MCAT Test: Is it smart to retake several times?

[skim25]

Hi everyone,

For the MCAT test, how many times should you take it before it becomes too much?

I took my first test in June 2015 and received a 489 ( I cry every time..)
I took my second test in September 2015 and will receive a score in about a month

• I took the September test because AAMC will not have any more test dates until January 2016.

I am a little nervous because I rushed to take the September test and I don't have a good feeling about it (was way more difficult than my first test). I was planning to take one last test in January. Will schools look down on applications with several MCAT tests?

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[CardsFan92]

I wouldn't say there's a hard cutoff for how many MCAT scores is too many, but you certainly reach a point where it seems unreasonable to have more than maybe three? It sounds like you think you didn't do well on this last test. If that's the case and you didn't get the score you wanted, you need to have an honest conversation with yourself and make a tough choice about doing another retake. Can you isolate what you didn't do well on for this most recent test and fix the problems? Can you develop a different study plan that will be more effective this time around? I used the Berkeley Review books for the old MCAT and they're pretty comprehensive, maybe give that a shot?

If you think you can improve upon your score and do better on a January MCAT, then I'd say go for it. But I'd also say that if I were you I wouldn't continue retaking the MCAT if you score poorly again on that January test. Three shots at the MCAT should be enough to get the score you want.

 

[skim25]

I wouldn't say there's a hard cutoff for how many MCAT scores is too many, but you certainly reach a point where it seems unreasonable to have more than maybe three? It sounds like you think you didn't do well on this last test. If that's the case and you didn't get the score you wanted, you need to have an honest conversation with yourself and make a tough choice about doing another retake. Can you isolate what you didn't do well on for this most recent test and fix the problems? Can you develop a different study plan that will be more effective this time around? I used the Berkeley Review books for the old MCAT and they're pretty comprehensive, maybe give that a shot?

If you think you can improve upon your score and do better on a January MCAT, then I'd say go for it. But I'd also say that if I were you I wouldn't continue retaking the MCAT if you score poorly again on that January test. Three shots at the MCAT should be enough to get the score you want.

I feel that I am lacking the critical thinking part of the MCAT. I know everything science related, but when I read the passages, I just can't seem to incorporate my knowledge. I started to do more practice problems so I can enhance that skill, but I did kind of rush everything to take the test in September, since there's no more test dates until January (had about a month of studying since my first one).

I can't really gauge how well I do on these tests. I thought I did ok overall on the June test, but turns out I did pretty bad. It's also annoying that I did ok on the practice tests(492-494).

Hopefully I did better on this test so I don't have to worry about it, but it wouldn't hurt for me to plan ahead and start studying again. I will check out the berkeley books. Thank you.

 

[ArchiePod]

Hi everyone,

For the MCAT test, how many times should you take it before it becomes too much?

I took my first test in June 2015 and received a 489 ( I cry every time..)
I took my second test in September 2015 and will receive a score in about a month

• I took the September test because AAMC will not have any more test dates until January 2016.

I am a little nervous because I rushed to take the September test and I don't have a good feeling about it (was way more difficult than my first test). I was planning to take one last test in January. Will schools look down on applications with several MCAT tests?

I took the stupid test 4 times, my first attempt I studied for 2 weeks took no practice tests and scored a 22, wasn't happy with this obviously but it was definitely my fault. The second time I took it my friend talked me into it and again I wasn't prepared and scored worse that time. When I took it the 3rd time which was in the month of August, I actually studied for a couple months and had pretty decent improvement but in the month waiting for the scores to be tabulated I thought, like you are, I didn't do well and scheduled the 4th test a month later (September). When I took the 4th test I thought I did WAY better than I previously did but ended up actually scoring worse....so yeah your feeling after the exam might not always be the result you think. Once on an interview the dean basically reiterated they are only concerned with your highest score and with taking that nightmare 4 times I was accepted, so to answer your question, I don't think they look down on the attempts as much as you might think. For me at least, I seem to always score better when I feel like crap after an exam, so I don't know if that helps. :\

Hopefully your scores come back the way you want next month!

 

[hellcat12]

keep in mind there's a limit to the number of times the aamc lets you take the test in a 12 month timeframe

 

[rushrhees]

Really assess why you are getting these scores and what can be done to improve them, taking the test over and over will just cost you money and make your application look more toxic. Do not rush this, if you need more time then shore up your MCAT ability versus just forking hundreds to the AAMC over and over and hope you finally get lucky. Also too examine your study habits, if they are not getting the score you want, then perhaps it is time to change your strategy.
Finally too address any testing anxiety if there is any. I had one friend take a xanax before the test, did far better.

 

[skim25]

Thank you all for the kind words/advice. I just got my results and I got a 493. Does anyone know if this is an acceptable score?

 

[TheCzechShrek]

Thank you all for the kind words/advice. I just got my results and I got a 493. Does anyone know if this is an acceptable score?

Here is the old MCAT percentiles, and to help compare here are the new supposed MCAT percentiles. 493 is something like what a 22 or 21 would have been, which is the average so IMO there's hope

The notion I'm always given is the less times taken, the better. So taking it once is the best, and a re-take probably won't hurt as long as it shows good improvement (you can always spin it in that sort of light when asked about it). Past 2 takes it starts to look worse and I often hear scores won't typically change drastically for those who start taking it more.