Should I retake a 514 MCAT?
Assuming a strong GPA and extracurricular profile, scoring a 518 or above will help you be competitive for the highest-tier schools, even if their average matriculant MCAT score is a 520 or 521. With scores at this level, an MCAT retake is not necessary because schools will consider you to be academically elite.
Attaining a score of 514 on the MCAT means you performed in the 92% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 126 (C/P) 128 (CARS) 131 (B/B) 129 (P/S).
An MCAT of 511 or above makes you a competitive applicant for both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools assuming other aspects of your candidacy are also strong. 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.
While many students worry that taking the MCAT twice is bad, medical schools won't care if you take the MCAT twice, especially if you improve your score!
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. Anything above the score of 517 is considered outstanding.
| Total Score | Percentile Rank |
|---|---|
| 516 | 92 |
| 515 | 90 |
| 514 | 88 |
| 513 | 86 |
About MCAT Score Ranges
Each of the four sections of the MCAT is scored between 118 and 132, with the mean and median at 125. The total MCAT score range is between 472 to 528, with the mean and median at 502.
Usually, any score less than 507 is considered too 'low' for MD programs. While the 3-point difference seems incredibly minor, it's huge in the admission boards' eyes. Some schools might not even review your application if you scored lower. Students with a 506 score or below are less likely to be accepted.
Data Summary. The average MCAT score for all test-takers in 2021-2022 was 501.5. The average MCAT score for test-takers who applied to medical school in 2022-23 was 506.5. The average MCAT score for all medical school applicants who ended up enrolling was 511.9.
When you add the scaled scores of each section, the total MCAT score range is from the lowest score of 472 to the highest MCAT score of 528, with a midpoint of 500.
Does it look bad to retake MCAT?
Does retaking the MCAT look bad? Like reapplying to medical school, retaking the MCAT does not inherently look bad. That said, you should strive to take the MCAT as few times as possible.
Again, medical schools don't care if you have multiple MCAT tests on your application. Just make sure that if you screw up the first time, know why so you can prove the next time.
If you retake the MCAT many times, admissions committee members start to wonder how many times you will have to take the USMLE exams. Your goal with the MCAT then is to take it as few times as possible. Three times is considered reasonable by most medical school admissions committees.
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.
Attaining a score of 512 on the MCAT means you performed in the 88% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
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 2021–2022 is between 511 and 512, with an average GPA of 3.74. (Source: AAMC ).
Number of correct answers ranging from 46 to 48 might have a scaled score of 128, and so on. The scaled score indicates how much examinees know or understand based on the body of knowledge and reasoning skills that the MCAT exam covers.
There is no curve associated with the MCAT® exam. Instead, the MCAT exam is scaled and equated so that scores have the same meaning, no matter when you test. Learn more about how the exam is scored.
There are no hard numeric cutoffs; applicants with an MCAT score or GPA below the 10th percentile are often invited to interview if other areas of their application are strong.
How do you justify a low MCAT score?
For example, instead of saying, “I could have gotten a good score if my orgo teacher was better,” you could say, “My MCAT score doesn't accurately reflect my ability and passion for medicine in the same way that my clinical experiences do.” The first example places blame on someone other than the applicant for a low ...
It's not your fault because you haven't been taught the correct way to study for the MCAT. You haven't fully developed the skills necessary to analyze passages, or think critically. If you want to start scoring over the 500 mark consistently, you need to start studying smarter instead of just studying hard.
The typical MCAT score one needs to be competitive for medical school admission to allopathic medical schools in the United States is a 511. MCAT scores of 509 or below are generally considered low and not competitive for allopathic medical school admissions. There are exceptions, however, to this rule.
Assuming a good cumulative GPA (i.e., 3.5+) and well-written application essays, we suggest the following rough program breakdowns depending on your MCAT total score: 511+: 100% MD programs; 0% DO programs. 506–510: 75% MD programs, 25% DO programs. 500–505: 25–50% MD programs; 50–75% DO programs.
With a score of 504–506 or lower, you are not going to be a very competitive candidate. But this score range does not mean you are out of the race! 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.
Attaining a score of 515 on the MCAT means you performed in the 94% percentile.
Attaining a score of 516 on the MCAT means you performed in the 95% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
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.
Yes, it's possible to get into medical school with a low MCAT score. While your score is certainly an important factor in the admissions process, it's not the only thing that schools will look at. Schools will also consider your GPA, your letters of recommendation, and your personal statement.
That's not to say you can't get in with a lower score like a 505. You absolutely can if the rest of your application is strong. But it's going to be a weak spot in your application. 508-510 are all fine, and if you don't get accepted with a score in that range, it's not because of your MCAT score.
