Students taking the Medical College Admission Test in 2007 will be the first to experience its new design, thanks to a series of changes by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Each year more than 50,000 aspiring doctors take the exam, sitting for 10-plus hours in a large lecture hall and waiting more than 60 days for score reports. But two years from now, those who plan to take the MCAT will take a test half as long, in small clusters. The tests will be offered more frequently and the results will be available in 30 days. The AAMC ultimately hopes to provide scores in only two weeks.
Another significant change is the conversion from the current pencil-and-paper design to a completely computer-based system. Over the summer, the AAMC signed a $30 million, seven-year contract with Thompson Prometric, a Baltimore-based testing company, to move to the computer-based system within the next two years. Students will be able to make notes on paper during the test but will be unable to transfer those notes to the screen.
At the same time, the AAMC is also designing new security procedures, including the use of biometric security measures for the MCAT. Instead of submitting passport-style photos and ink thumbprints, test takers will now submit digital photos and use a high-tech touchpad that employs sensors to record fingerprints.
All of these changes will cost money, but the AAMC hopes to balance the increases by dropping the costs of printing and distributing the test booklets. "We have held off on the conversion to computer-based testing long enough that the costs have become manageable, and anticipate having no greater of an increase that year than we have most years, typically $10," said Dr. Ellen Julian, associate vice president of the AAMC and director of the MCAT.
Associate Dean for Health Careers Andrew Simmons views the changes favorably. "I think the increased flexibility of dates will enable premed students to have more freedom in considering options like study abroad," he said.
"The computer-based system will take some getting used to, but students can learn to adjust their test-taking strategies and will ultimately benefit from the flexibility as well as the faster scoring," Simmons said. "The expedited reporting of scores will help both students and medical schools with the actual application process, since medical schools operate on a rolling basis."
However, there is some concern about glitches during the transition. "When the American Medical College Application System moved to a Web-based application in 2001, there were many technical problems. I hope that this transition will be smoother, but there is no reason for students to panic," Simmons said. "Working out such issues is a natural part of the process."
The AAMC agreed. "We've been running computer-based testing on a small scale since 2001, and have been working out bugs all along, which is much easier with small groups than tens of thousands (of students)," Julian said. "A large systems-check pilot will be conducted in August 2006 to make sure everything is solidly in place for early 2007," she added.
Students have mixed opinions about the changes.
"I think the changes are for the better. Nobody wants to wait weeks and weeks for the scores," said Christopher Mun '08. "But while the shortness of the test will make it less painful, I doubt that I will be comfortable without a piece of paper in front of me and a pencil in my hand," he added.
Lee Chu '07 voiced similar sentiments. "I am not very happy about the change," he said. "I see the benefits, but I would much rather be able to work out problems in pencil, skip around from question to question, and see the 'big picture,' which you often lose with an electronic format."
Information about the new test is limited as the AAMC continually revises its plans for the changes. Simmons has begun spreading the word about the changes to students as he helps them plan and complete the medical school application process. He encouraged interested students to attend information sessions that will be held periodically throughout the semester to stay up to date on any new information.
