Do you know what MCAT score
you'll need to get into medical school? In this video, we'll discuss the range of
MCAT scores that are accepted by different medical schools and help you to understand
why you do not need a perfect MCAT score to get into medical school.
Hi! My name is Chris and I'm an admissions associate here at BeMo. Before we get started,
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so you don't miss any of our upcoming videos. If you would like us to help you get ready for the
MCAT, click the link either above or below this video to schedule your free initial consultation.
As a quick tip, check out the time stamps in the description of this video to navigate to specific
sections of the video that you are interested in. Here's what we are going to cover:
How the MCAT is Scored Definitions of MCAT Score Ratings Preparation Tips for the MCAT
for Best Scores By the way we're giving away $50 Amazon gift cards every week to best comments and
questions - comment below for a chance to win. There's this one thing that will dramatically
increase your MCAT score - I'll explain in the end of the video, so keep watching to find out.
So, let's get started! How is the MCAT scored? Your score is based on the number of questions
you answer correctly. Wrong answers do not affect your score, so you are not
penalized for answering incorrectly. Make sure to answer all questions when you take the test
even if you are unsure of the answer, it's best to make an educated guess! Your correct answers
in each section are converted to a scaled score ranging from 118 (lowest possible score) to 132
(highest possible score). The scores for all four sections are added together. This means
that the lowest possible MCAT score you can get is 472 and the highest is 528.
The conversion is administered to ensure scoring fairness to all students taking the MCAT.
There are several different test forms in a given year. They tend to include questions of various
difficulty levels. All tests are designed to examine the same knowledge and skills
and the administration claims to make sure that all test forms are equal in difficulty.
However, some test forms may be slightly more difficult than others.
The conversion of your correct answers to scale is done through a process called equating,
which compensates for small variations in difficulty between test forms.
This conversion is not constant because each conversion is customized to the specific set
of questions included on a test form. This would mean that two equally prepared students answering
two sets of test forms with different questions are expected to get similar scores, even if there
is some discrepancy between the number of correct answers. This does not mean that the MCAT score
is graded on a curve. Conversion simply ensures that different raw scores have the same meaning,
no matter when you test or who else is taking the test with you. What is a Good MCAT Score?
The simple answer is that a good MCAT score is a score equal to or higher than the average accepted
MCAT score at your chosen schools, or a score that surpasses their MCAT score cutoff or threshold.
Each school has its own MCAT expectations: some schools will not consider an applicant with a
score lower than 511, while others may be happy to accept students with lower scores. But you want to
do better than good! Try not to focus on just one number, and seek to score as highly as possible
regardless of cutoffs or matriculant averages. Nevertheless, to put things into perspective,
it s good to understand how scores and percentile ranks fit together in the big
picture. What is an Excellent MCAT Score? To get an excellent MCAT score means to score
in the overall 90th percentile, which currently means a score of 515 or greater. Anything above
the score of 517 is considered as outstanding. With that kind of score, it will be difficult
for med schools to reject your application! There will still be some ultra-elite programs that have
higher score thresholds for admission, but these are truly few and far between.
What is a Competitive MCAT Score? A score at or above the mean or 50th percentile for
all applicants could be considered competitive. Why? The mean measures the overall average,
and in this context would be the average of every student who has taken the MCAT and applied to a
medical school. Based on current data, the mean score for all applicants is approximately 506,
so in essence any score above 506 would be above average. However, the AAMC also
provides data based on matriculant scores, aka successful applicants. This is, unsurprisingly,
higher than the applicant mean 511.5 to be exact, which is the 80th percentile for
overall test-takers. So, to be truly competitive with the students most likely to be accepted,
this is the beginning of the genuinely competitive range. What is a Less-Competitive MCAT Score?
A less competitive score would be below the matriculant average but still above the applicant
average, and in most cases sits at around the 75th percentile overall so about 507-509.
This category is among the most slippery in terms of application, as a 509 for many schools will
be quite competitive, while it doesn t even make the cutoff in highly competitive MD programs like
Mayo s Alix School of Medicine. The closer you are to the overall mean,
the less competitive your score is, basically. What is a Poor MCAT Score? A poor MCAT score in
reality 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. While there are some schools that will accept an MCAT score this low, they re uncommon, and if
you ve scored below 500 you may instead wish to organize retaking the test, or examine which
schools don t require the MCAT at all. Remember, when it comes to medical acceptance rates,
there is also a correlation between your GPA and your MCAT score. The lower your GPA is, the higher
your MCAT score needs to be in order for you to have a chance to get accepted. For example,
applicants with a GPA greater than 3.79 have only a 2.5% chance of acceptance if their MCAT
is lower than 486. However, if they score between 510 and 517, their chances increase to 75%-82%!
