PA-CAT study guide
PA-CAT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PA-CAT (Physician Assistant College Admission Test) is an admissions examination that, according to widely circulated information, is used by some physician assistant programs as one factor alongside GPA, prerequisite coursework, patient care experience, and essays. This page is intended as a study and orientation hub for candidates preparing for it. The PA-CAT study guide has 9 sections and about 2,574 words.
01Anatomy: Spatial Language and Structural Organization
Anatomy rewards precise spatial language. Begin with the anatomical position: standing upright, feet together, palms facing forward, thumbs lateral.
288 words, about 1 min02Physiology: Gradients, Feedback, and Quantitative Regulation
Physiology is the study of how gradients are created and spent. Nearly every system moves something-ions, water, blood, gas-down an electrochemical or pressure gradient, and regulation adjusts the size of that gradient or the resistance in its path.
304 words, about 2 min03Biochemistry: Protein Function, Enzyme Kinetics, and Metabolism
Biochemistry questions test structure–function links. Know the 20 amino acids by category-nonpolar, polar uncharged, acidic, basic-and which are essential, because side-chain chemistry explains protein folding, enzyme active sites, and buffer behavior.
283 words, about 1 min04Biology: Cells, Division, and Signaling
Biology on the PA-CAT spans cell structure, division, signaling, and the principles that connect them. Know each organelle's job and one disease or drug that reveals it: nucleus for transcription, rough ER for secreted and membrane proteins, smooth ER for lipid synthesis and detoxification, Golgi for modification and sorting, mitochondria for oxidative ATP, lysosomes for acid hydrolysis, peroxisomes for very-long-chain fatty acids and peroxide.
285 words, about 1 min05Microbiology: Classification, Growth, and Antimicrobial Targets
Microbiology questions reward a few organizing frameworks. First, classify: bacteria (prokaryotic, peptidoglycan cell wall), viruses (obligate intracellular, capsid plus genome, no own metabolism), fungi (eukaryotic, ergosterol membranes), and parasites.
260 words, about 1 min06Genetics: Inheritance Patterns and Probability
Genetics questions test transmission patterns and probability. Start with Mendelian basics: alleles, dominance, segregation, independent assortment.
290 words, about 1 min07General Chemistry: Trends, Stoichiometry, and Equilibrium
General chemistry on the PA-CAT is mostly about trends and quantitative relationships. Master atomic structure, electron configuration, and periodic trends: atomic radius decreases across a period and increases down a group; ionization energy and electronegativity move the opposite way.
292 words, about 1 min08Organic Chemistry: Functional Groups, Mechanisms, and Stereochemistry
Organic chemistry is pattern recognition plus electron flow. Learn functional groups cold-alkane, alkene, alkyne, alcohol, ether, amine, amide, carboxylic acid, ester, ketone, aldehyde, aromatic ring-and how each behaves as an acid, base, nucleophile, or electrophile.
289 words, about 1 min09Behavioral Sciences: Learning, Development, and Clinical Measurement
Behavioral science questions blend psychology, development, and biostatistics. Know classical conditioning (neutral stimulus paired with an unconditioned stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus) versus operant conditioning (behavior shaped by consequences).
283 words, about 1 min