Alkenes on MCAT?

[knightstale4]

Hey guys,

This might be a stupid question, but are alkenes and their reactions on the exam? The MCAT outline does not have it, but all review materials do for some reason. Thanks to whoever responds 🙂

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[roody]

Alkanes, Alkenes and Alkynes can all be considered one topic because some of the mechanisms of Alkenes or Alkynes will result Alkane and according to the AAMC you need to know all the Alkane reactions . I would suggest you read all the material in the MCAT prep-book because those companies know what they are talking about (At least some of them). Good luck!

 

[lmarina1]

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[LostInStudy]

Hey guys,

This might be a stupid question, but are alkenes and their reactions on the exam? The MCAT outline does not have it, but all review materials do for some reason. Thanks to whoever responds 🙂

Know all the ways to oxidize and reduce them. So basically how to create/destroy them. Not much else.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

 

[NYR56]

Definitely be familiar with dehydration reactions to make alkenes, as well as hydrogenation reactions to make alkanes, but my impression is that you can get by without memorizing alot of the reactions that, for example, go from alkene to alcohol , e.g. you prob dont need to know that hydroboration is syn stereochemistry and anti-markonikov regio chem, or the reagents for oxymercuration/demercuration, or carbenes...etc

I think this is pretty accurate. The alkenes can show up in passages, so having a basic understanding can make it easier to answer some of the questions. Technically speaking, you probably won't need any outside information but between the time and the MCAT style, it will make it easier. I wouldn't memorize too much about them but definitely try to be familiar with them.

BTW, am I missing something about that link? heh

 

[boaz]

You need to know orgo to the extent it is covered in the review books. If it's not there you probably don't need to know it.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Hey guys,

This might be a stupid question, but are alkenes and their reactions on the exam? The MCAT outline does not have it, but all review materials do for some reason. Thanks to whoever responds 🙂

Sorry to go severely against the grain here, but since 2004, benzene and alkene reactions and mechanisms have not been tested, exactly as the AAMC list shows. If you look back through the "official" threads where people sometimes mention hints at topics that might have been on their exams, you'll note that not once was hydroboration, mercuration, or other typical alkene reactions been mentioned. Dienes have been tested, which is sort of strange when you think about their decision to not have isolated alkenes, but it has mostly been Diels-Alder and oxidation-reduction chemistry.

As stated above, know the basic reactions. A good rule to follow is that if it can happen in a biochemical pathway (hydogenation, dehydrogenation, and hydration), then it is fair game.

If your review books still show benzene reactions (Friedel-Kraft for instance), you should get a more updated version, because that has long since been removed.

 

[boaz]

Sorry to go severely against the grain here, but since 2004, benzene and alkene reactions and mechanisms have not been tested, exactly as the AAMC list shows. If you look back through the "official" threads where people sometimes mention hints at topics that might have been on their exams, you'll note that not once was hydroboration, mercuration, or other typical alkene reactions been mentioned. Dienes have been tested, which is sort of strange when you think about their decision to not have isolated alkenes, but it has mostly been Diels-Alder and oxidation-reduction chemistry.

As stated above, know the basic reactions. A good rule to follow is that if it can happen in a biochemical pathway (hydogenation, dehydrogenation, and hydration), then it is fair game.

If your review books still show benzene reactions (Friedel-Kraft for instance), you should get a more updated version, because that has long since been removed.

👍

 

[mcat prep]

I would like to agree with BerkReviewTeach. Alot of MCAT materials that claim to be updated actually contain information that has not been on the new MCAT CBT for years.

If you read the post on Elimination reactions, well this is just cut and paste:

Previous knowledge of alkenes/Elimination is definitely NOT required on the new MCAT CBT.

In the Official MCAT Guide (published 2009), there are 6 pages in point format of Organic Chem topics: alkenes, elimination, alkynes, aromatic chemistry and ethers are not on the list (page 200-206; actually, those topics were removed from the MCAT in 2003).

You can get the online version of updated requirements here: http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/preparing/bstopics.pdf

Background:

2000-2001

• the AAMC did a content review and concluded that "Four organic chemistry topics – Alkenes, Benzyne, Phenol and Ethers -- are no longer
  considered to be important. "
  http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/admissionsadvisors/research/monograph6.pdf

2003

• the AAMC decides that genetics should be tested more and that "Alkenes, Benzyne, Phenol and Ethers" would no longer be required
  http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/admissionsadvisors/research/monograph7.pdf

Of course, like any of the other sciences, they can ask questions that include information or a passage that discusses topics that you are not responsible for; however, the knowledge required to answer the questions will only cover the topics iterated by the AAMC.

By the way, the AAMC is currently doing a content review with the idea of changing the 2014 MCAT "significantly."