Applicants with a GPA of 3.4 to 3.59 need to get a score of 510-513 to have a 50%
chance of getting in. If you want to research your chances, check out AAMC s correlation grid. Do
not settle for one specific score. Prepare, study, and aim to get the highest score possible in your
first test sitting. Do not settle for the minimum requirements. This kind of outlook will not
encourage your study habits and determination. Why Is It Important to Get a Good MCAT Score?
Your MCAT score matters. It is not the most important component of your medical school
application, but it is one of the first to be reviewed by the admissions committee.
And while your extracurriculars for medical school, application essays, and medical school
recommendation letters paint a bigger, detailed picture of your journey to medical school,
your MCAT score may be that one component that either allows or prevents the admissions committee
to continue the review of your application. Essentially, many medical schools in Canada
and the United States use GPAs and MCAT scores to weed out applicants in the initial stages of the
applicant selection process. These statistics are deemed as indicators of your academic abilities,
and therefore, if you do not meet the school's academic expectations,
you will be cut out of the applicant pool. While many schools do not have official MCAT cut-offs,
do not be fooled. In most cases, the previous year's matriculants set the standard. So,
if the matriculants of your school of choice had the average MCAT of 511, you should aim to achieve
a score of no less than 511. It's important to achieve not only a high overall score, but
consistently high scores in each section. While some schools will privilege specific sections
McMaster only considers CARS scores, for instance most schools will want to see
well-rounded performance throughout the exam. Additionally, many schools will have individual
section cutoff scores. UBC and Dalhousie each have section-score minimums, 124 and 123 respectively,
meaning that a well-rounded and consistent performance on the MCAT
will help you far more than achieving a stellar score in only one or two MCAT sections.
If you re applying to schools with section-specific score thresholds, it s in your
best interest to make sure your MCAT study plan covers all the bases, and that you give yourself
as much time as possible to ensure you don t rush through any portion of your studying. Getting a
score that matches or exceeds the expectations of your chosen schools can eliminate the chance
that your application will be tossed aside in the initial stages of the selection process. A good
MCAT score can help you meet the expectations of the schools you apply to and increase the chance
that the admissions committee will move on to review your other application components.
How to Get a Good MCAT Score? Know what is on the exam First things first, you need to understand
what to expect from the MCAT exam. This online AAMC resource provides information about each
MCAT section, as well as helpful video tutorials, sample questions, and explanations. It might be a
good idea to print this resource and reference it alongside your coursework when studying.
It will give you a guideline as to what disciplines you should focus on and on which
sections of your studies to concentrate. Take Practice Tests To prepare a study plan,
you must first know where you stand and how much you know, i.e. figure out your baseline.
You should take a full-length MCAT diagnostic test to identify your strengths and weaknesses
in the disciplines and areas covered in the exam. Unfortunately, practice tests are usually not
free. It s recommended to practice with the AAMC tests, as they provide a scaled score.
You will get results with feedback and answers to all questions, as well as the percentage of
your correct answers in each section. AAMC test materials are available for purchase. They are
most reflective of the actual exam, so they are a good investment. There are four AAMC practice
tests. Each test gives you a score between 118 and 132 and indicates how many questions
you answer correctly in percentile format. Why should you take MCAT diagnostic tests?
A practice exam provides detailed explanations of your correct and incorrect answers,
so you can learn as you are taking the test. You will be able to strategize which disciplines,
concepts, and skills you need to strengthen and include them in your MCAT study schedule. Some
sections may be easier and more familiar, while others will pose a challenge. Once you know which
sections of the test you must work on, you will be able to gather the necessary resources
and organize a study plan to fill in the gaps. It's important that you take the full-length exam
in one sitting. This way, you will know what it will be like when you take the actual exam.
Try to recreate the exam environment to feel more prepared when you walk into the testing center.
To do this, know the test day's schedule, i.e. break lengths, items allowed in the test center,
check-in procedures, etc. Try taking the test outside of your home, somewhere like a local
library or a campus classroom. Recreating the setting will help you feel more prepared and
build stamina. Study Tips You can use the AAMC worksheets to document how you did on the practice
exam or create your own method of keeping score. List your concerns and challenges for each MCAT
section. You can also write down general concerns about taking the test: did you lose focus? Did
you get tired half-way through the test? Were some sections completely unknown to you? This worksheet
will be a good foundation to outline specific concepts, categories, disciplines, and skills
you will need to improve. The next step in your study plan should be the assembling of information
and study resources. Gather all the resources that will help you focus on the content of the exam,
as well as on how to practice and apply your knowledge in the exam setting.
