AAMC MCAT Practice Exam 1
Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
InBtheBchromatographyBofBtheBreactionBmixture,BwaterBabsorbedBonBcelluloseBfunctio
nedBasBtheBstationaryBphase.BWhatBwasBtheBprincipalBfactorBdeterminingBtheBmigrati
onBofBindividualBcomponentsBinBtheBsample?
A)BHydrogenBbonding
B)BSoluteBconcentration
C)BStationaryBphaseBconcentration
D)BThicknessBofBpaperB-BAnswerBA)BHydrogenBbondingB
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBABbecauseBtheBrelativeBamountBofBhydrogenBbondin
gBtoBtheBstationaryBphaseBwillBdetermineBtheBrelativeBrateBofBmigrationBofBtheBvario
usBcomponentsBinBtheBsample.
WhatBassumptionBisBbeingBmadeBifBscientistsBconcludeBthatBasparticBacidBwasBforme
dBbyBtheBprebiologicalBsynthesisBinBtheBpassage?
A)BAsparticBacidBisBunstableBatBtemperaturesBbelowB150BdegreesBC.B
B)BAllBofBtheBmalicBacidBunderwentBtheBdehydrationBreactionBtoBformBfumaric/maleic
Bacid.B
C)BCompoundBABandBcyanideBwereBavailableBonBprimitiveBEarth.B
D)BTheBreactionBbetweenBammoniaBandBfumaricBacidBwasBcatalyzedBbyBtheBpresence
BofBwater.B-
BAnswerBC)BCompoundBABandBcyanideBwereBavailableBonBprimitiveBEarth.B
,heBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBCBsince,BinBorderBforBtheBexperimentalBreactionBsequ
enceBtoBbeBrelevantBtoBtheBprimordialBformationBofBasparticBacid,BtheBstartingBmater
ialsBusedB(CompoundBABandBcyanide)BareBassumedBtoBhaveBbeenBavailable.
AccordingBtoBtheBdevelopedBchromatographyBplateBshownBbelow,BwhatBisBtheBapproxi
mateBRfBvalueBofBasparticBacid?
asparticBacidB=B2
solventBfrontB=B10B
A)B0.20
B)B0.50
C)B5
D)B10B-
BAnswerBTheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBAB(0.20)BbecauseBRfBisBtheBratioBofBtheBdi
stanceBtravelledBbyBtheBanalyteBrelativeBtoBtheBsolventBfrontBduringBaBchromatograph
icBseparation.BAsparticBacidBtravelledBtwoBunits,BwhileBtheBsolventBfrontBtravelledBten
Bunits,BgivingBanBRfBofB2/10B=B0.20BforBasparticBacid.
WhichBofBtheBfollowingBstatementsBdoesBNOTBcorrectlyBdescribeBtheBdehydrationBofB
malicBacidBtoBfumaricBacidBandBmaleicBacid?B
A)BTheBreactionBoccursBmostBreadilyBwithBtertiaryBalcohols.B
B)BTheBreactionBinvolvesBtheBlossBofBaBwaterBmolecule.B
C)BTheBreactionBhasBaBcarbocationBintermediate.
D)BTheBreactionBisBstereospecific.B-BAnswerBD)BTheBreactionBisBstereospecific.
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBDBbecauseBtheBfactBthatBbothBfumaricBandBmaleicBa
cidBareBproducedBmeansBthatBtheBdehydrationBofBmalicBacidBisBNOTBstereospecific.
,WhatBtypeBofBfunctionalBgroupBisBformedBwhenBasparticBacidBreactsBwithBanotherBa
minoBacidBtoBformBaBpeptideBbond?B
A)BAnBamineBgroupB
B)BAnBaldehydeBgroup
C)BAnBamideBgroup
D)BABcarboxylBgroupB-BAnswerBC)BAnBamideBgroup
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBCBbecauseBtheBfunctionalBgroupBthatBformsBduringBp
eptideBbondBformationBisBknownBasBanBamideBgroup.
