MCAT Scoring

• MCAT is a test that is sensitive to differences in terms of capacity and aptitude in specific areas and not sensitive to other irrelevant factors or attributes.
• For example, The MCAT Physical Sciences section tries to measure facility with introductory chemistry and physics without giving the examinee a bonus for calculus or advanced courses taken.
• Candidate’s raw score is measured to a curve of how the entire group of people taking the test performed (and in some cases, how everyone who took the exam over the past few years did). Thus, a candidate’s final score is based not only of his individual performance, but on the performance of the testing group as a whole. A candidate’s MCAT score indicates how far above or below average their raw test score.
• The Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences, and Physical Sciences sections are scored on a 1-15 scale with a target mean and standard deviation of 8 and 2.5, respectively. However, in practice the target mean and standard deviation are not met exactly, since scores are assigned to try to meet certain other criteria (e.g. a 15 corresponds to the 99.9th percentile, or there are as many 10+ scores as 1st year openings).

Why are raw scores converted to scaled scores?

There are many kinds of test forms followed in a given year. These tests are designed to measure the same basic concepts and skills, but each format contains different kinds of questions. Though examiners ensure each form is equivalent in difficulty, one form may be slightly more or less difficult than another. The conversion of number correct scores to scaled scores, through a process called equating which tries to compensates for small variations in difficulty between sets of questions. The exact conversion of number correct to scaled scores is not constant because each conversion is tailored to the specific set of questions included on a test form.

Why scaled score are reported on 15-point scale ?

A 15-point scale tries to provide a more mature and stable assessment of a student’s performance. Many experts believe scaling system gives a kind of assessment which is more influential than the number score system. For example, three students with equal preparation who answered different sets of questions would be expected to get the same scaled even though there might be a slight difference between the number correct scores each student obtained on their form.

Why it takes a month to get a score ?

After each exam, AAMC scales and equates the score of the candidates. This process takes around 30 to 35 days. The main purpose of scaling and equating is followed to account for small or minimal differences when one set of candidates answers difficult questions than the others. So when they convert the answers of the questions, they correctly equate to the MCAT score scale. This time also allows students to submit any concerns they have about exam questions or testing conditions. The AAMC then reviews and investigates each concern. So, due to the complete analysis and review of feedback from each exam date, AAMC isn’t able to provide a score immediately after the completion of the exam.

The results should / will arrive in the mail 8 to 9 weeks following the test date.


MCAT Test Dates and Score 2020 Release Date




MCAT Test Dates and Score 2020 Release Date

All MCAT exams begin at 8:00 a.m. local time.

Scores are released by 5:00 p.m. ET on the scheduled date.

2020 MCAT Test Date	Score Release Date
Friday, January 17, 2020	Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Saturday, January 18, 2020	Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Thursday, January 23, 2020	Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Saturday, March 14, 2020	Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Friday, March 27, 2020	Friday, May 1, 2020
Saturday, April 4, 2020	Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Friday, April 24, 2020	Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Saturday, April 25, 2020	Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Saturday, May 9, 2020	Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Friday, May 15, 2020	Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Saturday, May 16, 2020	Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Thursday, May 21, 2020	Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Friday, May 29, 2020	Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Friday, June 5, 2020	Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Friday, June 19, 2020	Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Saturday, June 20, 2020	Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020	Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Tuesday, July 7, 2020	Thursday, August 6, 2020
Saturday, July 18, 2020	Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Thursday, July 23, 2020	Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Friday, July 31, 2020	Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Saturday, August 1, 2020	Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Friday, August 7, 2020	Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Saturday, August 8, 2020	Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Friday, August 14, 2020	Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Saturday, August 29, 2020	Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Thursday, September 3, 2020	Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Friday, September 4, 2020	Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Friday, September 11, 2020	Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Saturday, September 12, 2020	Tuesday, October 13, 2020

How to calculate?

Candidates will receive five scores from the MCAT exam: one for each of the four sections and one combined total score.

Section Scores

Each of the four sections - Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior; and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills - is scored from a low of 118 to a high of 132, with a midpoint of 125. Candidates will receive scores for each of the four sections.

Total Score:

Scores are calculated for the four sections and combined to create a total. The total score ranges from 472 to 528. The midpoint is 500. If a candidate scores 128 on the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section; 125 on the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section; 129 of the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section; and 127 on the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section. His total score would be 509.