🏠 MDCAT
MDCAT 2026
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and English high-yield topics with MCQ patterns — complete MDCAT preparation cheatsheet.
01Biology High-Yield▼
Cell organelles
Mitochondria=ATP (aerobic respiration). Ribosome=protein synthesis. Chloroplast=photosynthesis. Nucleus=control centre.
Mitosis vs Meiosis
Mitosis: 2 identical diploid. Meiosis: 4 unique haploid gametes. Crossing over in Prophase I.
DNA structure
Double helix. A-T (2 H-bonds), G-C (3 H-bonds). Antiparallel strands 3'-5' and 5'-3'.
Transport across membrane
Simple diffusion: high to low, no energy. Active transport: low to high, requires ATP. Osmosis: water through semipermeable membrane.
Enzymes
Lock and key model. Competitive inhibitor = blocks active site. Non-competitive = binds elsewhere, changes shape. Denaturation = irreversible.
Homeostasis
Blood glucose: insulin (high glucose) and glucagon (low glucose). Body temp: shivering/vasoconstriction (cold), sweating/vasodilation (hot).
MDCATBiology MCQ patterns
Most tested: Cell biology (25%), Genetics (20%), Physiology (20%) Biochemistry (15%), Ecology (10%), Evolution (10%) Common traps: - Meiosis vs Mitosis outcomes - Competitive vs Non-competitive inhibition - Active vs Passive transport - Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic differences - Hormone functions (insulin vs glucagon)
02Chemistry High-Yield▼
MDCATChemistry key topics
ATOMIC STRUCTURE: - Electronic configuration: 2,8,18,32... shells - Ionization energy: increases across period, decreases down group - Electronegativity: F > O > N > Cl (highest in periodic table) BONDING: - Ionic: metal+nonmetal, transfer electrons - Covalent: nonmetals, share electrons - Polar covalent: unequal sharing (HCl, H2O) - H-bonding: N-H, O-H, F-H with lone pair. Causes high bp of water. EQUILIBRIUM (Le Chatelier): - Increase reactant concentration -> shifts right - Increase temperature -> shifts toward endothermic side - Increase pressure -> shifts toward fewer moles of gas ORGANIC: - Alkanes: CnH2n+2, single bonds, substitution reactions - Alkenes: CnH2n, C=C, addition reactions (Markovnikov) - Carboxylic acids: -COOH, weak acids - Esterification: acid + alcohol -> ester + water (reversible)
| Reaction | Reagent | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Alkane + Cl2 | Cl2 | UV light (substitution) |
| Alkene + Br2 | Br2 | Room temp (addition) |
| Alkene + HBr | HBr | Markovnikov rule |
| Alcohol -> Aldehyde | KMnO4/K2Cr2O7 | Acidic, controlled |
| Carboxylic + Alcohol | H2SO4 catalyst | Heat (esterification) |
03Physics High-Yield▼
MDCATPhysics formulas
MECHANICS: v = u + at s = ut + 1/2at^2 v^2 = u^2 + 2as F = ma W = Fs*cos(theta) KE = 1/2mv^2 GPE = mgh P = Fv WAVES: v = f*lambda T = 1/f Refraction: n1*sin(theta1) = n2*sin(theta2) ELECTRICITY: V = IR P = IV = I^2R = V^2/R Series: R_total = R1+R2+... Parallel: 1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 Q = It MODERN: E = hf (photon energy) t1/2 = ln2/lambda (half-life)
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MDCAT Physics: Focus on units and formula derivation. Many MCQs test if you can identify the correct formula from a description.
04English (MDCAT)▼
| Topic | What to study |
|---|---|
| Vocabulary | Medical and academic vocabulary in context |
| Grammar | Subject-verb agreement, tense, prepositions, articles |
| Reading comprehension | Inference, main idea, author's tone, paragraph purpose |
| Sentence structure | Identifying errors, parallel structure, dangling modifiers |
| Fill in the blanks | Contextual vocabulary, prepositions, conjunctions |
MDCATEnglish tips
APPROACH for comprehension: 1. Read questions FIRST 2. Skim passage for structure 3. Find evidence for each answer 4. Eliminate clearly wrong options 5. Choose what the text says, not what you believe COMMON QUESTION TYPES: - "The author implies that..." - "The purpose of paragraph 2 is..." - "The word X in line Y most nearly means..." - "Which best supports the central claim?" TRICAL VOCABULARY: - Ambiguous = unclear - Benign = harmless - Chronic = long-lasting - Acute = severe/sudden - Empirical = based on evidence
05MCQ Strategy▼
Process of elimination
Immediately cross out clearly wrong options. Usually 1-2 are obvious eliminations.
Watch for absolutes
Options with "always", "never", "all" are often wrong. Biology is full of exceptions.
Two similar options
When two options look similar, the answer is usually one of those two.
Longest option
In English and Biology, the longest most specific option is often correct.
Calculation MCQs
Write formula first. Plug in numbers. Check units. Verify answer makes physical sense.
Time management
MDCAT: 200 questions in 210 minutes. 1 min per question. Skip and return.
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The night before MDCAT: sleep 8 hours, no new topics. The morning of: light breakfast, arrive early, bring all documents. Read each question stem carefully — many students lose marks by misreading.
❓ Quiz
Which organelle is responsible for ATP production in aerobic respiration?
Mitochondria is the site of aerobic respiration (Krebs cycle and electron transport chain), producing 36-38 ATP per glucose molecule. Called "powerhouse of the cell".
06High-Yield MCQ Topics▼
| Subject | Most-tested topics | Approximate % MCQs |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | Cell organelles, Mitosis/Meiosis, DNA, Enzymes, Homeostasis | 40% |
| Chemistry | Atomic structure, Bonding, Equilibrium, Organic reactions | 35% |
| Physics | Mechanics (SUVAT), Electricity, Waves, Modern Physics | 20% |
| English | Vocabulary, Comprehension, Grammar errors | 5% |
MDCATLast 30 days revision plan
Week 1: Complete all Biology chapters
Week 2: Complete all Chemistry chapters
Week 3: Complete all Physics + English
Week 4: Past papers ONLY
Daily: 2 past paper tests (timed)
Review wrong answers immediately
Flashcard revision before sleep
Target scores to aim for:
Biology: 80%+
Chemistry: 75%+
Physics: 70%+
English: 85%+