MCAT Chem / Phys
Chem/Phys is not a physics test. It is a reasoning test that borrows physics vocabulary.
The MCAT Chemistry and Physics (C/P) section trips up strong science students because it hides simple relationships inside biological contexts. This guide covers the formula fluency, unit reasoning, and passage habits that actually move C/P scores.
- Know the core formulas cold — but always start from units, not memorized numbers.
- Treat biology-adjacent chemistry (acid/base, thermodynamics, kinetics) as top priority.
- Slow down on physics passages long enough to draw the setup.
Formulas
Memorize the small set of relationships that actually appear, and stop drilling the rest.
MCAT physics leans on a compact list: kinematics, forces, energy, fluids, waves, circuits, optics. If you can rewrite each in one line and describe the units, most C/P physics questions become plug-and-check.
- Force, work, energy, and power — including conservation.
- Fluids: pressure, continuity, Bernoulli at conceptual level.
- Circuits: Ohm's law, resistors in series/parallel, RC intuition.
- Optics: lens/mirror equation and sign conventions.
Chemistry
The chemistry the MCAT tests is the chemistry that keeps you alive.
Acid/base equilibria, buffers, thermodynamics, and kinetics dominate the section because they are the language biology uses.
- pH, pKa, buffer regions, and the Henderson-Hasselbalch relationship written out in plain text (pH = pKa + log([A-]/[HA])).
- Delta G, delta H, and delta S — including when a reaction is spontaneous.
- Reaction rate expressions and how catalysts change activation energy.
AAMC almost never asks you to memorize obscure organic mechanisms. Recognizing functional groups usually gets you 90 percent of the way.
Passages
Draw first, then read the questions.
Chem/Phys passages describe experiments and setups. A rough sketch of the apparatus, forces, or circuit dramatically reduces cognitive load.
- Label variables directly on the sketch.
- Mark units next to every quantity to catch trap answers.
- Underline the one sentence in each paragraph that changes what you would predict.
Timing
Guard the last twenty minutes of the section. That is where scores are lost.
Most C/P section drops come from panic in the final block. Build the habit of skipping and returning early instead of getting stuck.
- Skip any question that requires more than 15 seconds to parse.
- Return to skipped questions with fresh eyes, not with fatigue.
- Do not spend more than 90 seconds on a discrete unless you are sure.