We recommend taking the MCAT a maximum of three times—really, you should aim for two. (Medical schools prefer it.)
"Since this exam’s introduction in 2015, the vast majority of examinees (just under 95%) have tested at most once or twice," reported the AAMC. "About 5% have tested three times.
Data from the AAMC suggests that the longer the time between your first and second exam, the bigger the point gain. Many factors likely play into this, one of them is as simple as completing helpful college courses.
You can take the MCAT seven times in your lifetime. The cap is three times in one calendar year and four times across two calendar years. There is no uniform way that schools handle multiple MCAT scores. Some will take your highest, others your most recent, others an average of your scores. So, if you scored really well on test one, you might do better to leave that score alone. But generally, we do recommend taking the test twice because it’s very likely that you’ll be able to improve your score by at least a couple of points.
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"Since this exam’s introduction in 2015, the vast majority of examinees (just under 95%) have tested at most once or twice," reported the AAMC. "About 5% have tested three times.
Data from the AAMC suggests that the longer the time between your first and second exam, the bigger the point gain. Many factors likely play into this, one of them is as simple as completing helpful college courses.
You can take the MCAT seven times in your lifetime. The cap is three times in one calendar year and four times across two calendar years. There is no uniform way that schools handle multiple MCAT scores. Some will take your highest, others your most recent, others an average of your scores. So, if you scored really well on test one, you might do better to leave that score alone. But generally, we do recommend taking the test twice because it’s very likely that you’ll be able to improve your score by at least a couple of points.
Follow us on Instagram or LinkedIn and check out our blog for more medical school school news, trends, and application tips!
