The vast majority of U.S. and Canadian medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT scores as part of their supporting materials. The MCAT is valid for three years, but each school is free to set its own policy. The policy each school can be found on their website as well as on the MSAR.
What is on the MCAT?
In 2015, the MCAT was significantly revised to include more interdisciplinary passages that require examinees to combine their knowledge with their scientific thinking and reasoning skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.
Below are the four test sections of the revised MCAT exam.
- Biological and Biomedical Foundations of Living Systems
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
For more information, see the MCAT overview on the AAMC website.
What courses do I need before taking the MCAT?
To be adequately prepared for the MCAT, you should have completed the following courses as their content is directly tested on the exam:
- BIOL 1107/L and BIOL 1108/L
- CHEM 1211/L and CHEM 1212/L
- CHEM 2211/L
- BCMB 3100 or BCMB 4010 & 4020
- PHYS 1111/L and PHYS 1112/L
You are also highly encouraged to take STAT 2000 or BIOS 2010, PSYC 1101, SOCI 1101, CHEM 2212/L, GENE 3200, and a course in Physiology (CBIO 3710, VPHY 3100, PMCY 3000 or CBIO 2200 & 2210). Additionally, courses which focus on critical reading skills as well as those in which you read and examine primary scientific literature can be extremely helpful not only for CARS, but for the other three sections too.
When and where is the MCAT offered?
The MCAT is usually offered several times each month between January - October of each calendar year. Registration typically opens in mid-October.
Most students take the MCAT in the Spring/Summer between their Junior and Senior year (with May and June being the preferred months since spring classes are over). You need to consider your spring and summer schedule carefully when you select a date. For example, if you plan on going abroad or starting an internship in June, you should plan to take the MCAT in May before you leave.
There are several locations at which you can take the MCAT including Atlanta, Macon, Augusta, etc. Please note that as of 2018, AAMC has partnered with Pearson and now only offers the MCAT at their testing centers. This means that Athens is no longer a test site. You can register for the MCAT here.
How is the MCAT scored?
Each sub-section of the MCAT is scored on a 118-132 scale, with a mid-point of 125. The total score for the MCAT will range from 472 to 528. Scores will also be placed into percentile rankings based on the performance of all test-takers in a given month of administration.
MCAT score releases take approximately 1-month. Review the MCAT score release calendar before registering for your MCAT date.
MCAT scores expire after 3-years typically. Keep that in mind as you plan gap-years.
How long is the MCAT?
The entire exam is estimated to take ~7-8 hours to complete. Each section is divided into 90-95 minute blocks, with a 30 minute mid-exam break and two 10-minute optional breaks. You can start the next section in the exam early if you finish the previous section early, or if you want to skip one of the breaks. The remaining time from a section finished early or a skipped break will not carry over into the next section of the exam.
Can I receive financial assistance to pay for the MCAT?
Yes! The AAMC Fee Assistance Program assists those who, without financial assistance, would be unable to take the MCAT. This program also provides assistance with paying for the AMCAS medical school application and grants access to the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) handbook.
The Fee Assistance Program cannot be applied retroactively, so it is important you apply for assistance before paying for the MCAT or AMCAS.
How many times can I take the MCAT?
You should always plan to take the MCAT only once. Retakes are available, but you must think very carefully about signing up for one. Remember, you must do better on your second attempt. Consider what message you are sending to an admissions committee if you retake the exam only to achieve roughly same score or even something lower. Since it is no longer an isolated incident, it raises questions about your knowledge and skill in the areas being tested and also about your judgement. In addition to this, many medical schools do not accept scores after three attempts.
If you are considering retaking the MCAT, begin by examining your scores on practice exams.
- If your MCAT score is consistent with your practice exam scores, you are not likely to do better on a retake immediately. This does not mean that you cannot do better on the MCAT ever. However, you will need to take a stepback and assess what you can improve so that you can be better prepared for a future attempt — e.g. allot more time to studying for the exam, change study methods if your current one proved to be ineffective, consult an MCAT tutor, etc. Do not rush into a retake!
- If your MCAT score is significantly lower than what you have consistently scored on practice exams, then a retake might be advisable. Do not forget that you will not get your MCAT score until a month after the attempt which usually means that you have likely not been studying for a full month. Take the time to assess how quickly you can be ready to jump into taking the exam again.
How should I study for the MCAT?
You may elect to self-study or take a guided MCAT-prep course (or both!) to prepare for the MCAT. What you decide is completely dependent on your own financial situation and beliefs in your study skills. It is not mandatory to take a prep-course; in fact, many UGA students do quite well on the MCAT through self-study alone. The key is to devise a plan, stick to it, and take multiple (at least 5-6) full-length practice exams.
