About the PCAT
Overview
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The PCAT measures your general ability and scientific knowledge for admission to pharmacy schools. It is a multiple-choice exam consisting of approximately 300 questions, and lasting approximately 4 hours, 30 minutes.
Verbal Ability questions measure general, nonscientific word knowledge using antonyms and analogies.
Quantitative Ability questions measure your skills in arithmetic processes including fractions, decimals, and percentages. They also test your ability to reason through and understand quantitative concepts and relationships, including applications of algebra (but not of trigonometry or calculus).
Biology questions measure your knowledge of the principles and concepts of basic biology, with a major emphasis on human biology.
Chemistry questions measure your knowledge of principles and concepts of inorganic and elementary organic chemistry.
Reading Comprehension questions measure your ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret reading passages on scientific topics.
Test Dates
| Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline |
| June 20, 2009 | April 10, 2009* May 8, 2009** | June 5, 2009** |
| Aug. 22, 2009 | June 12, 2009* July 10, 2009** | Aug. 7, 2009** |
| Oct. 17, 2009 | Aug. 7, 2009* Sept. 4, 2009** | Oct. 2, 2009** |
| Jan. 23, 2010 | Nov. 13, 2009* Dec. 11, 2009** | Jan. 8, 2010** |
* Paper registrations or requests for non-Saturday/Sunday tests or special accommodations
** Online registration only
Test Locations
Exams are held at testing centers in all 50 states and throughout Canada. Contact the Psychological Corporation for further information, or go to www.PCATweb.info.
Test Structure
| Verbal Ability | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
| Multiple-choice | 57 |
| Time Allotted: 35 minutes | |
| Biology | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
| Multiple-choice | 58 |
| Time Allotted: 35 minutes | |
| Reading Comprehension | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
| Passage-based multiple-choice | 48 |
| Time Allotted: 50 minutes | |
| Quantitative Ability | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
| Multiple-choice | 58 |
| Time Allotted: 50 minutes | |
| Chemistry | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
| Multiple-choice | 58 |
| Time Allotted: 35 minutes | |
| Writing | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
| Essay writing | 1 essay |
| Time Allotted: 30 minutes | |
Scoring
You will receive scaled scores and percentiles for each of the five multiple-choice sections, and for all five of the multiple-choice sections as a whole (composite scores). Scaled scores run from 200 to 600. A separate score, ranging from 1 through 5, is given for the Writing section. A score of 5 is ''Superior'', and a score of 1 is ''Weak''.
Discover the best ways to get your child prepared for their tests and help your child overcome test-taking anxiety. 
