PCAT Chemistry Review

Of the seven sections of the PCAT, the chemistry is one. A candidate’s sound knowledge in general chemistry and organic chemistry is desired by the pharmacy schools are a pre-requisite for admission. The test consists of 48 questions that must be answered in a span of 30 minutes. Of the 48, only 40 will account for the score. The rest 8 questions are experimental and do not count towards one’s score. However, there is no distinction between the questions, so one has to answer all 48. 60% of the questions would be from general chemistry and 40% from organic chemistry.

All questions will be of the type multiple choices. However, some questions just require basic knowledge in the subject while some others require reasoning skills too. Many questions will present a hypothetical situation which the candidate needs to analyze from the scientific point of view. Chemical equations, terms, laboratory practice and undergraduate chemistry knowledge are desired in candidates.
PCAT Chemistry Sample Questions
1. Which of the following scenarios describes a neutralization reaction?
A: An acid and base mutually destroy each other.
B: A reaction between an acid and a base produces a salt and perhaps water.
C: An acid combines with a salt and becomes a base.
D: A base combines with a salt and becomes an acid.
Answer to Q.1 – An acid base reaction should ideally form a salt compound and produce water as a by-product. This is known as a neutralization reaction.
2. Which law states that the total pressure of a gaseous system is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual components?
A: Gault's law of partial pressures
B: Johnson's law of partial pressures
C: Haggard's law of partial pressures
D: Dalton's law of partial pressures
Answer to Q.2 – Dalton’s law of partial pressures states that the total pressure of a gaseous system is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual components.
3. Which compounds are isomers?
A. Ethane and ethanol.
B. Methanol and methanal.
C. 1-propanol and 2-propanol.
D. Methanoic acid and ethanoic acid.
Answer to Q.3 - By definition isomers have the same molecular formula but different structural formulas. Choice 3 compounds have the same molecular formula but the -OH group is located on the first or second carbon atoms. The other choices do not have the same molecular formulas.
4. Which statement best describes how a salt bridge maintains electrical neutrality in the half cells of an electrochemical cell?
A. It permits the migration of ions.
B. It prevents the migration of electrons.
C. It permits the two solutions to mix completely.
D. It prevents the reaction from occurring spontaneously.
Answer to Q.4 - In oxidation-reduction reactions, ions need to migrate. A salt bridge is a U-shaped tube that acts as a porous barrier between two half cells. It prevents the solutions from mixing but allows the ions to move (migrate) from one half cell to the other. This keeps the half cells neutral. If the solutions mixed, neutrality would not be maintained in the half cells and the reaction would stop.

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