• All physicians are required to take certain entrance and licensing exams.Assembly/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  According to the New Hampshire Psychiatric Society, psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in the "diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders." All medical doctors are required to take a series of standardized national tests in order to attend and graduate from medical school. Board certification in psychiatry requires an additional exam, but is not required to practice.
  
  

MCAT

• The Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT, is an exam required of all medical school applicants before matriculation. It consists of four sections: biological sciences, physical sciences, verbal skills and analytical writing. The first three combine to give a total score out of a possible 30, and the writing section is given a letter grade. The most weight is placed on the first three sections. Scores over 25 are considered competitive.
  
  

USMLE

• The United States Medical Licensing Exam, or USMLE, is a series of exams administered throughout the course of medical school. The first step is given after the second year and tests in-depth knowledge of the basic sciences, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and histology. The second step is a two-part exam that tests clinical acumen and the ability to do a physical exam and differential diagnosis. The first two steps are important in applying to residency training programs. The third and final step is administered after graduation, either during or after the first year of postgraduate training. It is required to obtain an unrestricted medical license.
  
  

Board Certification

• Board certification is not required to practice, but it is essentially necessary to find a job, because most physicians are board certified. The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology administers what used to be a two-part exam: a written part testing detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology related to psychiatry, and an oral exam designed to test clinical judgment in test cases. However, the oral part of the exam has been eliminated. A computerized written exam is now the only part required.