What is a good MCAT score? What MCAT score is good enough to get into a better Medical school?
Do your MCAT scores sufficient to qualify you for the school program of your choice?
No doubt, a good MCAT score will let you enter to the Medical school you want.
In recent years, AAMC uses the overall scoring scale of the MCAT test. Unlike the previous MCAT (administered before 2015), the current exam offers a maximum score of 528 for a measurable proportion of students.
It’s not an easy job to get a good MCAT score, for the MCAT test covers many objects, which can be divided into four sections.
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- The psychological, social, and biological foundations of behavior
- Chemical and physical foundations of Biological Systems
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (MCAT CARS)
So… what is a good score on the MCAT?
What is a good MCAT score?
| Sections | Best Scores: 90th Percentile | Better Scores: 75th Percentile | Good Scores: 50th Percentile | BELOW AVERAGE SCORES |
| MCAT Total Score | 514-528 | 508-513 | 500-507 | 499 or below |
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems | 129-132 | 127-128 | 125-126 | 124 or below |
| Critical Analysis and Reading Skills | 129-132 | 127-128 | 125-126 | 124 or below |
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems | 129-132 | 127-128 | 125-126 | 124 or below |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior | 129-132 | 127-128 | 125-126 | 124 or below |
From the above MCAT score Percentile table, you can see that the MCAT score above 500 is a good MCAT test score. However, if it’s good enough for you, it depends on the Medical schools you want to attend.
A good MCAT score will get you close to or above the average percentile of your target medical schools. The MCAT rating is in the middle, so 500 means the average score.
What is the highest MCAT score?
528 is the highest possible MCAT score, which corresponds to the 99.9th percentile. Anything above a 520 is a 99th percentile score or higher.
AAMC believes that the scale emphasizes the importance of the central portion of the score distribution, where the majority of student scores (125 points per savings, or 500 points in total)
It suggests that medical school admission boards should consider applicants who near the center of the range, rather than focusing on applicants with the highest score.
Let’s see the Average MCAT Scores in 2017–2018.
MCAT Average Scores 2017-2018
Currently, the average MCAT score for all applicants is between 504 and 505. The average MCAT score for preppie students (those admitted and enrolled in medical school) is between 510 and 511, with an average GPA of 3.71.
Here are the average MCAT scores of 2017-2018:
Sections | APPLICANTS | MATRICULANTS |
|---|---|---|
| MCAT CPBS | 126.2 | 127.6 |
| MCAT CARS | 125.7 | 126.9 |
| MCAT BBLS | 126.4 | 127.9 |
| MCAT PSBB | 126.5 | 128.0 |
| TOTAL MCAT | 504.7 | 510.4 |
Source: AAMC
Further, a table of Average MCAT total score among all medical school applicants and matriculants as following. From the table, you can see the average MCAT total score among all medical school applicants and matriculants of the last few years.
| Academic Year | Medical School Applicants | Medical School Matriculants |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017 | 501.8 | 508.7 |
| 2017-2018 | 504.7 | 510.4 |
| 2018-2019 | 505.6 | 511.2 |
| 2019-2020 | 506.1 | 511.5 |
MCAT Percentiles 2018–2019
The MCAT is a scaling test, which means that your original score (depending on the number of questions you answered correctly) is converted to a scale score, given the difficulty of the question.
The following are some examples of MCAT percentiles from the latest MCAT percentile 2018–2019 rankings released by AAMC.
Our medical school admissions specialist recommends a total score of 509 or higher is a good MCAT score. Because this score places you in the 80 percent MCAT score, according to AAMC.
The range of scores on the medical school achievement test
The scores for each MCAT section ranged from 118 to 132 (highest) with a mean and median of 125.
Your total MCAT score (the sum of your partial scores) is between 472-528.
The different versions of the test have different difficulty levels, so from an MCAT management scale to the next MCAT will slightly different.
This means a total score of between 472 and 528 and an average score of at least 500 points is required to qualify for the MCAT.
How to measure your MCAT score?
If you have a low GPA, then you need a higher MCAT score to make up for it. And if you have a high GPA, you can lower your MCAT score.
You can use the Medical School Admissions Requirements database to accommodate you compare scores and grades to the average scores of the medical schools in the list.
Relationship between GPA and MCAT score
GPA is positively correlated with MCAT scores (i.e., students with higher GPAs score higher on MCAT, and students with lower GPAs score lower on MCAT)
Higher GPAs and MCAT scores independently and collectively predict higher acceptance rates. In other words, students with higher GPA and MCAT have a better chance of getting into medical school.
On the other hand, it’s really hard to get into medical school with a low GPA.
The lower the GPA, the higher the MCAT score needed for entering medical school, and vice versa.
You can also know the average GPA and acceptance rates of some Medical schools on MCAThub.
Compare your scores and grades with statistics from the medical schools to see how you compete. Read our advice on how to decide whether to rejoin the MCAT and how many times can you take the MCAT exam?
In addition, each medical school accepts candidates with different levels of MCAT scores and experience. So, in general, a good MCAT grade depends on the strength of the other parts of the application and the school to which you intend to apply.
What are the competitive Scores?
From the above table, you can figure out what is a good MCAT score. The MCAT total score of 514-528 puts you in the top 10% of all candidates.
MCAT total score of 508-513 puts you in a competitive position in terms of admissions (top 25% of all candidates)
An overall MCAT score of 500-507 gives you an edge (50% +), but not as much advantage when applying for competitive programs
The MCAT score below or equal to 499 or below may be sufficient for admission to some medical schools, but these scores will be below average when compared to the test population and require careful consideration.
When considering your MCAT score goals, it’s best to check the requirements or minimum requirements (if any) of the school you are applying to.
Although MCAT scores vary from course to course, MCAThub MCAT Test Prep studies show that poor test scores are the most likely factor to pull you out of the medical school you want.
Many factors will influence your medical school application, and each will help you determine whether you are accepted or rejected.
Remember:
Your MCAT score will be based on other grades when making an admission decision. Therefore, we must understand how various MCAT scores predict admission success in the context of other variables, especially GPA.
