PCAT Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield PCAT facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which viral replication strategy characterizes retroviruses and is essential for their integration into the host genome? → RNA → DNA → integrated DNA → RNA
2. The respiratory system's primary defense against acidosis from CO₂ retention is: → Increased respiratory rate to blow off CO₂
3. Which bacterial structure is the primary determinant of Gram stain results? → Peptidoglycan layer thickness
4. During beta-oxidation of a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid (palmitate), how many acetyl-CoA molecules are produced? → 8
5. During exercise, which mechanism most directly increases venous return to the heart? → Skeletal muscle pump action
6. If a solution is diluted from 500 mL at 40% to a new volume with a final concentration of 10%, what is the new volume? → 2,000 mL
7. The lamina propria is a component of which tissue layer in hollow organs? → Mucosa
8. Which transport process requires ATP to move molecules against their concentration gradient? → Active transport
9. In the context of PCAT, what does evidence-based practice mean? → Integrating current best evidence with professional expertise
10. In PCAT science preparation, what does homeostasis refer to? → The tendency to maintain stable internal conditions
11. Which of the following correctly describes the process of translation? → mRNA codons are read by tRNA anticodons to assemble a polypeptide
12. In PCAT preparation, which mathematical concept is foundational for problem-solving? → Understanding order of operations and algebraic reasoning
13. Which factor is most important when evaluating the quality of scientific research for PCAT? → Methodology, sample size, and peer review status
14. A dataset has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. What is the z-score of a value of 35? → -1.5
15. If the area of a circle is 100π cm², what is its circumference? → 20π cm
16. What is the role of a control group in scientific experiments related to PCAT? → To provide a baseline for comparison
17. Which component of the cell membrane is responsible for its fluid mosaic structure? → Cholesterol and phospholipids
18. Which nitrogenous base pairs with adenine in a DNA double helix? → Thymine
19. If a carrier mother (X^A X^a) and a normal father (X^A Y) have sons, what percentage of sons will express the X-linked recessive trait? → 50%
20. The electron configuration of Fe2+ (iron II ion, atomic number 26) is: → [Ar] 3d6
21. Which hormone stimulates the reabsorption of sodium in the distal tubule of the nephron? → Aldosterone
22. Which of the following is the strongest acid? → Acetic acid (pKa ~4.75)
23. Which autonomic change occurs during the diving reflex in humans? → Bradycardia and peripheral vasoconstriction
24. In a dihybrid cross between two AaBb parents, what fraction of offspring will be aabb? → 1/16
25. The primary stimulus for erythropoietin (EPO) release from the kidneys is: → Hypoxia detected by peritubular cells
26. Which factor is most important when evaluating the quality of scientific research for PCAT? → Methodology, sample size, and peer review status
27. A right triangle has legs of length 7 and 24. What is the length of the hypotenuse? → 25
28. What is the median of the data set: {3, 7, 9, 15, 21, 25, 30}? → 15
29. What does the mean of a data set represent in PCAT quantitative analysis? → The arithmetic average of all values
30. Aldosterone primarily acts on which nephron segment to regulate sodium reabsorption? → Cortical collecting duct