• 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

Test takers receive five scores from their MCAT exams: one for each of the four sections and one combined total score. Detailed information on MCAT scores can be found on the AAMC website. We encourage you to remember MCAT scores are an important element of your medical school application but not the only factor that matters. Admission committees generally review applications holistically and review your MCAT score in the context of all the other components of your applicaiton. As you review your score, it may be important to note that the median MCAT score for those admitted to MD programs is approximately 511 and for DO schools is approximately 503. However, all schools accept applicants with a range of MCAT scores and these ranges can be seen on the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) for each individual MD program in the US.

The MCAT requires content knowledge which you will learn in your courses but also a significant amount of studying for the exam itself is needed. Test takers should complete all necessary courses and dedicate at least 2-3 months of intensive exam preparation before taking the MCAT. We strongly recommend you use the excellent Official AAMC Prep Resources to help you prepare. Only take the exam when you feel you are prepared and are scoring well on practice exams. All scores are permanent and will be visible to all medical schools where you apply. 

The most important timing consideration is not to take the exam until you are ready. Be sure you are scoring well on practice exams before you take the actual exam. Many applicants take the MCAT at one of these times: early fall (August-September) in the year before applying to medical school, or mid-winter (January) or late spring (April-May) in the year you plan to apply. You can start the application process without an MCAT score but we recommend that you have a score by mid-June of the year when you will apply. Please consult with an HCA advisor if you plan to take the MCAT later in the spring of your junior year. 

There are a few things to consider when scheduling your MCAT:

• It is only offered at specific times of the year so check the MCAT calendar when planning
• It takes about four weeks for your scores to be released.
• Schools will only accept MCAT scores for a specific amount of time, generally 2-3 years. This varies per school and the specifics for each school can be found on the AAMC MSAR reports website on the Latest and Oldest MCAT Document

If you have needed accommodations, such as additional time on exams and assignments while in college, you may benefit from accommodations on the MCAT as well. All details about possible accommodations and the documentation you need to provide are on the AAMC MCAT Exam with Accommodations page. If you take the exam with accommodations there will be no notation about this provided to medical schools. 

The AAMC provides a Fee Assistance Program to those who qualify for financial assistance for the MCAT and AMCAS. The timeline for this can be longer than you might expect so be sure to read over their website and plan ahead. 

In addition, Brown University's Curricular and Co-curricular Funding is available to assist undergraduate students in supplementing expenses for standardized test preparation costs, including the MCAT. To apply, log into UFunds, search for the "Emergency Funds, Curricular and Co-curricular Gap (E-Gap) Funds" grant, then apply through the "Professional Development, Curricular, and Co-curricular Assistance Grant" section. Please note that it is not necessary to list a recommender for this application.

When you are considering the score you earned on the MCAT, it is important to think about it in the context of the schools to which you plan to apply. The Medical School Admissions Requirements database provides information about the mean MCAT at each MD medical school as well as the ranges of scores each school has accepted. We encourage you to look at these data and see where your score fits into each school’s range. As a general reference, the mean MCAT of matriculants to medical school was 511.7 in the 2023-2024 application cycle. 

It is quite common to earn a score a few points lower than the scores you were getting on your practice test. This is often due to the stress that occurs when taking the test and knowing that the score will be recorded. If you earned 4 or more points lower, you may want to think about potentially retaking the exam. However, there are two very important factors to consider: the reason for the lower score and whether or not you are very confident your score will improve if you take the exam again. The HCA advising team can help you reflect on these questions and provide feedback on whether or not a retake is a good idea for you. 

There are limits on the number of attempts allowed by the AAMC for the MCAT. You can take the MCAT exam up to three times in a single testing year, up to 4 times in a two consecutive-year period and seven times in your lifetime. However, we recommend that you only take the test twice if possible and once is preferred. It is important to ensure you are ready before you take the test the first time and if you are not ready, then delay the test rather than taking it too early. Medical schools do not look favorably on multiple attempts so you want to consider retakes carefully. Some medical schools will use the average of your attempts, some use the latest score and some use the highest so these are also factors to consider. 

Just as there is no one perfect way to study for an exam in a particular course, there is no one best way to study for the MCAT. Some students prefer the written materials, while others like apps and electronic resources and yet others find formal courses more helpful. We encourage you to think about strategies that have helped you to be successful in your classes and apply this strategy to the MCAT. Whichever method you choose, the most successful strategies involve at least a few months of consistent study and practice across all the disciplines covered in the exam. 

Some medical schools will use the average of your attempts, some use the latest score and others use the highest score when considering your application.

We do NOT recommend this option. It is important to ensure you are ready before you take the test the first time and if you are not ready, then delay the test rather than taking it too early. Once you have taken the test, the score will be on your record when you apply. If you do not do well the first time and need to retake, you will then have multiple scores and some medical schools will use the average of your attempts which will not work in your favor if you take the MCAT before you are ready and have a lower score that does not reflect your true abilities. 

Yes, you can start the application process without an MCAT score. However, you will need a score before any school will consider your application. It is also difficult to determine which medical schools you want to apply to without having the score for context. If you have taken the MCAT in mid-late May and are waiting on the score, we recommend that you submit your application in the beginning of June so that it will be processed by AMCAS. However, we also recommend that you only choose one medical school at that time and then add additional schools once you receive your score. 

You have a few options in this case. One option is to continue the application process with a school list that reflects this score. If you choose this option, be sure to only apply to schools that you really want to attend as there is no reason to apply to a school where you would turn down a seat if offered. Another option is to withdraw your application for this cycle. However, you can only do this if your application is not yet processed or if it has been returned to you for more information. If your application is already processed, you can simply not complete the secondary applications for the schools to which you applied. You cannot delete a school from AMCAS once your application has been processed. The final option would be to retake the MCAT but we do not recommend this option. It takes months of study to see an improvement in MCAT scores and this means that your application would not have the score until very late in the cycle.