How Long Do MCAT Scores Last? Validity Rules by School (2026)

By Josh Hutcheson, founder of OnlineCourseing. Every rule below was read on the AAMC’s MCAT pages, the MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2027 and six medical schools’ own admissions pages on 13 October 2026. Last updated: October 13, 2026. How we review.

MCAT scores do not expire in the AAMC’s records, but medical schools only count recent ones. The AAMC says schools “generally accept scores dating back two or three years.” In practice the window runs from two years at the strictest schools to four at the most flexible, and schools measure it differently: some count back from the year you apply, others from the date you would enroll.

How long are MCAT scores valid?

Two to three years at most U.S. MD schools. That is the AAMC’s own summary, and it is a description of school policy, not an AAMC rule. The AAMC reports every score; each school decides which ones it will consider. The AAMC points applicants to the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database to check each school’s policy.

Schools limit score age because the MCAT is meant to measure what you know when you start medical school. A score from four or five years ago says less about how much biochemistry or physics you still remember.

Do MCAT scores expire?

Not in the AAMC’s system. Since April 2003 the AAMC has followed a full disclosure policy: every scored exam from that date on stays in your history and is included in your score reports. If you apply through AMCAS, your scores are pulled into the application automatically on the published release date, whether or not you want them there (MCAT Essentials: Score Reporting Through Your AMCAS Application).

So a score never disappears. It just stops counting at schools whose window it has outgrown. That has two practical consequences:

• An old score you are not using still appears on your report. Schools see your full history, including scores outside their window.
• You cannot withhold a score you regret. The only exam schools never see is one you voided on test day, and the void decision is final once you submit it (Scoring or Voiding Your Exam).

Is the window counted to your application or to matriculation?

This is the question applicants ask most, and the answer depends on the school. Read each school’s rule word for word, because three different reference points are in use:

• Counted back from enrollment. Downstate says scores must be “no older than 3 years prior to the date of your planned date of enrollment.” Einstein’s oldest accepted score is three years before your expected matriculation date.
• Counted back from the application year. The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville says the MCAT must be taken during, or no more than two years before, the application year.
• Two conditions at once. Emory requires the MCAT within four years of the matriculation year and no later than October of the year before you start.

Because enrollment is about a year after you apply, an “enrollment” rule is roughly a year more generous than an “application year” rule with the same number.

MCAT score windows at six medical schools (2026-27)

These are the policies each school publishes for the current cycle, read on 13 October 2026. They show how wide the range is. They are examples, not a substitute for checking the schools you apply to.

The pattern: four-year schools exist, three-year rules are the most common phrasing, and a two-years-before-application rule is the strictest you are likely to meet. A score that is fine at one school on your list can be dead at another.

How to check any school’s MCAT policy

Policies change from cycle to cycle, so check them for the year you apply rather than relying on a list like ours:

1. Start with the school’s own admissions page. Search for “MCAT” on its requirements or FAQ page. Look for the date range or the number of years, and note whether it is counted to the application year or to enrollment.
2. Cross-check MSAR. The AAMC’s Medical School Admission Requirements database lists each MD school’s policies in one format. A one-year subscription is $33 in the AAMC store.
3. Note the latest test date too. Schools also set the last MCAT date they will consider for a cycle, often in September of the application year.
4. Ask when it is unclear. If a page says “three years” without saying three years from what, email the admissions office and keep the reply.

What happens if your score is too old for a school

The school will treat your application as if it has no valid MCAT score. Most MD schools require one, so in practice an out-of-window score means the application will not be reviewed there, or will sit incomplete until a new score arrives. Your old score still travels with the application, because AMCAS releases your full history.

You do not need to retake for every school. If only one school on your list has a short window, the cheaper fix is often to replace that school or apply a year earlier. A retake makes sense when several of your target schools are affected, or when the old score was not competitive anyway.

Worked example: will my score still count?

Say you took the MCAT in August 2025, plan to apply in spring 2027 and would start medical school in fall 2028. Run that against each rule type:

The example shows why one rule of thumb fails. The same score is comfortable at four of these schools and borderline at two. If a borderline school matters to you, email its admissions office before you build your timeline around it.

When to take the MCAT so your score covers your cycle

Work backward from the year you want to start medical school:

1. List your schools and their windows. The strictest window on your list sets your earliest usable test date.
2. Leave room for the score. Scores come back 30 to 35 days after the exam, by 5 p.m. ET on the release date (AAMC U.S. calendar). Our guide to how long MCAT results take lists every 2027 release date.
3. Leave room for a retake. U.S. test dates run from January to September. Testing early in the year keeps a second attempt possible in the same cycle.
4. Respect the last date your schools accept. Downstate’s last accepted test for fall 2027 entry is September 12, 2026; Emory’s cutoff is October of the year before you start.

