What is considered a good score on the MCAT^®?

Although there’s no official “good score,” the average score of applicants who are accepted and enroll in medical school is about a 10 (on a scale of 1-15) in each of the physical sciences, biological sciences, and verbal reasoning sections of the MCAT, for an approximate total score of 30.  For the writing sample, the average score is a “P” (on a scale of J-T). 

Doing well on the MCAT improves your chances of getting into medical school.  Nonetheless, there are students who score well on the MCAT, but who don’t have the complete set of personal and intellectual qualities medical school admission committees are looking for.  There are other students whose scores are lower, but whose application packages display background, characteristics, and attributes that, when considered in their entirety, outshine other candidates.  Looking at the range of scores for students accepted in 2004-2005 helps to illustrate this point.  For these students, scores ranged:

• From a low of 5 to a high of 15 on verbal reasoning
• From a low of 5 to a high 15 on physical sciences, as well as on the biological sciences
• From a low of J to a high of T on the writing sample

These score ranges demonstrate that the MCAT is not a make or break exam.  Nonetheless, the number of applicants accepted on the low end of the range is small.  So, your goal should be to do as well as you can.

For More Information:

• Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT®) Web Site  - Free Resource! 
  The AAMC has created this Web site to offer comprehensive MCAT information, including test registration information, practice tests, test scoring information, and MCAT research data.
  
  

• Examinee Data - Free Resource!
  This Web site provides links to a comprehensive source of information about medical school applicants, matriculants, and graduates available to the public free of charge.  This includes information on average MCAT scores and grade-point averages (GPAs) of applicants to medical school and those who enroll.  It also takes you to information about percentage and scaled-score tables for previous administrations of the MCAT exam.
  
  

• MCAT® Interpretive Manual (PDF, 42 pages) - Free Resource! 
  This manual is a guide for medical schools to help them understand and use MCAT scores in making admissions decisions.  It presents information about the design, objectives, interpretation, and use of the MCAT.
  
  

• Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR™)
  Published by the AAMC, this book is the most authoritative guide for applying to medical school. This accurate, thorough, and reliable resource is the only complete guide to U.S. and Canadian medical schools fully authorized by the schools themselves. In it you will find information on application procedures and deadlines, selection factors (including MCAT scores and grade-point averages), medical school class profiles, education costs and financial aid packages, and much more.  Copies of the MSAR can be purchased on the AAMC Web site under the “Publications” section.