Other Graduate & Professional School Entrance Exams

Students who are considering graduate school are rapidly confronted with the requirements for getting into the school of their choice, a potentially daunting and confusing task. Entrance exams are one part of the admissions process, along with undergraduate transcripts, letters of recommendation and a personal statement. Standardized tests allow graduate and professional schools to have another variable to consider for admissions, fellowships and college-based financial aid awards. Depending on the school, the weight that your scores carry are considered more or less important.

Professional graduate studies require tests that are specifically designed to reflect the student's abilities for success in that particular area. The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) and GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) are most commonly used for business schools and a wide number of other specialties. Theoretically, standardized tests can allow admission committees to fairly compare candidates from different universities and colleges. Entrance exams, at their best, should evaluate a candidates thinking skills. Specific knowledge of a field and achievement are not measured, but rather reflect a students potential ability to be successful in studying a specific topic.

Here are some definitions and explanations of the entrance exams that are required by various schools of professional studies:

LSAT (Law School Admission Test) This test is required for admission to all of the approximately 195 law schools that belong to the Law School Admission Council, a regulatory organization that serves as an accreditation function. Created by the American Bar Association (ABA) and can be taken in about four hours. Administered four times a year, it is recommended to be taken 15 months prior to the beginning of the school term, but can be arranged for nine months prior to classes starting.

The LSAT is a paper-test and its sections are: Reading Comprehension, Logic Reasoning (Arguments), Analytical Reasoning (Games) and Essay. Most LSAT takers report greatest difficulty with the Analytical Reasoning section. This exam is designed to measure your aptitude for doing well with legal problem solving, and those who do well on it correlate with higher scores on their bar exams after law school.

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) Created for students who are pursuing entrance to medical school, the MCAT is regulated by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). This exam measures whether test-takers have a good factual and conceptual understanding of biology, chemistry, physics and organic chemistry. Overall problem solving, critical thinking, and writing skills are important as well. Official sections of the exam are; Verbal Reasoning, Writing, Physical Science (physics, general chemistry) and Biological Sciences (biology, organic chemistry).

Almost all U.S. medical schools require this exam as a prerequisite to studying medicine. Fluency in the sciences is obviously a fundamental expectation for gaining a good score, but a well balanced set of scores in all areas is more likely to benefit a student. The MCAT is a completely computerized test that is offered on a schedule at hundreds of official test sites.

DAT (Dental Admission Test) American Dental Association monitors the administration of the DAT, used for admissions to dental schools. A computerized test, there are many testing site locations throughout the U.S. Comprised of four areas; Natural Sciences (biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry), Perceptual Ability (3-dimensional manipulation, spatial reasoning), Reading comprehension and Quantitative Reasoning (algebra, critical thinking, fractions, roots, trigonometry).

OAT (Optometry Admission Test) Measuring general academic capability as understanding of scientific concepts, the OAT is supported by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). Applicants seeking entry to an optometry program are required to take this exam for all programs in the U.S. Its four computer-based tests are comprised of; Natural Sciences, Reading Comprehension and Quantitative Reasoning (Math). In preparation students are recommended to have completed courses in biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics.

PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) The PCAT is endorsed by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and is typically required for entering any Pharmacy school program. This exam provides 4 hours for completion and consists of Writing, Reading Comprehension, Math, Biology and Chemistry. PCAT examinations occur four times per year at testing centers and is a paper test (non-computerized). Find PSAT testing centers in your area.