There is also the readiness side. The AAMC says the exam draws on year-long courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, introductory physics and introductory biology, plus introductory biochemistry, psychology and sociology (What’s on the MCAT Exam?). Testing before those are done usually costs points. Our guide to when to start studying for the MCAT covers prep timelines.

How medical schools see multiple MCAT scores

If you test more than once, every scored attempt reaches every AMCAS school. Schools then differ in how they weigh them: some look at your most recent score, some at your highest, and many look at the whole history, including whether your scores went up. The AAMC does not set one method, and schools rarely publish theirs in detail, so ask an admissions office or read its MSAR entry if it matters to your decision.

Two rules do apply everywhere. You can attempt the exam no more than three times in a testing year, four times over two consecutive testing years and seven times in your lifetime, counting from April 2015 (Testing Attempt Limits). Voided exams count toward those limits too. Our guide to how many times you can take the MCAT covers retakes in full.

Should you retake or apply with an older score?

Score age is only half the question. The other half is whether the score is competitive. AAMC data for 2025-26 puts the average MCAT of students who enrolled in U.S. MD schools at 512.1, against 506.3 for all applicants (AAMC FACTS, Table A-16). Across the last three cycles, acceptance rates rise steeply with score:

Source: AAMC FACTS, Table A-23 (MCAT and GPA grid, three cycles combined). GPA moves these numbers a lot, so read your own row in the full table.

• Score inside every window and competitive for your list: apply with it. A retake adds risk and uses an attempt.
• Score inside the window but low for your list: a retake can help if you can show a real gain on full-length practice tests first.
• Score about to fall outside a key school’s window: apply this cycle, swap in schools with longer windows, or schedule a retest early enough to report before that school’s deadline.

To see where a score lands, use our MCAT percentiles guide. Under the percentile ranks in effect from May 1, 2026, a 510 is the 79th percentile and a 515 the 91st (AAMC percentile ranks).

See the full MCAT percentile chart →

If your score is about to expire

Retesting costs money as well as time. The AAMC’s 2027 fees are $360 to register ($145 through the Fee Assistance Program), plus $130 if you test outside the U.S., Canada and U.S. territories. Changing your date costs more the closer you get (MCAT Scheduling Fees):

If you need a new score, prepare as if it were a first attempt. Re-taking full-length practice exams under real timing is the fastest way to see how much content has faded. The AAMC sells official practice exams and offers free planning resources through its MCAT Official Prep hub, which we would start with on merit because they are written by the test maker.

If you want a structured course on top of the official material, our best MCAT prep course ranking compares Kaplan, Blueprint and The Princeton Review, and Kaplan vs Princeton Review compares the two largest head to head. Kaplan is our top pick overall and the one we can link to.

See Kaplan MCAT prep options →

We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. Planning a gap year, or wondering whether you need the MCAT at all? See the medical schools that don’t require the MCAT, our test prep courses hub, and how hard the MCAT is.

Frequently asked questions

How long do MCAT scores last?

The AAMC keeps your MCAT scores permanently, but each medical school decides how old a score it will accept. The AAMC says schools generally accept scores from the past two or three years. A few schools allow four years and a few allow only two, so check every school on your list.

Do MCAT scores expire?

Not in the AAMC’s records. Every score from April 2003 onward stays in your history and goes to every AMCAS school you apply to. What expires is a school’s willingness to count it: once a score falls outside a school’s window, that school treats you as if you have no valid score.

Is the two-to-three-year window counted to my application or to matriculation?

It depends on the school. Downstate and Einstein count back from when you would enroll, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville counts back from the application year, and Emory uses both a four-year limit and a deadline in the fall before you start. Each school states its rule on its admissions page and in the AAMC’s MSAR database.

Is a three-year-old MCAT score still valid?

At a school with a four-year window, such as the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix or Emory, yes. At a school with a strict three-year window, it depends on the exact test date and the school’s cutoff for your entering class. At a two-year school it is not.

Can I hide an old or low MCAT score from medical schools?

No. The AAMC has followed a full disclosure policy since April 2003, and your scores are pulled into your AMCAS application automatically on the release date. The only exam schools never see is one you voided on test day, and a voided exam still counts toward your testing limits.

How many times can I retake the MCAT if my score expires?

Up to three times in one testing year, four times over two consecutive testing years and seven times in your lifetime, counting from April 2015. Voided exams and no-shows count toward those limits.

When should I take the MCAT so my score covers my application?

Take it early enough that scores are back before you apply, which is 30 to 35 days after the exam, and recent enough to sit inside every target school’s window for the year you plan to enroll. For most applicants that means testing in the January to September window of the year they apply, or the year before.

Do DO and Caribbean medical schools accept older MCAT scores?

Some do, but there is no single rule. Check each program’s own admissions page before you rely on an older score.