Many students find it helpful to take 12-13 credit hours during the semester they are studying for the MCAT. Regardless of whether you do this or not, you must be cognizant of the fact that preparing for the MCAT will take a significant amount of time. Make sure that you have built adequate time into your schedule for studying. Tools such as StudySchedule can be helpful for planning your semester.
The AAMC offers various products, resources and tools to assist you with the MCAT exam and there are a wealth of other private options, including Kaplan, Princeton Review, ExamKrackers, Khan Academy, etc. The Pre-Professional Advising Office has a resource library from which you can check-out some of these materials before you decide to invest.
Resources:
The Pre-Professional Advising Office does not endorse or recommend any MCAT prep course/company. Students should use due diligence in determining the best preparation for the MCAT.
FAQs
Medical school major requirements
Your premed major does not matter when it comes to medical school admissions. As long as you complete all the prerequisites for medical school, you can major in anthropology, biology, chemistry, English, history, or physics.
Can you get into medical school with premed? ›
Medical school major requirements
Your premed major does not matter when it comes to medical school admissions. As long as you complete all the prerequisites for medical school, you can major in anthropology, biology, chemistry, English, history, or physics.
What qualifies you as pre-med? ›
What prerequisites do most medical schools require? Most medical schools agree on the basic elements of pre-medical education. Generally, the minimum course requirements include one year each of biology, general (inorganic) chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and the related lab work for each.
What pre-med GPA do you need for med school? ›
Premed undergraduates should strive to achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher to get accepted into a top-tier med school, admissions officials say.
Do I need pre-med to get into medical school? ›
The undergraduate pre-requisites (below) are required for admission to most medical schools. The reason most undergraduate students choose STEM majors like biology, chemistry, biochemistry and physics is because those majors usually have the medical school pre-requisite courses built into them.
How many pre-med students don t get into med school? ›
That's an acceptance rate of only 40%, which is an increase from the previous cycle but still less than favorable odds. If you're a premed just starting your future doctor journey, these are worrisome statistics. There is a silver lining though. Getting into medical school isn't like winning the lottery.
What is the hardest premed major? ›
What is the hardest pre-med major? While this question is subjective, the hardest pre-med major is considered organic chemistry. Again, simply because this is the hardest major should not have an impact on whether you choose to pursue this degree.
What is the easiest major for pre-med? ›
If you're looking for the most straightforward path, biological sciences, including majors like molecular biology, cell biology, and neuroscience, feature several courses that overlap with your medical school prerequisites. That's why nearly 60% of all applicants choose this major.
What major is best for med school? ›
The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that over half of all 2021-2022 medical school applicants majored in biology or biological sciences for their undergraduate degrees [2]. Majoring in biology is one way to ensure you take the prerequisite science courses and labs required by many medical schools.
Is pre-med harder than medical school? ›
Less than 40% of pre-meds get accepted to medical school, and the average MCAT and GPA of matriculants is higher than the average MCAT and GPA of applicants. In other words, in medical school your classmates are going to be higher scoring than your pre-med counterparts, on average.
What is considered a low GPA for medical school? Many medical schools have a cut-off for GPAs below 3.0. The average GPA at most MD medical schools ranges from about 3.7 to 3.9. The average GPA at most DO medical schools ranges from about 3.4 to 3.6.
How bad is a 3.5 GPA for med school? ›
Many admissions officers view a GPA of 3.8 as very competitive, and they like to see at least a GPA of 3.5 or above. These scores will be especially competitive if your major is related to medicine, and it's even better if it's a difficult science major like neuroscience or physics.
Will a 3.0 GPA get me into med school? ›
A GPA of 3.0 or higher is generally considered to be the minimum requirement for medical schools. Some schools may have a lower minimum requirement, such as a 2.5 or 2.75, but these are less common. The lowest acceptable GPA for medical school varies depending on the school's individual requirements.
What is the lowest MCAT score accepted into medical school? ›
Usually, any score less than 507 is considered too 'low' for MD programs. While the 3-point difference seems incredibly minor, it's huge in the admission boards' eyes. Some schools might not even review your application if you scored lower. Students with a 506 score or below are less likely to be accepted.
How many hours of shadowing do you need for med school? ›
Many medical schools have a minimum requirement for shadowing hours. This may vary; some schools require 12–24 hours, while others require more than 75 hours. Generally, the range is between 40 and 100 hours. Shadowing can be arranged in half or full-day stints (typically from four to eight hours).
Why isn t pre-med a major? ›
Not exactly. Premed isn't a major in itself but the path you will take on your journey toward medical school. Any major you pursue on your way to applying to medical school is considered a premed major.
