For many students on a pre-pharmacy track, undergraduate coursework in chemistry can quickly become second nature. After passing courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry in the pursuit of their degrees, such students may feel prepared to tackle the Chemistry section of the PCAT exam with only minimal preparation. This is a dangerous pitfall, as the format of the PCAT varies dramatically from the exams they likely faced during their previous courses. On the PCAT Chemistry section, students are expected to memorize any necessary equations and complete calculations by hand, presenting a final answer that fits the exam's multiple-choice format. Where undergraduate courses generally offer long-form formats with opportunities for partial credit, the PCAT Chemistry section forces students to focus on accuracy. The wide span of topics covered in this section ranges from fundamental atomic principles to complex organic reaction mechanisms and the intricacies of biochemical polymerization, essentially making it a cumulative exam for the topics covered in undergraduate pre-pharmacy chemistry studies.
To adequately prepare, you must dedicate extensive time to reviewing the equations and principles presented in courses that you may not have taken for several months or years, while also developing your understanding of higher-level content. In trying to address this wealth of content, many students find that an accomplished instructor can offer them the insight to focus on the topics that impact their performance the most. Varsity Tutors can help you connect with PCAT Chemistry tutoring that provides such guidance to those who are beginning their exam preparations. Whether you are more concerned with calculating reaction enthalpy or with determining the product of a hydrolysis reaction, working with a personal instructor can help you build confidence and skill in the areas you find most difficult. When you begin your PCAT Chemistry tutoring sessions, your tutor can collaborate with you to develop a comprehensive series of lesson plans designed around your specific academic and test-taking goals, interests, and weaknesses. By catering to your unique student background and experiences, your tutor can present material in a manner that meshes with your learning style and may be more intuitive than the methods used in classroom environments.
