Association of
American Medical Colleges
A Road Map to MCAT
®
Critical
Analysis and Reasoning Skills in
the Khan Academy MCAT Collection
1
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Worked Examples ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Practice Passage Sets ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Looking for more tips and strategies to prepare for the MCAT exam? ..................................................................................................................... 9
For more practice on critical analysis and reasoning skills, use other low-cost AAMC MCAT Official Prep CARS Products ................................. 9
AAMC Fee Assistance Program MCAT Prep Benefits ........................................................................................................................................... 10
2
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Introduction
The Khan Academy CARS Collection is a free resource created to help you understand and prepare for the Critical Analysis and Reasoning
Skills (CARS) section of the Medical College Admission Test
®
(MCAT
®
) exam. In a series of videos, a cognitive scientist offers her descriptions
of the CARS section and skills, including tips and examples from sample MCAT questions:
• The Khan Academy CARS overview
• Foundations of comprehension
• Reasoning within the text
• Reasoning beyond the text
This Road Map provides links to free practice passages with sample content from the CARS section of the MCAT exam. In the What’s on the
MCAT Exam Content Outline, you will find the official AAMC descriptions for the CARS section and skills assessed:
• The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Section Overview
• CARS Passage Types
• Skill 1: Foundations of Comprehension
• Skill 2: Reasoning Within the Text
• Skill 3: Reasoning Beyond the Text
The Khan Academy CARS Collection also includes worked examples where the same cognitive scientist walks you through reading a passage
and answering questions. Finally, practice on your own with passage sets that include descriptions of the skills assessed and explanations of
the solutions to each question. The AAMC identified the CARS skills assessed by each question from the Khan Academy CARS Collection
worked examples and practice sets in this Road Map.
Visit aamc.org/mcatprep to find more free resources and low-cost products to help you prepare for the MCAT exam.
The Khan Academy MCAT Collection was created by Khan Academy with support and funding from the AAMC and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
A Road Map to MCAT
®
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills in The Khan Academy MCAT Collection is copyright © 2020 Association of American Medical
Colleges. May be reproduced and distributed with attribution for educational and noncommercial purposes only. This information is not intended to prescribe a
program of study for the MCAT exam, nor does use of this information guarantee success on the exam.
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© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Worked Examples
Foundations of Comprehension
(CMP)
Reading Within the Text (RWT)
Reading Beyond the Text (RBT)
Worked example: Living in a rational society
Question 1: The author’s argument suggests …
Question 2: A common thread in the discussion …
none
Question 3: Information in the passage suggests
…
Question 4: Suppose that the employee
responses …
Worked example: The happy American
Question 1: According to the passage, positive
feelings are …
Question 3: What best represents the author’s …
none
Question 2: Suppose that economists …
Worked example: Seeing color through Homer's eyes
Question 1: It can be inferred from the passage …
none
Question 2: It has been suggested that …
Question 3: Gladstone would predict which …
Question 4: Homer’s sky is starry, or broad, …
Worked example: Physical education in the UK
Question 4: The author’s central theme …
Question 1: What is the function …
Question 2: Which of the following
assumptions …
Question 3: Assume as true that students …
Worked example: The honest truth about dishonesty
Question 2: The author implies which …
Question 1: Which of the following
assumptions …
Question 4: The author most likely mentions
…
Question 3: Suppose a politician is re-elected …
Select the links below to view the Khan Academy CARS
Collection worked examples. The questions in each passage
set are mapped to the skill being assessed.
