NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

According to Kaplan Test Preps 2013 survey of medical school admissions officers*, 43% expect the revamped MCAT coming in 2015 to be more difficult than the current one. This is a near doubling of the 22% who held this view in Kaplans 2012 survey. Only 2% in the 2013 survey believe the revised medical school admissions exam will be easier. The remaining 55% of medical school admissions officers think the difficulty level will remain about the same.

But, despite rising concerns about difficulty, a large majority supports the coming changes (90%) and think they will better prepare students for medical school (75%); these findings are consistent with Kaplans 2012 survey. Among the approved changes coming to the MCAT in 2015:

There is little doubt that the planned changes will introduce new challenges for test takers. The test will be longer, and will require pre-med students to learn significantly more content within the same amount of time, said Owen Farcy, director of pre-health programs, Kaplan Test Prep. But its important to recognize that the changes to the test only reflect the realities of a changing medical field. Todays pre-meds face a medical landscape thats different than what their parents doctors faced. Medicine today is based on scientific advances that didnt exist a generation ago, and doctors are increasingly serving a more diverse population, so it makes sense to adapt the test accordingly.

Other key results from Kaplans 2013 survey of medical school admissions officers:

On the Thursday, November 14 episode of The Pulse, Kaplan Test Preps live, online talk show for pre-med students, a panel of experts will discuss the survey findings and what the implications are for aspiring doctors. The show begins at 8 PM ET. Registration is at http://www.kaptest.com/pulse.

To speak with a Kaplan Test Prep medical school admissions and MCAT expert about the survey results, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. For more information on the MCAT changes, students can visit http://www.mcat2015.com.

* For the 2013 survey, 79 medical school admissions officers from across the United States (71 from schools accredited by the Association of American Medical Colleges and eight medical schools accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine) were polled by telephone between July and September 2013.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Kaplan Test Prep Survey: The Percentage of Medical School Admissions Officers Who Think the Revamped MCAT Coming in ...