Average MCAT Score + GPA for Medical School (2023)

FAQs

Average MCAT Score + GPA for Medical School? ›

According to the AAMC

An MCAT of 511 or above makes you a competitive applicant for both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools assuming other aspects of your candidacy are also strong. An MCAT of 515, which will place you in the 90th percentile of all test takers, or above will make you a much more competitive applicant.

If you score 500 or below, that means that you are falling below the 50^th percentile of test-takers. So, a low score would be anything from 478-510. Many medical schools won't seriously consider applicants with a score below 507, so you should be realistically aiming to clear at least a 510.

Well, if you can get your MCAT to the 514-517 score range, then the odds of getting accepted goes up to 41.7%, even with a 3.0 to 3.10 GPA. (Interestingly, if you're over 517 with that same GPA, it's only 36%.)

Assuming a strong GPA and extracurricular profile, scoring a 518 or above will help you be competitive for the highest-tier schools, even if their average matriculant MCAT score is a 520 or 521. With scores at this level, an MCAT retake is not necessary because schools will consider you to be academically elite.

Since this method is not perfect, we'll leave you with a range; between 30 and 70 students every year achieve a perfect 528 MCAT. This is out of the nearly three hundred thousand students who take the exam. Thus, achieving a perfect MCAT score is quite difficult, but it is not impossible.

Retaking a 515 and not scoring 520+, which is relatively unlikely, period, will cause them to question your judgment, whether you score 518, 512, or 515 on the retake. It's very difficult, although certainly not impossible, to win retaking a 515, which is why the advice is overwhelmingly against it.

To get an excellent MCAT score means to score in the overall 90th percentile or higher, which currently means a score of 515 or greater. With an MCAT score of 515 or above, you have a significantly better chance of getting accepted. Anything above the score of 517 is considered outstanding.

Average MCAT Scores

MCAT scores range from 472-528. Between 2016-2017 and 2021-2022, the average MCAT score jumped nearly two points, from 499.6 to 501.5.

What is the lowest MCAT score accepted into med school MD? ›

Usually, any score less than 507 is considered too 'low' for MD programs. While the 3-point difference seems incredibly minor, it's huge in the admission boards' eyes.

Again, medical schools don't care if you have multiple MCAT tests on your application. Just make sure that if you screw up the first time, know why so you can prove the next time.

This is because taking the MCAT too many times does not reflect well on your medical school application. If you're looking for additional material to help study and avoid taking the test again, consider Magoosh's MCAT prep! Basically, you should take the MCAT no more than three times.

What is the Passing Score for MCAT? The MCAT score range is between 472-528 when the four scores are added up, with the average MCAT score being 500. A low MCAT score is in the 470 range. The following image comes directly from the AAMC.

What is considered a low GPA for medical school? Many medical schools have a cut-off for GPAs below 3.0. The average GPA at most MD medical schools ranges from about 3.7 to 3.9. The average GPA at most DO medical schools ranges from about 3.4 to 3.6.

What Is the Lowest Acceptable GPA for Med School? A GPA of 3.0 or higher is generally considered to be the minimum requirement for most medical schools. Some schools may have a lower minimum requirement, such as a 2.5 or 2.75, but these are less common.

The highest MCAT score that is deemed 'perfect' is a 528.

It's important to remember that the MCAT score scale is centred, so a 500 represents the mean score. Each of these sections is scored from 118 to 132. If you score a 132—the perfect section score—on each section, you will get a 528 as your overall score.

Taking the MCAT twice is fine; even three times shouldn't impact your admissions too much. However, any more tries can begin to damage your application. Aim to avoid taking the MCAT multiple times while planning to retake it once if necessary.

Another advantage of the scaled score is that you don't need to get every single question correct to score a 528. Some estimates suggest you could get up to eight questions wrong and still score a 528. The MCAT does not penalize you for wrong or unanswered questions, rather you gain points for every correct question.

Attaining a score of 493 on the MCAT means you performed in the 29% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

What is MCAT top 10%? ›

In terms of what constitutes a good MCAT score, the top 10% of people score in the 514 to 528 range, and the top 25% are in the 508 to 513 range.

A high MCAT score can help neutralize a lower GPA score. For example, the admissions committee might overlook a GPA below 3.5 if the candidate has an MCAT score of 520.

The Most Difficult MCAT Test Section

Many students report that the most difficult section is CARS, and the average scores reported by AAMC back that up. The lowest average section scores overall and for matriculants are in CARS.

DATA ON RETAKING THE MCAT EXAM

Since this exam's introduction in 2015, the vast majority of examinees (just under 95%) have tested at most once or twice. About 5% have tested three times. Only about 1% of examinees have tested more than three times.

Attaining a score of 490 on the MCAT means you performed in the 20% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

The MCAT score ranges from 472-528. The average MCAT score was 501.5 for those who took the test between May 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022. To be in the 75th percentile, you must score higher than a 509. To be in the 50th percentile, you must score greater than a 501.6.

Attaining a score of 496 on the MCAT means you performed in the 39% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

It's not your fault because you haven't been taught the correct way to study for the MCAT. You haven't fully developed the skills necessary to analyze passages, or think critically. If you want to start scoring over the 500 mark consistently, you need to start studying smarter instead of just studying hard.

For example, instead of saying, “I could have gotten a good score if my orgo teacher was better,” you could say, “My MCAT score doesn't accurately reflect my ability and passion for medicine in the same way that my clinical experiences do.” The first example places blame on someone other than the applicant for a low ...

What is a good MCAT score without studying? ›

A good MCAT score is generally considered to be 511 or higher, with no section score below 127. The MCAT, also known as the Medical College Admission Test, is a computer-based standardized exam designed to assess your potential as a medical student and doctor.

