MCAT Percentiles and Score Range

MCAT percentiles show how your score compares with other test takers, while your scaled score shows where you fall on the MCAT score range. A percentile rank tells you the percentage of test takers who earned the same score or a lower score.

The current percentile ranks reflect a recent three-year testing population and apply for a defined period. That makes the applicable dataset important when you interpret a total or section score, especially because percentile ranks can change with annual updates while the score scale remains the same.

Understanding MCAT Scores and Percentiles

• Total MCAT scores range from 472 to 528, while each section is scored from 118 to 132.
• A score and its percentile describe different things. The score reports performance on the MCAT scale, while the percentile compares that score with other test takers.
• The 2026-2027 percentile ranks apply from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027 and use results from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 testing years.
• A total score of 500 is the scale midpoint, but 501 is the observed median in the current percentile table.

MCAT Score Range Versus Percentile Rank

The AAMC MCAT score scale runs from 472 to 528 for the total score. Each of the four sections is scored from 118 to 132. The section midpoint is 125 and the total midpoint is 500.

Your total is the sum of your four section scores. You can add your four section scores in the MCAT score calculator to check that arithmetic.

A percentile rank is not another type of MCAT score. According to the AAMC explanation of MCAT scoring, it is the percentage of test takers who received the same score or a lower score. Your scaled score therefore identifies your place on the MCAT scale, while its percentile rank describes your relative position within the applicable testing population.

Which MCAT Percentile Data Is Current?

The current ranks are in effect from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. The AAMC percentile-rank page states that these ranks are based on everyone who tested in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The dataset contains 305,494 MCAT results. Its total-score mean is 500.6, with a standard deviation of 11.2. The complete table below presents all 57 total scores and their 2026-2027 percentile ranks, from the AAMC 2026-2027 percentile-ranks document.

Common MCAT Scores and Their Percentiles

The table above gives the exact percentile for every total score. Among the most frequently checked scores, a 500 has a percentile rank of 48, a 505 ranks at 64, a 510 ranks at 79 and a 512 ranks at 84. Farther up the scale, a 515 ranks at 91, a 518 ranks at 95 and a 520 ranks at 97.

What MCAT Scores Are Near the 50th, 80th and 90th Percentiles?

The lowest score with a percentile rank of at least 50 is 501, which has a rank of 52. The lowest score at or above the 80th percentile is 511, with a rank of 82. The lowest score at or above the 90th percentile is 515, with a rank of 91.

How Section MCAT Percentiles Work

Section percentile ranks must be read separately from total-score percentiles because the table reports a distribution for each section.

The table below shows percentile ranks for section scores from 118 through 132 across all four sections.

What Do 472, 500 and 528 Mean?

A 472 is the lowest possible total MCAT score, 500 is the scale midpoint and 528 is the highest possible total score. In the 2026-2027 percentile table, 528 has a percentile rank of 100.

The midpoint and observed median are not identical in the current data. A score of 500 has a percentile rank of 48, while 501 has a rank of 52. IMA therefore identifies 501 as the observed median total score in this table, even though 500 remains the designed midpoint of the score scale.

How Yearly MCAT Percentile Updates Work

MCAT percentile ranks are updated every May 1 using scores from the most recent three years. Each update changes the testing population used for comparison, so you should identify the effective period before quoting or comparing a percentile rank.

The annual update does not change the defined MCAT score range. It updates the relationship between scaled scores and the recent performance of test takers.

The Limits of MCAT Percentiles

A percentile table does not provide a universal raw-score conversion. The AAMC scoring-process guidance explains that raw-to-scaled conversion varies by test form because exams are scaled and equated. Confirming the percentile for a scaled score therefore does not verify how many questions you answered correctly.

A percentile also does not show the precision of an individual reported score. MCAT score reports include confidence bands that indicate the accuracy of section and total scores, as described in the AAMC guide to understanding your score report.

How the MCAT Score Scale Changed

The current MCAT was introduced in 2015, according to the AAMC overview of the redesigned exam. Before the current exam, the three multiple-choice sections used a 1 to 15 scale. The earlier exam also included a Writing Sample scored from J to T, which was removed in 2013. The AAMC guide to earlier MCAT scores covers exams administered from 1991 through January 2015.

How Should You Interpret a Percentile for Admissions?

An MCAT percentile tells you how your score compares with the applicable testing population. It does not establish one score requirement for every medical school. For broader interpretation, review what makes a good MCAT score and the MCAT scores medical schools look for.

Using Percentiles With GPA and Retake Decisions

Your percentile answers a score-comparison question, not how a school will assess the rest of an application. IMA’s guide to how medical schools consider MCAT scores and GPA addresses that separate admissions question.

A percentile provides useful context, but it does not decide whether another attempt is appropriate for you. If you are considering another exam, review the separate factors involved in deciding whether to retake the MCAT.

Putting Your MCAT Percentile in Context

A percentile tells you how your score compares with recent test takers, and that comparison is most useful when you pair it with your target schools, your GPA and your own goals. Check which percentile table applies to your test date, look at your section scores as well as your total and avoid treating one number as a final verdict on your application.

If you are still preparing, use official practice exams to see where your scores are heading. IMA’s MCAT practice test guide explains which exams to take and how to review them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the MCAT Score Range?

The total MCAT score range is 472 to 528. Each section is scored from 118 to 132, and the four section scores combine to produce the total.

What Percentile Is a 500 or 505 MCAT Score?

A 500 MCAT score has a percentile rank of 48, while a 505 has a percentile rank of 64. These ranks apply from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027.

What Percentile Is a 510 or 512 MCAT Score?

A 510 MCAT score has a percentile rank of 79, while a 512 ranks at 84. Both figures come from the percentile ranks in effect from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027.

What Percentile Is a 515, 518 or 520 MCAT Score?

A 515 MCAT score ranks at the 91st percentile, a 518 ranks at the 95th percentile and a 520 ranks at the 97th percentile. These are the 2026-2027 percentile ranks.

What MCAT Scores Reach the 50th, 80th, 90th, 95th and 99th Percentiles?

The lowest scores at or above those percentile thresholds are 501 for the 50th, 511 for the 80th, 515 for the 90th, 518 for the 95th and 522 for the 99th. Their reported ranks are 52, 82, 91, 95 and 99, respectively.

How Often Are MCAT Percentile Ranks Updated?

MCAT percentile ranks are updated every May 1. Each update uses MCAT scores from the most recent three years.

Can an MCAT Percentile Show My Raw Score?

No. A percentile compares a scaled score with other test takers, while raw-to-scaled conversion varies by test form because MCAT exams are scaled and equated.