Remember that you can take the MCAT up to three times in a calendar year, with a lifetime max of 7 attempts, and the scores from each test date are reported separately. A voided exam and "no show" do count as one of your attempts.
What happens if you don't show up to your MCAT test?
MCAT examinees can test up to three times in one calendar year and four times across two calendar years. An examinee cannot take the exam more than seven times in their lifetime. Not showing up for an exam counts as an attempt toward the lifetime limit. Voided scores count as an attempt toward the lifetime limit.
Do Schools Know If You Void an MCAT? No, medical schools will not know if you void an MCAT. That said, this attempt will count in your total number of MCAT attempts. You can take the MCAT up to three times in a year, four times over two years, and seven times in a lifetime.
If you're able to show an appreciable score jump from one test to the next, the majority of medical schools won't see having retaken the MCAT as an issue. (Note: This answer also applies to the question, “Do medical schools care if you take the MCAT twice?”)
Retaking the MCAT isn't a red flag, and even three attempts may not impact your admissions decision, although we recommend performing your best on the first two tests.
Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 517? Generally, we recommend retaking the MCAT if the MCAT score is not balanced among the four sections of the MCAT.
On average, 38 percent of all MCAT test takers retake the MCAT. It should be noted that there is no shame in retaking the MCAT. There are thousands of doctors who took the MCAT two and even three times.
No one “fails” the MCAT. The MCAT score is an important part of a medical school application but there is no passing score. About 70,000 new MCAT-takers take the test every year.
Bryan adds that when it comes to the MCAT, all of your scores are reported to the med schools. This means every single time you've taken the MCAT except if you void your score. Voiding is not reported to med schools. So all of your scores are reported.
Voiding your MCAT score eliminates the chance of medical schools seeing your performance. If you believe your performance was far from your best due to unforeseen circumstances, such as illness, extreme anxiety, or burnout, voiding may be a viable option.
You cannot. The MCAT is scored from 472 to 528. About 1% of MCAT-takers score above 523. Striving for a score above 523 puts you in competition with extraordinarily well-prepared pre meds.
Medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada that necessitate the MCAT typically accept scores ranging from 490-495 at the minimum. Scores below 490 are rarely if ever, accepted. Interestingly, a vast majority of individuals score above this range. Recent data suggests that the average score hovers around 506.5.
Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 502? If you want to maximize your chances of achieving medical school acceptance, and if your overall application is not strong, we recommend you retake the MCAT if your score is 502.
Taking the MCAT more than once isn't necessarily a red flag for admissions committees. Many applicants opt for at least one retake to improve their scores. However, the impact of retakes on your application can vary between institutions.
If you scored a 512 on the MCAT, this means you performed in the 85th percentile according to most recent AAMC statistics, and you now have a competitive score for med-school admission.
We recommend not exceeding two MCAT retakes after your first attempt. The more attempts you have on your application, the worse it will look to admissions committees, especially if you are not making significant progress in increasing your score.
So, technically speaking, a bad MCAT score would be anything below 500. However, in order to be a competitive applicant, you should aim to score much higher than 500. A good MCAT score largely depends on the schools you are applying to.
One of the most common mistake students make when studying for the MCAT is that after a practice test they say to themselves... "This was just a practice test, I'll do much better on test day when it really matters". Don't fall into this trap. This is the mindset that keeps your score below average.
No matter what, admissions committees will see all of your MCAT scores. While taking the test twice is unlikely to impact your admissions decision, if you end up taking the MCAT three or more times could make them question if you're prepared for the challenges of medical school.
Unfortunately, there are some schools that may discourage applicants who have taken the MCAT more than three times, which can be disappointing. Ultimately, you did your best and have what you have, so let the medical schools make their decisions based on their own criteria.
If you want to maximize your chances of achieving medical school acceptance, and if your overall application is not strong, we recommend you retake the MCAT if your score is 508.
Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 515? Generally, we recommend retaking the MCAT if the MCAT score is not balanced among the four sections of the MCAT or your target med-school has a higher cut-off. For example, if you scored 126/130/130/129, the 126 sticks out and can be a red flag to med-schools.
