undergraduate courses that are reflected in the Psych/Soc section of the MCAT are:

• Introductory Psychology (65%)
• Introductory Sociology (30%)
• Introductory Biology (5%)

In order to study effectively for the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section, you should thoroughly understand these psychology, sociology, and biology topics: 

• Cognition and Consciousness
• Identity and Personality
• Language Development
• Learning and Memory
• Motivation and Emotion
• Neurobiology
• Psychological Disorders
• Sensation and Perception
• Social Interaction
• Social Processes and Behavior
• Social Structure and Stratification
• Social Thinking and Attitudes

MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Foundational Concepts

The AAMC has described the topics within the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section of the MCAT. These topics are subdivided into Foundational Concepts, each of which has several sub-categories and are described below.

This topic is about the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that influence the ways that individuals perceive, think about, and react to the world. The science tested in this foundational concept comprise 25% of the questions in the Psych/Soc section. This is further subdivided into three categories:

• Sensing the environment
• Making sense of the environment
• Responding to the world

This topic is about the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that influence behavior and behavior change. The science tested in this foundational concept comprise 35% of the questions in the Psych/Soc section. This is further subdivided into three categories:

• Individual influences on behavior
• Social processes that influence human behavior
• Attitude and behavior change

This topic is about the psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors that influence the way we think about ourselves and others, and how we interact with others. The science tested in this foundational concept comprise 20% of the questions in the Psych/Soc section. This is further subdivided into three categories:

• Self-identity
• Social thinking
• Social interactions

This topic is about the cultural and social differences that influence well-being.  The science tested in this foundational concept comprise 15% of the questions in the Psych/Soc section. This is further subdivided into two categories:

• Understanding social structure
• Demographic characteristics and processes

This topic is about the social stratification and access to resources that influence well-being.  The science tested in this foundational concept comprise 5% of the questions in the Psych/Soc section.

MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Critical Reasoning (SIRS)

The AAMC has defined four critical reasoning skills, called Scientific Reasoning and Inquiry Skills, or SIRS. These skills are tested in all three MCAT science sections. Below, we list the four skills you should be able to demonstrate on the MCAT.

MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Structure of the Section

In the Psych/Soc section, the MCAT will present you with ten passages on psychology, sociology and related biology topics, and ask four to six questions about each passage. The questions will address the four skills listed, although not every passage will require you to use each skill. You will be asked to answer 15 discrete questions that are not associated with any passage. These will also be designed to test both your science knowledge and application of that knowledge based on the four SIRS skills listed above.

MCAT Psychology & Sociology: Section Scoring

This section of the MCAT is scored on a scale of 118-132, with the median score of all test takers set to be 125. A given scaled score does not correspond to any specific number of right or wrong questions. The score for this section of the test is combined with the other three sections to provide your overall score which ranges from 472 to 528.

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Written by Kaplan experts, reviewed by Aeri Kim and Logan Emlet. Aeri Kim has been teaching MCAT prep at Kaplan for over eight years and also works on the MCAT content development team, helping optimize our courses to better suit student needs in real-time. She holds a BS in Biological Sciences as well as a PhD in Structural Biochemistry. Logan Emlet serves as an MCAT Product Manager at Kaplan North America. Since beginning his journey with Kaplan in 2013 as a teacher, he has guided thousands of students through the complexities of the MCAT.