February 4, 2015

New York, NY (January 28, 2015) — January 23, 2015 is now a day in the medical education history books — the date of the final administration of the old MCAT, the medical school admissions exam. Beginning in April, a longer, more difficult MCAT is set to challenge pre-medical students as they strive toward their goal of becoming doctors. With registration for the first administrations of the revised exam opening up on Februrary 11, here’s what every future MCAT taker needs to know about the new test:

More Content Tested: There will be three additional semesters’ worth of material covered in college-level biochemistry, introductory psychology and introductory sociology, increasing the number of prerequisite classes from eight to eleven. Sections will also place more emphasis on integrating concepts across multiple disciplines.
Double the Length: On the new MCAT, pre-meds face 230 questions over 6 hours and 15 minutes versus 144 questions in 3 hours and 20 minutes on the old MCAT. Translation: the new MCAT will require a lot more stamina and focus, but it will also require strong critical thinking skills and MCAT expertise, since students will have more testing time per question.
April 2015 Test Takers Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card. Registration opens up on February 11, with an increased registration fee of $300, but to ensure they have enough test takers to help them map out a scoring scale for the rest of the year, the Association of American Medical Colleges (the makers of the MCAT) is offering students who register for one of the two April test dates a $150 Amazon gift card.
Different Scoring Scale: Unlike the old MCAT, which had a total possible score of 45, each of the four sections on MCAT 2015 will be scored 118-132, for a total possible score of 528. The median is expected to be 125 per section for a total median score of 500.
New Question Types and Skills: MCAT 2015 requires content knowledge and critical thinking just like previous versions of the MCAT, but the new MCAT also tests two additional skills. Research Design focuses on the fundamentals of creating research projects, bias, faulty results, and variable relationships. Graphical Analysis & Data Interpretation focuses on deriving conclusions and drawing inferences from visual data, including figures, graphs and data tables.
A More Medical Approach: On the new MCAT, passages will be restructured to test all of the natural sciences within the context of biological systems. This integrated approach is better aligned to how students will study in medical school and prepare for their medical board exams.
Verbal Reasoning is Changing Slightly: The new section will now be called Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, or CARS. Unlike the old Verbal Reasoning section, the new CARS section will no longer include passages on the natural sciences; instead, it will utilize only passages from the humanities and social sciences.

“Scoring well on the MCAT is critical for pre-meds to get into the medical school of their choice, so knowing exactly what they’ll face on this vastly revamped admissions exam and how to prepare for it is a must for all aspiring doctors,” said Eric Chiu, executive director of pre-medical programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “While the new MCAT is more challenging than the old one, our experience of preparing students for the medical school admissions process for over 40 years tells us that with the right preparation, they will rise to the occasion, and succeed.”

For more information about the new MCAT, contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538. Students can visit Kaplan’s comprehensive website on the upcoming MCAT changes at www.mcat2015.com.

The MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges. The AAMC is not affiliated with Kaplan.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services. Additionally, Kaplan operates new economy skills training (NEST) bootcamps designed to provide immersive training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

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Kaplan in the News

January 26, 2015

Kaplan Test Prep Named to FlexJob’s 2015 List of “Top Companies with Remote Jobs”

Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KTP_Careers

New York, NY (January 26, 2015) — Kaplan Test Prep, a leading provider of educational and career services, has placed sixth on the FlexJobs’ “Top Companies with Remote Jobs in 2015” list. This is the second consecutive year Kaplan has earned a spot on the list.

The annual ranking from FlexJobs, the top job listings website for telecommuting, part-time, freelance and flextime jobs, recognizes companies offering the most work-from- home opportunities. In compiling the list, FlexJobs analyzes the job posting histories of over 30,000 companies, identifying the top 100 with the most remote job postings.

85% of all Kaplan Test Prep employees work remotely, while the remaining employees can vary the structure of their work day to meet their scheduling needs, assuming work requirements are met.

“At Kaplan Test Prep, we seek to foster a work experience that empowers our employees — whether through an open culture, employee-led initiatives, strong communication and feedback channels, or remote workplace flexibility. We know that in today’s workforce, work-life balance is a priority, and believe that accommodating for this actually allows people to be their most productive,” said Lorin Thomas-Tavel, Chief Operating Officer, Kaplan Test Prep. “As we seek to allow for flexibility that optimizes people’s ability to be engaged and effective in their roles, we sincerely appreciate the recognition of our efforts in this regard.”

To see the full list of top 100 companies to watch for remote jobs in 2015 visit http://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/100-top-companies-with-remote-jobs-in-2015/.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services. Additionally, Kaplan operates new economy skills training (NEST) bootcamps designed to provide immersive training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

About FlexJobs

FlexJobs is the leading online service for professionals seeking telecommuting, flexible schedule, part-time, and freelance jobs. With job listings in over 100 career categories, and opportunities ranging from entry-level to executive, freelance to full-time, FlexJobs offers job-seekers a safe, easy, and efficient way to find professional and legitimate flexible job listings. Having helped over one million people in their job searches, FlexJobs has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America, Marketplace Money, and many other trusted media outlets. FlexJobs is also a proud partner in the 1 Million for Work Flexibility initiative, which seeks to unite people advocating for work flexibility.

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