To tell you the truth, I have personal history with the question on how long are MCAT scores valid – since my first MCAT score tragically expired when I applied to medical school the second time…so I had to do the whole MCAT thing again. To avoid getting surprised by this and to make sure you have full clarity on your own MCAT timeline, keep reading!
This post is all about how long are MCAT scores valid.
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Find out how long MCAT scores are valid
When does your MCAT Score expire?
First of all, your MCAT score doesn’t actually expire, the AAMC will continue to report any previous scores you received. The real question you should ask – does the medical school you want to apply to still accept a score from an exam you took 3, 4 or 5 years ago?
Although this can slightly differ from school to school, most medical schools accept MCAT scores that date back 2-3 years (from the date you submitted your primary application). It’s becoming more and more standard to only accept an MCAT score that’s up to 2 years old though.
If you want to be completely sure, you will find each MD school’s policies in the MSAR database. For this, simply go to the school’s profile and check the MCAT requirements in their section for “Admission Policies” (see screenshot of an example below).
For DO schools, go to DO Explorer to see the admission policies for each school, including their MCAT score requirements. If you are in doubt, it’s always best to reach out to the specific school and clarify the validity of your MCAT score before you apply.
In case your (older) MCAT score test date doesn’t align with a school’s policy, keep in mind that you won’t have a chance to get accepted without retaking your MCAT beforehand.
In which cases could this actually happen? (+ my own story)
Most premed students decide to take their MCAT exam either the summer before they plan to apply to medical school or any time within 9 months before the application process starts (see timeline graphic below). In this case, there is no need to dive deeper into the score expiration dates.
But the question on how long is your MCAT score valid becomes much more important if life unexpectedly threw off your plans to apply after you already took the MCAT. Or if you simply didn’t get accepted the first time and want to give your med school dream another shot a few years later. That’s exactly how my MCAT score happened to expire…
The first time I applied to medical school (clueless on the whole process and how to stand out) I received zero acceptances. Discouraged by the outcome, it took me 2 years to build up the courage to give my dream of med school another shot. Then I spent another year to gain more clinical experience as an EMT and improve every other factor in my control. That’s when I realized that my previous 509 MCAT score wasn’t valid anymore and I had to go through the whole grueling process another time. Granted, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise since I was actually able to improve my score by 7 points!
Thanks to all the extra work I put into becoming a more competitive applicant, I ended up earning 10 acceptances the second time I applied!
Today, I am a 4th year medical student soon applying for a residency spot.
If you want to learn the exact strategies I used to maximize my chances (plus how to avoid all the mistakes I made the first time), save your seat to my Free Premed Workshop.
Does an older score look bad on your application?
If your score is 2 years old and still considered acceptable for applying, there is no need to retake your MCAT just for the sake of presenting a fresher score. For the schools that still accept scores up to 3 years old, this is something to consider though since 3 years is quite a bit of time and might look less favorable on your application.
So as a rule of thumb, try to aim for a score that’s not older than 2 years. If you have to retake your MCAT, see this is a great opportunity to further boost your score and show them your true potential!
Do medical schools see your previous MCAT scores?
Since your MCAT scores don’t actually expire, the AAMC still displays all scores dating back to 1991. So if you have been taking your MCAT more than once, any previous lower or higher scores will also be accessible for any medical school you apply to.
This can be a great advantage, if you have scored lower in your older MCAT exam(s) and can display a clear upward trend. This shows the admissions committee that you have learned and grown from your experiences, that you know how to study well and improve your performance.
This can be a downside though, if you have scored higher in your older MCAT exam(s) and are now applying with a notably lower score and question your readiness for medical school.
If you need to retake your MCAT…
No matter if it’s because of a lower score or a perfectly good score that’s no longer valid for applying – I know how frustrating this can be, I’ve been there. What helped me find the motivation to start over? Seeing it as an opportunity to do better than the previous time! Although your stats are not everything, they do hold a lot of weight for getting accepted.
I personally had a lower GPA of 3.3 and knew that a higher MCAT score could greatly boost my chances and show the admissions committee that I am able to handle the complex concepts and heavy study load for medical school. And now that you already went through the MCAT preparation in the past, what better advantage could you have to score really well?
Use this as a chance to learn from any previous MCAT study mistakes, tweak your strategy and show yourself (and the medical schools) that you don’t shy away from a challenge but know how to stand up, dust yourself off and hit your MCAT goal score the next time!
If you could use step-by-step guidance for creating the perfect study plan based on your personal schedule, my course MCAT Roadmap gives you all the tools and insights. Along with different video lessons to give you all the MCAT basics and my go-to study tips, you will also get your own Study Schedule Tool so that when you wake up, you know exactly what to tackle each day. No more procrastination paralysis or study overwhelm – this will make your MCAT preparation 10x easier (and more successful).
So, how long are MCAT scores valid? Final thoughts
To sum it up, most medical schools accept MCAT scores that date back up to 2 years, some also accept scores that are up to 3 years old. It’s always helpful to check each school’s own policies to make sure your score is accepted before you apply. Keep in mind that medical schools will still be able to see any previous scores which can be a disadvantage if the score you apply with is lower than your older MCAT scores. In the end, retaking your MCAT is not the end of the world and can actually be a great opportunity for you to fine-tune your study strategy, maximize your performance and reach your best MCAT score ever.
