Retaking the MCAT is allowed, but you must stay within the AAMC testing limits and decide whether another attempt is likely to serve your application. A productive retake requires enough time to identify what went wrong, change your preparation and demonstrate your readiness with full-length practice exams.
Your decision also depends on how voids count, how individual medical schools evaluate multiple scores and when a new score would reach schools. Retesting can lead to a higher, lower or unchanged score, so the question is not simply whether you can take the exam again. It is whether you have evidence that your next attempt could produce a better result.
Retaking the MCAT at a Glance
- AAMC limits allow three attempts per testing year, four across any two consecutive testing years and seven over a lifetime counted from April 2015.
- Voids and no-shows count toward the testing limits, although medical schools do not receive voided exams on score reports.
- Medical schools may consider all scores equally, focus on the most recent score, average the scores or use the highest score.
- A retake makes the most sense when full-length practice results support it and you have enough time to correct specific weaknesses before testing again.
How Many Times Can You Take the MCAT?
Under the AAMC testing attempt limits, you may take the MCAT no more than three times in one testing year. You may attempt it no more than four times over two consecutive testing years and no more than seven times in your lifetime. The lifetime count applies to tests taken from the April 2015 test dates onward.
These limits use testing years, not calendar years. You may also hold only one MCAT appointment at a time. That means you cannot reserve a second date as a backup while keeping your existing appointment.
Both voided exams and no-shows count as attempts under the AAMC MCAT policies. You should therefore avoid treating a scheduled exam as a trial run. If you do not feel ready, consider your available scheduling options before test day rather than assuming that a void or absence will preserve the attempt.
The AAMC may consider an appeal of the testing limits and may request documentation. Approval remains at the AAMC’s sole discretion, and it will not consider more than one appeal in a test year. An appeal is therefore an exception process, not an additional attempt you can assume will be available.
Voiding Your MCAT on Test Day
On test day, you have one opportunity to choose whether the MCAT should be scored or voided. According to the AAMC scoring and voiding policy, your selection is final once submitted and cannot be reversed after the exam.
How Do You Void the MCAT?
You must select “I wish to VOID my MCAT exam.” on the screen. Telling a test administrator that you want to void is not enough. If the time for the void question expires before you make a selection, the exam will be scored.
If illness or another unforeseen circumstance requires you to leave before finishing, you must click through the exam to void it. Otherwise, you must ask the test administrator to file a report before you leave and then submit a Test Center Concern so the AAMC can void the exam for you. Without a Test Center Concern, the exam may be scored.
When Should You Consider Voiding?
The AAMC relies on your judgment about whether testing room conditions or personal circumstances impaired your performance enough to void. Relevant conditions could include lighting, temperature, noise or illness. Because you will not see your result before making the choice, you must judge the seriousness of the disruption rather than base the decision on a score.
A voided exam does not appear on the score report sent to medical schools. After the score release date, the void appears in the Score Reporting System only for you. However, the attempt still counts toward your testing limits regardless of why you voided it. Once a score has been released, it cannot be removed from your testing history or voided afterward.
How Medical Schools View Multiple MCAT Scores
Medical schools can see the MCAT exams you chose to have scored. Under the AAMC’s full-disclosure policy, tests taken since April 2003 are included in score reports or made available through your AMCAS application. The AAMC score guidance reports that schools do not all evaluate multiple scores the same way. Some weigh every score equally while noting improvement, some use the most recent score, some calculate an average and some use the highest score.
In its guidance on choosing when to test, the AAMC says taking the exam more than once does not itself put you at a disadvantage and notes that many examinees retest. At the same time, each medical school establishes its own approach to multiple scores. If a school’s policy could change your decision, ask its admissions office how it evaluates scored attempts rather than assuming one method applies everywhere.
A retake should reflect a reasoned preparation plan, not the expectation that an earlier score will disappear.
How Long Do Medical Schools Accept MCAT Scores?