MCAT scores range

When you add the scaled scores of each section, the total MCAT score range is from the lowest score of 472 to the highest MCAT score of 528, with a midpoint of 500.

Johns Hopkins Medical School MCAT Requirements

In our experience, students should have an MCAT of 516 or higher to be competitive for an interview invitation. However, there are circumstances that might influence an applicant's chances of earning an interview with a lower score.

With a score of 504–506 or lower, you are not going to be a very competitive candidate. But this score range does not mean you are out of the race! A score of 501 or lower is typically considered too low to be competitive, so you might want to retake the exam or apply to medical schools that do not require the MCAT.

On average, 38 percent of all MCAT test takers retake the MCAT. It should be noted that there is no shame in retaking the MCAT.

Whilst it's certainly possible to get into a medical school with a 507 or below (and there have been cases of students accepted with sub-500 scores), it's unlikely – especially if you're applying for a more competitive college. In general, it's difficult to get accepted with an MCAT score below 500.

How Many Times Can You Take the MCAT? The AAMC allows students to take the MCAT up to three times in a year, four times over two years, and seven times in a lifetime. Each scored attempt will appear on your record, which means each of your MCAT scores will be seen by admissions committees.

Bottom line: the more times you retake the MCAT, the worse it will look to admissions committees. If you have already taken the MCAT twice and are still not happy with your score, it is time to make a drastic change.

Almost 20% of students retake the MCAT exam. According to AAMC, most test re-takers get a higher score on their second attempt.

If you void your MCAT exam, you will not get a score and medical schools will not see it on your record. It is as if you have never taken the test. People generally void if they felt they were at a disadvantage on test day, such as being sick or taking the test in uncomfortable conditions.

How many questions can you miss on the MCAT to get a 128? ›

Number of correct answers ranging from 46 to 48 might have a scaled score of 128, and so on. The scaled score indicates how much examinees know or understand based on the body of knowledge and reasoning skills that the MCAT exam covers.

Medical schools need to make sure you're going to finish medical school. A 3.5 GPA is probably good enough to get through medical school. But when you're dealing with a student who's trying to overcome early struggles, they like to see a little bit more.

Medical schools will see all scores -- As you will see from the above, most medical schools will have access to all your scores. They will take each into consideration, so even if your second or third score is better than your first, there's a chance that one bad score can still ruin your chances of getting accepted.

Schools won't think you can't handle medical school because you got a C. More likely, they will look into where you've gone from there. Some students retake the classes early on. Maybe that's not the right or the wrong thing.

Admissions experts advise aspiring medical school students to aim for a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Dec.

Do people get accepted into medical school even though they have failed a course or two in the past? Yes. It's all about demonstrating improvement. The most important thing you can do is to learn from the experience and improve.

To conclude, if your GPA is lower than you would like, don't despair. A medical career is still within reach as long as you persevere. Expand your clinical experience, seek to get a top-ranking MCAT score, and better your grades through other classes or courses.

For most medical schools, GPA and MCAT scores are the top two considerations when evaluating applicants.

The average MCAT, based on the new score is right at the 500. For people applying to medical school, the average is anywhere from a 504-505. Furthermore, the average people that get accepted into medical school is anywhere from a 510-511.

What is a respectable MCAT score? ›

A good MCAT score is generally considered to be 511 or higher, with no section score below 127.

The average MCAT score for entering MD students in the US is 511, so your score should not be lower than the average. Similarly, even if a school sets a minimum MCAT score, students absolutely should have a score above this. For example, Weill Cornell School of Medicine has no cutoffs for MCAT scores.

To get an excellent MCAT score means to score in the overall 90th percentile or higher, which currently means a score of 515 or greater. With an MCAT score of 515 or above, you have a significantly better chance of getting accepted. Anything above the score of 517 is considered outstanding.

With a score of 504–506 or lower, you are not going to be a very competitive candidate. But this score range does not mean you are out of the race! A score of 501 or lower is typically considered too low to be competitive, so you might want to retake the exam or apply to medical schools that do not require the MCAT.

Attaining a score of 490 on the MCAT means you performed in the 20% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

If you retake the MCAT many times, admissions committee members start to wonder how many times you will have to take the USMLE exams. Your goal with the MCAT then is to take it as few times as possible. Three times is considered reasonable by most medical school admissions committees.

Your MCAT total score will range between 472 and 528, with 501.5 marking the mean, or 50th percentile. Each of the four MCAT sections is scored between 118 and 132, with the 50th percentile coming in around 125 for each section, though it does vary slightly from section to section.

The old MCAT was scored on a scale from 3-45 with an average MCAT score of 25.2. On each section you could earn 1 to 15 points. The new MCAT is scored on a scale from 472-528 with a mean score of 500.

On average, 38 percent of all MCAT test takers retake the MCAT. It should be noted that there is no shame in retaking the MCAT.

MCAT scores range

When you add the scaled scores of each section, the total MCAT score range is from the lowest score of 472 to the highest MCAT score of 528, with a midpoint of 500.

What is a 75% on the MCAT? ›

The MCAT score ranges from 472-528. The average MCAT score was 501.5 for those who took the test between May 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022. To be in the 75th percentile, you must score higher than a 509. To be in the 50th percentile, you must score greater than a 501.6.

Because MCAT is a centered test which means that a 500 score is the mean on a bell shaped curve. At 472 on this scale, the percentile is less than 1 so it makes no sense to go further. At the other end a score of 523/528 is the 100th percentile.

Yes. It is possible. Test designers make it difficult, but it is possible. Some students achieve a 528, the magic MCAT number, the perfect score every year.