IfB2-pentanolBreplacesB1-
pentanolBinBtheBreactionBshownBinBFigureB3B(SN2),BtheBrateBofBsubstitutionBisBlessBb
ecause:B
A)BtheBC-OBbondBinB2-pentanolBisBstrongerBthanBtheBC-OBbondBinB1-pentanol.
B)BthereBisBaBcompetingBeliminationBreactionBthatBslowsBtheBrateBofBsubstitution.
C)BthereBisBmoreBstericBhindranceBatBtheBoxygenBatomBinB2-pentanolBthanBinB1-
pentanol,BmakingBprotonationBlessBlikely.
D)BthereBisBmoreBstericBhindranceBatBtheB2-positionBofB2-pentanolBthanBatBtheB1-
positionBofB1-pentanol.B-BAnswerBD)BthereBisBmoreBstericBhindranceBatBtheB2-
positionBofB2-pentanolBthanBatBtheB1-positionBofB1-pentanol.
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBDBbecauseBtheBrateBofBsubstitutionBofBprotonatedBal
coholsBisBsubjectBtoBstericBhindrance.BThisBinhibitsBtheBabilityBofBnucleophilesBtoBcolli
deBwithBtheBreactingBelectrophilicBcenterBandBslowsBtheBrateBofBreaction.
IfBaBsolutionBcontainingBtheBcompoundsBshownBinBFigureB4,BisBinjectedBintoBaBgas-
liquidBchromatograph,BtheBfirstBpeakBobservedBinBtheBgcBtraceBisBattributableBtoBwhi
chBcompound?
A)BMethyl-2-butanol
B)BMethyl-2-butene
, C)BChloro-2-methylbutane
D)BBromo-2-mehtylbutaneB-BAnswerBB)BMethyl-2-butene
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBBBbecauseB2-methyl-2-
buteneBwillBexhibitBtheBlowestBmolecularBweightBandBalsoBtheBweakestBintermolecula
rBforcesBofBattraction.BThisBsubstanceBwillBthereforeBmigrateBtheBfastestBandBbeBtheB
firstBpeakBinBtheBgasBchromatographB(gc)Btrace.
RBvs.BSBstereochemistry*B-BAnswerBRB=Bclockwise
CB=Bcounter-clockwise
AceticBacidBandBethanolBreactBtoBformBanBesterBproductBasBshownBbelow.B
InBdeterminingBwhichBreactantBlosesBtheB-
OHBgroup,BwhichBofBtheBfollowingBisotopicBsubstitutionsBwouldBbeBmostBuseful?
A)BReplaceBtheBacidicBHBofBaceticBacidBwithBD
B)BReplaceBtheBalcoholicBHBofBethanolBwithBD.B
C)BReplaceBtheBcarbonylBoxygenBofBaceticBacidBwithBO-18.B
D)BReplaceBtheBhydroxylBoxygenBofBethanolBwithBO-18.B-
BAnswerBD)BReplaceBtheBhydroxylBoxygenBofBethanolBwithBO-18.
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBDBbecauseBthisBexperimentBinvolvesBlabelingBaBgroup
BwhichBdoesBnotBexchangeBwithBotherBgroupsBpresentBpriorBtoBreactionBandBwillBthe
reforeBgiveBinformationBaboutBtheBtrueBidentityBofBtheBgroups,BwhichBareBexchanged
BduringBtheBreaction.
ABpersonBwhoseBeyeBhasBaBlens-to-
retinaBdistanceBofB2.0Bcm,BcanBonlyBclearlyBseeBobjectsBthatBareBcloserBthanB1.0BmB
away.BWhatBisBtheBstrengthBSBofBtheBperson'sBeyeBlens?B(Note:BUseBtheBthinBlensBf
ormulaB1/OB+B1/IB=BS)B
Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
InBtheBchromatographyBofBtheBreactionBmixture,BwaterBabsorbedBonBcelluloseBfunctio
nedBasBtheBstationaryBphase.BWhatBwasBtheBprincipalBfactorBdeterminingBtheBmigrati
onBofBindividualBcomponentsBinBtheBsample?