Score age is another school-specific issue. The AAMC says schools generally accept scores from tests taken two to three years earlier. The 2027 AMCAS Applicant Guide says most medical schools require MCAT scores to be no more than three years old. The guide also confirms that scores from 2003 to the present are automatically released to AMCAS unless you voided the exam.
Can You Request a Hand Rescore?
If you believe a scoring error occurred, you can request a hand rescore. The AAMC states that scoring errors are extremely rare and that a rescore could cause your result to increase, decrease or remain unchanged. A hand rescore addresses a suspected scoring error. It is not a way to replace or void a released result.
Do Retesters Score Higher?
Some retesters improve, but another attempt does not guarantee a higher score. An AAMC analysis of repeat MCAT testing examined 47,335 people who first took the current exam in 2016 to 2018 and completed a second attempt within that same period.
For examinees whose first scores ranged from 472 to 517, the median increase on the second attempt was two to three total score points. For those whose first scores ranged from 518 to 528, the median change was zero. These are historical group medians from first attempts in 2016 to 2018, not predictions of how much your score will change.
Individual results varied considerably in both directions. Some retesters gained more than four points while others lost more than four points. The AAMC data also suggest that average gains were greater when more time passed between the first and second attempts. Time alone does not explain an improvement, but a longer interval may allow more opportunity for focused preparation or additional coursework.
The AAMC advises admissions officers to review transcripts and the rest of an application when interpreting repeat scores. A postbaccalaureate program or other coursework, for example, can help explain improvement over time. Your score history can be read alongside your broader academic record rather than as an isolated sequence of numbers.
Most examinees do not accumulate many attempts. Since the current MCAT was introduced in 2015, just under 95% of examinees covered by the AAMC paper tested no more than once or twice. About 5% tested three times and about 1% tested more than three times.
Should You Retake the MCAT?
You should consider a retake when your current result does not support your application goals and you have credible evidence that another attempt could go differently. Start by placing your score in context without treating an average as a minimum or a guarantee.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, the AAMC reported a mean total MCAT score of 506.3 among applicants to U.S. MD-granting medical schools and 512.1 among matriculants. The standard deviations were 10 and 6.5, respectively. IMA’s guide to what counts as a good MCAT score can help you interpret these figures. They describe groups of applicants and matriculants, not a universal retake threshold.
Identify What Would Be Different
Before registering, identify why your prior preparation or test-day performance fell short of your expectations. Your explanation should lead to a concrete change, such as correcting content weaknesses, improving pacing or allowing more preparation time. Simply repeating the same study routine gives you little basis for expecting a different outcome.
Confirm That You Have Enough Time
A useful plan needs time for study, full-length testing and review between exams. It should also account for the time required to receive the new official score. If your schedule does not allow meaningful work on your weaknesses, postponing the retake or applying with your existing score may be more reasonable than rushing into another attempt.
Consider Applying Without Another Attempt
A retake is not your only option. Depending on your full application and school choices, you may decide to research medical schools that accept lower MCAT scores. Do not assume that one score determines the outcome or that every school assesses multiple attempts in the same way.
Use Practice Exams to Test Your Retake Readiness
A full-length AAMC practice exam completed under test-day timing gives you a stronger basis for a retake decision than confidence alone. The AAMC offers two free full-length practice exams and five low-cost exams. IMA’s MCAT practice test guide explains how the available exams differ.
Free Practice Exam 1 contains 230 questions from previously administered MCAT exams and provides a scaled score and percentile rank like the actual exam. Practice Exams 2 through 6 also contain 230 previously administered questions and provide scaled scores and percentile ranks. Each costs $35 for one year of access. The free Unscored Sample Test has 230 questions and the same look, length and functionality as the actual exam, but it does not provide a scaled score or percentile rank.
Use a scored exam when you need evidence of whether your current performance supports another official attempt. The Unscored Sample Test gives no scaled score, so if you use it, IMA’s MCAT score calculator can estimate section and total scores from the number of questions you answered correctly. An estimate is not an official AAMC result, so base your final readiness judgment on appropriate full-length practice evidence as well.
