What is a mediocre MCAT score?

Asked by: Shana Weimann  |  Last update: November 27, 2023
Score: 4.4/5 (11 votes)

Below Average MCAT Total Score Range: 501 or below
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: 124 or below. Critical Analysis and Reading Skills: 124 or below. Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems: 124 or below.

What is a poor MCAT score?

A poor MCAT score is any score that doesn't get you into a medical school, but statistically this would be a score below the overall mean or average, so a score of 506 or less. A poor MCAT score could also be considered anything below the 50th percentile for recent test-takers, which is approximately 501.

Is 499 a bad MCAT score?

Attaining a score of 499 on the MCAT means you performed in the 49% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 125 (C/P) 124 (CARS) 123 (B/B) 127 (P/S).

What is the lowest competitive MCAT score?

Anything lower than 490 is very unlikely to be acceptable. It should be noted, though, that very few test-takers score in this range. According to the data from the most recent years of MCAT test-takers, the average MCAT score overall is around 506.5.

Is 487 a bad MCAT score?

Attaining a score of 487 on the MCAT means you performed in the 13% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 118 (C/P) 118 (CARS) 132 (B/B) 119 (P/S).

What’s a Good Enough MCAT Score?

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Is a 490 on the MCAT good?

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

Can I get into med school with a 495 MCAT?

Can I Get Into Med School With a 495 MCAT Score? A 495 MCAT score is below the national average and is likely to make getting into med school quite challenging. If you have a 495 MCAT, consider retaking the test or applying to medical schools that are known to accept students with a low MCAT.

What is the average old MCAT score?

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 each section you can earn 118 to 132 points.

Can I get into med school with a 501?

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.

Can you get below 472 on MCAT?

The AAMC converts the number of correct questions you answered into scaled scores for each of the four sections. The AAMC adds the scaled scores from each section to calculate your total scaled MCAT score, ranging from 472 (lowest) to 528 (highest).

Can I get into DO school with a 490 MCAT?

A 490 is the 17%ile. There are about 100,000 MCAT-takers and ~21,000 openings in MD Med schools and ~7000 openings in DO Med schools. Anything lower than the 72%ile is on the wrong side of the odds. Lower than the 60th%ile is a long shot.

Can I get into an MD school with a 499 MCAT?

MCAT and GPA are obviously top of the list because those are very easy things to weed someone out. I've seen lots of students get into medical school with a 499. The 3.9 in your SMP is awesome, the 3.2 college GPA, your stats GPA-wise are not holding you back.

Should I retake a 502 MCAT?

While going from 515 to 517 looks good, going from 498 to 502 looks great. So statistically speaking, unless you're already in the very highest tier of test takers, chances are that retaking the MCAT will result in a better score and will ultimately benefit your application.

How do you justify a low MCAT score?

Highlight extenuating circumstances.

You can explain these circumstances in your personal statement and secondary applications. Even if you had a busy semester while you were studying for the MCAT, you may explain that you overcommitted and did not perform as well.

Can you get into MD school with low MCAT?

Yes, it's possible to get into medical school with a low MCAT score. While your score is certainly an important factor in the admissions process, it's not the only thing that schools will look at.

Can I get into med school with a 504 MCAT?

Some schools are going to filter out your application if your MCAT score is below 500. With a 504 MCAT score, you should get through the filters, but if you have a very low section score below 124 or 125, that could be more of a problem.

Is MCAT more important than GPA?

But, the easy answer is: MCAT. Some med schools believe that GPA is a better indicator of future success because it measures your work ethic and determination. However, your MCAT score is the only factor that is completely objective. It is the only factor that can compare all students evenly.

Is it bad to take the MCAT twice?

That's not the message you want to send to medical schools that you keep making mistakes over and over again. Again, medical schools don't care if you have multiple MCAT tests on your application.

What is a failing grade in med school?

A “Pass” grade has an average cutoff percentage grade of 68%. This means that all students who earn a cumulative grade of 68% or more get a final grade of “Pass” on their transcript. A “Fail” grade requires students to retake the course before advancing.

What is a 25 on the MCAT?

In understanding the conversion between old and new MCAT scores (and vice versa), let's first cover a few basics: MCAT Percentile: The percentage of students whose scores were lower than yours on a specific test. Old MCAT Scoring System: Range between 3-45. A 50th percentile score approximated 25.

Does MCAT start at 7 30?

Make sure you arrive at your testing center on MCAT Test Day at least 30 minutes before the test starts. Since all exams begin at 8:00 am location time across the nation, you should plan to get to your testing center no later than 7:30 am. However, the earlier you get there, the earlier you can start.

How many times do most med students take the MCAT?

Not necessarily — it's good to take the MCAT as few times as you can. Medical schools don't generally ding you for having 3 or fewer tests on your application. The MCAT is an exam conducted multiple times throughout the year, standardized by the AAMC. It's a difficult test that takes more than 7 hours to complete.

Is 484 a bad MCAT score?

Attaining a score of 484 on the MCAT means you performed in the 8% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 120 (C/P) 121 (CARS) 121 (B/B) 122 (P/S).

What happens if you fail MCAT?

irst, the good news: You can't actually fail the MCAT. You might have received a very low score, but the MCAT score report does not include a “pass/fail” designation. Still, one of the most helpless feelings a student applying to medical school can experience is bombing the MCAT—there's no doubt about that.