What score is 50% correct on MCAT?
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.
They show how the scores of your applicants compare to the scores of everyone who sat for the exam. As the percentile rank table shows, a total score of 501 on the MCAT exam has a percentile rank of 56%. This means that 56% of MCAT scores were equal to or less than 501.
Attaining a score of 520 on the MCAT means you performed in the 98% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
So a 125 on one section might be 60% correct, but a 125 on another section might be 50% correct. The best way for you to check this out is to take the AAMC FL exam and it will give you your percent correct plus a scaled score.
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 pass or fail score for the exam, there are only scores that are acceptable for specific, individual medical schools. Consider consulting specific medical schools, or their websites or the AAMC for past trends. What score do you need for medical school?
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.
Attaining a score of 504 on the MCAT means you performed in the 67% percentile.
specific MCAT Score.
Is 487 a bad MCAT score? in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 487 on the MCAT means you performed in the 13% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Approximately 70% of test takers are expected to score between 493 and 507. Students will receive score reports that include total MCAT scores, percentile ranks, confidence intervals, as well as score profiles.
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.
The lowest score on the MCAT is set at 472 due to the normal distribution of test results and the diminishing number of test-takers below this threshold. A score of 472 serves as an indicator for test-takers to reassess their preparation and readiness for medical school.
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. 2.
Attaining a score of 512 on the MCAT means you performed in the 88% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Another advantage of the scaled score is that you don't need to get every single question correct to score a 528. Some estimates suggest you could get up to eight questions wrong and still score a 528. The MCAT does not penalize you for wrong or unanswered questions, rather you gain points for every correct question.
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.
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.
In order to get around a 127 on the CARS section, you need to miss no more than 10-13 questions. There will definitely be some variability on how many you can get wrong on MCAT CARS exams administered. But that is usually the average you could get wrong and still get a 127.
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.
Attaining a score of 493 on the MCAT means you performed in the 29% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 132 (C/P) 123 (CARS) 120 (B/B) 118 (P/S).
What are the biggest MCAT mistakes?
- Not Allocating Enough Time to Prepare for the MCAT.
- It's Not All About Reading! ...
- Don't Just Memorize the Definition of the Topics.
- Get Ready for an Intense Exam Day.
- Not Focusing on Your Weak Points.
- Not Preparing for MCAT CARS.
- Spending Too Much Time on Extracurriculars.
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.
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.
Each of the four individual sections of the MCAT are worth 132 raw points, with 118 being the lowest possible section score. The number of correct questions in each section is scored and is then converted to a scaled score. If you score between 35 and 37 on one of the sections, your score would then be scaled to 123.
75th percentile – total score: 509/510; score for each section: between 126-128.
These percentile ranks are based on all MCAT results from the 2020, 2021, and 2022 testing years combined. For example, 72% of MCAT total scores were equal to or less than 508 across all exams administered in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined. Updates to the percentile ranks will be made on May 1st each year.
specific MCAT Score.
Is 490 a bad MCAT score? in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 490 on the MCAT means you performed in the 20% 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 ).
Retake the MCAT If Possible
It's still early days in 2022—if you have a high GPA but low MCAT score, there is still time to retake the test. The MCAT offers approximately 20-25 exam dates throughout the year. Some dates do fill up, so it is important to schedule early if you know when and where you want to take it.
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.
What is a 25 on the MCAT?
In understanding the conversion between old and new MCAT scores (and vice versa), let's first cover a few basics: MCAT Percentile: The percentage of students whose scores were lower than yours on a specific test. Old MCAT Scoring System: Range between 3-45. A 50th percentile score approximated 25.
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. Anything that's 510 and above will help you.
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.
Andy took the MCAT exam seven times and applied to medical school twice before getting one interview and acceptance. He reminds premeds to have faith in themselves and that perseverance and grit are important for a career in medicine.
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.
specific MCAT Score.
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.
Whilst it's certainly possible to get into a medical school with a 507 or below (and there have been cases of students accepted with sub-500 scores), it's unlikely – especially if you're applying for a more competitive college. In general, it's difficult to get accepted with an MCAT score below 500.
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.
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.
Should I retake MCAT with 510?
Was your actual MCAT score reflective of your ability? If you were averaging 510-512s on your practice AAMC exam but scored much lower on test day, this is a good reason to retake the MCAT. The lower score is more likely due to nerves, pressure, lack of sleep, or sickness than lack of knowledge and ability.
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.
Total Score: Scores for the four sections are combined to create a total score. The total score ranges from 472 to 528. The midpoint is 500.
MCAT Tip: A 528 is the perfect MCAT score, but a 100th percentile score is not necessarily the perfect score. It can be any score over a 524, which means you can have a few mistakes and still score in the 100th percentile.
On the MCAT, the number of questions right to score well can be illustrated by this example: The AAMC gives an example of getting between 35 and 37 questions right on a section equating to a scaled score of 123, but this is subject to change based on the difficulty of the exam.
With that said, the AAMC doesn't release concrete numbers on how many students achieve a perfect MCAT score, but this graph shows that few test-takers achieve the elusive 528 score.
Attaining a score of 510 on the MCAT means you performed in the 84% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Attaining a score of 500 on the MCAT means you performed in the 53% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Attaining a score of 515 on the MCAT means you performed in the 94% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Our medical school admission experts recommend that you aim for a total score of a 509 or above. This score places you in the 80 th percentile of MCAT scores, according to AAMC.
Should I retake the MCAT if I got a 510?
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 490 on the MCAT means you performed in the 20% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 124 (C/P) 121 (CARS) 119 (B/B) 126 (P/S).
Attaining a score of 502 on the MCAT means you performed in the 60% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Attaining a score of 495 on the MCAT means you performed in the 35% percentile.
