McGraw-Hill’s PCAT McGraw-Hill’s PCAT PHARMACY COLLEGE ADMISSION TEST George J. Hademenos, Ph.D. Shaun Murphree, Ph.D. Jennifer M. Warner, Ph.D. Kathy A. Zahler, M.S. Mark A. Whitener, Ph.D. New York | Chicago | San Francisco | Lisbon | London | Madrid | Mexico City | Milan | New Delhi San Juan | Seoul | Singapore | Sydney | Toronto Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written per- mission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-0-07-160046-0 MHID: 0-07-160046-9 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-160045-3, MHID: 0-07-160045-0. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. 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Contents How to Use This Book............................................................................ ix PART I: ALL ABOUT THE PCAT 1. Introducing the PCAT....................................................................... 3 PCAT Basics | Where and When to Take the PCAT | How to Register for the PCAT | Taking the PCAT More Than Once | Your PCAT Scores | How Pharmacy Schools Use PCAT Scores | Reporting Scores to Pharmacy Schools | For Further Information 2. Test Format and Structure............................................................... 7 The Format of the Test | The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Sections| The Biology and Chemistry Sections | The Quantitative Ability Section| The Writing Section 3. General Test-Taking Strategies...................................................... 15 General Strategies for Answering PCAT Questions | Coping with Exam Pressure PART II: PCAT DIAGNOSTIC TEST 4. Half-Length PCAT Diagnostic Test................................................. 21 Test | Answer Key | Answer Explanations PART III: REVIEWING PCAT VERBAL SKILLS 5. Verbal Ability.................................................................................. 73 What the Verbal Ability Section Tests | How Verbal Ability Is Scored | Sentence Completions | Two-Step Sentence Completions | Analogies | Vocabulary and Verbal Ability | On Your Own 6. Reading Comprehension ............................................................... 90 What Reading Comprehension Tests | How Reading Comprehension Is Scored | Preparing for Reading Comprehension | On Your Own v vi CONTENTS PART IV: REVIEWING PCAT BIOLOGY 7. General Biology............................................................................ 103 Classification and Cell Structure | Enzymes, Energy, and Cellular Metabolism | DNA Structure and Replication | Protein Synthesis | Genetics | Cell Division | Evolution 8. Microbiology................................................................................ 156 Bacteria | Fungi | Viruses 9. Anatomy and Physiology............................................................ 170 The Nervous System | The Muscular and Skeletal Systems | The Endocrine System | The Cardiovascular System | The Respiratory System | The Digestive System | The Urinary System | The Lymphatic and Immune Systems | Reproduction and Development | On Your Own: General Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy, and Physiology PART V: REVIEWING PCAT CHEMISTRY 10. General Chemistry....................................................................... 225 Matter and Its Changes | Basic Atomic Theory | Compounds, Molecules, and Ions | Chemical Reactions | Gases | Thermodynamics | Detailed Atomic Structure | Chemical Bonding | Solids and Liquids | Solutions | Kinetics | Equilibrium | Entropy and Free Energy | Electrochemistry 11. Organic Chemistry....................................................................... 322 Bonding | Shape | Nomenclature | Overview of Reaction Mechanisms | Methodology | Extraction | Chromatography | Distillation and Sublimation | Recrystallization | Overview | Combustion Analysis | UV-Vis Spectroscopy | Mass Spectrometry | Infrared Spectroscopy | Proton NMR Spectroscopy | Carbon NMR Spectroscopy PART VI: REVIEWING PCAT MATH SKILLS 12. Basic Math.................................................................................... 385 Numbers | Number Types | Number Operations | Fractions | Decimals | Percents | Averages | On Your Own vii 13. Algebra......................................................................................... 408 CONTENTS Algebraic Expressions | Operations Involving Polynomials | Factoring | Solving Equations for Unknowns | Quadratic Equations | Solving Simultaneous Equations | Absolute Value Equations and Inequalities | Exponents and Logarithms | On Your Own 14. Probability and Statistics............................................................ 432 Probability | Single-Event Probability | Multiple-Event Probability | Statistics | Mean, Median, Mode, and Range | On Your Own 15. Precalculus.................................................................................... 