Turns out 45 on MCAT is impossible?

[techie222]

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MCAT is a binomial distribution. For every 0, there is a 45. For every 1, there is a 44, etc. etc.

Since the lowest one could score is a 3, then doesn't that mean the highest possible score is a 42?

 

[greenbean09]

One of my princeton review teachers mentioned this. However, I know someone who got a 43 so I don't know...

 

[UNMorBUST]

MCAT is a binomial distribution. For every 0, there is a 45. For every 1, there is a 44, etc. etc.

Since the lowest one could score is a 3, then doesn't that mean the highest possible score is a 42?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Statistically speaking I think you have better chances of dying in a plane then getting a 45T.

That's me BSing majorly. But has there ever been a 45 recorded?

 

[aerin47]

Statistically speaking I think you have better chances of dying in a plane then getting a 45T.

That's me BSing majorly. But has there ever been a 45 recorded?

 

[Amrazzz]

45Q right here, wsup!? 😉

 

[AlexB]

is there anyway to verify this? Perhaps a link on their website? I own their MCAT handbook, and I will admit they are a bit vague about the way the tests are compared against each other, other than they are "adjusted by experts."

Then again, in the end, it's the same philosophy as going for a hike in the woods and running into a mountain lion: you just have to run (study) faster than the guy next to you.

 

[AlexB]

Statistically speaking I think you have better chances of dying in a plane then getting a 45T.

That's me BSing majorly. But has there ever been a 45 recorded?

Highest I've ever heard of someone actually scoring was a 42, don't know the letter after.

 

[anbuitachi]

people do score 45s... i saw it on the news once about some guy with 4.0 and 45 mcat score. it was about some med school that just opened and gave everyone full scholarship and they mentioned him.

 

[loua0731]

Yeah, I've heard that even if you get a "perfect" score, the highest you could receive is a 43*...the "*" indicating that you got all the questions right.

 

[marble30]

...actually, I've never heard of someone getting a 3...but then I suppose if I were them, I probably wouldn't mention it either. 😎

 

[AlexB]

people do score 45s... i saw it on the news once about some guy with 4.0 and 45 mcat score. it was about some med school that just opened and gave everyone full scholarship and they mentioned him.

that sounds like something out of the Matrix. Is he.....the one???

 

[drizzt3117]

You can get a 45. Several people have done it before. I've actually seen someone's score report with a 44T before. He was showing it to people during lunch at my Columbia interview 🙄

 

[indianjatt]

I believe QofChemica or something on the MCAT forums scored a 43. He was a past Organic Chemist I think.

 

[drizzt3117]

I believe QofChemica or something on the MCAT forums scored a 43. He was a past Organic Chemist I think.

q is female...

 

[goldngrl1611]

I know someone who got a 44 and I know it for a fact so this definitely cant be true.

 

[airplanes]

Why wouldn't it be possible? If you can get a 15 on every section, what, they're going to take two points off the top for no reason? Now for every 1 there is a 15, I could believe.

 

[SpaceDementia]

I have a hard time imagining you wouldn't achieve a 45 if you simply didn't miss any questions, so it's probably possible.

 

[austinap]

You can get a 45. Several people have done it before. I've actually seen someone's score report with a 44T before. He was showing it to people during lunch at my Columbia interview 🙄

Seriously? Was he a prospective student or what?



Anyway, to the OP's question: first, each section is binomial distributed with a mean of 8 and a range of 1-15 (e.g., 8 +/- 7). On average for each section, you'd expect one 15 for each 1.

People routinely get 40+ scores, and I seem to remember someone claiming a 44 in the "30+ study habits" forum a while back. A 40 is something like the 99.5th percentile, so roughly one out of every 200 people that take the test break that. It drops off pretty dramatically after that though, so there probably only a perfect score once every few years.

 

[austinap]

Why wouldn't it be possible? If you can get a 15 on every section, what, they're going to take two points off the top for no reason? Now for every 1 there is a 15, I could believe.

I believe they used to have the policy that if you broke 13 on any section, it was reported as 13+, and therefore the best score you could get was a 39+. That's not the case anymore.

