Classes to Take Before the MCAT and What Each One Covers

The main classes to take before the MCAT are introductory biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, along with first-semester biochemistry, psychology and sociology. The AAMC identifies these courses as the sources of the introductory-level content tested across the MCAT science sections.

These subjects do not function as registration requirements for the exam. Instead, they identify the level at which you are expected to understand tested concepts. Looking at the AAMC content outline by course and section can help you compare your completed coursework with the material you still need to review.

MCAT Coursework at a Glance

• The MCAT draws on year-long sequences in general chemistry, organic chemistry, introductory physics and introductory biology, plus introductory biochemistry, psychology and sociology.
• The science sections combine knowledge from several disciplines, so one course can matter for more than one MCAT section.
• The AAMC discipline percentages are approximate targets, not fixed percentages for every test form.
• No specific college course is required to register for the MCAT, and MCAT content should not be confused with individual medical school prerequisites.

What the AAMC Says the MCAT Draws On

The AAMC MCAT FAQs say the exam tests content found in “introductory-level courses at most undergraduate institutions.” Those subjects include biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, along with first-semester biochemistry, psychology and sociology. The AAMC separately describes the science content as drawing from year-long courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, introductory physics and introductory biology, plus introductory courses in biochemistry, psychology and sociology.

According to the AAMC MCAT Essentials chapter on exam content, the MCAT tests concepts that medical school faculty, residents and students rate as important to entering students’ success in the medical school curriculum. The natural and social science portions are organized around 10 foundational concepts. Questions can combine knowledge from multiple disciplines with scientific inquiry and reasoning, which is why a course may contribute to more than one section.

The exam has four multiple-choice sections: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior. We use Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem and Psych/Soc for those names below. IMA’s guide to the MCAT sections covers what each section tests in more detail.

The course names describe the expected content level, not courses you must complete before registering. The AAMC does not require specific college courses before you can register for or take the MCAT, although it says you should feel comfortable with the content and skills the exam tests.

MCAT Courses by Section

The courses table below is based on the AAMC MCAT content outline PDF, retrieved Sept. 15, 2026. It identifies the course level, approximate discipline share within each science section and examples of topics associated with each course.

In the outline itself, each topic is followed by abbreviations in parentheses that show the courses in which undergraduate students at many colleges and universities learn it: BIO, GC, OC, PHY, BC, PSY and SOC. The level column in the courses table above translates those abbreviations, and each course section below explains its own row.

You are responsible for each topic and its subtopics at the level taught in the courses shown in parentheses in the outline. A small number of subtopics have a separate course tag. In those cases, you are responsible only for learning the subtopic as it is taught in the course or courses indicated. For example, the AAMC tags Metabolism of Fatty Acids and Proteins with BIO and BC, placing it at the levels taught in a typical two-semester introductory biology sequence and a typical first-semester biochemistry course.

The percentages are approximate AAMC targets rounded to the nearest 5%. They can vary among test forms because of question difficulty, passage-based question groups and unscored field-test questions. Use them to understand the relative contribution of each discipline, not to predict an exact number of questions.

General Chemistry

General chemistry corresponds to a two-semester sequence in the AAMC outline. According to the AAMC discipline targets, it represents about 30% of Chem/Phys and about 5% of Bio/Biochem. The outline tags topics such as Stoichiometry, Acid-Base Equilibria, Electrochemistry, Titration and Covalent Bond with GC.

General chemistry is not confined to Chem/Phys, since the AAMC also lists it in Bio/Biochem. While answering Chem/Phys questions, you have access to a periodic table.

Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry corresponds to a two-semester sequence. The AAMC discipline targets put it at about 15% of Chem/Phys and about 5% of Bio/Biochem. Topics the outline tags OC include Aldehydes and Ketones, Alcohols and Carboxylic Acids. Two other examples, Separations and Purifications and the topic Amino Acids, Peptides, Proteins, carry both OC and BC tags, so organic chemistry and biochemistry overlap there.

For review, see IMA’s functional groups cheat sheet.

Introductory Physics

Introductory physics corresponds to a two-semester sequence and, by the AAMC discipline targets, contributes about 25% of Chem/Phys. Physics is not listed as a discipline target for Bio/Biochem or Psych/Soc in the courses table above.

Examples tagged PHY include Translational Motion, Fluids, Electrostatics, Circuit Elements and Geometrical Optics.

Introductory Biology

Introductory biology corresponds to a two-semester sequence and is the largest AAMC discipline target in Bio/Biochem, at about 65% of the section. It also contributes about 5% of Chem/Phys and about 5% of Psych/Soc. In addition to that introductory biology target, about 5% of Psych/Soc consists of biologically relevant psychology questions.

The content outline tags DNA Replication, Mendelian Concepts, Immune System and Nervous System: Structure and Function with BIO. Sensory Processing, in the Psych/Soc outline, carries both PSY and BIO tags. The AAMC also says Chem/Phys tests introductory molecular biology, while Bio/Biochem includes cellular and molecular biology.

Biochemistry

The AAMC names first-semester biochemistry, a single semester rather than the two-semester sequences it lists for chemistry, physics and biology. Its discipline targets put biochemistry at about 25% of Chem/Phys and about 25% of Bio/Biochem.

Topics tagged BC include Enzyme Structure and Function, Citric Acid Cycle, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Principles of Metabolic Regulation and Biosignaling. IMA’s citric acid cycle guide covers that tagged topic.

