Overseas Education
MCAT Exam
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess the examinee's problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. Scores are reported in Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences, Writing Sample, and Biological Sciences. Medical colleges consider MCAT exam scores as part of their admission process.
Almost all U.S. medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT exam scores. Many schools do not accept MCAT exam scores that are more than three years old.
Are You Eligible to Take the MCAT Exam?
Registration Eligibility
You may sit for the MCAT exam if you are preparing to apply to a health professions school. These include the following types of schools:
Almost all U.S. medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT exam scores. Many schools do not accept MCAT exam scores that are more than three years old.
Are You Eligible to Take the MCAT Exam?
Registration Eligibility
You may sit for the MCAT exam if you are preparing to apply to a health professions school. These include the following types of schools:
- Allopathic
- Osteopathic
- Podiatric
- Veterinary Medicine
Note: At the time of registration you will be required to accept a statement verifying your intention to apply to a heath professions school. If, however, you are not applying to a health professions school, or if you are a currently enrolled medical student, you may obtain "special permission" to register for the exam.
Testing Eligibility
You may take the exam up to three times in one calendar year, but you may register for only one test at a time.
International Students
If you are an international student, you are welcome to take the MCAT exam provided that you meet the eligibility requirements described above. If you are in an MBBS degree program or hold the MBBS degree, you may register for the MCAT exam without seeking
Special Permission
Testing Eligibility
You may take the exam up to three times in one calendar year, but you may register for only one test at a time.
International Students
If you are an international student, you are welcome to take the MCAT exam provided that you meet the eligibility requirements described above. If you are in an MBBS degree program or hold the MBBS degree, you may register for the MCAT exam without seeking
Special Permission
- You wish to take the test for any reason other than applying to a health professions school, or
- You are a currently enrolled medical student (other than MBBS degree program)
To apply for special permission, please send an e-mail request to mcat@aamc.org, stating the reason(s) you wish to take the exam. The MCAT exam office will attempt to review and respond to your request within five business days, although heavy volume may delay our ability to reply within this time frame. We therefore ask that you be mindful of registration deadlines, as staff cannot extend closing dates for any reason.
How do I register for the MCAT?
Starting in February, they will send you a registration packet that contains important information about MCAT fees and score reporting.
MCAT Registration:
The registration packet contains a code book which you must use to fill out the candidate information folder and a registration ticket which requires a recent photograph. You must be sure that your completed registration packet is postmarked before the test registration deadline. There is a late registration deadline for those who may procrastinate or for some reason miss the deadline. Note that this is not a postmark deadline. Your completed application must be received by American College Testing Program by 4:30 Central Standard Time on that date and must be accompanied by an additional $30 fee. In any case there is no walk-in registration, and you must have your registration ticket (with photo) in order to take the exam.
You will be given a choice of testing centers - both domestic and international. The Colorado centers include Adams State College, Alamosa; University of Colorado, Boulder and Denver campuses; U.S. Air Force Academy and the Colorado College, both in Colorado Springs; Fort Lewis College, Durango; Colorado State University, Fort Collins; and Mesa State College, Grand Junction. The test is normally given on Saturday although there are Sunday test dates at limited testing centers (i.e. Denver) should you have a Saturday conflict or should religious reasons prohibit your taking the test on a Saturday. There are additional fees for Sunday and nondomestic test centers. Consult the instruction booklet for this information. The basic fee for the test is $155 for 1995. Check the instruction booklet for fee charges.
Computerized MCAT
The MCAT Exam has gone paperless!
Most of our international testing sites have been computerized for several years. Last year we added 10 U.S. computerized sites as alternatives. We will now deliver the MCAT exam as a computerized exam only, starting in January 2007. Thomson Prometric will deliver the computerized MCAT on behalf of the AAMC multiple times per year, at hundreds of testing sites in North America and select sites in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. Benefits of the Computerized MCAT Exam
Computerizing the MCAT offers advantages for both students and admissions offices:
How do I register for the MCAT?
Starting in February, they will send you a registration packet that contains important information about MCAT fees and score reporting.
MCAT Registration:
The registration packet contains a code book which you must use to fill out the candidate information folder and a registration ticket which requires a recent photograph. You must be sure that your completed registration packet is postmarked before the test registration deadline. There is a late registration deadline for those who may procrastinate or for some reason miss the deadline. Note that this is not a postmark deadline. Your completed application must be received by American College Testing Program by 4:30 Central Standard Time on that date and must be accompanied by an additional $30 fee. In any case there is no walk-in registration, and you must have your registration ticket (with photo) in order to take the exam.
You will be given a choice of testing centers - both domestic and international. The Colorado centers include Adams State College, Alamosa; University of Colorado, Boulder and Denver campuses; U.S. Air Force Academy and the Colorado College, both in Colorado Springs; Fort Lewis College, Durango; Colorado State University, Fort Collins; and Mesa State College, Grand Junction. The test is normally given on Saturday although there are Sunday test dates at limited testing centers (i.e. Denver) should you have a Saturday conflict or should religious reasons prohibit your taking the test on a Saturday. There are additional fees for Sunday and nondomestic test centers. Consult the instruction booklet for this information. The basic fee for the test is $155 for 1995. Check the instruction booklet for fee charges.