Reading. The CARS portion of the MCAT exam consists of 9 passages with 5-7 questions
per passage. These are meant to test your reading, comprehension and reasoning skills.
Make sure you practice with challenging reading materials for CARS. Be sure to check out our
MCAT CARS practice to get you ready! You can use the AAMC worksheets to schedule your study
plan or you can create your own. Your study schedule should include three main sections:
areas of study, the time allotted to each area, and useful resources. This study schedule must
include all your study responsibilities and how many hours you will dedicate to each activity.
Then you should calculate how many hours of study you have available each day.
Your areas of study section must outline the concepts and disciplines you need to improve.
Useful resources may include the study sources and strategies that will help you learn.
Make sure to outline learning strategies for each section. Remember, your study plan and strategies
will change throughout the process and this is completely normal. After a few weeks of studying,
you may think you need to rearrange the timeline, or the number of hours dedicated to
each discipline. You may also add new resources to your plan. Adjust your schedule accordingly
and do not panic if it changes. This is why early preparation is important. The earlier you start,
the more flexible your schedule can be. Review. Review what you studied or practiced during the
previous day whenever you have time. Review the problem areas you have identified in your plan.
Regular revisions will help you retain information. You do not always need to
be in a formal setting for your review you can practice on your way to school or work,
on the bus, or in the subway. Use free time to review small chunks of information you learned
the previous day. Time yourself. Practice timing yourself when you answer practice questions.
When you review answers, try to analyze why you answered them correctly or incorrectly.
In the case of a wrong answer, go back and review the discipline or concept
to advance your level of knowledge. Prepare questions. Make sure to prepare
a set of questions you will ask yourself after you read a textbook or watch a video. Your list may
include questions like: 1) How can I explain this concept to a friend? 2) Can I think of a real-life
scenario when this concept may be applied? 3) How is this concept related to other concepts I
already studied? 4) Do I understand this concept and if not, where can I find more information
about this concept? Flashcards. Create your own detailed flashcards with concepts, vocabulary
lists, and diagrams. Study with a partner or in a group. Try to include collaborative study
into your schedule. Try teaching each other and going through each topic you find challenging.
Use other people as sounding boards to ask questions, think out loud, and share
knowledge. You can even quiz each other! Include a variety of topics. Schedule different topics
into each study session to make connections and relate concepts to each other. Ask for help. It
is normal to approach a professor with a list of questions you may have about MCAT content. While
you study, keep a list of concepts you struggle with and any other questions you may have.
Arrange for a meeting with your professor and ask for help with your questions.
Summarize. Summarize what you learn from memory, create diagrams and charts that compare concepts.
Check your summaries by using lecture notes, textbooks, or any of your other study resources.
Summaries are a great way to revisit content you already understand. This practice will cement
your learning. Getting Ready to Take the Test Once you repeatedly take the test, you will find
out which disciplines and concepts you still need to study. You will be able to rearrange
your study plan based on your test results. Take the test as many times as you need. If you think
you can do better than your practice test scores, review your study plan and modify areas of focus.
Add more time and resources to areas you struggle with the most. In addition, focus on how you feel
during the test. Do you get tired or anxious? If so, plan to address these difficulties. Once
you're ready to take the test, you'll need to look into registering to take the MCAT at a test center
near you. Review MCAT test dates and release dates to schedule accordingly. Keep in mind that you can
retake the MCAT exam 7 times in a lifetime and three times in an application cycle. However,
taking the exam so many times in an application cycle might make a poor impression. You should
also find out whether your desired programs choose your best MCAT score or whether they combine all
the MCAT sittings and get your average MCAT score. This might influence when you choose to take the
test. Try not to rush yourself. Check out our blog to learn more about our MCAT question and
answer strategies. I have included a link in the description of this video so you can find the blog
easily. If you would like us to help you get a high MCAT test score, visit caspertestprep.com to
schedule your free initial consultation. Hopefully you enjoyed this video, so please subscribe, like,
and comment below. If you have questions about the MCAT that I did not cover in this video,
please let me know in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Don t forget that we re giving away $50 Amazon gift cards every week to the best
comments and questions. Be sure to leave a comment below for your chance to win.
Thanks so much for watching this video. See you next time!