MCAT practice Exam Questions and
Answers (Latest Update 2026)
A stroke patient comprehends speech but cannot move her mouth to form
words. Which of the following brain areas is likely affected?
■Broca's area
■Wernicke's Area
■Arcuate fasciculus
■Superior temporal gyrus - Correct Answers ✅Broca's area (Broca's area
governs the motor function of language. A stroke that affects Broca's area
will leave receptive language intact, but word formation will be affected. A
stroke affecting Wernicke's area, choice (B), will make it so the individual is
unable to comprehend speech. A stroke affecting the arcuate fasciculus,
choice (C), will result in an inability to repeat words heard but spontaneous
language production is intact. The superior temporal gyrus, choice (D), is
where Wernicke's area is located.)
Each individual in a group of teenagers is asked to estimate the height of a
tree. One individual estimates the height to be 25 feet, but after discussing
with the group is convinced that the height is likely closer to 40 feet. Which
type of conformity is seen here?
■Obedience
■Identification
■Internalization
■Compliance - Correct Answers ✅Internalization (Internalization refers to
the type of conformity in which an individual changes her outward opinion to
match the group and also personally agrees with those ideas.)
Which of the following neurotransmitters is associated with both
schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease?
■GABA
■Serotonin
■Dopamine
,MCAT practice Exam Questions and
Answers (Latest Update 2026)
■Enkephalins - Correct Answers ✅Dopamine (Schizophrenia is associated
with high levels of dopamine, or high sensitivity to dopamine. Parkinson's
disease is associated with destruction of the dopaminergic neurons in the
basal ganglia.)
Primary groups differ from secondary groups in that:
■A) primary groups are shorter-lived than secondary groups.
■B) primary groups are larger than secondary groups.
■C) primary groups are formed of stronger bonds than secondary groups.
■D) primary groups are assigned while secondary groups are chosen. -
Correct Answers ✅C (Primary groups have direct and close bonds between
members, providing warm, personal, and intimate relationships to its
members. Secondary groups, in contrast, form superficial bonds and tend to
last for a shorter period of time.)
A student is volunteering in a hospital with a stroke center. When asked what
he believes is the prevalence of stroke among those greater than 65 years
old, the student states that it is probably about 40% even though data
analysis indicates that it is significantly lower. What accounts for this error?
■Deductive reasoning
■Representativeness heuristic
■Base rate fallacy
■Confirmation bias - Correct Answers ✅Base rate fallacy (The base rate
fallacy occurs when prototypical or stereotypical factors are used for analysis
rather than actual data. Because the student is volunteering in a hospital
with a stroke center, he sees more patients who have experienced a stroke
than would be expected in a hospital without a stroke center. Thus, this
experience changes his perception and results in base rate fallacy. Deductive
reasoning, choice (A), refers to drawing conclusions by integrating different
pieces of evidence. The representativeness heuristic, choice (B), involves
categorization and classification based on how well an individual example fits
its category. Confirmation bias, choice (D), occurs when a person only seeks
information that reinforces his or her opinions.)
,MCAT practice Exam Questions and
Answers (Latest Update 2026)
Why are triacylglycerols used in the human body for energy storage?
■A) They are highly hydrated, and therefore can store lots of energy.
■B) They always have short fatty acid chains, for easy access by metabolic
enzymes.
■C) The carbon atoms of the fatty acid chains are highly reduced, and
therefore yield more energy upon oxidation.
■D) Polysaccharides, which would actually be a better energy storage form,
would dissolve in the body. - Correct Answers ✅C (Triacylglycerols are
highly hydrophobic and therefore not highly hydrated (which would add extra
weight from the water of hydration, taking away from the energy density of
these molecules), eliminating choice (A). The fatty acid chains produce twice
as much energy as polysaccharides during oxidation because they are highly
reduced. The fatty acid chains vary in length and saturation.)
Prolonged vitamin B12 deficiency can be associated with subacute combined
degeneration of the spinal cord. Patients with this disease have difficulty
walking because they lose the ability to feel where their feet are in space.
