How Long Does It Take to Get MCAT Results? (2027 Score Release Dates)

By Josh Hutcheson, founder of OnlineCourseing. Every date and rule below was read on the AAMC’s MCAT pages, the 2027 U.S. and Canadian testing calendars and The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027 on 13 October 2026. Last updated: October 13, 2026. How we review.

It takes 30 to 35 days to get MCAT results. The AAMC publishes a score release date for every test date, and scores appear in its Score Reporting System by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on that day (AAMC, MCAT Scores). The wait is the same length whichever month you test, and it does not depend on how many people took the exam with you.

MCAT score release dates for 2027

These are the AAMC’s 2027 U.S. test dates with the last day to schedule, reschedule or cancel (the “10 Day Deadline”) and the score release date. The standard start time is 8:00 a.m. Dates marked * are offered only at select testing centers in about 14 metro areas. Source: U.S. MCAT Calendar, Scheduling Deadlines, and Score Release Dates.

Canada uses the same calendar structure with a few extra dates in July, August and September; Canadian examinees should check the Canadian MCAT calendar. The AAMC notes it will not administer the MCAT in Quebec in 2026 because of Bill 96. Scheduling deadlines fall at 11:59 p.m. local test-center time.

Why it takes a month to get your MCAT score

The AAMC gives two reasons, both on its How Is the MCAT Exam Scored? page:

• Scaling and equating. Several test forms are used on each date, each with different questions. After every test day the AAMC converts the number of questions you answered correctly to the score scale in a way that offsets small differences in difficulty between forms.
• Reviewing concerns. The month also gives examinees time to report problems with questions or testing conditions, and the AAMC investigates each one before scores go out.

One belief worth dropping while you wait: the MCAT is not curved. The AAMC is explicit that your score does not depend on how other people did on your test day or at your time of year. A hard form is accounted for in the conversion, which is why a 124 on one form means the same as a 124 on another.

How the MCAT is scored

You get five scores: one for each of the four sections and a total. Here are the sections in the order you take them, with the question counts and times from the AAMC’s exam overview:

Each section score starts as a count of correct answers. A wrong answer counts the same as a blank, so there is no penalty for guessing. That count is then converted to the 118-132 scale, where 125 is the midpoint. The AAMC gives an example: 35 to 37 correct might convert to a 123, and 46 to 48 correct to a 128. The four section scores are added to give your total, from 472 to 528 with a midpoint of 500 (The MCAT Exam Score Scale).

Your report also shows a percentile rank for each score: the share of test takers who scored the same or lower. The AAMC updates these every May 1 using the last three years of scores. Under the ranks in effect from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027, based on 305,494 scores from 2023-2025, a 500 is the 48th percentile, a 510 the 79th and a 520 the 97th (AAMC percentile ranks). Our MCAT percentiles guide has the full chart.

See the full MCAT percentile chart →

How to check your MCAT score

1. Go to the AAMC’s MCAT Scores page and select Get Your Test Scores.
2. Sign in with the same AAMC username and password you used to register.
3. Open the Score Reporting System. Your new exam appears in your history only once its scores are released.
4. View or download your score report, which lists your section scores, total score and percentile ranks.

The AAMC will not give scores over the phone or by email (Receiving and Sending Scores). If release day passes and you see nothing after 5 p.m. ET, contact the AAMC’s MCAT program.

Where your MCAT scores go after release

• AMCAS schools: your scores are pulled into your AMCAS application automatically on the release date, whether or not you have submitted it. Under the AAMC’s full disclosure policy, every scored exam since April 2003 is included, and you cannot hold one back (Score Reporting Through Your AMCAS Application).
• Other programs: programs and application services other than AMCAS get scores through the Score Reporting System, at no charge. For a year after you share scores with a program, new scores are sent to it automatically (Score Reporting Through the Score Reporting System).
• Not official: screenshots or printed copies you send yourself. The AAMC says programs should not treat them as official.

