MCAT - What you may not know
“I’ve heard that med schools allow multiple attempts, so it’s OK to take it multiple times.”
Sort of. Here’s what you should know.
The overall record of testing attempts can be important
Many medical schools use your highest score. However, some programs look at all attempts and either:
- average the scores, or
- calculate a weighted average (for example, weighting the highest score more and earlier/lower scores less)
This policy isn’t always clearly published, and you may not be able to confirm it outside the admissions committee.
What this means for you:
- Don’t take the official exam just to “see how you’ll do.” Your first official attempt becomes part of your permanent testing record (which shows all attempts). That can limit your options to schools that truly use highest-score-only. Since you often can’t tell which schools average attempts, plan as if all attempts may matter.
All 4 sections scores are important
Many schools set minimum score requirements for each of the 4 sections. Some schools also require a minimum superscore (overall exam score). Policies vary:
- Some schools take the highest score for each section across different attempts.
- Others require that all 4 section scores (and the superscore, if applicable) come from one single test date.
As with attempt-averaging, these details may not be fully available outside the admissions committee.
What this means for you:
- Within reason (and keeping admissions deadlines in mind), don’t take the official exam if one or more sections are significantly below the others - especially if your practice tests show a section score below the minimum required by many programs, or by programs you care about most.
- It’s tempting to focus only on the superscore and assume strong sections will “make up for” a weaker one. But that can rule out programs that require minimums in every section (or that prioritize section balance).
MCAT scores and GPAs are 2 of many factors that are typically weighted in an overall admissions formula.
MCAT and GPA are usually part of a broader admissions scoring approach. For example, two applicants with similar volunteering, research, and clinical hours - and similarly scored personal statements and letters of recommendation - could end up with similar overall competitiveness if:
- one has a proportionately higher GPA but a proportionately lower MCAT, and
- the other has a proportionately lower GPA but a proportionately higher MCAT.
What this means for you: It’s extremely important to compare your overall (and specifically math/science) undergraduate GPA to your target programs’ average overall and science GPAs when you’re deciding what minimum MCAT score you’ll likely need.
Sample scenario:
This student’s practice test can help them decide whether to test (and when), based on their target programs, the overall/superscore, and individual section scores.
Their undergraduate GPA is 3.89. These are two of the programs they are considering:
Let’s say this student has 8 months to submit med school applications and receive scores, so they need to test in about 7 months. They may also want enough time for a retest if they need a higher score.
The superscore is estimated at 501, but the confidence band (possible score variance) runs from 499 to 503. That’s basically at or above the current minimum for Program A, but it’s still well below the published average MCAT (super)score for both programs (A = 514 and B = 520). To reach the average of Program A’s current students, the student needs about a 13-point increase. For Program B, it’s about 19 points.
Now look at the individual section scores. A reasonable target is often at least 125 in each section, since some programs use section minimums. Here, the confidence band for CARS starts at 122, and for Chem/Phys it starts at 123 - both potentially below common section cutoffs.
This student has to think through some options and decide what’s best for them:
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How much prep time do they actually have (day-to-day or regularly each week) during the 5-7 months they have until they test? This must factor in work, family responsibilities, classes/ assignments.
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Comparing their desired programs, timeline, and available study time, do they…
- Keep their application list the same and work hard to meet the goal MCAT scores needed to be competitive in those programs (time is sufficient)?
- Adjust their application list to fit programs that align with the MCAT score they can likely achieve within the current timeframe?
- Adjust their timeline to apply a year later in order to have sufficient time for the growth in MCAT score needed to be competitive in the top programs?
Note that these decisions don’t necessarily have to be made up front. You can also set specific check-in points to reassess your progress and decide which option makes the most sense as you go.
The CARS section is almost 100% dependent on advanced reading skills plus confidence.
There isn’t a specific content set you can memorize for CARS. It’s designed to measure how you handle new information and arguments presented in unfamiliar passages.
A strong general vocabulary can help, but most CARS improvement comes from consistent practice using effective reading strategies over time.
Confidence (or self-doubt) also matters because this section depends on flexible thinking - tracking relationships between ideas and using them to form conclusions.
What this means for you:
- CARS is often the slowest section to improve, so start early and practice consistently (daily or multiple days per week).
- Early on, take a practice test or complete several practice passages and then analyze your thinking. Ask:
- How many questions did you miss because you rushed?
- Where did you overlook key information earlier in the passage?
- Did you panic and become less flexible in your reasoning?
It takes time and repetition, with the right strategies, to make your thinking a tool for understanding rather than an obstacle.
The Psychology and Sociology (Psych/Soc) section is a mix of external knowledge and advanced reading skills.
In this section, you need to know concepts and theories from psychology and sociology. The section is passage-based (similar to CARS), but the passages focus on psychology and sociology topics.
Many questions require you to combine:
- information from the passage, and
- prior knowledge of a psych or sociology concept or theory
What this means for you:
- Psych/Soc requires regular practice, much like CARS, so improvement may take time.
- Unlike CARS, content knowledge is essential. Filling gaps in psychology and sociology concepts and theories is a key part of raising your score.
Chemistry and Physics (Chem/Phys) and Biology and Biochemistry (Bio/Biochem) are almost entirely reliant on external knowledge of these subjects.
In these sections, you need to know concepts and theories from Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Biochemistry. This content is foundational and mostly drawn from undergraduate prerequisite courses required by most medical schools, with occasional material beyond those courses.
The content is not generally medical in nature, and clinical applications of anatomy and physiology are not expected for this exam.
Most questions are passage-based, presenting scientific information you must interpret. That means some reading comprehension is required, but it’s narrowly focused on the sciences. A passage may introduce an additional concept, but it typically assumes you already understand the underlying facts and principles. Passages may also require interpreting scientific graphs, tables, and diagrams.
There are also a small number of independent questions, meaning they are not connected to a passage.
What this means for you:
- For current undergrad science majors, your courses are a major source of preparation for these sections. You’ll mainly need targeted review to retain and connect course concepts.
- For non-science majors who may be taking only the pre-reqs (and not the optional-but-recommended courses - typically, Cell Bio, Genetics, Anatomy, Physiology, Molecular Bio), you may need to review what you’ve taken and expand your knowledge to include these areas.
- For anyone who has had a gap since taking science courses, several months of review are often needed to rebuild facts and concepts before focusing heavily on test strategies and sitting for the MCAT.