What Is The MCAT And What Do The Scores Mean?

If you are preparing to become a doctor or looking to enter medical school, you need to know about the MCAT.

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is an entrance exam that is required by nearly all medical schools in the United States and Canada. Consisting of four different sections, your scores on the MCAT will be a main factor (but not necessarily the only factor) in determining what medical schools you’re accepted into.

What Is The MCAT?

The MCAT is a standardized test, consisting of multiple-choice questions in four different categories:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

The MCAT has been a part of the medical school admissions process for over 90 years, with over 85,000 prospective students taking the test every year.

It is designed to test your knowledge of concepts and principals, reasoning and problem solving, reasoning around research, and statistical reasoning. 

For the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section you have 95 minutes to answer 59 questions. The test is set up as follows: 

• 65% introductory biology
• 25% first-semester biochemistry
• 5% general chemistry
• 5% organic chemistry

You will be tested on introductory biology, organic chemistry, and inorganic chemistry. You’ll also see questions related to biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology concepts taught in undergraduate first-semester biochemistry courses. 

For the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section you have 95 minutes to answer 59 questions. This section is broken down as follows: 

• 30% general chemistry
• 25% first-semester biochemistry
• 25% introductory physics
• 15% organic chemistry
• 5% introductory biology

Again, you will see questions that relate to introductory level biology, organic chemistry, and inorganic chemistry. This section adds some physics questions to the test as well. 

Biochemistry and molecular biology questions will relate to information taught in undergraduate first-semester biochemistry courses. 

For the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section you will have 95 minutes to answer 59 questions. This section is broken down as follows: 

• 65% introductory psychology
• 30% introductory sociology
• 5% introductory biology

You’ll be tested on psychology, sociology, and biology concepts taught in undergraduate introductory courses. 

For the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section you’ll have 90 minutes to answer 53 questions. This section breaks down as follows: 

• 50% humanities
• 50% social sciences

In this section you’ll be asked to read passages between 500 and 600 words and answer questions that require you to analyze the text. This is intended to measure your comprehension and reasoning skills and looks at your vocabulary and writing styles. 

Questions will relate to ethics, philosophy, diverse cultures, population health, and a variety of social sciences and humanities disciplines. 

MCAT Scoring 

You will receive five different scores from taking the MCAT — one for each of the four subsections and then an overall score. Each of the four section scores will range from 118 to 132, and your total score will be the sum of your four subsection scores, ranging from 472 to 528. Kaplan Test Prep suggests that a good MCAT score is around 511 or higher, with no section score below 127.

Along with your score, you will also receive a percentile. This shows you how you compared to other MCAT test takers. For example, if you get in the 80th percentile that means you did better than 80% of test takers. 

You’ll need a score of 502 to get into the top 50% of test takers and a score of 511 to be in the top 20% (80th percentile). A score of 522 will land you in the top 1% (99th percentile) of all MCAT testers.

Here’s a look at a few top medical schools and the average MCAT score of attending students. 

Depending on the MCAT score that you got and what schools you are applying to, you can also consider retaking the MCAT. While the MCAT does come with a hefty application fee (the standard registration fee is $335 in 2023), it may be worth it to take the MCAT again if you feel you didn’t get the score you’re capable of. 

Consult with your family, friends, and pre-health student advisors to decide whether retaking the MCAT makes sense for your specific situation.

Preparing For The MCAT

The MCAT is not a test that you can take and hope to do well at without preparing for. Most people spend many months preparing for it. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which is the governing body that runs the MCAT, has a free study guide that students can use — grab that here.

The AAMC study guide breaks down preparing for the MCAT into six distinct phases:

• Find Out Everything You Can About the Exam
• Figure Out Where You Stand: How Much Do You Know?
• Gather Free and Low-Cost Resources to Help You Prepare
• Create Your Study Plan
• Study and Practice
• Prepare for Test Day

The first four steps help you to create a customized study plan that fits your individual strengths and weaknesses. The fifth step (Study and Practice) is likely to be the longest step, depending on how prepared you already are when you started.

The final step is one where you can simulate the test day and evaluate your overall readiness. It’s important to have a well-rounded study plan — including content review, practice exams, and stress management techniques.

While there are many free and low-cost guides and options to help you prepare for the MCAT, there are also companies like Kaplan or The Princeton Review that offer MCAT preparation. Just be aware that these test prep companies are not cheap — be prepared to spend several thousand dollars depending on which company you go with. Still, that may be a worthwhile investment if it means the difference in getting into your preferred medical school.

Beyond The Numbers: The Holistic Medical School Application Process

While scoring well on the MCAT is one of the most important things you can do to improve your chances of being accepted into medical school, it’s not the only thing. 

MCAT scores are only one part of the medical school application process. In addition to studying for the MCAT, it’s also important to have good personal statements, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and do well on your interviews.

The Bottom Line

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is an entrance exam that is required by virtually every standalone medical school in North America. If you are planning on going to medical school, you’ll want to prepare for the MCAT as part of your application process.

You’ll want to start preparing for the MCAT several months before taking the test, and make time to regularly study for it over an extended period of time.