4
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Foundations of Comprehension
(CMP)
Reading Within the Text
(RWT)
Reading Beyond the Text (RBT)
• In the discussion of the Ultimatum Game…
• Which of the following statements …
• In some trials of the Ultimatum Game,
…
• Assume a “fair” offer is defined as …
• Based on the passage, the author …
• Which of the following passage
assertions is presented …
• Which of the following passage
assertions …
• Of the following scenarios, which
represents …
•
• Which of the following statements …
• The passage implies that the declaration
…
• What is the author’s primary purpose …
• The passage implies that …
none
• According to the views of the passage
author …
• Based on the passage, which of the
following …
• With which of the following statements …
none
• Assume that the phenomenon …
• Suppose that a scientist were to …
• According to Maass, people’s reactions …
• In the passage, the author …
• Which of the following examples …
none
• The author’s attitude toward …
• The author mentions …
• Which of the following explains …
• Which of the following is most like …
Select the links below to view the Khan Academy CARS
Collection practice passage sets. The questions in each
passage set are randomized and not displayed in any specific
order. We have provided the first part of each question in order
to identify the question assessed by each skill.
5
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Foundations of Comprehension
(CMP)
Reading Within the Text
(RWT)
Reading Beyond the Text (RBT)
• Which of the following statements …
• Which of the following assertions …
• Information in the passage tells …
• All of the following examples of
imagery …
• Suppose there is a newcomer …
• The author would most likely …
• Based on the philosophical beliefs …
• According to the passage, which …
• A central thesis in the passage is that
Hardy…
• The author’s descriptions of …
• Which of the following endeavors …
• Which of the following arguments …
• According to the passage, homeostasis …
• The main purpose of the author’s …
• In the passage, the author illustrates the …
• Which of the following assumptions
…
• The undoing effect would predict …
• Assume that a sample of mothers …
• Which of the following statements BEST …
• Which of the following statements does …
• Information in the passage MOST
STRONGLY …
• The author mentions tributes paid …
• Which of the following passage
assertions …
• Which of the following new pieces …
• The author’s attitude toward …
• In the discussion of Nigeria’s energy crisis
…
• Which of the following passage
assertions …
• The author uses “great deforestation”
…
• The author argues that the Nigerian …
• Which of the following recommendations
…
Select the links below to view the Khan Academy CARS
Collection practice passage sets. The questions in each
passage set are randomized and not displayed in any specific
order. We have provided the first part of each question in order
to identify the question assessed by each skill.
6
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Foundations of Comprehension
(CMP)
Reading Within the Text
(RWT)
Reading Beyond the Text (RBT)
• Based on the passage, the purpose …
• In both cases of complex and primordial
jealousy:
• An assumption the author makes …
• The author’s use of the “third condition”
…
• As discussed in the passage ……
• Which of the following BEST represents
…
• The author’s central message …
• It can be inferred from the passage …
• Which of the following assumptions
…
• In paragraph 3, the author …
• Which of the following is LEAST
analogous …
• Suppose scientists discover a spongy
substance …
• According to the passage …
• The passage author’s study found …
• In the passage, which of the following
facts …
• The main function of the statement
…
• Suppose a brand new study …
• Based on the passage …
• The significance of the statement …
• A common thread in the discussion …
• Which of the following statements
about utilitarian beliefs …
• Based on the passage …
• According to the logic …
• Which of the following statements about
killing people …
• Which of the following BEST …
• Based on the passage, the author …
• Which of the following passage
assertions …
• Which of the following issues …
• The passage suggests that the author
…
• According to the views of …
Select the links below to view the Khan Academy CARS
Collection practice passage sets. The questions in each
passage set are randomized and not displayed in any specific
order. We have provided the first part of each question in order
to identify the question assessed by each skill.
7
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Foundations of Comprehension
(CMP)
Reading Within the Text
(RWT)
Reading Beyond the Text (RBT)
• Which of the following assertions …
• Information in the passage suggests …
• The author’s central argument suggests …
• In the discussion of the first …
• The author quotes the views …
• Suppose a new artist emerged …
• The author's general attitude …
• According to the passage, which …
• With regard to perception …
• The author’s mentioning …
• Imagine a group of people …
• Which of the following potential study …
• Which of the following statements is most
…
• Which of the following best …
• The author mentions Mexico’s history …
• Which of the following statements is
NOT …
• Suppose there is a strong correlation …
• Suppose you are asked to …
• Which of the following CANNOT be
inferred …
• According to Huxley, the …
• The author makes an allusion …
• Which one of the following is an idea
…
• Which of the following hypothetical …
• Suppose a scientist were to
demonstrate …
• According to the passage, which of the …
• Which of the following is NOT mentioned
…
• Which of the following assertions …
• The author mentions Hoiri’s
experiences …
• Suppose that currently, the majority …
• Of the following premises …
Select the links below to view the Khan Academy CARS
Collection practice passage sets. The questions in each
passage set are randomized and not displayed in any specific
order. We have provided the first part of each question in order
to identify the question assessed by each skill.
