The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is changing in 2015, and students who want to avoid taking it are running out of time to do so. The new MCAT, which is projected to remain unchanged for the next 15 years or so, is both longer and more challenging, with added science sections as well as larger study requirements, some of which are not required to enter medical school.

This leaves students in between a rock and a hard place, essentially. Do they cram for the last 2014 MCAT or do they spend another potential semester in school to take the new classes that will be required for the MCAT?

Some students wonder how they will be graded on this new MCAT, since it will be the first test of its kind with no previous tests for comparison. Either way, it’s a tough choice to make.

The 2014 MCAT is roughly 4.5 hours in length and tests the student's knowledge in biology, physics, chemistry and organic chemistry. Organic chemistry II can usually be substituted with biochemistry if the student so desires. Students are responsible for showing they have comprehensive knowledge in all the previous mentioned science fields, and can expect questions on anything from NMR spectroscopy to laboratory sterilization techniques.

There are 144 questions total on the current MCAT, and Kaplan suggests at least 300 hours of preparation before taking the exam, including practice tests. Any score above 31 is considered average and a score above a 35, which is in the 95.8 percentile of test takers, is a pretty wonderful score.

But, as a student, you are being compared not only to the current year's test, but also past tests, which generate a norm for a score. The mental preparation is difficult and the test is mentally draining.

However, the new MCAT is not only longer but has added sections. With the last MCAT in the U.S. being offered in November, students have to decide soon whether or not they are going to take the 2014 MCAT versus the 2015 test.

The 2015 test varies in a few ways: first, it contains new sections on biochemistry, sociology and psychology. There have been some discussions as to how to approach this change in the best way. Kaplan, on the one hand, is offering a class that teaches you what need to know of the three subjects for the MCAT in one semester's time.

The class is expensive, however, it saves time for students who were not originally planning on needing those classes. Meanwhile, there is always the option of taking all three classes, which will add on an extra semester, possibly two in order to complete.

The new test will also have more research method questions, as well as statistics skills. The new MCAT assumes many of the students who are applying will have lab and some sort of healthcare experience, which is not necessarily fair, but it's an assumption none the less. They want students to be able to prove they have lab experience as well as being able to memorize textbook after textbook and concept after concept.

Lastly, the 2015 MCAT will be over 7 hours long, and no afternoon tests will be offered as they are now. Tests will begin promptly at 8 a.m. and will require over 400 hours of study. Practice tests will be almost twice as long, and the subject matter will be broader. The frustrating aspect to this is that many medical schools do not require any of the new MCAT subjects, so students feel like they are having to do more work, spend more money and basically turning studying into a full time job. A 400+ hour preparation is the equivalent of 8 hours a day, five days a week, for over three months.

Medical schools are changing in terms of what they want from their students. Before, they wanted students that were immersed in science and math, and now they want more well-rounded students from different backgrounds. Psychology and sociology will help students and future doctors to better understand their patients. It promotes empathy, and the importance of sociocultural and behavioral determinants.

As far as the tests go, students are concerned about scoring. Since there will be so many more questions, the MCAT will be based on percentile scoring rather than particular numbers. Many schools will continue to accept MCAT scores from the old test for the allotted 3-year period, but there are a few who are not, according to a Kaplan online video discussing the 2015 changes. Regardless, this exam will be more difficult and students will need to study longer and remember more material.

They will also need to practice taking a 7-hour test without getting too mentally worn out. However, the addition of these new subjects will allow students to have more opportunities to shine, and perhaps make up for a section that didn't go so well. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what the 2015 results of the MCAT bring to the medical field and premed students alike.