Computerized MCAT
The MCAT Exam has gone paperless!
Most of our international testing sites have been computerized for several years. Last year we added 10 U.S. computerized sites as alternatives. We will now deliver the MCAT exam as a computerized exam only, starting in January 2007. Thomson Prometric will deliver the computerized MCAT on behalf of the AAMC multiple times per year, at hundreds of testing sites in North America and select sites in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. Benefits of the Computerized MCAT Exam
Computerizing the MCAT offers advantages for both students and admissions offices:
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Test administrations will increase from twice a year to 22 per year.
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Morning and afternoon sessions will be available on weekdays and Saturdays.
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Students may take the MCAT exam up to three times per year (but may be registered for only one testing date at a time).
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The computerized test day will be about half as long as the paper-and-pencil administration day, primarily because there is less administrative overhead.
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Beginning in 2007, the number of questions will be reduced by about one-third (without changing the content representation), and the allowed testing time will be reduced by about 30 percent. Research showed that a shorter MCAT exam would retain its predictive power.
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Beginning in 2007, scores will be reported in 30 days instead of 60 days. Our objective is to eventually reduce reporting to 14 days.
Computerized Testing Environment
Thomson Prometric testing centers are climate- and sound-controlled, designed and built exclusively for CBTs. Ergonomic chairs, guest lockers, state-of-the-art equipment, and noise reduction headphones will be available to examinees. Thomson Prometric has testing sites throughout North America and around the world. They are building new sites in locations where the MCAT potentially has more examinees than they can seat.
MCAT Score Range
Each MCAT section receives its own score. Verbal reasoning, physical sciences, and biological sciences are each scored on a scale ranging from 1-15, with 15 as the highest. The writing sample essays are scored alphabetically on a scale ranging from J to T, with T as the highest. Your raw score, the number answered correctly, convert to yield a scaled score. These scaled scores appear on the report to medical schools as your MCAT scores.
MCAT Test Results
Depending on their degree of selectivity, medical schools consider a score of 10 or above on each section as superior. For each MCAT administration the average scaled scores are approximately 8s for verbal reasoning, physical sciences, and biological sciences, and an N for the writing sample. Many consider competitive scores around 10 to 11, and for the top schools strive for 12s and higher.
Finally, you have a score choice option on the day of the exam. This allows you to see your MCAT scores before releasing them to medical schools. While an appealing option, schools know when you take the MCAT, even if they do not know your scores. Consequently, some medical schools will hold this against you.
Good Total MCAT Score: Are My MCAT Scores Good Enough?
Just try to get all your MCAT scores as high as possible. Many schools look for consistency in MCAT scores. If your three numerical scores are above 10, and your essay score in above N, your chances of an interview are quite good. However, even if you get 14's in two science sections, but you get only 6 on your Verbal Reasoning, you may get a big trouble.
What is a competitive score on the MCAT?
Last year the national MCAT average for all 34,862 applicants was 8.1. The average for the 16,365 applicants who matriculated was a 9.9. Students accepted to the OU College of Medicine had an average of 9.43. OU only considers the LAST test scores. Acceptance to medical school is based on GPA, MCAT scores, Letters of Evaluation, and impressions gained at the personal interview. Kindly visit the official website of MCAT for more information
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/
Thomson Prometric testing centers are climate- and sound-controlled, designed and built exclusively for CBTs. Ergonomic chairs, guest lockers, state-of-the-art equipment, and noise reduction headphones will be available to examinees. Thomson Prometric has testing sites throughout North America and around the world. They are building new sites in locations where the MCAT potentially has more examinees than they can seat.
MCAT Score Range
Each MCAT section receives its own score. Verbal reasoning, physical sciences, and biological sciences are each scored on a scale ranging from 1-15, with 15 as the highest. The writing sample essays are scored alphabetically on a scale ranging from J to T, with T as the highest. Your raw score, the number answered correctly, convert to yield a scaled score. These scaled scores appear on the report to medical schools as your MCAT scores.
MCAT Test Results
Depending on their degree of selectivity, medical schools consider a score of 10 or above on each section as superior. For each MCAT administration the average scaled scores are approximately 8s for verbal reasoning, physical sciences, and biological sciences, and an N for the writing sample. Many consider competitive scores around 10 to 11, and for the top schools strive for 12s and higher.
Finally, you have a score choice option on the day of the exam. This allows you to see your MCAT scores before releasing them to medical schools. While an appealing option, schools know when you take the MCAT, even if they do not know your scores. Consequently, some medical schools will hold this against you.
Good Total MCAT Score: Are My MCAT Scores Good Enough?
Just try to get all your MCAT scores as high as possible. Many schools look for consistency in MCAT scores. If your three numerical scores are above 10, and your essay score in above N, your chances of an interview are quite good. However, even if you get 14's in two science sections, but you get only 6 on your Verbal Reasoning, you may get a big trouble.
What is a competitive score on the MCAT?
Last year the national MCAT average for all 34,862 applicants was 8.1. The average for the 16,365 applicants who matriculated was a 9.9. Students accepted to the OU College of Medicine had an average of 9.43. OU only considers the LAST test scores. Acceptance to medical school is based on GPA, MCAT scores, Letters of Evaluation, and impressions gained at the personal interview. Kindly visit the official website of MCAT for more information
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/
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