Should I retake a 505 MCAT?

Asked by: Dr. Evert Flatley  |  Last update: May 27, 2022
Score: 4.9/5 (58 votes)

If you're within a few points (<5) of the target score, and retaking the MCAT could delay your application, AND you're ok with the slight chance of rejection, go ahead and apply anyway! Last year I had a student earn a 505 on the June MCAT (July scores).

How bad is a 505 MCAT?

505 on the MCAT is around the 70th percentile of scores. To know if this is a good score or not depends on where you would like to attend medical school. If you are aiming for the top 10–20 medical schools, I would recommend that you try and take the exam again.

Is a 505 MCAT good enough?

There are very important conclusions we can make based on these data. Although the mean total MCAT score among all test takers is 505.9, most successful MD applicants typically achieve an MCAT total score at or above the 65th percentile (i.e., 506+).

Does retaking MCAT look bad?

Does retaking the MCAT look bad? Like reapplying to medical school, retaking the MCAT does not inherently look bad. ... If you're able to show an appreciable score jump from one test to the next, the majority of medical schools won't see having retaken the MCAT as an issue.

Should I retake a 512 MCAT?

If you were averaging 510-512s on your practice AAMC exam but scored much lower on test day, this is a good reason to retake the MCAT. The lower score is more likely due to nerves, pressure, lack of sleep, or sickness than lack of knowledge and ability.

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25 related questions found

What percentile is 505 on MCAT?

Attaining a score of 505 on the MCAT means you performed in the 70% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

Should I retake a 508 MCAT?

If their scores are below the average of their safety schools, they should usually retake the test. The average MCAT score matriculants in the most recent application cycle was about 510 to 511. Generally, Ken would recommend students who got lower than 508 to retake the test.

What percent of people take MCAT twice?

DATA ON RETAKING THE MCAT EXAM

Since this exam's introduction in 2015, the vast majority of examinees (just under 95%) have tested at most once or twice. About 5% have tested three times. Only about 1% of examinees have tested more than three times.

Is 520 a good MCAT score?

The total maximum score you can get on the MCAT is 528. So, a score of 520 is a very strong score! It puts you in the top 98th percentile of all MCAT test-takers. To put the score into perspective, the median MCAT score for matriculants in the 2019-2020 academic year was 511.5.

Is it better to take the MCAT only once?

In most cases, it looks better if you only take the MCAT once, but taking the MCAT twice isn't going to ruin your chances of getting into medical school. You are allowed to take the test up to three times in one year, up to four times in a two-year period, and up to seven times over your lifetime.

Should I apply to med school with a 505?

So, for students who are doing about average or a little above average on the MCAT, in the 502-505 range, that's good enough to get a look and probably good enough to get an interview—although you would have to knock it out of the park on everything else—it could get you an acceptance.

Should I retake a 509 MCAT?

So, a 509 MCAT score will put you a good place to get accepted in one of those schools. Retaking the MCAT likely wouldn't benefit you in this situation. The same goes for other medical school-heavy states, such as California or Texas.

Can I get into an MD school with a 505 MCAT?

Here's my quick personal algorithm for determining which option may be better when considering low testing scores: An MCAT score of 505 is the minimum viable score when applying to MD programs. Below 505, you should begin considering DO schools as the more realistic option.

Is it possible to get a 510 on the MCAT?

A "good" MCAT score is one that puts you near or above the average percentile for matriculants at your target medical schools. For comparison, the average MCAT score for students admitted to an MD program in the United States in 2017–2018 is between 510 and 511, with an average GPA of 3.71.

Can I get into med school with a 509 MCAT?

An applicant with an MCAT of 509 without any other metrics such as GPA has a 47% chance if getting into medical school according to this chart: https://www.aamc.org/download/321508/data/factstablea23.pdf . Even though a 509 represents the 79th percentile of MCAT takers.

Should I retake a 506 MCAT?

With a score of 504-506 or lower, you are not going to be a very competitive candidate. But this score range is not absolutely 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.

Is 507 a good MCAT score?

A score of 507 is very respectable. It puts you in the 76th percentile of all test-takers, which is a decent place to be. However, it's not the highest score around.

Should I retake a 514 MCAT?

If you've scored a 514 or above you should probably not retest. If your score is in the middle of these two extremes, your GPA may be the deciding factor. As the table shows, a score below 498 corresponds to an 18% chance of acceptance, even with a fantastic GPA of 3.79 or higher.

What if I do worse on my second MCAT?

Taking the MCAT more than once will not necessarily hurt your application – unless you receive a lower score on the later exam than your previous exam(s).

How long should you wait to retake MCAT?

Ideally, applying to medical school is about a year-and-a-half-long process: from the fall of the year before through the fall/spring of the actual application year. You should take the MCAT at least three months before you plan to submit your application in late May/early June.

Is 518 a good MCAT score?

Scoring a 518 on your MCAT is quite good. In fact, it puts you in the 97th percentile. To put it into perspective, a perfect score on the MCAT is a 528. That's the highest that you can get.

Is 493 a good MCAT score?

Attaining a score of 493 on the MCAT means you performed in the 29% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 123 (C/P) 124 (CARS) 123 (B/B) 123 (P/S).

Is 127 a good MCAT score?

What is a Good MCAT Score? A good MCAT score is 127 out of 132 in any one section, or 508 out of 528 for all 4 sections. The latter represents the average score of students admitted to medical schools nationwide in the 2019 admissions cycle.

What MCAT score do I need Canada?

MCAT score with a minimum of 124 in each section; out-of-province applicants must score 128+ in CARS.