 

[wanderer]

The idea you can't get higher than a 43 comes from the fact that VR used to be capped at 13, or reported as "13-15." So under the old system the maximum score would be reported as either 43-45 or 43. That no longer applies, though I think the old system made more sense (i.e. a 13 on VR is pretty much the same thing as a 15).

 

[austinap]

The idea you can't get higher than a 43 comes from the fact that VR used to be capped at 13, or reported as "13-15." So under the old system the maximum score would be reported as either 43-45 or 43. That no longer applies, though I think the old system made more sense (i.e. a 13 on VR is pretty much the same thing as a 15).

Thanks for the correction. I knew it was something like that. That would have been awesome.

 

[zwitter]

46Y here, so its possible. But UMASS still wouldnt give me an interview.

 

[goldngrl1611]

You can get a 45. Several people have done it before. I've actually seen someone's score report with a 44T before. He was showing it to people during lunch at my Columbia interview 🙄

did this kid's name happen to be TJ?!?! The kid I mentioned in my post went to my school, USC, had a 44T and is not in the MD/PhD program at Columbia! Weird coincidence...probably not.

 

[wanderer]

Thanks for the correction. I knew it was something like that. That would have been awesome.

Well, I'm not 100% sure myself (I saw your post only after I posted mine), but I think that's how it was.

 

[drizzt3117]

Seriously? Was he a prospective student or what?

Yeah, I think he's at HMS now... would have been a good classmate huh? 😉

 

[drizzt3117]

did this kid's name happen to be TJ?!?! The kid I mentioned in my post went to my school, USC, had a 44T and is not in the MD/PhD program at Columbia! Weird coincidence...probably not.

No this dude went to Stanford... he was a real piece of work.

 

[austinap]

Yeah, I think he's at HMS now... would have been a good classmate huh? 😉

Yep, I could do with a limited number of "those guys".

 

[BrainBuff]

You can get a 45. Several people have done it before. I've actually seen someone's score report with a 44T before. He was showing it to people during lunch at my Columbia interview 🙄

Wow.. What a classy dude.

 

[NickNaylor]

You can get a 45. Several people have done it before. I've actually seen someone's score report with a 44T before. He was showing it to people during lunch at my Columbia interview 🙄

Wow, what a tool.

 

[FuturaDocta]

46Y here, so its possible. But UMASS still wouldnt give me an interview.

Wow! How did you rig it?

Jk. I just hate and envy you. 😉

 

[drizzt3117]

Wow, what a tool.

Yep, especially the way he had it "accidentally" fall out of his leather interview portfolio when he was sitting down.

 

[Compass]

Yep, especially the way he had it "accidentally" fall out of his leather interview portfolio when he was sitting down.

That's a lame move.

 

[NickNaylor]

Yep, especially the way he had it "accidentally" fall out of his leather interview portfolio when he was sitting down.

It's ridiculous that he even brought his score report with him. The only reason you would do that is to show other people, and definitely not the adcoms.

 

[FlowRate]

It's ridiculous that he even brought his score report with him. The only reason you would do that is to show other people, and definitely not the adcoms.

I have heard of people bringing transcripts and score reports just in case. But I agree, that was not the idea here.

BTW your amcas is the stuff of every premed's nightmares/dreams =P

 

[drizzt3117]

I have heard of people bringing transcripts and score reports just in case. But I agree, that was not the idea here.

BTW your amcas is the stuff of every premed's nightmares/dreams =P

I brought a printed out copy of my AMCAS to interviews but I never had to give it to interviewers or whatever. This dude wasn't doing that. It was laminated.

 

[EpicBearMan]

...actually, I've never heard of someone getting a 3...but then I suppose if I were them, I probably wouldn't mention it either. 😎

I would think that in order to get a 3, someone would have to deliberately and skillfully mark every question wrong. If somebody just put C on every question, I estimate their total score would be between 10 and 15. What do you think?

 

[Poliscidoc]

I brought a printed out copy of my AMCAS to interviews but I never had to give it to interviewers or whatever. This dude wasn't doing that. It was laminated.

Haha he sounds like the kid at my school with business cards and his own long white coat with steth.