Are your MCAT scores good enough to get you into the medical school program of your choice?
A "good" MCAT score is one that puts you near or above the average percentile for matriculants at your target medical schools.For comparison, the average MCAT score for students admitted to an MD program in the United States in 2022–2023 is between 511 and 512, with an average GPA of 3.75. (Source: AAMC ).
Guide to MCAT Scoring
The highest MCAT score possible is 528. The MCAT scale is centered so that a 500 represents the mean score. AAMC recommends that med school admission committees consider applicants near the center of the range, rather than placing the most emphasis on the higher end of the scale.
MCAT Raw Score
The MCAT is a scaled exam, meaning that your raw score (based on the number of questions you got right) is converted into a scaled score that takes into account the difficulty of the questions.
MCATScore Range
Each MCAT section is scored on a scale of 118–132 (highest). Your MCAT total score (whch is the sum of your section scores) ranges from 472–528. Because different versions of the test have varying levels of difficulty, the scale will be slightly different from one MCAT administration to the next.
You’ll receive a percentile rank along with your MCAT score to help you compare how you did with other test takers. Did you get a percentile rank of 50? You scored higher or equal to 50% of other test takers! The higher your MCAT percentile, the better.
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.
Read More: Medical School Requirements: How Important is GPA?
Average MCAT Scores 2023–2024
The average MCAT score for all applicants is currently between a 506 and 507. The average MCAT score for matriculants (those who've been accepted and have registered to attend a med school) is between a 511 and a 512. Here are the average MCAT scores by section:
Remember that if your GPA is on the low side, you’ll need higher MCAT scores to compensate, and if you have a strong GPA, you can get away with lower MCAT scores.
Use resources like the MSAR (Medical School Admissions Requirements) database to help you compare your grades and scores to the average scores for the med schools on your list. The MSAR Online is available for a $28 subscription fee to students looking for information on U.S. and Canadian medical schools.
You can also find average GPA and acceptance rates for many medical schools in our online medical school profiles. Just use our med school search to find the program you want to research.
Compare your grades and scores to the stats for the med schools on your list to get a sense of how you'd compete. Read our tips for how to decide if you should retake the MCAT .
Med Schools Evaluate the Total Package
The reality is that your chances of acceptance depend on a lot more than just good MCAT score. It’s a combination of the following pieces of your med school application :
your GPA
your MCAT scores
your undergraduate coursework
letters of recommendation
experience related to the medical field (such as volunteer work or research)
extracurricular activities
your personal statement, etc.
Medical schools are looking for a complete package, not just strong scores and a high GPA.
Read More: How To Make Your Med School Application Stand Out
The MCAT scale is centered so that a 500 represents the mean score. AAMC recommends that med school admission committees consider applicants near the center of the range, rather than placing the most emphasis on the higher end of the scale.
To get an excellent MCAT score means to score in the overall 90th percentile or higher, which currently means a score of 515 or greater. With an MCAT score of 515 or above, you have a significantly better chance of getting accepted.
Scores below 490 are rarely, if ever, accepted. It's important to note that while 490-495 is the minimum score accepted, the vast majority of applicants score well above this range. According to new data, the average MCAT score is around 506.5.
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. See below for the correlation between scaled MCAT score and percentile.
Yes. It is possible. Test designers make it difficult, but it is possible. Some students achieve a 528, the magic MCAT number, the perfect score every year.
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.
For example, if you scored a 512 and the schools you want to apply to are top tier schools, you will most likely need to retake. However, if your goal is to get into any medical school, then there are many MD schools average MCAT score of matriculants is 512. You must understand your limitations.
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.
Is 491 a bad MCAT score? in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 491 on the MCAT means you performed in the 23% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
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.
A score of 501 or lower is typically considered too low to be competitive, so you might want to retake the exam or apply to medical schools that do not require the MCAT.
Generally speaking, the lowest acceptable score to be admitted to medical school is in the 490-495 range. Most medical schools do not list a minimum required MCAT score, but their average accepted MCAT score may be higher.
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.
If you scored a 500 on the MCAT, this means you performed in the 46 percentile according to most recent AAMC statistics, and are 11 points away from a competitive 511.
A 500 MCAT score is on average. Although the average now is a little bit higher, 500 is typically good enough. Don't worry about your stats. You can apply, in the context of having diversity as well for medical schools.
Unfortunately, the test is designed to have average MCAT score of about 500, which means at least half the test takers get 500 or below, a score too low to meet most medical school standards. This means that a large percentage of people will probably need to retake the test if they want to go to medical school.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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