MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
The MCAT is AAMC's medical school admission test: four multiple-choice sections with 6 hours 15 minutes of test time (about 7 hours 30 minutes seated), scored 472–528. Registration is $360, or $145 with the AAMC Fee Assistance Program.
Score472–528Four sections, 118–132 each
Test time6 h 15 minAbout 7 h 30 min seated
Fee$360$145 with Fee Assistance
2027 U.S. datesJan 15–Sept 11
Made by Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Who: Pre-med college students and graduates applying to medical school (M.D. and D.O.). Checked on the owner's own pages, 21 Oct 2026.
Who takes it
- Most U.S. medical schools, and many in Canada, require recent MCAT scores; other health professions and graduate programs accept them too.
AAMC
The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: What is on the MCAT Exam (exam overview)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Given at Pearson test centers in the U.S., Canada and some other countries on set dates from January through September.
AAMC
Register for the MCAT Exam (2027 registration opens Oct. 20–22)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Attempt limits: three in a testing year, four over two consecutive years and seven in a lifetime (counting from April 2015); one appointment at a time.
AAMC
The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: Testing Attempt LimitsAssociation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Format and sections
Four multiple-choice sections in this order, with optional breaks of 10, 30 and 10 minutes between them. Some questions are unscored field-test items. AAMC
The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: What is on the MCAT Exam (exam overview)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
View source
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems | 59 | 95 min |
| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills | 53 | 90 min |
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems | 59 | 95 min |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior | 59 | 95 min |
| Total content time | 6 h 15 min |
- Each science section has 10 passage-based sets and 15 stand-alone questions, drawing on general and organic chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, psychology and sociology.
AAMC
The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: What is on the MCAT Exam (exam overview)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills uses passages from the social sciences and humanities and needs no specific content knowledge.
AAMC
The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: What is on the MCAT Exam (exam overview)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Scoring
- Five scores: each section 118–132 (midpoint 125) and a total of 472–528 (midpoint 500).
AAMC
The MCAT Exam Score ScaleAssociation of American Medical Colleges- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- There is no curve: scores are scaled and equated so they mean the same on every test date.
AAMC
MCAT Scores (released 30–35 days after the exam)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Scores are released 30–35 days after the exam.
AAMC
MCAT Scores (released 30–35 days after the exam)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Fees and fee waivers
2027 testing year, U.S. dollars: AAMC
MCAT Scheduling Fees (all 2027 testing dates)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
View source
| Item | Standard | Fee Assistance Program |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | $360 | $145 |
| Reschedule, 60 or more days before | $55 | $25 |
| Reschedule, 30–59 days before | $110 | $45 |
| Reschedule, 10–29 days before | $210 | $85 |
| Refund if you cancel 30 or more days before | $180 | $75 |
| Refund if you cancel 10–29 days before | $0 | $0 |
- Testing outside the U.S., Canada or U.S. territories adds a $130 international fee. No changes are allowed less than 10 days before the exam.
AAMC
MCAT Scheduling Fees (all 2027 testing dates)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- AAMC Fee Assistance Program: for people who could not take the MCAT or apply through AMCAS without help. It gives the lower fee, all online MCAT Official Prep products and free access to the MSAR database; you need final approval before choosing a date.
AAMC
The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: The AAMC Fee Assistance ProgramAssociation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Test dates
2027 U.S. test dates. Testing starts at 8:00 a.m.; registration for every 2027 date opened October 20–22, 2026. AAMC
U.S. MCAT Calendar, Scheduling Deadlines, and Score Release Dates (2026 and 2027)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
View source
| Month | Test dates | Scores released |
|---|---|---|
| January | 15, 16, 21, 29, 30* | Feb 16 to Mar 2 |
| February | 12 | Mar 16 |
| March | 6, 19 | Apr 6, Apr 20 |
| April | 9, 10, 16, 17 | May 11, May 18 |
| May | 1, 7, 8, 13, 14*, 21, 29 | June 2 to June 29 |
| June | 11, 12, 25, 26 | July 13, July 27 |
| July | 9*, 10, 23, 30 | Aug 10 to Aug 31 |
| August | 14, 20, 21, 28* | Sept 14 to Sept 28 |
| September | 2, 3, 10, 11 | Oct 5, Oct 12 |
- Dates marked * are offered only at select centers in large metro areas, listed on AAMC's calendar page.
AAMC
U.S. MCAT Calendar, Scheduling Deadlines, and Score Release Dates (2026 and 2027)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- The last day to schedule, reschedule or cancel is 10 days before the test.
AAMC
U.S. MCAT Calendar, Scheduling Deadlines, and Score Release Dates (2026 and 2027)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Official practice
- Free from AAMC: Practice Exam One (230 questions from past exams, with a scaled score and percentile) and the Unscored Sample Test (230 questions).
AAMC
Free MCAT Planning and Study Resources (Practice Exam One, Unscored Sample Test)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Also free: the What's on the MCAT Exam? content outline course with 120 practice questions, and the Khan Academy MCAT collection (1,100 videos, 3,000 review questions) made with AAMC support.
AAMC
Free MCAT Planning and Study Resources (Practice Exam One, Unscored Sample Test)Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Used by these careers and colleges
Careers on this site whose step-by-step roadmap includes this exam, and the license it leads to.
The license at the end of this route
Careers that need it
Next on this site
Sources
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: What is on the MCAT Exam (exam overview) · Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) checked 2026-10-21
- Register for the MCAT Exam (2027 registration opens Oct. 20–22) · Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) checked 2026-10-21
- The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: Testing Attempt Limits · Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) checked 2026-10-21
- The MCAT Exam Score Scale · Association of American Medical Colleges checked 2026-10-21
- MCAT Scores (released 30–35 days after the exam) · Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) checked 2026-10-21
- MCAT Scheduling Fees (all 2027 testing dates) · Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) checked 2026-10-21
- The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027: The AAMC Fee Assistance Program · Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) checked 2026-10-21
- U.S. MCAT Calendar, Scheduling Deadlines, and Score Release Dates (2026 and 2027) · Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) checked 2026-10-21
- Free MCAT Planning and Study Resources (Practice Exam One, Unscored Sample Test) · Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) checked 2026-10-21