PCAT – Pharmacy Schools Admissions
The PCAT(or Pharmacy College Admissions Test) is a standardized test which used by most pharmacy schools when making admissions decisions. PCAT is designed to test applicants’ ability to study in courses usually required in pharmacy school.
Student’s high score shows a great commitment to the field, and also validates the rest of the application. You should keep in mind that a high score probably won’t save an applicant if the admissions committee doesn’t believe that the student has a sincere interest in a pharmacy career, or if they do poorly in the rest of the application.
Six sections in the PCAT
• Verbal Ability
• Writing
• Reading Comprehension
• Biology (general biology, microbiology, and human anatomy and physiology
• Quantitative Ability (basic math, algebra, probability and statistics, precalculus, and calculus)
• Chemistry (both inorganic and organic chemistry)
There is a huge industry in test preparation, just like with the SAT exams taken in high school. Students can choose from a myriad of PCAT specific test preparation books and courses. Well known test companies such as Kaplan have a book and course to sell to any motivated student.
Students should have recently completed all prerequisite courses required to get into pharmacy school, before doing any preparation for the exam. It is difficult and time consuming to prepare for the PCAT without recent mastery of the subjects being tested on the exam.
PCAT is offered four times a year in June, August, October, and January. After the junior year of college, most students take the June or August test administration, which both allow for the October testing date if initial test results are not satisfactory. Many schools will not accept results from the January test date because it is too late into the pharmacy school admissions process. This means all prerequisite courses need to be completed by the end of the junior year.
PCAT Sample Questions
1. The major process by which the kidney removes waste products from the blood is called
a. tubular secretion.
b. tubular reabsorption.
c. glomerular filtration.
d. tubular sublimation.
2. Which of the following is described as the “power house of the cell?”
a. Endoplasmic reticulum
b. Ribosomes
c. Mitochondria
d. Vacuoles
3. Which of the following provides the necessary freedom for bones as well as protect joints from external injury and bones from dislocation?
a. Cartilage
b. Ligaments
c. Tendons
d. Muscles
4. Pick out the nonsynthetic fiber:
a. cellulose
a. rayon
c. orlon
d. nylon
5. Which of the following nitrogen bases is present in RNA but absent in DNA?
a. Cytosine
b. Uracil
c. Guanine
d. Adenine
