Does cancelling a MCAT count as an attempt?

Asked by: Creola Hauck DDS  |  Last update: November 6, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (5 votes)

It won't be an attempt if you successfully reschedule your MCAT exam. However, it will count as an attempt if you fail to reschedule and don't show up.

What happens if I don't show up to my MCAT?

MCAT examinees can test up to three times in one calendar year and four times across two calendar years. An examinee cannot take the exam more than seven times in their lifetime. Not showing up for an exam counts as an attempt toward the lifetime limit. Voided scores count as an attempt toward the lifetime limit.

Can you cancel your MCAT and get a full refund?

Canceling Your MCAT

You can cancel your MCAT at any time before your scheduled appointment, but you will only receive a partial refund if you cancel 30 days or more before your scheduled test date. If you cancel after that deadline, you won't receive a refund.

Does voiding a MCAT count as an attempt?

What will happen after you void your MCAT? You will still get a confirmation letter from the test administrator that you took the test, and it will include your decision to void your exam. While this counts as one of your “attempts” for the purposes of testing limits, only you will know about it.

Does a voided MCAT look bad?

It will make it appear as though you did not take the exam. In other words, neither the test results nor the fact that you took it will be disclosed to medical schools. No marks are given for voided exams. Therefore, if you do not have any MCAT results, you will need to retake the exam to apply to medical school.

Should You Retake the MCAT? | 3 Questions to Ask Yourself

23 related questions found

Does canceling a MCAT count as an attempt?

It won't be an attempt if you successfully reschedule your MCAT exam. However, it will count as an attempt if you fail to reschedule and don't show up.

Can med schools see if you voided?

If you choose to void, you will not receive a score for that attempt, and medical schools will not see that you voided an exam.

Do medical schools see all MCAT attempts?

Bryan adds that when it comes to the MCAT, all of your scores are reported to the med schools. This means every single time you've taken the MCAT except if you void your score. Voiding is not reported to med schools. So all of your scores are reported.

What's the lowest MCAT score?

Total Score: Scores for the four sections are combined to create a total score. The total score ranges from 472 to 528. The midpoint is 500.

Can med schools see voided mcats on Reddit?

Voiding means your test won't be scored. Med schools won't see it, and they won't know you voided. Only thing it will do is count towards your lifetime MCAT attempts.

How close to MCAT can you cancel?

Cancellations may be made online through the MCAT Registration System or by calling Pearson VUE up to 10 days before your appointment. You will receive an email confirming your cancellation.

Should I retake the MCAT if I got a 500?

You should probably retest.

As data from the AAMC shows, a score below 498 corresponds to a 28.5% chance of acceptance, even with a fantastic GPA of 3.79 or higher. If your GPA is below that threshold, your chances nearly halve down to 11%.

What is the highest MCAT score?

What is the highest MCAT score? The maximum MCAT score is 528 and the total MCAT score per section is 132. In terms of percentile rankings, the highest percentile is 99+, which means you scored better than 99% of test-takers.

Do I get a refund if I cancel my MCAT?

Your MCAT cancellation fee is the difference between your registration cost and cancellation refund. Unless you're an international student, you can expect to lose roughly 50% of your registration cost if you cancel 30+ days before your exam. Canceling less than 30 days before your exam results in a 100% loss.

What percentage of people retake the MCAT?

What are the odds that retaking the MCAT will result in a better score? According to the most recent AAMC data, 39 percent of people who took the MCAT between 2020 and 2022 were retesters. On the whole, retaking the exam tended to produce better scores for this group compared to their initial results.

What is the lifetime limit for the MCAT?

In fact, you can take the MCAT as many as three times in a year, four times in two consecutive years, and a maximum of seven times throughout your lifetime. It's also important to not be discouraged if you scored lower than anticipated.

How rare is a 528 MCAT?

0.021% of 273,860 students brings us to our final answer: 58 students. 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.

How bad is a 490 MCAT score?

A 490 on the MCAT is a below-average score. According to recent AAMC stats: A 490 is 17 percentile rank on the MCAT.

Can medical schools see if you cancel an MCAT?

If your score is canceled, the raw or scaled scores will not be disclosed to you, medical schools, or any other interested parties.

Should I retake 513 MCAT?

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 513? You should retake a 513 MCAT score if your score is not balanced among the 4 sections, or if your target med-school(s) require a higher score for you to be competitive.

How many times do most people take the MCAT?

If necessary, retake the MCAT up to two to three times total—space out attempts with enough time to thoroughly review and improve your study strategy. More than three attempts can reflect poorly. Often, what students are missing from their prep is accurate mock tests that mirror the real exam.

Is it bad to cancel MCAT?

Your score may arrive closer to your application cycle (this is especially true for applicants who originally planned on taking the MCAT more than a year from your application cycle, e.g., due to gap years) Postponing or cancelling your MCAT does not count as an attempt, but a voided or “no show” does!

Is it better to void or retake MCAT?

Voiding your MCAT can be tempting when anxiety kicks in, but it's important to trust your preparation. Unless you are facing a serious emergency, keeping your score is usually the better choice—even if you plan to retake the test.

Can you cancel an MCAT score?

Voiding the MCAT means that after you sit down and take the mammoth eight hour test, you can cancel it and request it not be scored. You have five minutes at the end of the test to make this decision.