Physics on the MCAT: How Much? Which Topics? What Math?

This post answers the question every premed asks at some point: is physics on the MCAT, and if so, how much? It covers the amount, the topics, the math level, and a simple way to review it.

Key Takeaways

• It's one section, about a quarter of it: Introductory physics is about 25% of the 59-question Chemical and Physical Foundations section, and AAMC rounds that figure to the nearest 5%.¹²
• The topics are a short, finite list: AAMC spreads physics across content categories 4A to 4E and 5E, from mechanics and fluids to circuits, waves, light, and thermodynamics.³⁴⁵⁶⁷
• The math is modest: AAMC describes Algebra II-level math and says an understanding of calculus is not required.⁸
• Physics is wrapped in biology: AAMC frames fluids around blood flow, circuits around nerve signals, and sound and light around ultrasound and vision.⁴⁵⁶

That's the short version. Now let's pin down exactly how much physics you're signing up for.

Is Physics on the MCAT? How Much Is There?

Physics on the MCAT lives in one place: the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section.

That section has 59 questions, a mix of passage-based and stand-alone questions, and you get 95 minutes.¹

AAMC publishes how the questions break down by discipline:

• General chemistry: 30%¹
• Introductory physics: 25%¹
• First-semester biochemistry: 25%¹
• Organic chemistry: 15%¹
• Introductory biology: 5%¹

A quarter of 59 comes out to roughly 15 questions.⁹¹⁰ Treat 15 as a rough guide, not a promise. AAMC says these percentages are approximated to the nearest 5% and vary from one test to another.¹

So physics is a real part of the exam, but it isn't the whole section. Three quarters of that section is chemistry, biochemistry, and biology.

The label "introductory" matters too, and we'll come back to it. First, let's see what's on the list.

Which MCAT Physics Topics Are Tested?

AAMC doesn't hand you one tidy list called "physics." It scatters physics topics across several content categories, so here they are in one place.

Units and dimensional analysis belong on the list too, and they line up with AAMC's 4A topics.⁹³

You'll notice that nothing on the list is exotic. It's the introductory physics sequence, trimmed down.

Which raises the next question: how hard does the physics and math actually get?

What Level of Physics and Math Does the MCAT Use?

This is the part that worries people most, so let's keep it plain.

AAMC lists the discipline as introductory physics.¹ That means the exam leans on the ideas from a first-year sequence, not on derivations or advanced theory.

For the math, AAMC's list of mathematical concepts and techniques describes the same level:

• Probability, proportion, ratio, percentage, and square-root estimation
• Exponentials, logarithms, scientific notation, and simultaneous equations
• Basic trigonometry and its special-angle relationships
• Vector addition and subtraction
• Metric and English unit conversions and dimensional analysis
• Significant digits and reasonable numerical estimates
• Linear, semilog, and log-log scales and slopes from graphs⁸

Calculus is not on that list. AAMC says "an understanding of calculus is not required" and describes the exponent, logarithm, and equation-solving skills as Algebra II-level.⁸ Linear algebra and differential equations aren't expected either.¹²

There's one more thing to plan for: you don't get a calculator.¹³¹⁰ AAMC says you're given "a noteboard booklet and fine-point marker" for notes and calculations.¹⁴ (The bad news is no calculator. The good news is that nobody else has one either.)

So plan to do your arithmetic by hand. Now let's talk about how to learn the equations without turning them into a wall of flashcards.

How to Learn MCAT Physics Equations Without Memorizing Everything

Understand the equations instead of memorizing them.¹⁰¹⁵

Here's a way to apply that.

Start with units. Units and dimensions are the first thing on AAMC's 4A list.³ Keep units straight, for example joules for work and watts for power, since dimensional analysis can rescue you when you forget an equation.¹⁵ Our units cheat sheet is where we'd begin.

Learn the relationships, not just the symbols. An equation is a sentence about how quantities move together. If force doubles and mass stays the same, what happens to acceleration? Newton's laws are really a handful of proportional relationships. Once you see that, the algebra is mostly bookkeeping.

Practice the arithmetic you'll actually use. With no calculator, our cheat sheets on significant figures and rounding, exponents and logarithms, and trigonometry are worth a short, regular drill. Round aggressively and check that your answer is the right size.

Draw it. Draw the circuit and simplify it before reaching for a formula.¹⁵ The same habit works for forces and fluids, and it's the cheapest way to avoid a sign error.

That covers learning the tools. Next comes the part that makes MCAT physics feel different from a physics class.

How MCAT Physics Connects to Biology

In a physics course, you slide blocks down ramps. On the MCAT, the same ideas show up wearing a lab coat.

AAMC's own category descriptions say so:

• Fluids: "Importance of fluids for the circulation of blood, gas movement, and gas exchange." Hydrostatic pressure, flow rate, and viscosity all connect to how blood moves.⁴
• Electricity: Charged particles and electric fields connect to nerve cells, where a concentration gradient of charged particles is set up across the membrane.⁵
• Sound and light: AAMC describes how light and sound interact with matter, with applications in vision, diagnostic medicine, and ultrasound imaging.⁶
• Energy: In a living system, the energy for motion comes from metabolizing fuel molecules, and it is still subject to the same physical principles.³

So when you study, don't stop at the formula. Ask what the physiology looks like. Our fluids in physiology cheat sheet is built around exactly that link, and hydrostatics and fluid dynamics cover the physics underneath it.

Of course, not every "physics" topic is purely physics, which brings us to the overlaps.

Physics Topics That Overlap With Chemistry (and Other Traps)

The AAMC list has a few places where physics and chemistry share a category. Knowing where they overlap saves you from studying the wrong thing.