A)BHydrogenBbonding
B)BSoluteBconcentration
C)BStationaryBphaseBconcentration
D)BThicknessBofBpaperB-BAnswerBA)BHydrogenBbondingB
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBABbecauseBtheBrelativeBamountBofBhydrogenBbondin
gBtoBtheBstationaryBphaseBwillBdetermineBtheBrelativeBrateBofBmigrationBofBtheBvario
usBcomponentsBinBtheBsample.
WhatBassumptionBisBbeingBmadeBifBscientistsBconcludeBthatBasparticBacidBwasBforme
dBbyBtheBprebiologicalBsynthesisBinBtheBpassage?
A)BAsparticBacidBisBunstableBatBtemperaturesBbelowB150BdegreesBC.B
B)BAllBofBtheBmalicBacidBunderwentBtheBdehydrationBreactionBtoBformBfumaric/maleic
Bacid.B
C)BCompoundBABandBcyanideBwereBavailableBonBprimitiveBEarth.B
D)BTheBreactionBbetweenBammoniaBandBfumaricBacidBwasBcatalyzedBbyBtheBpresence
BofBwater.B-
BAnswerBC)BCompoundBABandBcyanideBwereBavailableBonBprimitiveBEarth.B
,heBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBCBsince,BinBorderBforBtheBexperimentalBreactionBsequ
enceBtoBbeBrelevantBtoBtheBprimordialBformationBofBasparticBacid,BtheBstartingBmater
ialsBusedB(CompoundBABandBcyanide)BareBassumedBtoBhaveBbeenBavailable.
AccordingBtoBtheBdevelopedBchromatographyBplateBshownBbelow,BwhatBisBtheBapproxi
mateBRfBvalueBofBasparticBacid?
asparticBacidB=B2
solventBfrontB=B10B
A)B0.20
B)B0.50
C)B5
D)B10B-
BAnswerBTheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBAB(0.20)BbecauseBRfBisBtheBratioBofBtheBdi
stanceBtravelledBbyBtheBanalyteBrelativeBtoBtheBsolventBfrontBduringBaBchromatograph
icBseparation.BAsparticBacidBtravelledBtwoBunits,BwhileBtheBsolventBfrontBtravelledBten
Bunits,BgivingBanBRfBofB2/10B=B0.20BforBasparticBacid.
WhichBofBtheBfollowingBstatementsBdoesBNOTBcorrectlyBdescribeBtheBdehydrationBofB
malicBacidBtoBfumaricBacidBandBmaleicBacid?B
A)BTheBreactionBoccursBmostBreadilyBwithBtertiaryBalcohols.B
B)BTheBreactionBinvolvesBtheBlossBofBaBwaterBmolecule.B
C)BTheBreactionBhasBaBcarbocationBintermediate.
D)BTheBreactionBisBstereospecific.B-BAnswerBD)BTheBreactionBisBstereospecific.
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBDBbecauseBtheBfactBthatBbothBfumaricBandBmaleicBa
cidBareBproducedBmeansBthatBtheBdehydrationBofBmalicBacidBisBNOTBstereospecific.
,WhatBtypeBofBfunctionalBgroupBisBformedBwhenBasparticBacidBreactsBwithBanotherBa
minoBacidBtoBformBaBpeptideBbond?B
A)BAnBamineBgroupB
B)BAnBaldehydeBgroup
C)BAnBamideBgroup
D)BABcarboxylBgroupB-BAnswerBC)BAnBamideBgroup
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBCBbecauseBtheBfunctionalBgroupBthatBformsBduringBp
eptideBbondBformationBisBknownBasBanBamideBgroup.
