How Long Does It Take to Get the MCAT Scores Back?

MCAT Scores Back

You’ve poured your time, effort, and energy into preparing for the MCAT and made sure you answered as many of the questions correctly. How certain are you that you got them right? 

Well, your scores will tell you exactly how many correct and incorrect answers you made. The question now is: when do MCAT scores come out? 

Thus, the start of the waiting game.

To spare you the anxiety, we’ve provided information here regarding the MCAT score release. 

How Long Does It Take for MCAT Scores to Come Out? 

It takes about 30-35 days right after your test date for the score to be released. There are two reasons for this: 

  1. The timeframe between your test date and MCAT score release serves as a window of opportunity to address any concerns or issues regarding the exam. MCAT scores released early would mean 30 days after your test date.

    Prior to your submission, AAMC investigates the concern made in case these concerns might have an impact on your score.

  2. The MCAT isn’t graded on a curve. Instead, the scores are scaled and equated for a fair assessment of the students’ performance. 

These are the primary reasons your MCAT score release date is not set sooner than you would have wanted.

What Time Do MCAT Scores Come Out?

You should be able to see your score by 5 P.M. ET. 

This is standard that AAMC sets for all MCAT release dates. 

Below is a tabulated list of the MCAT score release dates:

Test Date (2020) AAMC MCAT Score Release Date (2020)
May 29 June 30
June 5 July 7
June 19 July 7
June 20 July 7
June 27 July 14
June 28 July 14
July 7 July 21
July 18 August 4
July 23 August 6
July 31 August 18
August 1 August 18
August 7 September 9
August 8 September 9
August 14 September 15
August 29 September 29
September 3 October 6
September 4 October 6
September 11 October 13
September 12 October 13
September 27 October 27
September 28 October 27

MCAT Scoring Process

For a thorough explanation of when MCAT scores do come out, the scoring process might help you understand why. 

There are three steps AAMC takes to score your exam: 

1. The first step involves counting all questions you answered correctly. Since there are four sections, each section will have a separate assessment.

What this tells you is it’s better to answer all questions in the MCAT. Since you don’t receive any penalty for wrong or blank answers, it’s better to answer all questions. 

2. The number of correct answers for each section is converted or equated to a scaled MCAT score. Scaled scores for each section ranges between 118 and 132. 

If you get 35 correct answers, your scaled score might be 123. If you get 47 correct answers, your scaled score might be equivalent to 128.  

3. The last step is a simple addition. AAMC then adds all the scaled scores from each section to get a total score. 

Can I Ask for a Raw Score? 

It will not be given for a fairly valid reason. 

Although raw scores are based on the number of correct answers, percentile rankings make more sense and are more realistic from a statistical standpoint. 

Think about it; if all schools only accept a raw score of 500 because this is an indicator that a student can handle the work of and demands from a medical student, then many aspiring healthcare professionals will not be accepted.

Every year, MCAT exams vary in difficulty, which doesn’t bode well for those who are yet to take the admissions test. 

When raw scores are converted to scale, however, then the chances of admissions are higher. This is because scaling scores compensate for the changes in difficulty and variations in each MCAT exam. 

This also reveals that students of equal ability in knowledge and skills are likely to have the same score. 

Even if one student carries a slightly higher raw score than the other in a certain section, the scaled score will most likely be the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

While waiting a month before the MCAT scores release date, use this time to give yourself a pat on the back. Celebrate your journey. Pamper yourself for weeks. Relax and let yourself unwind. 

Taking the MCAT is a feat in itself. Pass or fail, it’s a brave step every medical student should be proud of for taking. 

Remember that what you learned while taking the MCAT carries more lessons and rewards than the exam itself. 

Although a high MCAT score (1) garners a good chance for medical school admission, academic performance is only 1 out of 5 factors medical schools take notice of. 

The rest depend on your community service, character/attitude, and commitment to being a medical professional. 

References

  1. https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/what-is-a-good-mcat-score