Category 4C Mixes Physics and Electrochemistry

Category 4C includes circuits and magnetism, but it also lists electrochemistry: galvanic and electrolytic cells, reduction potentials, and batteries.⁵ The circuit part is physics. The cell part is general chemistry.

Category 4E Is Mostly Chemistry

The atomic nucleus and electronic structure are tagged for both physics and general chemistry. The periodic table topics and stoichiometry are tagged general chemistry only.¹¹ So don't count every 4E topic as physics.

Thermodynamics Lives in 5E

Thermodynamics sits under category 5E, not 4A to 4E. AAMC tags energy changes in chemical reactions for both general chemistry and physics, and the physics-tagged items include PV diagrams, heat transfer, and phase diagrams.⁷ If you skip 5E, you skip a whole physics topic.

Unit Slips Are the Quiet Trap

Because the math is simple, mistakes tend to be mechanical. Unit conversions are the place to be careful.¹⁰¹⁵ A kilopascal is not a pascal, and the MCAT knows it.

Now that you know what's in scope and where the boundaries are, let's look at how the exam actually presents it.

How the MCAT Tests Physics Questions

Physics questions don't arrive in a separate section. They sit inside the Chemical and Physical Foundations section alongside chemistry and biochemistry, in a mix of passage-based and stand-alone questions.¹

AAMC describes the section as asking you to "solve problems by combining your knowledge of chemical and physical foundational concepts with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills."¹⁶ In practice, that means the physics concept is usually a tool you use on a biological or chemical setup.

AAMC also notes that you have access to the periodic table during this section, which is a reminder that chemistry and physics share the same room.¹

AAMC's content category pages list topics and section percentages without ranking individual physics topics.¹³ A yield ranking built on one tutor's experience isn't exam data,¹⁵ so study the whole list instead of betting on a favorite.

(If someone tells you a single physics topic is "the" high-yield one, ask for their data.)

That's also why we built our cheat sheets the way we did. The topics in our cheat sheets come from our own research into which topics have actually appeared on the MCAT over the past five years, checked against real exam-topic patterns. So how do you put it all into a plan?

How to Review Physics for the MCAT

You don't need a complicated plan. You need to cover the whole list once, then keep returning to it.

Here's an order that works:

1. Units and math tools: Units, exponents, logarithms, and trigonometry first, since everything else uses them.
2. Mechanics: Newton's laws, mechanical equilibrium, work, and energy.
3. Fluids and thermodynamics: Fluids and the first law of thermodynamics.
4. Electricity and magnetism: Coulomb's law, current, and magnetism.
5. Waves, light, and atoms: Sound, geometrical optics, and the photoelectric effect.

After each block, do a few practice questions with no calculator and your noteboard. Favor extensive practice and active learning over passive reading.¹⁰¹⁷ Getting a question wrong and working out why is often what makes the idea stick.

Quick Physics Checklist

Before test day, make sure you can:

• Name each physics topic in AAMC categories 4A to 4E and 5E
• Work in basic units without a calculator
• Explain how each topic shows up in physiology
• Tell which parts of 4C, 4E, and 5E are physics and which are chemistry

If you can do all of that without checking your notes, you're in a good spot.

FAQ

How many physics questions are on the MCAT?+

AAMC lists introductory physics at about 25% of the 59-question Chemical and Physical Foundations section, which works out to roughly 15 questions.¹ AAMC rounds the percentage to the nearest 5% and says it varies from one test to another, so the exact count can differ.

What physics topics are on the MCAT?+

AAMC covers translational motion, forces, work and energy, fluids and gases, electrostatics, circuits, magnetism, sound, light and optics, atomic and nuclear phenomena, and thermodynamics.^3456117 Some of these, such as atomic structure and energy changes in reactions, are shared with general chemistry.

Do I need calculus for MCAT physics?+

No. AAMC says an understanding of calculus is not required and describes the math as Algebra II-level.⁸ You'll use algebra, exponents, logarithms, and basic trigonometry.

Can I use a calculator on the MCAT?+

No. You don't get a calculator on the MCAT.¹³¹⁰ AAMC says you'll be given a noteboard booklet and fine-point marker to make notes or calculations during the exam.¹⁴

Do I need to take physics before the MCAT?+

The MCAT tests introductory physics,¹ but whether you must take a course first depends on the medical schools you're applying to. Check each school's requirements for its specific course list.

Put It Into Practice

• Cover the whole list: Physics is about a quarter of one section, spread across six AAMC categories. Skim all of it before you go deep on any of it.
• Connect it to biology: Tie each topic to the physiology it explains, so you can reason from the setup instead of recalling a formula.
• Next step: Sign up to see the Units cheat sheet for a condensed review of the units and dimensional analysis that every other physics topic builds on.

Sources

1. AAMC: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section Overview ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴

2. UWorld: MCAT Sections, Subjects, and Question Breakdown ↩

3. AAMC: Content Category 4A ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

4. AAMC: Content Category 4B ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

5. AAMC: Content Category 4C ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

6. AAMC: Content Category 4D ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

7. AAMC: Content Category 5E ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

8. AAMC: Scientific Inquiry & Reasoning Skills, General Mathematical Concepts and Techniques ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

9. TestPrepInsight: How Much Physics Is on the MCAT? ↩ ↩²

10. MedLifeMastery: MCAT Physics, Everything You Need to Know ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

11. AAMC: Content Category 4E ↩ ↩² ↩³

12. MedSchoolCoach: MCAT Math Strategies ↩

13. MedSchoolCoach: Do You Get a Calculator on the MCAT? ↩ ↩²

14. AAMC: MCAT Test Day ↩ ↩²

15. Blueprint MCAT: High-Yield MCAT Physics Topics ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

16. AAMC: What's on the MCAT Exam? ↩

17. Beyond the States: How Much Physics Is on the MCAT? ↩