Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
What Will the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section Test?
The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section asks you to solve problems by
combining your knowledge of biological and biochemical concepts with your scientific inquiry and
reasoning skills. This section tests processes that are unique to living organisms, such as growing and
reproducing, maintaining a constant internal environment, acquiring materials and energy, sensing and
responding to environmental changes, and adapting. It also tests how cells and organ systems within an
organism act independently and in concert to accomplish these processes, and it asks you to reason
about these processes at various levels of biological organization within a living system.
This section is designed to:
▪ Test introductory-level biology, organic chemistry, and inorganic chemistry concepts.
▪ Test biochemistry concepts at the level taught in many colleges and universities in first-semester
biochemistry courses.
▪ Test cellular and molecular biology topics at the level taught in many colleges and universities in
introductory biology sequences and first-semester biochemistry courses.
▪ Test basic research methods and statistics concepts described by many baccalaureate faculty as
important to success in introductory science courses.
▪ Require you to demonstrate your scientific inquiry and reasoning, research methods, and
statistics skills as applied to the natural sciences.
Test Section Number of Questions Time
Biological and Biochemical 59 95 minutes
Foundations of Living Systems
(note that questions are a
combination of passage-based
and discrete questions)
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
1
, Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills
As a reminder, the scientific inquiry and reasoning skills you will be asked to demonstrate on this section
of the exam are:
Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles
▪ Demonstrating understanding of scientific concepts and principles.
▪ Identifying the relationships between closely related concepts.
Scientific Reasoning and Problem-Solving
▪ Reasoning about scientific principles, theories, and models.
▪ Analyzing and evaluating scientific explanations and predictions.
Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research
▪ Demonstrating understanding of important components of scientific research.
▪ Reasoning about ethical issues in research.
Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning
▪ Interpreting patterns in data presented in tables, figures, and graphs.
▪ Reasoning about data and drawing conclusions from them.
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
2
, General Mathematical Concepts and Techniques
It’s important for you to know that questions on the natural, behavioral, and social sciences sections will ask
you to use certain mathematical concepts and techniques. As the descriptions of the scientific inquiry and
reasoning skills suggest, some questions will ask you to analyze and manipulate scientific data to show you
can:
▪ Recognize and interpret linear, semilog, and log-log scales and calculate slopes from data found in
figures, graphs, and tables.
▪ Demonstrate a general understanding of significant digits and the use of reasonable numerical
estimates in performing measurements and calculations.
▪ Use metric units, including converting units within the metric system and between metric and English
units (conversion factors will be provided when needed), and dimensional analysis (using units to
balance equations).
▪ Perform arithmetic calculations involving the following: probability, proportion, ratio, percentage, and
square-root estimations.
▪ Demonstrate a general understanding (Algebra II-level) of exponentials and logarithms (natural and
base 10), scientific notation, and solving simultaneous equations.
▪ Demonstrate a general understanding of the following trigonometric concepts: definitions of basic
(sine, cosine, tangent) and inverse (sin‒1, cos‒1, tan‒1) functions; sin and cos values of 0°, 90°, and
180°; relationships between the lengths of sides of right triangles containing angles of 30°, 45°, and
60°.
▪ Demonstrate a general understanding of vector addition and subtraction and the right-hand rule
(knowledge of dot and cross products is not required).
Note also that an understanding of calculus is not required, and a periodic table will be provided during the
exam.
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
3
, Resource
You will have access to the periodic table shown while answering questions in this section of the exam.
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
4
What Will the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section Test?
The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section asks you to solve problems by
combining your knowledge of biological and biochemical concepts with your scientific inquiry and
reasoning skills. This section tests processes that are unique to living organisms, such as growing and
reproducing, maintaining a constant internal environment, acquiring materials and energy, sensing and
responding to environmental changes, and adapting. It also tests how cells and organ systems within an
organism act independently and in concert to accomplish these processes, and it asks you to reason
about these processes at various levels of biological organization within a living system.
This section is designed to:
▪ Test introductory-level biology, organic chemistry, and inorganic chemistry concepts.
▪ Test biochemistry concepts at the level taught in many colleges and universities in first-semester
biochemistry courses.
▪ Test cellular and molecular biology topics at the level taught in many colleges and universities in
introductory biology sequences and first-semester biochemistry courses.
▪ Test basic research methods and statistics concepts described by many baccalaureate faculty as
important to success in introductory science courses.
▪ Require you to demonstrate your scientific inquiry and reasoning, research methods, and
statistics skills as applied to the natural sciences.
Test Section Number of Questions Time
Biological and Biochemical 59 95 minutes
Foundations of Living Systems
(note that questions are a
combination of passage-based
and discrete questions)
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
1
, Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills
As a reminder, the scientific inquiry and reasoning skills you will be asked to demonstrate on this section
of the exam are:
Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles
▪ Demonstrating understanding of scientific concepts and principles.
▪ Identifying the relationships between closely related concepts.
Scientific Reasoning and Problem-Solving
▪ Reasoning about scientific principles, theories, and models.
▪ Analyzing and evaluating scientific explanations and predictions.
Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research
▪ Demonstrating understanding of important components of scientific research.
▪ Reasoning about ethical issues in research.
Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning
▪ Interpreting patterns in data presented in tables, figures, and graphs.
▪ Reasoning about data and drawing conclusions from them.
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
2
, General Mathematical Concepts and Techniques
It’s important for you to know that questions on the natural, behavioral, and social sciences sections will ask
you to use certain mathematical concepts and techniques. As the descriptions of the scientific inquiry and
reasoning skills suggest, some questions will ask you to analyze and manipulate scientific data to show you
can:
▪ Recognize and interpret linear, semilog, and log-log scales and calculate slopes from data found in
figures, graphs, and tables.
▪ Demonstrate a general understanding of significant digits and the use of reasonable numerical
estimates in performing measurements and calculations.
▪ Use metric units, including converting units within the metric system and between metric and English
units (conversion factors will be provided when needed), and dimensional analysis (using units to
balance equations).
▪ Perform arithmetic calculations involving the following: probability, proportion, ratio, percentage, and
square-root estimations.
▪ Demonstrate a general understanding (Algebra II-level) of exponentials and logarithms (natural and
base 10), scientific notation, and solving simultaneous equations.
▪ Demonstrate a general understanding of the following trigonometric concepts: definitions of basic
(sine, cosine, tangent) and inverse (sin‒1, cos‒1, tan‒1) functions; sin and cos values of 0°, 90°, and
180°; relationships between the lengths of sides of right triangles containing angles of 30°, 45°, and
60°.
▪ Demonstrate a general understanding of vector addition and subtraction and the right-hand rule
(knowledge of dot and cross products is not required).
Note also that an understanding of calculus is not required, and a periodic table will be provided during the
exam.
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
3
, Resource
You will have access to the periodic table shown while answering questions in this section of the exam.
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
4