Introductory Psychology and Sociology

The content outline associates Psych/Soc with one semester each of introductory psychology and introductory sociology. The section overview describes the tested level as first-semester psychology and sociology. The AAMC discipline targets put introductory psychology at about 65% of the section and introductory sociology at about 30%.

Psychology-tagged examples include Memory, Emotion, Stress, Personality and Associative Learning. Sociology-tagged examples include Culture, Theoretical Approaches, Demographic Shifts and Social Change, Spatial Inequality and Discrimination.

The AAMC includes Psych/Soc to assess concepts future doctors need when serving an increasingly diverse population and understanding how behavior affects health.

Research Methods and Statistics in the Science Sections

The three science sections test four scientific inquiry and reasoning skills used by natural, behavioral and social scientists. Skill 1 covers knowledge of scientific concepts and relationships. Skill 2 concerns reasoning about principles, theories and models, including evaluating explanations and predictions. Skill 3 addresses the design and execution of research, while Skill 4 concerns interpreting data and drawing conclusions from tables, figures and graphs.

The AAMC says the science sections include basic research methods and statistics concepts that many baccalaureate faculty consider important for success in introductory science courses. In Chem/Phys, Skill 3 and Skill 4 each have an approximate 10% target. The AAMC describes these as tested concepts and skills; it does not name statistics among the courses the exam draws on.

Coursework and the CARS Section

CARS does not require additional coursework or specific subject knowledge. According to the AAMC, everything needed to answer a CARS question appears in its passage and questions. That makes CARS different from the three sections linked to the science courses in the table above.

CARS passages draw from humanities and social sciences disciplines and are excerpted from the kinds of books, journals and magazines college students are likely to read. Humanities sources can involve fields such as ethics, literature, philosophy and religion. Social sciences sources can involve fields such as anthropology, economics, history, population health, psychology and sociology.

The AAMC does not tie CARS to any English or humanities course. The passage disciplines describe where the reading material comes from, not coursework you need to take.

MCAT Content Is Not the Same as Medical School Prerequisites

The courses behind MCAT content are not the same thing as a medical school’s admissions prerequisites. Courses also vary by institution, so the AAMC suggests asking your prehealth advisor or a faculty member for help with course selection. If you do not have access to a prehealth advisor, the AAMC says the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions can connect you with one for free.

For the coursework schools expect from applicants, use IMA’s medical school prerequisites checklist.

Timing the MCAT Around Your Coursework

If you feel you still need more coursework or studying before the content and skills tested feel comfortable, the AAMC suggests testing after you have had time to complete that coursework and study.

IMA’s guide to when to take the MCAT can help you consider that decision, while the MCAT prep timeline can help you organize content review around your available schedule. When you plan, compare your own coursework with the courses table above rather than assuming every student takes these classes in the same order.

Using Coursework to Plan Content Review

Start by matching the courses you have completed with the seven rows in the courses table above. Then work through the topics the outline tags with each course, since a course title alone does not show which tested topics your class covered. Topics with more than one course tag draw on more than one class.

The AAMC content outline describes every tested competency through foundational concepts, content categories and scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. It is also available as a free course in the MCAT Official Prep Hub with links to Khan Academy lessons. IMA’s guide to free MCAT prep resources covers more free options.

Turning Your Coursework Into an MCAT Plan

Use the AAMC course levels and topic tags to identify the content you have studied and the areas that still need attention. From there, IMA’s guide to how to study for the MCAT can help you turn that comparison into a study plan.

Once coursework and content review are underway, the MCAT score calculator can help you estimate section and total scores from practice results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Classes Should You Take Before the MCAT?

The main classes associated with MCAT content are introductory biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, plus first-semester biochemistry, psychology and sociology. The AAMC uses these course levels to describe where students commonly learn tested topics, not to impose registration requirements.

Are There Required Courses to Take the MCAT?

No. The AAMC does not require you to complete specific courses before registering for or taking the MCAT. You should still be comfortable with the content and skills tested, which are drawn from the introductory course levels identified in the content outline.

Do You Need Biochemistry for the MCAT?

You do not need a biochemistry course to register for the MCAT, but the exam tests content at the first-semester biochemistry level. Biochemistry represents about 25% of both Chem/Phys and Bio/Biochem according to the AAMC discipline targets.

How Much Organic Chemistry Is on the MCAT?

Organic chemistry has an approximate target of 15% in Chem/Phys and 5% in Bio/Biochem. The AAMC rounds these percentages to the nearest 5%, and the precise distribution can vary by test form.

Do You Need Psychology and Sociology Classes for the MCAT?

No specific psychology or sociology course is required to register for the MCAT. However, Psych/Soc tests concepts taught at the first-semester psychology and sociology levels, with approximate discipline targets of 65% psychology and 30% sociology.

Do You Need a Statistics Class for the MCAT?

The AAMC does not list statistics among the courses the MCAT draws on, and no specific course is required to take the exam. The science sections do test basic research methods and statistics concepts and data-based reasoning, including interpreting patterns in tables, figures and graphs.

Do Humanities Classes Help With CARS?

The AAMC does not say that taking a humanities class improves your CARS score. CARS passages include humanities and social sciences material, but answering them requires no additional coursework or specific subject knowledge because the necessary information appears in the passages and questions.

Should You Take the MCAT Before Finishing Your Science Classes?

No specific course is required before you test. If you feel you need more coursework or study to be comfortable with the content and skills tested, the AAMC suggests testing after you have had time to complete that coursework and study.