8
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Foundations of Comprehension
(CMP)
Reading Within the Text
(RWT)
Reading Beyond the Text (RBT)
• According to the passage, Deppman’s …
• What is the function of the statement …
• Which of the following conclusions …
• A central message the author is trying …
none
• Which of the following is LEAST …
• Because of changes in technology …
• Which of the following statements …
• Which of the following best captures …
• What is a weakness in the argument
…
• Which of the following claims …
• Which of the following would most …
• Assume that recent data …
• What is the function of the phrase, …
• It can be inferred from the passage …
• One of the author’s central arguments …
• Which of the following is an
assumption …
• Suppose the author meets a woman …
• Which of the following is an example …
• Which of the following statements …
• According to the passage …
• Which of the following is not part …
• Which of the following assumption …
• Based on the passage …
• In paragraph 2, the author …
• The author’s argument suggest …
• Which statement best captures …
• Which of the following assumptions
…
• Which of the following ideas about …
• In the country of Dimonbaru …
• Suppose that public schools …
• What is the best summary …
• The author’s attitude toward the view …
• Paragraph 4 includes the assertion
…
• Which of the following major
assumptions …
• Paragraph 2 discusses tension …
• Suppose that, historically, one …
Select the links below to view the Khan Academy CARS
Collection practice passage sets. The questions in each
passage set are randomized and not displayed in any specific
order. We have provided the first part of each question in order
to identify the question assessed by each skill.
9
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
Foundations of Comprehension
(CMP)
Reading Within the Text
(RWT)
Reading Beyond the Text (RBT)
• The passage author’s main message …
• It can be inferred from the author’s …
• The function of paragraph 3 …
• Which of the following assumptions
…
• Suppose that a national program …
• Which of the following hypothetical
politicians …
• A commonality between Buddhism …
• The statement in paragraph 2 that …
• Which of the following statements …
• Which of the following is a weakness
…
• In paragraph 4, the author …
• Which of the following scenarios …
Looking for more tips and strategies to prepare for the MCAT exam?
In the How I Prepared for the MCAT Exam testimonials, students share study tips and approaches they used. Access the testimonials here or
go directly to the students who describe how they prepared for the CARS section of the MCAT exam:
• Priya Thomas
• Da'Kuawn Johnson
• Jen Hao
For more practice on critical analysis and reasoning skills, use other low-cost AAMC MCAT
Official Prep CARS Products
The MCAT Official Prep CARS Diagnostic Tool is the first, section-specific diagnostic tool made available by the AAMC to help
you identify and address areas of strengths and weaknesses as you prepare for the Critical Analysis and Reasoning section of
the MCAT exam.
Select the links below to view the Khan Academy CARS
Collection practice passage sets. The questions in each
passage set are randomized and not displayed in any specific
order. We have provided the first part of each question in order
to identify the question assessed by each skill.
10
© 2020 Association of American Medical Colleges
The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Question Pack, Volume 1 provides 120 passage-based questions and solutions, with
passages from humanities and social science disciplines.
The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Question Pack, Volume 2 provides 120 passage-based questions and solutions, with
passages from humanities and social science disciplines.
AAMC Fee Assistance Program MCAT Prep Benefits
AAMC Fee Assistance Program awardees who have opted to receive their MCAT Official Prep
products benefit are granted access to these products, in addition to all online AAMC MCAT Official
Prep products. Please visit our website for more information and the full list of Fee Assistance
Program benefits.
20-002O (08/20)