As you prepare to apply for medical school, you likely have questions, including a number of questions related to taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and how important your test results are compared to your overall application.
While different medical schools prioritize varying factors when it comes to eligible applicants, most Doctor of Medicine (MD) programs, including St. George’s University, look to pre-med students’ MCAT scores to assess your readiness for medical school education by testing your understanding of scientific content and critical thinking skills.
If you’ve never taken the exam before, your MCAT score may seem difficult to interpret. But knowing how your performance stacks up can help you better understand the strength of your overall application. Read on for answers to five common questions about MCAT scoring.
When can you take the MCAT?
Each year the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) releases the schedule for the MCAT testing dates, which includes scheduling deadlines and score release dates for US testing centers. You can view the 2024 testing calendar on the AAMC’s website.
How is the MCAT scored?
The most sensible way to interpret your own performance is to review how the MCAT exam scoring system operates. MCAT scores can range from 472 at the lowest to 528 at the highest, with the midpoint resting at 500. That may look confusing on the surface, but there’s a reason behind these precise numbers.
The MCAT is somewhat unique in that each testing year includes multiple forms of the exam. All are designed to test the same basic knowledge and skills, but they feature different question sets. Because versions may vary slightly in difficulty, raw scores are converted to ensure all students are reviewed on a level playing field.
The first step is tallying your total number of correct answers from all four sections of the MCAT. Those raw scores are then converted to a scale ranging from 118 to 132 for each section; your overall MCAT result is the sum of those four scaled scores.
What is a good MCAT score?
If you’re looking to see how your MCAT score compares to that of other pre-med students, you can get a general idea by reviewing average MCAT scores from recent years. The process is designed to provide pre-med students with helpful context as to how they stack up among others within their application cycle.
The AAMC reports that the mean MCAT score for applicants to US MD-granting medical schools between 2018 and 2024 was 506.3. The same AAMC report revealed that the mean MCAT score for students who successfully gained acceptance into a US medical school during that same time frame was 511.7. It goes without saying that the process is competitive.
How important is your MCAT score?
At St. George’s University, our medical school admissions team uses the MCAT score to identify students who are the most academically prepared for the rigors of medical school and who have the potential to become the best doctors. However, your MCAT performance—while important—will be just one of many application components the medical school admissions team reviews. SGU takes a more holistic approach to evaluating medical school applications.
You might also be wondering with the additional consideration, what is the average MCAT score for caribbean medical schools. Since every medical school, including Caribbean med schools, have unique criteria as part of their admissions process, using the average MCAT range is the best approach.
“International medical schools tend to look not just at a student’s MCAT score, GPA or shadowing hours,” according to SGU’s Vice Chancellor Dr. Richard Liebowitz. “We seek out qualified, well-rounded individuals who may not fit the traditional mold of a pre-med student because we know that their diverse experiences can make them exceptional doctors.”
Factors that play a role in the medical school admission process besides the MCAT include:
- Undergraduate GPA
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Clinical experience
- Participation in extracurricular activities
- Interview performance
What if you’re unhappy with your MCAT score?
If you get your results back and feel like you didn’t receive a good MCAT score, there’s no need to panic. Retaking the MCAT is an option for all pre-med students, and there are plenty of ways you can work to boost your score. For example, you can use your results to evaluate both your strongest and weakest areas to help identify any gaps you should target when studying for your retake.
Keep in mind that while retakes are permitted, there are some limits when it comes to sitting for the MCAT. Students can only take the exam three times in a calendar year, four times over the course of two years, and no more than seven times in total. And medical schools will be able to review all of your scores.
Be prepared for the MCAT
Having a strong MCAT score can certainly strengthen your medical school application, but it’s just one part of the process to landing a spot in a respected MD program.
As qualified as you may look on paper, medical schools want students who can be equally impressive in action. If you’re lucky enough to receive interview invitations from your programs of choice, this will be the time to put your best foot forward and truly demonstrate your capabilities as a future physician.
Learn more about “Understanding the Medical School Application Process.”
*This article was originally published in 2019. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2023.
