Conclusion

Now that we’ve worked through nomenclature, we should be able to navigate MCAT organic
chemistry questions with ease and confidence. Remember that even if an MCAT question is asking
about a reaction or laboratory technique, translating the name of a compound in the question stem
may be a necessary step to get to the answer. We have also covered the important functional groups
that will show up and have taken note of the order of priority for these groups when it comes to
naming compounds. Remember, the common names can be just as important on the MCAT as the
IUPAC names—so knowing both is key. Now that we know the language of organic chemistry, we will
learn more about the properties of molecules in the next two chapters, and then will focus on
reactions of functional groups and laboratory techniques in subsequent chapters of MCAT Organic
Chemistry Review.