Many students take the MCAT more than once. So if a student is disappointed in their score, they should consider retaking the exam. AAMC official policy states students are allowed to retake the exam up to 3 times in one calendar year and up to 4 times across 2 calendar years. Though this is not necessarily recommended.
It should be noted that medical schools can see scores for each MCAT attempt. But schools generally place the most weight on the most recent score. Learn more about the best time to take the MCAT. More stats on how many times is too many times, how long to wait before retaking the MCAT, and on score improvements between first and second attempts are listed below.
Retaking the MCAT
How Many Times is Too Many
AAMC official policy states students are allowed to retake the exam up to 3 times in one calendar year and up to 4 times across 2 calendar years. But again, this is not necessarily recommended. According to the AAMC, approximately 38% of students who took the MCAT between 2018 and 2020 were retaking the exam. But approximately 95% of students take the MCAT no more than twice. Less than 5% of students take the exam 3 times, and less than 1% take the exam more than 3 times.
Therefore, it is generally not recommended to take the MCAT more than twice, except under unique circumstances.
For example, most medical school admissions consider MCAT scores to be valid for about 3 years. So if a student were to decide to reapply to medical school after several years have passed and their old scores are no longer valid, it would not be unusual to retake the MCAT again for a third time. This may apply to students to decide to reapply to medical after completing a masters degree or PhD.
The number of times a student takes the exam is just as important as how much time they take between exams.
When To Retake the MCAT
Generally speaking, retaking the exam immediately is not necessarily the best move. If a student is disappointed in their score, it is recommended they take at least a month to review again before retaking the exam. This is why it is recommended to take the MCAT early (usually spring of junior year). This way a student has adequate time to retake the exam (usually 1-2 months later that summer) and still be able to apply within the same application cycle.
If a student still does not feel prepared to retake the exam within 1-2 months of their initial attempt, it may be worth waiting until the next application cycle. Because it takes approximately 4-6 weeks for MCAT scores to be distributed, waiting too long to schedule a retake could interfere with medical school primary applications.
But waiting until the following application cycle is better than rushing to retake the MCAT before a student is ready. This is not unusual and many medical school applicants have taken one or more gap years between college graduation and medical school. Read about gap year opportunities here.
Again, if a student is going to take the MCAT more than twice, it is usually recommended the third attempt be after a longer period of time. Third attempts are often after a student completes a masters degree, PhD, Peace Corps assignment, etc. and their old scores are no longer valid. Three attempts in one year would likely be a waste of time and resources.
Score Improvement Statistics
The MCAT is scored on a range from 472 to 528 with the “average” score of all test takers usually around a 500. Most medical schools generally prefer at least a 510, which would be well above average. The average MCAT score of admitted students for the 2021/2022 medical school application cycle was 511.9. But this is an average, meaning it is certainly possible to be admitted to a medical school program with a score less than 510. A score under 500, below the general average, would usually require a retake for medical school admissions.
According to AAMC statistics, the lower the score, the more likely a student is to improve on their second attempt. Students who scored 517 or below improved an average of 3 to 4 points on their second attempt. This is an average, meaning some students improved by less while other improved by more. But students rarely score worse, so a second attempt usually doesn’t hurt if a student has the time to properly review.
Conversely, the higher a student scores, the less likely they are to improve with a second attempt. Students who scored 518 or above improved an average of 0 points on their second attempt. So if a student already has an acceptable score well above average for medical school admissions, there will likely be no benefit in retaking the exam.
Final Thoughts
It is not at all unusual to retake the MCAT. And it it likely for overall scores to improve on a second attempt. But students should be sure to give themselves adequate time to review the areas in which they need to improve before scheduling another test date. They should also be sure to factor in an additional 4-6 weeks for test results to be distributed, as this could interfere with medical school primary applications. If the retake date is too late in the application cycle, applicants may need to wait to apply the following year. Learn more about the pre-med timeline here.
One of the most common reasons students retake the MCAT is because of their organic chemistry scores.
It is also important for students to remember that MCAT performance is only one of several factors considered in a medical school application. If a student has a high GPA, adequate clinical experience, and glowing letters of recommendation, it may be less urgent to retake the MCAT if their score is slightly lower than desired. If a student is lacking in other areas, and heavily depending on MCAT performance to improve their application, retaking the exam would be more strongly recommended.
Every medical school application has unique strengths and weaknesses, and pre-med advisors can often help students to identify which areas require the most focus and improvement.