442 Functions | Graphs of Functions | Properties of Functions | On Your Own 16. Calculus......................................................................................... 455 Differentiation | The Derivative | Applications of the Derivative | Integration | The Integral | Applications of the Integral | On Your Own PART VII: REVIEWING PCAT WRITING 17. Conventions of Language........................................................... 467 Why You Need This Chapter | Grammar Handbook | Usage Handbook | Mechanics Handbook | Spelling Handbook | On Your Own 18. Problem Solving Essays............................................................... 480 What Problem Solving Essays Test | How The Essays Are Scored | Preparing for the Essays | On Your Own PART VIII: PCAT PRACTICE TEST Test | Answer Key | Answer Explanations.............................................. 501 This page intentionally left blank How to Use This Book Welcome to McGraw-Hill’s PCAT. You’ve made the decision to pursue a career in phar- macy, you’ve studied hard, you’ve taken and passed difficult science courses, and now you must succeed on this very tough exam. We’re here to help you. This book has been created by a dedicated team of scientists, teachers, and test-prep ex- perts. Together, they have helped thousands of students score high on all kinds of ex- ams, from rigorous science tests to difficult essay-writing assignments. They have pooled their knowledge, experience, and test-taking expertise to make this the most ef- fective PCAT preparation program available. McGraw-Hill’s PCAT contains a wealth of features to help you do your best. In the months, weeks, or days before you take the test, you can substantially improve your chances of scoring high by using this book as follows: ➤ In Part I, you’ll learn basic facts about the test, be familiarized with the test for- mat, and learn about the kinds of questions that you’re going to encounter. You’ll also find important tips about pacing and guessing. In addition, you can review some basic test-taking strategies to keep in mind throughout all phases of the exam. ➤ In Part II, you can take a half-length Diagnostic Test. The questions on this test fol- low the PCAT format and cover the same topics as the actual exam. When you fin- ish the test, use the results to measure how well prepared you currently are to take the PCAT. You can also use the results to decide which topics to focus on during thecourse of your review. ➤ In Parts III through VII, you can review every subject you must know for the PCAT. Parts III through VII present detailed coverage of all tested topics in verbal skills, bi- ology, chemistry, mathematics, and writing. Concise chapter summaries, “Cram Sessions,” at the end of each chapter reiterate key terms and concepts for quick and effective review. Many also offer valuable advice for tackling PCAT questions in the particular topic area. Each science review ends with “On Your Own” practice quizzes that you can use as a fast, efficient way to test your mastery of the subject. PartVII covers the Writing section—the parts of the PCAT most dreaded by many test takers. Here you’ll find numerous sample essays illustrating exactly what the graders are looking for. Read the samples carefully—and learn how you can score high on these difficult PCAT sections. ➤ In Part VIII, you’ll find a complete sample PCAT for practice. This test presents ques- tions spanning the entire range of subjects and difficulty levels you’re likely to find ix x HOW TO USE on the PCAT. Take the test under actual testing conditions: set aside the time you’ll THIS BOOK need to take the entire test at one sitting. Screen out distractions, and concentrate on doing your best. Of course, this practice test can provide only an approximation of how well you will do on the actual PCAT. However, if you approach it as you would the real test, it should give you a very good idea of how well you are prepared. After you take the test, read through the explanations for each question, paying special attention to those you answered incorrectly or had to guess on. If necessary, go back and reread the corresponding sections in the subject reviews in this book. Different people have different ways of preparing for a test like the PCAT. You must find a preparation method that suits your schedule and your learning style. We have tried to make McGraw-Hill’s PCAT flexible enough for you to use in a way that works best for you, but to succeed on this rigorous exam, there’s no substitute for serious, intensive re- view and study. The more time and effort you devote to preparing, the better your chances of achieving your PCAT goals.