HomeMCAT Exam Prep 2026 TestQuestion 3 of 10
MCATQuestion 3 / 10

The son of a bricklayer goes to college and i) becomes a teacher at a medical school, ii) gets promoted to tenured professor, and iii) moves across the country for a new tenured professor position at a different school. Sequentially, this man has experienced:

Practise this MCAT question free, then download the PDF, watch the video walkthrough, or unlock timed mock exams for the full web bank.
Download PDFPractice test
Multiple choice — select the best answer
✓ Correct answer: C. intergenerational mobility with respect to the father, upward mobility, horizontal mobility Intragenerational mobility, also called career mobility, describes a change in an individual’s social standing during the course of an individual’s lifetime. Intragenerational mobility most often occurs through promotions and demotions at work. Intergenerational mobility involves a change in social standing across generations, such as when an upper class family loses their fortune and the next generation all become tradesmen. Alternatively, children of a working class family might work very hard to increase their social standing through education and career advancement. a) intergenerational mobility with respect to the father, horizontal mobility, horizontal mobility, incorrect, The promotion is an example of upward rather than horizontal mobility. Horizontal mobility refers to a move within the same category of status, e.g. taking a job in a new location with equivalent title to a former job. Vertical mobility, which may be upward or downward, refers to moving from one social level to another. b) intragenerational mobility with respect to the son, upward mobility, upward mobility, incorrect, The transfer is an example of horizontal rather than vertical mobility. c) intergenerational mobility with respect to the father, upward mobility, horizontal mobility, correct. d) intragenerational mobility with respect to the son, horizontal mobility, upward mobility, incorrect, The promotion is upward mobility and the transfer is horizontal mobility.

Keep practising. Use the free MCAT PDF, watch the YouTube walkthrough, or unlock all 10 web questions with timed mock exams.

Free PDFVideo walkthrough
Keep practising

Related questions

Free practice here. Timed mocks when you are ready.

Study the MCAT Exam Prep 2026 Test free question explanations, download the PDF, then unlock timed mock exams on the web when you want exam-day practice.

Download PDFStart practice test