IfB2-pentanolBreplacesB1-
pentanolBinBtheBreactionBshownBinBFigureB3B(SN2),BtheBrateBofBsubstitutionBisBlessBb
ecause:B
A)BtheBC-OBbondBinB2-pentanolBisBstrongerBthanBtheBC-OBbondBinB1-pentanol.
B)BthereBisBaBcompetingBeliminationBreactionBthatBslowsBtheBrateBofBsubstitution.
C)BthereBisBmoreBstericBhindranceBatBtheBoxygenBatomBinB2-pentanolBthanBinB1-
pentanol,BmakingBprotonationBlessBlikely.
D)BthereBisBmoreBstericBhindranceBatBtheB2-positionBofB2-pentanolBthanBatBtheB1-
positionBofB1-pentanol.B-BAnswerBD)BthereBisBmoreBstericBhindranceBatBtheB2-
positionBofB2-pentanolBthanBatBtheB1-positionBofB1-pentanol.
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBDBbecauseBtheBrateBofBsubstitutionBofBprotonatedBal
coholsBisBsubjectBtoBstericBhindrance.BThisBinhibitsBtheBabilityBofBnucleophilesBtoBcolli
deBwithBtheBreactingBelectrophilicBcenterBandBslowsBtheBrateBofBreaction.
IfBaBsolutionBcontainingBtheBcompoundsBshownBinBFigureB4,BisBinjectedBintoBaBgas-
liquidBchromatograph,BtheBfirstBpeakBobservedBinBtheBgcBtraceBisBattributableBtoBwhi
chBcompound?
A)BMethyl-2-butanol
B)BMethyl-2-butene
, C)BChloro-2-methylbutane
D)BBromo-2-mehtylbutaneB-BAnswerBB)BMethyl-2-butene
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBBBbecauseB2-methyl-2-
buteneBwillBexhibitBtheBlowestBmolecularBweightBandBalsoBtheBweakestBintermolecula
rBforcesBofBattraction.BThisBsubstanceBwillBthereforeBmigrateBtheBfastestBandBbeBtheB
firstBpeakBinBtheBgasBchromatographB(gc)Btrace.
RBvs.BSBstereochemistry*B-BAnswerBRB=Bclockwise
CB=Bcounter-clockwise
AceticBacidBandBethanolBreactBtoBformBanBesterBproductBasBshownBbelow.B
InBdeterminingBwhichBreactantBlosesBtheB-
OHBgroup,BwhichBofBtheBfollowingBisotopicBsubstitutionsBwouldBbeBmostBuseful?
A)BReplaceBtheBacidicBHBofBaceticBacidBwithBD
B)BReplaceBtheBalcoholicBHBofBethanolBwithBD.B
C)BReplaceBtheBcarbonylBoxygenBofBaceticBacidBwithBO-18.B
D)BReplaceBtheBhydroxylBoxygenBofBethanolBwithBO-18.B-
BAnswerBD)BReplaceBtheBhydroxylBoxygenBofBethanolBwithBO-18.
TheBAnswerBtoBthisBquestionBisBDBbecauseBthisBexperimentBinvolvesBlabelingBaBgroup
BwhichBdoesBnotBexchangeBwithBotherBgroupsBpresentBpriorBtoBreactionBandBwillBthe
reforeBgiveBinformationBaboutBtheBtrueBidentityBofBtheBgroups,BwhichBareBexchanged
BduringBtheBreaction.
ABpersonBwhoseBeyeBhasBaBlens-to-
retinaBdistanceBofB2.0Bcm,BcanBonlyBclearlyBseeBobjectsBthatBareBcloserBthanB1.0BmB
away.BWhatBisBtheBstrengthBSBofBtheBperson'sBeyeBlens?B(Note:BUseBtheBthinBlensBf
ormulaB1/OB+B1/IB=BS)B
