MCAT2015

The 2015 MCAT exam is designed to help admissions committees select students who are academically prepared to enter medical school.  It is important that you understand how the MCAT2015 is structured and scored, how often it is administered, and how it is used in the admissions process.  

WHAT IS ON THE MCAT2015?
The 2015 MCAT tests how well you, as a prospective applicant, can apply what you have learned in your natural, behavioral, and social science classes to solve problems that call for scientific reasoning--asking you to reason about research designs and results, interpreting data and drawing conclusions.  The exam asks you to solve scientific problems that call on concepts from biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, psychology, and sociology.  The total administration time for the MCAT2015 is about seven and a half hours, including breaks. See What's on the MCAT2015 Exam.

HOW CAN I PREPARE?
A gradual process of familiarization with the MCAT2015 will decrease anxiety and likely produce better performance results.  Be sure to map and track the foundational concepts and critical analysis and reasoning skills that you need (and which you are developing through coursework, research and other learning experiences) for your MCAT2015 preparation and beyond.  AAMC's  free and low cost MCAT2015 Preparation Resources will be crucial in your preparation for the exam.  In any case, most of you should plan for a concentrated study effort at least four months before your chosen exam date.  You may wish to join a study group or contact a test preparation organization.  Remember, however, that good scores are not bought as they are only the result of intense and committed preparation and practice.  

WHEN SHOULD I TAKE THE MCAT2015?
If you plan to attend medical school immediately after completing your undergraduate education, you are advised to take the MCAT by spring of your junior year.  Ideally, you would want to take the test by spring--or early summer at the very latest--of the year you wish to appIy.  The application services for both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools (AMCAS and AACOMAS) open in May and start allowing submission in early June.  Because of rolling admissions, you are encouraged to submit  your primary application in June or early July, possibly, with MCAT scores in hand.  Be sure to discuss your overall application timeline with your advisor.  In fact, you may need to take the MCAT later than the summer between your junior and senior years (and apply the following year or beyond) if you need to strengthen your preparation and overall application profile or if you will not have time to adequately prepare for the test due to other commitments.  You should take the test only when you have completed the relevant courses and can fit several months of intense MCAT preparation in your schedule.  Do not take the MCAT if you will not apply for another 2+ years since scores do expire and, especially, do not take the test as a trial run since all scores count.

WHEN CAN I REGISTER?
Registration for the MCAT2015 exam will open in February 2015. The MCAT2015 testing calendar will run from April through September and will be offered at hundreds of test sites in the United States, Canada, and around the world.  Note that there will be financial incentives for students willing to take the first administrations of the MCAT2015 exam.  However, for examinees taking the MCAT2015 exam in April and May, scores will take longer than the typical 30 to 35 days to be reported.   If you anticipate needing accommodations for the test, start gathering the required paperwork for your request well in advance.  If you need assistance paying for the test, see if you are eligible for the Fee Assistance Program.  When registering for the MCAT, you can also elect to have your scores released to the Medical Minority Applicant Registry (Med MAR), MCAT Recruiting Service and, if you are applying to osteopathic medical schools and/or schools in the state of Texas to AACOMAS.  Your MCAT scores will be automatically released to AMCAS-participating schools.  See more information about preparing, registering and taking the test.

HOW WILL THE MCAT2015 BE SCORED?
The MCAT2015 score report will include MCAT scores, percentile ranks, confidence bands, and score profiles to highlight applicants' strengths and weaknesses.  In particular, each of the four sections on the MCAT2015 will be scored from 118 to 132 points, with the total score set from 472 to 528.  Although the 50th percentile will be set at 125 per section and 500 for the total test, there will be schools for which scores in the 50th percentile will not be competitive.  Given the imperfect nature of any standardized test (where test taker's performance may be influnced by a number of internal and external factors), the MCAT2015 will use confidence intervals to represent the range of test scores within which examinees' "true scores" probably lie. These confidence intervals will serve as reminders not to over-interpret small differences between MCAT scores.  In addition to scores and confidence intervals, test takers will receive percentiles on the MCAT2015 exam.   See more info on MCAT scores, percentile ranks, confidence bands, and score profiles

HOW DO I RELEASE MY SCORES?
Your MCAT scores will be automatically released to AMCAS  (for inclusion in your application) and to other AAMC affiliated institutions.  However, if you are also applying to osteopathic schools, schools in the state of Texas, etc., you will need to release your scores to osteopathic medical schools, TMDSAS, etc. electronically via the MCAT Testing History (THx) System.  When registering for the MCAT and completing your AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS application, you will also have the option to authorize these services to release information about your application--including your MCAT scores--to the official University of Michigan pre-medical advisors.  Releasing this information helps advisors counsel  future applicants and evaluate programs.  Rest assured that any personal information provided will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and compiled in reports only in the form of aggregate, anonymous statistics.

WHAT IF I NEED TO RETAKE THE MCAT?
If you are not thrilled with your first set of MCAT scores, you will have to decide whether or not to retake the test.    Nationally, applicants tend to make very modest gains on retakes, especially if they repeat the test within just a few weeks from the original attempt, which underscores how MCAT preparation requires lots of time and practice.  In general, the lower the initial score, the larger the retest gain.   Although given the newness of the MCAT2015 test there are no historical data, you may find helpful to see data on national test retakes on the "old" MCAT.  Although the decision to whether or not  retake the test lies ultimately with you, you may wish to consult with your pre-medical advisor to help you reflect on the circumstances surrounding your preparation and those that occurred on test day, to gauge the likelihood for a future, better performance on this very demanding test.  Individual medical schools'  policies on handling multiple sets of scores do vary; but in general:

  • All scores count, and sometimes they are averaged (however, there will be no averaging between old and new MCAT scores);
  • The most recent (sometimes best) set of scores is given the most weight;
  • Individual scores below the 50th percentile are usually not competitive;
  • Scores older than 3 years are not viable;
  • August and September scores may put an applicant at a disadvantage due to rolling admissions; and
  • January scores are seldom accepted as a first set of scores but may be considered for applicants on an alternate/waitlist.

WHAT IF I HAVE SCORES FROM THE 'OLD' MCAT?
The AAMC will continue to report scores from the "old" MCAT (up to the January 2015 administration) through the 2019 AMCAS application cycle.  However, whether an individual medical school will continue to accept these scores through then will depend on that individual medical school. This report shows which MCAT Exam(s) allopathic (MD) medical schools will accept for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 application cycles.  In an August 2014 survey, the vast majority of osteopathic medical schools (DO) indicated that they will accept MCAT scores no older than 3 years prior to matriculation. Typically, MCAT scores are valid for 2-3 years.  Consult the Medical School Admission Requirements (MD) and College Information Book (DO) to check the application policies of each school to which you intend to apply.