What is a bad score on the MCAT?

A great score is 515 to 528 (the maximum possible score), while an average score is 502 to 508. In contrast, a poor score is 501 and below. This guide will go over what a good MCAT score is and how medical schools use your score to make their decision.

What is the lowest acceptable MCAT score?

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.

What is a failing MCAT score?

There is no definitive pass or fail score for the MCAT; rather, each medical school sets its own criteria for acceptable scores. To determine the score needed for a particular medical school, it's best to consult the specific school's requirements or visit their website.

Is a 499 MCAT score bad?

Is 499 a bad MCAT score? in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 499 on the MCAT means you performed in the 49% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

What is a respectable MCAT score?

Our medical school admission experts recommend that you aim for a total score of 511 or above. This score places you in the 81 ^st percentile of MCAT scores, according to AAMC.

3 Month MCAT Schedule to ACE the MCAT (520+ MCAT Score)

Can I get into med-school with a 515?

An MCAT of 515, which will place you in the 90th percentile of all test takers, or above will make you a much more competitive applicant. A score over 517, the 94th percentile, should nearly guarantee admission.

Can I get into med-school with a 502 MCAT?

Considering that a 502 is the average MCAT score, it's not competitive for med-school admission. With a 502, you might make some med-school score cutoffs, but the rest of your application needs to be very competitive to make you a viable candidate for most med-schools.

How rare is a 528 MCAT?

According to the AAMC, out of the approximately two hundred thousand students who take the exam each year, between 30 and 70 achieve the highest score of 528 on the MCAT.

Can I get into med-school with a 507 MCAT?

According to the latest statistics, students with a score of less than 506 have even less of a chance of getting into medical school. And students with scores around 501 and lower should really consider retaking the test. As you can see, statistics do not really clarify what it means to have a low MCAT.

Can I get into med-school with a 495 MCAT?

Based on the average accepted MCAT scores and minimum required MCAT scores at medical schools in the US and medical schools in Canada, you'll need a minimum score in the 490-495 range to be accepted into any medical school that requires the MCAT. Anything lower than 490 is very unlikely to be acceptable.

Does retaking the MCAT look bad?

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.

What is a bad first MCAT 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.

How often do people fail MCAT?

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. Roughly 20,000 get into medical school (MD or DO).

What is the most common MCAT score?

Your MCAT total score will range between 472 and 528, with 501.5 marking the mean, or 50th percentile. Each of the four MCAT sections is scored between 118 and 132, with the 50th percentile coming in around 125 for each section, though it does vary slightly from section to section.

Should I retake a 502 MCAT?

As of the 2022-23 testing cycle, the 50th percentile score for the MCAT is 501.6. In other words, a score of 502 or higher is considered an above-average MCAT score. Because med school is super competitive, the higher the score you earn, the better your chances of getting in will be.

Should I retake a 515 MCAT?

While going from 515 to 517 looks good, going from 498 to 501 looks great. So statistically speaking, unless you're already in the very highest tier of test takers, chances are that retaking the MCAT will result in a better score and will ultimately benefit your application.

Is GPA or MCAT more important?

While MCAT scores are important, admissions committees also consider other factors, such as GPA, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and interviews, when evaluating applicants.

What is a competitive MCAT score for 2023?

To have a highly competitive position for admissions, you need to be in the top 25% of MCAT test takers. That means, you have to get a total MCAT score range of 508-513 which requires getting 127-128 in the four sections.

What is the average MCAT score 2023?

Data Summary. The average MCAT score for all test-takers in 2023-2024 is 501.3. The average MCAT score for test-takers who applied to medical school in 2022-2023 was 506.5. The average MCAT score for all medical school applicants who ended up enrolling was 511.9.

Has anyone ever gotten 100% on the MCAT?

Since this method is not perfect, we'll leave you with a range; between 30 and 70 students every year achieve a perfect 528 MCAT. This is out of the nearly three hundred thousand students who take the exam. Thus, achieving a perfect MCAT score is quite difficult, but it is not impossible.

What score is 75% on MCAT?

75th percentile – total score: 509/510; score for each section: between 126-128. 90th percentile – total score: 515; score for each section: between 128-130. 99th percentile – total score: 523; score for each section: between 131-132.

What is the MCAT score for Harvard?

But every school varies in what they consider a “strong” score. The top schools will have high average MCAT scores: for example, Harvard and Stanford have average scores of 520 and 518, respectively. A high MCAT score certainly does not guarantee an acceptance letter at the most competitive medical schools.

Is a 2.8 GPA bad for med school?

Getting into med school with a low GPA is certainly possible, but striving for a competitive score is always in your best interest. That said, anything below a 3.5 is considered a low GPA for med school.

How bad is a 3.5 GPA for med school?

Many admissions officers view a GPA of 3.8 as very competitive, and they like to see at least a GPA of 3.5 or above. These scores will be especially competitive if your major is related to medicine, and it's even better if it's a difficult science major like neuroscience or physics.

Is a 3.8 GPA too low for med school?

What is a good GPA for med school? In general, 3.6 or above is a good GPA for med school. A 3.8 GPA is needed to be considered very competitive for med school.