What year is the most difficult in med school? ›
The third year of medical school is by far the hardest, current and former med students will almost always agree.
What happens if you fail premed? ›
If you fail a course, retake the course on the same campus
If you decide to repeat a class, whether you passed or failed it, only those courses taken on the same campus can be labeled a repeat course.
How common is failing medical school? ›
Around 82% to 84% of all four-year students will graduate. But almost 96% of six-year medical students graduate. The variation of people who fail out is large. It's between 7% and 35% based on yearly graduation rates.
How many people fail pre-med? ›
Only 16.5% of students who intended to major in pre-med graduate college with the required coursework for medical schools. Attrition rates are highest initially but drop as students take more advanced courses.
#1 Chemistry
According to the average Grade Point Average of students in the program, Chemistry wins the prize title hardest major. A Chemistry major overlaps somewhat with biology, but chemistry extends beyond living things.
What pre-med major has the highest acceptance rate? ›
Which pre med major has the highest chance of acceptance? As demonstrated by the medical school acceptance rates by major section, acceptance rates vary between 36.7% - 47.7%. Specialized health sciences majors have the lowest acceptance rate while physical science majors have the highest acceptance rate.
Does pre-med require a lot of math? ›
Q: I am premed; do I need to take math or more specifically statistics? A: Over 50 medical schools require one or two semesters of mathematics (college math, calculus, and/or statistics). At many of these schools, any two math courses (including many statistics courses) would meet this requirement.
What major is closest to pre-med? ›
Biology or chemistry would be a great choice. You'll also want to ensure that you regularly communicate with your pre-med advisor about your course load. Your advisor will help you stay on track with medical school requirements and make sure you properly plan which courses to take before you sit for the MCAT.
What major scores highest on MCAT? ›
It turns out that students in humanities, math and statistics, and physical sciences—the groups with the highest admissions rates—tend to achieve the highest total MCAT scores.
Do med schools prefer certain majors? ›
There's a misconception that students should major in biology or another science if they want to get into medical school. In fact, there's no required or even preferred majors that medical schools are looking for. Consider majoring in whatever interests you and will keep you engaged and motivated during undergrad.
How long does pre-med take? ›
A pre-med degree consists of a bachelor's, which the vast majority of students complete in 4 years rather than two. That being said, at some schools it may be possible to complete your pre-med bachelor's in 2 years.
Can a high GPA make up for low MCAT? ›
The bottom line is this – if you have a low MCAT, you must do your best to balance it with a high GPA. While these stats are not the be-all and end-all of medical school admissions, some schools will not continue the review of your application if you do not demonstrate a strong academic history via your GPA and MCAT.
Do you need a 4.0 to get into med school? ›
While you can get into medical school without having a 4.0, you will at least need to meet the minimum requirements. Most medical schools have a strict minimum requirement of at least a 3.0 GPA. This means that your application will typically not even be considered if you have less than a 3.0.
What percent of students drop pre-med? ›
They concluded that only 16.5% of students who intended to major in pre-med graduate college with the required coursework for medical schools.
22,712 applicants successfully matriculated. This means 41% of applicants earned a medical school acceptance in 2022.
What is the easiest major to get into pre-med? ›
If you're looking for the most straightforward path, biological sciences, including majors like molecular biology, cell biology, and neuroscience, feature several courses that overlap with your medical school prerequisites. That's why nearly 60% of all applicants choose this major.
What percentage of Harvard pre-med students get into medical school? ›
Over 90% of our students get into med school—the first time.
You can also learn more about our 1-on-1 medical school admissions support here.
What major is most accepted to medical school? ›
According to this data, there are three major groups—humanities, math and statistics, and physical sciences—that enjoy higher admissions rates than others. In fact, these are the only three groups (aside from biological sciences) that get into medical school at a rate greater than 40 percent.
What is the toughest year of medical school? ›
The third year of medical school is by far the hardest, current and former med students will almost always agree.
What minors go well with premed? ›
Minors
- Biology.
- Chemistry.
- Ethics.
- Family and Consumer Sciences Minor (Nutrition)
- Health.
- Neuroscience.
- Sociology.
- Spanish or other Foreign Language.
For Harvard Medical School, the minimum MCAT scores required are 128 in each of the four sections (Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior) ...
What is the lowest MCAT score for Harvard? ›
There are no hard numeric cutoffs; applicants with an MCAT score or GPA below the 10th percentile are often invited to interview if other areas of their application are strong.
What is the average age to go to medical school? ›
Most med students are around 24 years old when heading into their first year. The average graduating age is 28, but it's never too late to go to med school. Non-traditional applicants often fear it may be too late to attend medical school. It's important to know there is no age limit to attending medical school.