This represents a loss of:
■vestibular sense.
■kinesthetic sense.
■parallel processing.
■feature detection. - Correct Answers ✅Kinesthetic sense (Kinesthetic
sense, or proprioception, refers to the ability to tell where body parts are in
three-dimensional space. The sensors for proprioception are found
predominantly in the muscles and joints. Loss of vestibular sense, choice (A),
would also cause difficulty walking, but this would be due to a sense of
dizziness or vertigo, not an inability to feel one's feet.)
Which of the following is/are function(s) of NADPH in the cell?
, MCAT practice Exam Questions and
Answers (Latest Update 2026)
►I. Antimicrobial resistance via bacterial destruction by bleach within
lysosomes.
►II. Involvement in the production of the precursors to steroid hormones.
►III. Functional carriage of energy across organelle membranes for use
within the mitochondria
A) I only
B) I and II only
C) II and III only
D) I, II, and III - Correct Answers ✅B (NADPH has three primary functions:
involvement in biosynthesis of lipids and cholesterol (the precursor to steroid
hormones), production of bactericidal bleach in the lysosomes of certain
white blood cells, and maintenance of a supply of reduced glutathione for
protection against free radical damage. Energy carriage is an important
function of NADH, not NADPH.)
Increases in which of the following hormones causes sleepiness?
■Cortisol
■Growth hormone
■Melatonin
■Oxytocin - Correct Answers ✅Melatonin (As light diminishes throughout
the day, the pineal gland increases secretion of melatonin, resulting in
sleepiness. Cortisol levels, choice (A), increase throughout the early morning,
resulting in wakefulness. Growth hormone secretion, choice (B), peaks during
slow-wave sleep. Oxytocin, choice (D), is associated with uterine contractions
in childbirth, milk letdown, and bonding behavior.)
How does the inner mitochondrial membrane differ from the outer
mitochondrial membrane?
A) The inner mitochondrial membrane is more permeable and lacks
cholesterol.
Answers (Latest Update 2026)
A stroke patient comprehends speech but cannot move her mouth to form
words. Which of the following brain areas is likely affected?
■Broca's area
■Wernicke's Area
■Arcuate fasciculus
■Superior temporal gyrus - Correct Answers ✅Broca's area (Broca's area
governs the motor function of language. A stroke that affects Broca's area
will leave receptive language intact, but word formation will be affected. A
stroke affecting Wernicke's area, choice (B), will make it so the individual is
unable to comprehend speech. A stroke affecting the arcuate fasciculus,
choice (C), will result in an inability to repeat words heard but spontaneous
language production is intact. The superior temporal gyrus, choice (D), is
where Wernicke's area is located.)
Each individual in a group of teenagers is asked to estimate the height of a
tree. One individual estimates the height to be 25 feet, but after discussing
with the group is convinced that the height is likely closer to 40 feet. Which
type of conformity is seen here?
■Obedience
■Identification
■Internalization
■Compliance - Correct Answers ✅Internalization (Internalization refers to
the type of conformity in which an individual changes her outward opinion to
match the group and also personally agrees with those ideas.)
Which of the following neurotransmitters is associated with both
schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease?
■GABA
■Serotonin
■Dopamine
,MCAT practice Exam Questions and
Answers (Latest Update 2026)
■Enkephalins - Correct Answers ✅Dopamine (Schizophrenia is associated
with high levels of dopamine, or high sensitivity to dopamine. Parkinson's
disease is associated with destruction of the dopaminergic neurons in the
basal ganglia.)
Primary groups differ from secondary groups in that:
■A) primary groups are shorter-lived than secondary groups.
■B) primary groups are larger than secondary groups.
■C) primary groups are formed of stronger bonds than secondary groups.
■D) primary groups are assigned while secondary groups are chosen. -
Correct Answers ✅C (Primary groups have direct and close bonds between
members, providing warm, personal, and intimate relationships to its
members. Secondary groups, in contrast, form superficial bonds and tend to
last for a shorter period of time.)