Should I retake a 500 MCAT?
Some schools are going to filter out your application if your MCAT score is below 500. With a 504 MCAT score, you should get through the filters, but if you have a very low section score below 124 or 125, that could be more of a problem.
It doesn't matter how many times you take it... You need to get better each time, and in the end, you need to show significant improvement. My scores were crap the first four times I took it, but I don't think it has really hurt me that much. In fact, I think it has helped me more than hurt me.
DATA ON RETAKING THE MCAT EXAM
Only about 1% of examinees have tested more than three times.
Bottom line: the more times you retake the MCAT, the worse it will look to admissions committees. If you have already taken the MCAT twice and are still not happy with your score, it is time to make a drastic change.
Ideally, you'll only take the test once, but if you need to take it again, make that second time count. It definitely looks bad if you retake the MCAT and perform worse the second time. Also remember that retaking the test does not delete your old scores, so schools will be able to see both results.
Reevaluating Your MCAT Retake Study Plan
Typically, if you're a full-time study student, you should spend 40 hours a week studying every week like a full-time job. And if you are studying for this MCAT part-time, then around 20 hours a week or 25 hours a week is ideal.
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.
The earliest that students opt to take the MCAT is during the latter part of their sophom*ore year or the summer between sophom*ore and junior year. At this point, most students have completed their medical school prerequisite courses and are prepared to take the exam.
While you can technically take the MCAT any time, you should take it during the summer after sophom*ore year at the earliest, and April of your application year at the latest.
A high MCAT score can help neutralize a lower GPA score. For example, the admissions committee might overlook a GPA below 3.5 if the candidate has an MCAT score of 520.
Is 496 a bad MCAT score?
specific MCAT Score.
Is 496 a bad MCAT score? in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 496 on the MCAT means you performed in the 39% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Medical School Matriculant MCAT Averages & Stats
If your MCAT score is near the average range of 506, it's not impossible, but rather improbable to be successfully admitted to medical school. And if you do gain an acceptance, it likely won't be at your top choice schools.
specific MCAT Score.
Is 484 a bad MCAT score? in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 484 on the MCAT means you performed in the 8% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
A good number of practice tests for a well-prepared MCAT student to take would be five or six. You take three from AAMC and another three from a prep company like Next Step. If you need to go beyond that, that's fine. But if you're reviewing them properly, there shouldn't be any need to go past nine or ten tests.
For people applying to medical school, the average is anywhere from a 504-505. Furthermore, the average people that get accepted into medical school is anywhere from a 510-511. So, if you are below the 504 range, you'd probably consider it to have a lower MCAT score.
| School | Average MCAT Score | Average GPA |
|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | 512 | 3.79 Science GPA, 3.66 Non-Science GPA |
| University of Colorado (Anschutz) | 516 | 3.82 |
| University of California, Davis | 511 | 3.7 |
| Harvard University | 520.06 | 3.9 |
If you score 500 or below, that means that you are falling below the 50th percentile of test-takers. So, a low score would be anything from 478-510. Many medical schools won't seriously consider applicants with a score below 507, so you should be realistically aiming to clear at least a 510.
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.
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 2021–2022 is between 511 and 512, with an average GPA of 3.74. (Source: AAMC ).
There are no hard numeric cutoffs; applicants with an MCAT score or GPA below the 10th percentile are often invited to interview if other areas of their application are strong.
What is an Ivy League MCAT score?
The average GPAs and MCAT scores of matriculants tend to be very high. For the top five schools, the average GPA is near-perfect (3.9 and above), and the average MCAT score is at or above the 97th percentile 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.
The old MCAT was scored on a scale from 3-45 with an average MCAT score of 25.2. On each section you could earn 1 to 15 points. The new MCAT is scored on a scale from 472-528 with a mean score of 500.
The bottom line is this – if you have a low MCAT, you must do your best to balance it with a high GPA. While these stats are not the be-all and end-all of medical school admissions, some schools will not continue the review of your application if you do not demonstrate a strong academic history via your GPA and 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.
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. Students can appeal for special permission to exceed the limits.
Attaining a score of 518 on the MCAT means you performed in the 97% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
The MCAT score ranges from 472-528. The average MCAT score was 501.5 for those who took the test between May 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022. To be in the 75th percentile, you must score higher than a 509. To be in the 50th percentile, you must score greater than a 501.6.
While both scores are a 513, the applicant with the second score has an advantage in admissions. Medical schools could screen out the applicant with the first score due to a poor CARS score.
