About the MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a 7.5-hour standardized exam developed by the AAMC to assess your readiness for medical school. It evaluates critical thinking, problem-solving, and foundational knowledge across the natural, social, and behavioral sciences. While the MCAT is daunting, proper preparation is key to giving yourself the confidence to navigate through the exam and succeed.
The MCAT is divided into four sections:
How the MCAT Is Scored
Understanding how the MCAT is scored can reduce anxiety and help you strategize effectively on test day.
Raw Score = Number Correct
Each of the four multiple-choice sections on the MCAT is scored based on how many questions you answer correctly. That’s it.
- Wrong answers and skipped questions are treated the same—they do not lower your score.
- So even if you’re unsure, always make your best guess—you have nothing to lose.
Raw Score → Scaled Score
Your raw score (number correct) is converted to a scaled score that ranges from 118 to 132 per section, for a total score range of 472 to 528.
- Example:
- Getting 35–37 questions right in a section might give you a scaled score of 123
- Getting 46–48 correct might scale up to a 128
This conversion accounts for slight differences in difficulty between different test versions.
Why Are Scores Scaled?
Each MCAT exam form contains different sets of questions. Even though the forms test the same skills and concepts, one version might be slightly harder or easier than another. The scaling process (called equating) ensures fairness.
- It adjusts for difficulty, so a 124 on one test means the same as a 124 on another—regardless of when or with whom you tested.
- This means that your score reflects your performance, not which version of the test you got.
Is the MCAT Graded on a Curve?
Nope. The MCAT is not curved.
- Your score does not depend on how other people perform on the same day or during the same year.
- It’s all about how many questions you get right, adjusted for the difficulty of your test form.
