What is the hardest section of the MCAT?

Asked by: Dr. Vanessa Abbott V  |  Last update: April 20, 2022
Score: 4.1/5 (62 votes)

The Most Difficult MCAT Test Section
Many students report that the most difficult section is CARS, and the average scores reported by AAMC back that up. The lowest average section scores overall and for matriculants are in CARS.

What is the easiest section on the MCAT?

The essay section was the easiest; the mechanics and grammar comes to you from lots of practice. Logical reasoning helps organize your thoughts within the prompts. Practice also improves your timing.

What are the hardest topics on the MCAT?

Most difficult concepts on the MCAT, a list
  • Optics.
  • Solution Equilibria.
  • Female Reproductive system.
  • Embryogenesis.

How hard is it to get a 510 on the MCAT?

[12:00] Hitting 506-509 to 510 and Above

Then when you get to the 506-509 range, there's a significant jump in the acceptance rate at 46.2%. So, now you're well above the national average for MCAT scores, and that's likely to be accepted. And then there's an enormous jump once you get to the 510-513 mark at 60.3%.

Is a 510 MCAT good?

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.

Spine Surgeon Takes the MCAT. Here's how it went.....

42 related questions found

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.

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.

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.

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.

Is 3 months long enough to study for MCAT?

The AAMC recommends that the average pre-med student spend between 300 and 350 hours over several months preparing for the MCAT. Three months might seem like plenty of time to prep, but you'll still need to set aside many hours of study time each week in order to score competitively on the MCAT.

Is the new MCAT harder than the old one?

Personally, I find it much easier. The 2015 MCAT (MR5) is longer than the previous MR4 version—having 4 sections instead of 3—and covers more topics. It's also more heavily weighted toward critical thinking skills than MR4, which included more questions from the bottom layers of Bloom's Taxonomy.

How many hours study for MCAT?

So, where should you start? Most people need 10–15 hours per week to study for the MCAT over a period of at least four to six months . In total, you should aim for at least 200 to 300 hours of MCAT study time.

Can I get into med school with a 500 MCAT?

Shirag Shemmassian, founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and a medical school admissions expert, says that if you receive an MCAT score below 500, "it is highly likely that you will not be accepted to any MD program, unless you happen to live in a state with a public medical school that accepts in-state students ...

What percentage of MCAT is physics?

Physics will represent somewhere between 20-30 percent of your MCAT Chem/Phys section, which is one of four MCAT sections. Hence, you can expect to see 12 to 18 physics questions (out of 230 total questions) on the entire MCAT—about 5 to 8 percent of the exam.

Can I get into med school with a 505?

511+: 100% MD programs; 0% DO programs. 506–510: 75% MD programs, 25% DO programs. 500–505: 25–50% MD programs; 50–75% DO programs. Below 500: 0–25% MD programs; 75–100% DO programs.

What's the lowest MCAT score accepted?

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.

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.

Is a 509 MCAT good?

Attaining a score of 509 on the MCAT means you performed in the 82% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

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.

Is 490 a good MCAT score?

The answer depends on several factors including what type of medical school (MD vs DO vs Canadian) you're interested in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 490 on the MCAT means you performed in the 20% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

What is a top 10% MCAT score?

A top 10% MCAT score is essentially a 90th percentile MCAT score. In a previous post, we wrote about MCAT percentiles for the old and new exams. Below, you can see that a 90th percentile score on the new exam is a 513. If you want a top 10% MCAT score, you need a 513 or higher on the new MCAT.