The MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) is a standardized test that uses scaled scores for each of its four sections. Section scores are scaled from 118-132, totaling an overall MCAT score between 472-528.
A “good” score depends heavily on the medical school(s) you’ve chosen to apply to and on other factors that will appear on your primary application.
In the 2023/24 application cycle, the average MCAT scores were:
The MCAT exam is administered by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). This exam is broken into 4 sections: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior.
Below, I walk you through how MCAT scoring works, how to know if your score is commensurate with the healthcare program of your choice, and a few tips for achieving the highest score possible.
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Your raw score for each section is converted to a scaled score ranging from 118 (lowest) to 132 (highest).
For instance, if you got 36 out of 59 questions correct in a section, 36 would be your raw score for that section. Depending on the difficulty of your particular exam, a raw score of 36 would then convert to a certain scaled score — say, 121 out of 132.
The AAMC does not share raw scores with MCAT test-takers, though students are shown their scaled score for each section (as well as their total scaled score) in their MCAT score report. According to the AAMC, the purpose of converting raw scores to scaled scores is to account “for small variations in difficulty” between different exam versions. That way, everyone’s MCAT score provides a stable measure of performance, regardless of which test form they received.
To get your total MCAT score, the scaled scores of all four MCAT sections (Chem/Physical, CARS, Bio/BioChem, and Psych/Soc) are added together. The highest MCAT score possible is 524, while the lowest is 472.
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An MCAT percentile tells you how well you did compared to all other test-takers from the past 3 years.
For example, if you scored in the 52nd percentile, you scored the same as or above 52% of test-takers. If you scored in the 97th percentile, you scored the same as or above 97% of the other test-takers.
It’s important to know and understand your percentile because some schools may have a preference for students at or above a certain percentile threshold.
| Total MCAT Score | MCAT Percentile Rank |
| 524-528 | 100 |
| 523 | 99 |
| 522 | 99 |
| 521 | 98 |
| 520 | 97 |
| 519 | 96 |
| 518 | 95 |
| 517 | 94 |
| 516 | 92 |
| 515 | 90 |
| 514 | 88 |
| 513 | 86 |
| 512 | 83 |
| 511 | 81 |
| 510 | 78 |
| 509 | 75 |
| 508 | 72 |
| 507 | 69 |
| 506 | 66 |
| 505 | 62 |
| 504 | 59 |
| 503 | 56 |
| 502 | 52 |
| 501 | 49 |
| 500 | 46 |
| 499 | 43 |
| 497 | 36 |
| 496 | 33 |
| 495 | 31 |
| 494 | 28 |
| 493 | 25 |
| 492 | 23 |
| 491 | 20 |
| 490 | 18 |
| 489 | 16 |
| 488 | 14 |
| 487 | 12 |
| 486 | 11 |
| 485 | 9 |
| 484 | 8 |
| 483 | 6 |
| 482 | 5 |
| 481 | 4 |
| 480 | 3 |
| 479 | 3 |
| 478 | 2 |
| 477-475 | 1 |
| 474-472 | <1 |
These are the average MCAT scores through the 2023/24 application cycle provided by the AAMC and AACOMAS. Averages are split between MD and DO applicants and matriculants (students accepted and enrolled) in those program types.
| MD Applicants | DO Applicants | MD Matriculants | DO Matriculants | |
| Total MCAT | 506.3 | 503.0 | 511.7 | 503.9 |
| CPBS | 126.4 | 125.5 | 127.8 | 125.7 |
| CARS | 125.8 | 125.0 | 127.0 | 125.2 |
| BBLS | 126.6 | 125.8 | 128.1 | 126.1 |
| PSBB | 127.4 | 126.7 | 128.9 | 126.9 |
A good MCAT score is 511 or higher — this score will help you stand out as an applicant to allopathic schools. If you have a lower GPA (below 3.75), you need a higher MCAT score to be a competitive medical school applicant.
Here’s a breakdown of good MCAT scores based on where you’re applying:
Most US medical schools do not have a “minimum MCAT score requirement” for prospective students. However, they typically have an unstated MCAT score threshold, below which it is extremely difficult to gain acceptance.
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To maximize your options for medical school, shoot for the highest MCAT score possible without neglecting other parts of your application. If you have a solid application, you can get away with a lower MCAT score. If your application is weak, however, you’ll need a better score to make up for it.
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| 2024 Test Date | Score Release Date | Registration Open? | Suggested Prep dates |
| January 12 | Feb. 13 | Open | October – January |
| January 13 | Feb. 13 | Open | October – January |
| January 18 | Feb. 20 | Open | October – January |
| January 26 | March 1 | Open | October – January |
| March 9 | April 9 | Open | December – March |
| March 22 | April 23 | Open | December – March |
| April 12 | May 14 | Open | January – April |
| April 13 | May 14 | Open | January – April |
| April 26 | May 29 | Open | January – April |
| April 27 | May 29 | Open | January – April |
| May 4 | June 4 | Open | February – May |
| May 10 | June 11 | Open | February – May |
| May 11 | June 11 | Open | February – May |
| May 16 | June 18 | Open | February – May |
| May 24 | June 25 | Open | February – May |
| June 1 | July 2 | Open | March – June |
| June 14 | July 16 | Open | March – June |
| June 15 | July 16 | Open | March – June |
| June 22 | July 23 | Open | March – June |
| June 27 | July 30 | Open | March – June |
| July 13 | Aug. 13 | Open | April – July |
| July 26 | Aug. 27 | Open | April – July |
| August 2 | Sept. 4 | Open | May – August |
| August 17 | Sept. 17 | Open | May – August |
| August 23 | Sept. 24 | Open | May – August |
| August 24 | Sept. 24 | Open | May – August |
| September 5 | Oct. 8 | Open | June – September |
| September 6 | Oct. 8 | Open | June – September |
| September 13 | Oct. 15 | Open | June – September |
| September 14 | Oct. 15 | Open | June – September |
Check out our full-length guide to MCAT test day and release dates, including tips for when to select a date and how to register.
Access and view your MCAT scores on the AAMC website here. You will have to sign in.
MCAT scores are released 30-35 days after the test date, typically at 5:00 PM ET. Generally, AAMC does not email you about score updates.
Pro tip: follow the AAMC’s X account and turn on notifications.
Prepping for your MCAT exam? We’ve got you covered. Check out these resources from 99th-percentile tutors:
The application process for a school of medicine is a competitive one, and it’s important to stand out! A competitive admissions process includes a strong grade point average, great letters of recommendation and personal statement, compelling extracurricular activities, and a high MCAT score to boost your acceptance chances.
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Want to improve your MCAT score by an average of 12+ points? Get 1-on-1 help from our 99th-percentile MCAT tutors.