MCAT Scores: High, Good and Average MCAT Scores for US and Canadian Medical Schools

MCAT Score Quick Answers

What is the MCAT score range?

MCAT scores range from 472 to 528, with 500 representing the midpoint of the scoring scale.

What is a good MCAT score?

A good MCAT score is typically around 511 or higher (~80th percentile).

What MCAT score do most accepted students have?

Most accepted applicants score between 508 and 515.

What MCAT score is considered excellent?

Scores above 518 are generally considered excellent.

Can you get into medical school with a 500 MCAT score?

Yes. Some applicants with scores around 500 are admitted each year.

What is a Good MCAT Score?

A good MCAT score is typically considered to be 128 out of 132 in any one of the four sections, or a total of 511 out of 528 for all four sections combined. The latter represents the average score of students admitted to medical schools across the nation during the 2021 admissions cycle. However, it's important to understand that what constitutes an average, good, or high MCAT score can vary depending on perspective, the specific cohort of applicants, and the medical school to which you are applying. 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. Additionally, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) may provide useful information about past trends and average scores for medical school admissions. Keep in mind that achieving an acceptable MCAT score is just one aspect of a comprehensive medical school application, and other factors such as GPA, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and personal statement are also crucial in the admissions process.

What score do you need for medical school? Here is a summary of the high, good and average MCAT scores acceptable to medical school.

MCAT Scores Range Explained

Each MCAT section is scored between 118 and 132, with 125 representing the midpoint.

The four MCAT sections are:

1. Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
2. Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
3. Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
4. Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)

When the four section scores are combined, the total MCAT score ranges from 472 to 528, with 500 representing the midpoint of the scoring scale.

Admissions committees evaluate both total MCAT scores and individual section scores, particularly the CARS section, when assessing an applicant’s academic readiness for medical school.

MCAT Percentiles Explained

MCAT percentile rankings show how your score compares with other test-takers. Percentiles indicate the percentage of examinees who scored below a given score.

For example, a 510 MCAT score (80th percentile) means the student performed better than about 80 percent of examinees.

Many students use full-length MCAT practice tests to estimate their score range before taking the official exam.

Is a 510 MCAT Score Competitive?

Yes. A 510 MCAT score corresponds to roughly the 80th percentile, meaning the student scored higher than about 80 percent of examinees.

A 510 is considered competitive for many medical schools, particularly when combined with a strong GPA and meaningful clinical or research experiences.

How is the MCAT Scored?

Scores are based on correct answers only. There is no penalty for incorrect answers. Raw scores are converted to scaled scores to maintain fairness across test administrations.

Considering that each section of the exam has different sets of questions and level of difficulty, a student's performance on the MCAT is more likely to be accurately assessed by converting raw scores to scaled scores. The scaled score is reported on a 15-point scale.

There is no simplistic way to convert a percentage to a scaled score. It is a complex calculation that is dependent on the cohort and cannot be replicated with precision for any random practice exam. For example, a 50% raw score (i.e. the percent of correct answers) in a section does NOT represent 125 (a midpoint MCAT scaled score). Consider the table below.

Example of approximate percent correct MCAT score conversion for the Official AAMC MCAT Practice Exam (Scored) 1

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 are not proportional). Again, the numbers above only apply to this one exam and cannot be blindly applied to other practice materials. As an example, Gold Standard practice exams required thousands of student submissions to develop an exam-specific scale score which continues to be adjusted as segments of the cohort's exam preparation improves over the years.

What Does the AAMC MCAT Score Report Show?

The AAMC's MCAT score report includes:

• Section scores
• Total score
• Percentile rankings
• Confidence bands
• Score profile

For example, a student will have a total MCAT score of 515 after scoring 131 on the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section; 127 on the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section; 130 on the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section, and 127 on the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section. With a total score of 515, the student's percentile rank is 91%.

If you think that there is an error in your score, you may request the AAMC for a rescore.

Section	Score	Confidence Band	Percentile Rank of Score	Score Profile
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems	131	130 🔶 132	99%
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills	127	126 🔶 128	82%
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems	130	129 🔶 131	96%
Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior	127	126 🔶 128	68%
Total	515	513 🔶 517	91%

Is the Highest MCAT Score Possible?

Yes, achieving the highest possible scaled MCAT score (528) is possible. It’s rare but achievable.

MCAT Question Types and Section Breakdown

The four MCAT section scores reflect performance across a range of scientific disciplines and reasoning skills. The graphic below illustrates how the exam content is distributed across major subject areas.

Of special note:

• Biology and Biochemistry make up a substantial portion of the exam and appear across multiple sections.
• Psychology and Sociology test concepts related to behavior, social systems, and health outcomes.
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) evaluates reading comprehension and analytical reasoning using passages from the humanities and social sciences.
• The MCAT is not divided strictly into “science” and “non-science” content. Some sections integrate concepts from multiple disciplines to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of modern medicine.

When Are MCAT Scores Released?

MCAT scores are released 30-35 days after the exam date and at 5 pm of the release date.

How Do Medical Schools Handle Multiple MCAT Scores?

How do medical schools handle your multiple MCAT scores if you have taken the exam more than once? They may do any of the following:

• Evaluate the most recent score
• Evaluate only the highest individual and/or set of scores
• Evaluate an average of the sets of scores
• Consider all scores equally and note the improvements

Contact the medical schools you intend to apply to determine how they would handle your multiple scores. Also, please note that many medical schools do not accept scores that are more than three years old.

In addition to your MCAT score, admissions committees consider other factors in your medical school application including your GPA, personal and academic experiences, demographics, medical school interview, letters of evaluation or recommendation, and personal statement.

Should You Retake the MCAT?

Students often wonder whether retaking the MCAT will significantly improve their score.

According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC):

• Most students who retake the MCAT improve their score
• The median improvement is typically between 1 and 3 points, depending on the initial score
• Score changes vary, and some students may see little improvement or even a decrease

While larger increases are possible, they are less common and often require meaningful changes in preparation.

Retaking the MCAT can be beneficial in some situations, but it should be approached strategically.

An early lower score does not automatically disqualify an applicant. Admissions committees evaluate the entire academic record, experiences, and personal growth when reviewing applications. Some medical schools focus on your most recent MCAT scores, others look for trends among your scores (e.g., improvement over time), while very few medical schools will average scores (the latter is not standard).

MCAT Retake Decision Guide

Consider retaking if:

• Your score is below target school averages
• External factors affected your exam
• You significantly changed your study strategy

Preparing for a retake often involves reviewing mistakes and completing additional realistic MCAT practice tests under timed conditions. Avoid retaking MCAT mock exams because that would not be a strong indicator of future success since you will recognize many questions, to one degree or another. Of course, you should study your notes from what you may have learned from past practice tests, but ideally, you would try other mock exams so that you are exposed to new material, which is more likely to simulate the feeling or retaking the real MCAT.

MCAT Scores and Medical School Acceptance Rates

The higher rates of admissions with higher MCAT scores are nothing new. However, it is of value to note that a score of 500 has a rate of admissions just over 20% and lesser scores may still result in admissions. Conversely, an exceptional score (above 517) does not guarantee medical school admissions.

Preparing for a Competitive MCAT Score

Strong MCAT preparation typically includes:

• structured content review
• passage‑based practice
• full‑length exams
• analysis of mistakes

For more than 30 years, Gold Standard has helped students prepare using realisticfull-length MCAT practice exams designed to mirror the real exam experience.