Why does the MCAT take so long to grade?

Why does it take a month to receive scores? AAMC scales and equates each exam after each test day. This takes 30 to 35 days. The scaling and equating process is done to account for small differences in the difficulty of test questions when we convert the number of questions you answer correctly to the MCAT score scale.

Why does the MCAT take long to grade?

However, the process to scale and equate every form after test day takes about a month. During this period, we allow time for students to submit any concerns they have about exam questions or testing conditions, and the AAMC then reviews and investigates each concern.

Why is the MCAT so long?

The test is designed with medical school in mind, so it is more than just an examination of your knowledge. By design, the MCAT tests your ability to focus under pressure, and to maintain intense concentration for a long time.

Why is 472 the lowest MCAT score?

Because MCAT is a centered test which means that a 500 score is the mean on a bell shaped curve. At 472 on this scale, the percentile is less than 1 so it makes no sense to go further.

Does the MCAT actually take 7 hours?

For almost every student, the MCAT exam will be the longest test they have ever taken. The actual MCAT is over 6 hours long. But allowing times for breaks, check-in, and arriving early at the exam center, expect it to take at least 8 hours on your test day.

How Long is the MCAT? | BeMo Academic Consulting

Is studying 4 hours a day enough for MCAT?

You should aim to study for at least 300 hours for the exam. In other words, if you study for 3 months (~90 days), you should average a little over 3 hours each day. Be sure to select your test date carefully.

Is 200 hours enough to study for MCAT?

In total, you should aim for at least 200 to 300 hours of MCAT study time. You should plan to spend even more time studying if you last covered the material a while ago, or if you have a particular area of weakness.

What score is 80% correct on MCAT?

Note: A score of 80% correct for each of the 4 exam subsections translates to an MCAT scaled score of 127, which further underlines the fact that the relationship between percent correct and scaled scores is not straightforward and the changes are not consistent across exam sections (there is a correlation, but they ...

Is 95% MCAT good?

If you want to attend a top medical school, you should aim for the 95th percentile or higher. Remember that if you take the MCAT more than once, the schools you apply to will be able to see your current and past scores.

Is 509 a bad MCAT score?

Attaining a score of 509 on the MCAT means you performed in the 82% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

Is the MCAT harder than SAT?

The MCAT is way more complex and considered a very challenging standardized test for med school. Also, the contents and structure of the MCAT are more advanced than the SAT. In contrast, the SAT is used as a standardized college and university admission exam.

Is MCAT getting harder?

The AAMC essentially does a “curving” against the difficulty of the test from across 20,000 test takers. It's not curved against the 20 kids in the room with you. So, assuming that in any two or three-year period the pool of premeds doesn't change much, it can't get any harder.

Is the MCAT harder than med school?

MCAT is just one test, for which most students prepare for less than 50 good hours over several weeks. Plus you'l take at least two bigger tests during med school. Pretty much any way you slice it, med school is harder than MCAT.

Is it OK to fail the MCAT?

First there is no passing score for the MCAT it's just one of many things medical schools look at for acceptance but obviously getting a higher score is better and schools like Harvard will want a high score even for someone who did other amazing things.

What is the hardest subject in MCAT?

The two sections that students typically have the most difficulty with on the exam is either Chem/Phys or CARS. This, of course, depends on the student.

Has anyone gotten a perfect MCAT score?

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.

How rare is a 524 MCAT?

Attaining a score of 524 on the MCAT means you performed in the 100% percentile.

Is 517 a bad MCAT score?

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.

Is 512 a low MCAT score?

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.

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.

Should I retake a 508 MCAT?

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.

How common is a 515 MCAT?

Attaining a score of 515 on the MCAT means you performed in the 94% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 128 (C/P) 129 (CARS) 129 (B/B) 129 (P/S).

Is 9 months too long to study for MCAT?

We recommend having no more than 6 months to prepare for the test, because any longer may result in you forgetting everything you learn at the onset of your preparations. Plus, remember that MCAT prep is very challenging and time-consuming.

Is 1000 hours enough for MCAT?

Based on our analysis of top MCAT scorers, there is no set amount of time that will guarantee you a high MCAT score. Some high scorers only studied a couple hundred hours or less while others needed to study more than one thousand hours.

Should you study 2 days before MCAT?

It is fine to take one last practice test during this week, but—as we said earlier—not in the three days before the exam. Keep targeting strategies that you can refine (e.g., POE for different question types, techniques for dealing with data, and so forth). At this point, however, don't make major strategy changes.