Change Your Preparation Before a Retake
A retake plan should include a complete review of every incorrect or flagged practice question. The AAMC advises identifying why you missed each question and deciding how you will address the problem. That review can separate content gaps from issues such as timing, interpretation or avoidable mistakes.
The AAMC also advises working on a significant amount of your weaknesses between practice exams rather than taking full-length exams repeatedly without targeted study. IMA’s guide to how to study for the MCAT can help you revise your approach after identifying those weaknesses.
Schedule enough time between practice exams to complete that work. A realistic MCAT prep timeline should account for your other responsibilities and preserve time to assess whether your changes are producing consistent results. If you cannot describe what you will do differently and when you will do it, you may not yet have a complete retake plan.
When Should You Schedule an MCAT Retake in 2027?
Schedule a retake early enough to receive your score and decide how it fits your application. The AAMC releases MCAT scores approximately 30 to 35 days after test day and by 5:00 p.m. ET on the scheduled release date. According to the MCAT Essentials, you must also wait 24 hours after completing an exam before registering for another one.
The AAMC suggests testing earlier in the testing year if you believe you may need another attempt. An earlier date gives you time to receive the score, make a decision and look for another available seat. Many students take the MCAT in the same year they apply, which makes the score release schedule especially important.
Registration for the entire 2027 testing year opens Oct. 20 to 22, 2026, based on testing center location. U.S. test dates run from Jan. 15 through Sept. 11, 2027. Use IMA’s guide to MCAT registration and test dates for the complete calendar, scheduling deadlines and score release dates rather than relying on a partial date list.
If the available dates do not leave enough time to prepare and submit a useful score, consider whether a later application cycle would give you a stronger plan. IMA’s guide to reapplying to medical school discusses how to approach a later cycle when additional preparation is the better choice.
Make Your Retake Decision With a Specific Plan
Retaking the MCAT can be reasonable when your score does not fit your goals, your practice results show stronger readiness and you have enough time to address specific weaknesses. If those conditions are not present, another attempt may add a score without meaningfully strengthening your application.
Review your testing history, practice evidence and application timing before you register. If you want individualized help assessing how an MCAT retake fits your broader plans, IMA’s medical school admissions consulting can provide a focused next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Times Can You Take the MCAT?
You can take the MCAT up to three times in one testing year, four times across two consecutive testing years and seven times in your lifetime. The lifetime limit counts attempts from the April 2015 test dates onward, and you may hold only one appointment at a time.
Does a Voided MCAT Count as an Attempt?
Yes, a voided MCAT counts toward your testing limits. It counts regardless of your reason for voiding, and a no-show also uses an attempt.
Can Medical Schools See a Voided MCAT?
No, medical schools do not receive a voided MCAT on your score report. The void appears in the Score Reporting System after the release date only for you, but the exam still counts toward your attempt limits.
Does Retaking the MCAT Look Bad?
No, retaking the MCAT does not automatically put you at a disadvantage. Medical schools will still see every exam you chose to score, and each program decides how it evaluates multiple results.
How Much Do MCAT Scores Improve on a Retake?
There is no guaranteed improvement. Among 47,335 examinees who first tested in 2016 to 2018 and retested during that period, the median gain was two to three points for first scores from 472 to 517 and zero for first scores from 518 to 528. Individual changes varied substantially in both directions.
How Soon Can You Retake the MCAT?
You must wait 24 hours after completing an MCAT exam before registering for another one. Your actual retake date will also depend on seat availability, the testing limits and whether you have allowed enough preparation time.
Do Medical Schools Average Multiple MCAT Scores?
Some medical schools average multiple MCAT scores, but others use a different method. A school may weigh all scores equally while noting improvement, use the most recent result or consider the highest score, so ask each program about its policy.
How Long Are MCAT Scores Valid for Medical School?
Medical schools generally accept MCAT scores from tests taken two to three years earlier. Most schools require scores to be no more than three years old, but the exact policy depends on the school.