How long a score keeps counting depends on each school; most accept scores from the past two or three years. Our guide on how long MCAT scores last compares six schools’ rules.

If your score is lower than you expected

First, put it in context. The applicant average for 2025-26 was 506.3 and the average for students who enrolled was 512.1 (AAMC FACTS, Table A-16), and the AAMC’s three-cycle grid shows applicants in the 506-509 band were accepted 47.1% of the time. A score below your target does not end an application, especially with a strong GPA.

Then decide between three options:

• Request a rescore if you believe there was a scoring error. You have 30 calendar days after release; it costs $80 and the AAMC replies within three weeks (Request a rescore). Errors are rare, so this rarely changes a score.
• Apply with the score if it falls within the range of the schools you are targeting.
• Retake if you can show a real gain on full-length practice tests first. You can register again 24 hours after finishing an exam (After the Exam), and you may test up to three times in a year, four in two consecutive years and seven in your lifetime. See how many times you can take the MCAT.

If you retake, change the method, not just the hours. Our best MCAT prep course ranking compares the major courses, and Kaplan, our top pick overall, includes full-length practice exams you can sit on the real test-day schedule.

See Kaplan MCAT prep options →

We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. The AAMC’s own practice exams are also worth taking, since they are written by the test maker.

What to do while you wait

A month is a long time to sit with an exam you cannot change. A few things are worth doing, and a few are not:

• Plan for both outcomes. Decide now what score would make you apply as planned and what score would make you retake. Look at the next test dates and their 10-day deadlines in the table above, so you are not deciding in a rush on release day.
• Keep working on the rest of the application. Personal statement drafts, activity descriptions and letter requests do not depend on your score.
• Do not score your exam from forum posts. Threads comparing “which form” people got are a common source of stress, and because the exam is equated, a form that felt hard tells you little about your score.
• Take a real break. If the wait is affecting your sleep or mood, talk to someone you trust or to your school’s counseling service.

If you have not tested yet, our MCAT test day checklist covers what to bring and how the score-or-void choice works at the end of the exam, when to start studying for the MCAT covers timelines, and how hard the MCAT is explains what you are preparing for. For other exams, see our test prep courses hub.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get MCAT results?

30 to 35 days. The AAMC releases official MCAT scores 30 to 35 days after each test date, by 5 p.m. Eastern time on the scheduled score release date. Every test date has its own published release date on the AAMC calendar.

What time do MCAT scores come out?

By 5 p.m. Eastern time on the scheduled score release date for your test. The AAMC publishes that date for every test date in advance.

Why does it take so long to get MCAT scores?

After each test day the AAMC scales and equates the exam so that a score means the same thing on every test form, and it reviews concerns that examinees file about questions or testing conditions. The AAMC says this takes 30 to 35 days.

Is the MCAT curved?

No. The AAMC says the MCAT is not graded on a curve. It is scaled and equated, so your score does not depend on who tested on the same day or at the same time of year.

Where do I see my MCAT score?

In the AAMC Testing Services Score Reporting System, which you reach through the Get Your Test Scores link on the AAMC’s MCAT Scores page. The AAMC does not give scores by phone or email.

Do medical schools get my MCAT score automatically?

AMCAS schools do. Your scores are pulled into your AMCAS application on the release date, whether or not you have submitted it, and you cannot withhold a scored exam. For programs outside AMCAS, you send scores through the Score Reporting System at no charge.

Can I get my MCAT rescored?

Yes. You can request a hand rescore within 30 calendar days after the score release date. It costs $80, and the AAMC replies within three weeks, either confirming your scores or giving corrected ones.

Can I cancel my MCAT score after I see it?

No. The only way to keep an exam from being scored is to void it on test day, at the end of the exam. Once scores are released they cannot be voided, and they stay in your record.

When can I register for another MCAT?

There is a 24-hour wait after you finish an exam before you can register for another one, and you can hold only one MCAT appointment at a time.