CARS Practice Test

People preparing to apply to health professions programs that accept MCAT scores take the CARS section. It has 53 passage-based questions, you get 90 minutes, and it is scored from 118 to 132. This page has free CARS practice sets, worked explanations of sample questions, a study plan, and the main registration facts taken from the AAMC.

CARS Exam at a Glance

What changed for CARS in 2026

• Oct 28, 2026: Next exam date changed to January 15, 2027 (previously Next U.S. test date: January 15, 2027).^[5]
• Oct 28, 2026: Eligibility changed to People preparing to apply to a health professions program (previously Applicants to MCAT-accepting health professions programs).^[8]
• Oct 27, 2026: Other (update 2026-10-20) changed to Scheduling for 2027 MCAT test dates opened in regional groups on October 20, 21, and 22, 2026. (previously Scheduling for 2027 MCAT test dates opened by test-center group on October 20, 21 and 22, 2026.).^[6]
• Oct 27, 2026: Other (update 2027-01-30) changed to In 2027, MCAT testing in the United States and Canada is limited to select locations on Jan. 30, May 14, July 9, and Aug. 28. (previously In 2027, MCAT testing in the US and Canada is limited to select locations on Jan. 30, May 14, July 9 and Aug. 28.).^[6]
• Oct 20, 2026: Scheduling for 2027 MCAT test dates opened in regional groups on October 20, 21, and 22, 2026.^[6]

What the CARS is and how it works

According to Association of American Medical Colleges, “| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills | 53 (note that questions are all passage-based) | 90 minutes |”^[1]

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) is a section of the MCAT exam, which the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) runs. The MCAT is a standardized, computer-based exam that you take in person at a Pearson VUE test center. The CARS section has 53 questions, all of them passage-based, and you get 90 minutes for it.

CARS has no pass or fail. Your raw score for the section is converted to a scaled score from 118 (lowest) to 132 (highest). Official scores come out 30–35 days after the exam date. For the January 15, 2027 test date, the AAMC lists a score release date of February 16, 2027.

You can take the MCAT if you are preparing to apply to a health professions program that accepts MCAT scores, and you are not now enrolled and have not been enrolled in a health professions program before. If that does not describe you, see the AAMC page on requesting special permission. You can take the exam no more than 3 times in a testing year, 4 times over 2 consecutive testing years, and 7 times in your lifetime.

Standard registration costs $360, or $145 with AAMC Fee Assistance. Testing outside the US and Canada adds $130. The last day to schedule is 10 days before exam day. Moving your date costs $55, $110 or $210, depending on how close to the exam you make the change. Fees, deadlines and policies can change from one testing year to the next, so check them on the AAMC MCAT website before you register.

Worked examples: how to reason through CARS questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: Which of the following is an essential component of a strong argument?

1. An emotional appeal
2. An opinion without evidence
3. A well-supported premise
4. A complex sentence structure

Answer: C. A well-supported premise

Explanation:

C is correct. An argument is a conclusion backed by reasons. How strong it is depends on whether those reasons, the premises, are true, relevant and supported by evidence. A well-supported premise is the base the rest of the argument stands on.

A is wrong because an emotional appeal can persuade without giving any logical support. B is wrong because an opinion with no evidence is just a claim, not support for anything. D is wrong because sentence structure is a matter of style. A complicated sentence can carry a weak argument as easily as a strong one.

Rule to remember: in CARS, judge an argument by what the author offers as support and whether that support really bears on the claim. How forceful or elaborate the writing sounds does not matter.

Example 2

Question: A stakeholder questions the value of documentation & record management initiatives. Which response best demonstrates ROI?

1. Distributing accountability so widely that no one is responsible
2. Centralizing accountability with a single individual
3. Building a culture of accountability with transparent reporting
4. Avoiding accountability discussions to prevent conflict

Answer: C. Building a culture of accountability with transparent reporting

Explanation:

C is correct. The question asks how to show a stakeholder that record-keeping work pays off. Transparent reporting makes the results visible. A shared culture of accountability means someone owns each outcome, so the value can be measured and shown.

A fails because if responsibility is spread so thin that no one owns it, there is nothing to report. B fails because putting everything on a single person creates a bottleneck and hides the work from everyone else. D fails because avoiding the topic gives the stakeholder no evidence at all.

Rule to remember: when an answer choice takes an extreme position, test it against the goal stated in the question. This item comes from a workplace-skills set. Real CARS questions are tied to a reading passage, so use it as general reasoning practice, not as exam-style practice.

Example 3

Question: An author claims that a policy is ethical because it produces the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people. Which ethical framework is this reasoning most consistent with?

1. Deontological ethics
2. Virtue ethics
3. Utilitarian ethics
4. Divine command theory

Answer: C. Utilitarian ethics

Explanation:

C is correct. Judging a policy by whether it produces the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people is the core idea of utilitarian ethics. Utilitarianism judges actions by their consequences, added up across everyone affected.

A is wrong because deontological ethics judges actions by duties or rules, whatever the outcome. B is wrong because virtue ethics asks what a person of good character would do, not what produces the most benefit. D is wrong because divine command theory bases right and wrong on what God commands.

Rule to remember: CARS does not test philosophy vocabulary for its own sake, but it often asks which principle an author's reasoning depends on. Find the reason the author gives (outcomes, duties, character or authority) and pick the answer that matches that reason.

How to use these practice tests

Begin with the AAMC's CARS section overview and its official practice material, so you know what real passages and questions look like. Then use our sets to work on specific reasoning skills.

• Reading for meaning: Comprehension and Interpretation and Passage Structure and Author's Purpose. After each question, sum up the author's main point in your own words.
• Arguments: Critical Thinking and Argument Analysis, Assumptions and Underlying Premises, Logical Reasoning and Inference and Evidence Evaluation and Research Methods.
• Reasoning beyond the text: Application of Ideas and Synthesis, Ethical and Philosophical Reasoning and Ethical Reasoning and Decision Making.

Keep an error log. For every question you miss, write down whether you misread the passage, missed the author's tone, or picked an answer that was true but not supported by the text. Our documentation, quality assurance, risk management and communication sets cover workplace skills and are not passage-based, so spend less time on them. Closer to test day, take full timed sections using official material: 53 questions in 90 minutes, read on a screen, because the real exam is computer-based.

Sources & last verified

1. Association of American Medical Colleges — number of questions, time limit (official source). “This section will include 53 exam questions.” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 28, 2026.
2. Association of American Medical Colleges — exam fee, retake fee, registration deadline (official source). “| Standard Registration | $360 |” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.
3. Association of American Medical Colleges — passing score (official source). “The raw score for each section is then converted to a scaled score ranging from 118 (lowest) to 132 (highest).” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 22, 2026.
4. Association of American Medical Colleges — retake policy (official source). “You may attempt the exam **no more than three times** in a testing year.” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.
5. Association of American Medical Colleges — next exam date (official source). “| January 15 | Nov. 16, 2026 | Dec. 16, 2026 | Jan. 5 | Feb.16 |” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.
6. Association of American Medical Colleges — other (official source). “We will open registration for test centers in part of the United States and some international locations (Group A) on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at noon…” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 28, 2026.
7. Association of American Medical Colleges — delivery (official source). “The AAMC provides the MCAT exam with the assistance of its test-delivery administrator, Pearson.” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 27, 2026.
8. Association of American Medical Colleges — eligibility (official source). “You may sit for the MCAT exam if you are preparing to apply to and attend a health professions program that accepts MCAT scores for…” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.
9. Association of American Medical Colleges — score release (official source). “Official MCAT® scores are released 30-35 days after an exam date.” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.

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