A student is volunteering in a hospital with a stroke center. When asked what
he believes is the prevalence of stroke among those greater than 65 years
old, the student states that it is probably about 40% even though data
analysis indicates that it is significantly lower. What accounts for this error?
■Deductive reasoning
■Representativeness heuristic
■Base rate fallacy
■Confirmation bias - Correct Answers ✅Base rate fallacy (The base rate
fallacy occurs when prototypical or stereotypical factors are used for analysis
rather than actual data. Because the student is volunteering in a hospital
with a stroke center, he sees more patients who have experienced a stroke
than would be expected in a hospital without a stroke center. Thus, this
experience changes his perception and results in base rate fallacy. Deductive
reasoning, choice (A), refers to drawing conclusions by integrating different
pieces of evidence. The representativeness heuristic, choice (B), involves
categorization and classification based on how well an individual example fits
its category. Confirmation bias, choice (D), occurs when a person only seeks
information that reinforces his or her opinions.)
,MCAT practice Exam Questions and
Answers (Latest Update 2026)
Why are triacylglycerols used in the human body for energy storage?
■A) They are highly hydrated, and therefore can store lots of energy.
■B) They always have short fatty acid chains, for easy access by metabolic
enzymes.
■C) The carbon atoms of the fatty acid chains are highly reduced, and
therefore yield more energy upon oxidation.
■D) Polysaccharides, which would actually be a better energy storage form,
would dissolve in the body. - Correct Answers ✅C (Triacylglycerols are
highly hydrophobic and therefore not highly hydrated (which would add extra
weight from the water of hydration, taking away from the energy density of
these molecules), eliminating choice (A). The fatty acid chains produce twice
as much energy as polysaccharides during oxidation because they are highly
reduced. The fatty acid chains vary in length and saturation.)
Prolonged vitamin B12 deficiency can be associated with subacute combined
degeneration of the spinal cord. Patients with this disease have difficulty
walking because they lose the ability to feel where their feet are in space.
This represents a loss of:
■vestibular sense.
■kinesthetic sense.
■parallel processing.
■feature detection. - Correct Answers ✅Kinesthetic sense (Kinesthetic
sense, or proprioception, refers to the ability to tell where body parts are in
three-dimensional space. The sensors for proprioception are found
predominantly in the muscles and joints. Loss of vestibular sense, choice (A),
would also cause difficulty walking, but this would be due to a sense of
dizziness or vertigo, not an inability to feel one's feet.)
Which of the following is/are function(s) of NADPH in the cell?
, MCAT practice Exam Questions and
Answers (Latest Update 2026)
►I. Antimicrobial resistance via bacterial destruction by bleach within
lysosomes.
►II. Involvement in the production of the precursors to steroid hormones.
►III. Functional carriage of energy across organelle membranes for use
within the mitochondria
A) I only
B) I and II only
C) II and III only
D) I, II, and III - Correct Answers ✅B (NADPH has three primary functions:
involvement in biosynthesis of lipids and cholesterol (the precursor to steroid
hormones), production of bactericidal bleach in the lysosomes of certain
white blood cells, and maintenance of a supply of reduced glutathione for
protection against free radical damage. Energy carriage is an important
function of NADH, not NADPH.)
Increases in which of the following hormones causes sleepiness?
■Cortisol
■Growth hormone
■Melatonin
■Oxytocin - Correct Answers ✅Melatonin (As light diminishes throughout
the day, the pineal gland increases secretion of melatonin, resulting in
sleepiness. Cortisol levels, choice (A), increase throughout the early morning,
resulting in wakefulness. Growth hormone secretion, choice (B), peaks during
slow-wave sleep. Oxytocin, choice (D), is associated with uterine contractions
in childbirth, milk letdown, and bonding behavior.)
How does the inner mitochondrial membrane differ from the outer
mitochondrial membrane?
A) The inner mitochondrial membrane is more permeable and lacks
cholesterol.
