Understanding Your Scores
How is the MCAT scored?
Four separate scores are derived from the MCAT,
one for each section and the total score. Each score that you achieve
on the multiple-choice sections (Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning,
and Biological Sciences) is based on the number of questions you answer
correctly. This raw score is a reflection of your correct answers only.
This means that a wrong answer will be scored exactly the same as an unanswered
question; there is no additional penalty for wrong answers. Therefore,
even if you are unsure of the correct answer to a question, you should
make your best guess.
Your raw score on the Writing Sample is determined by adding the scores
you receive on each of the two responses you write. Because two different
readers rate each response, your total raw Writing score is the sum of
the four scores: two for the first response and two for the second. From
the raw scores we calculate scale scores (see below for why we do this),
and these scale scores appear on your final score report. The scores for
the multiple-choice sections—Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences,
and Biological Sciences—will be reported on a scale ranging from
1 (lowest) to 15 (highest).
The raw score you receive on each section is converted to a score on
this 15-point scale. For example, if your raw score on one of the sections
is between 40 and 43, your converted score might be 11. Scores ranging
from 44 to 46 might have a converted score of 12, and so forth.
Your raw score on the Writing sample will be converted to an alphabetic
scale ranging from J (lowest) to T (highest). Each letter represents the
sum of two scores on the two Writing Sample items. The sum can result
from different combinations of individual scores. (Individual scores are
assigned along a 6-point scale.) For example, a student whose scores are
4 and 5 on the first item and 4 and 4 on the second—a raw score of 17—would
receive the same alphabetic score point as student who scored a 3 and
3 on the first items and a 5 and 6 on the second.
In addition to scores for the individual sections, a total score will
also be reported. This total score will consist of a combined multiple-choice
score conjoined with the Writing Sample score, e.g., 42T.
Why are raw scores converted to scaled scores?
The conversion of raw scores to scaled scores
compensates for small variations in difficulty between sets of questions.
The exact conversion of raw to scaled scores is not constant; because
different sets of questions are used on different exams. Conversion of
your raw scores to the 15-point scale also helps minimize variability
in test scores due to factors unrelated to your skill or knowledge. Variability
in scores may be due to such external factors as state of health or degree
of familiarity with standardized testing. The 15-point scale tends to
provide a more stable and accurate assessment of a student's abilities.
Two students of equal ability would be expected to get the same scaled
score, even though there might be a slight difference between the raw
scores each student obtained on the test.
Scaled scores on the MCAT can be interpreted as percentile rank ranges
based on the performance of all students taking the test during a given
year.
Is the exam graded on a curve?
Examinees often ask if earning a high score or higher percentile is easier
or harder at different times of the testing year. They ask whether they
have a better chance of earning a higher score in April or in August,
for example. The question is based on an assumption that the exam is scored
on a curve, and that a final score is dependent on how an individual performed
in comparison to other examinees from the same test day or same time of
year.
While there may be small differences in the MCAT exam you took compared
to another examinee, the scoring process accounts for these differences
so that an 8 earned on physical sciences on one exam means the same thing
as an 8 earned on any other exam. The percentile provided on your score
report simply indicates what percentage of examinees from the previous
testing year scored the same as you did on the MCAT exam.
How you score on the MCAT exam, therefore, is not reflective of the particular
exam you took—including the time of day, the test date, or the time
of year—since any difference in difficulty level is accounted for when
calculating your scale scores (see above for information about scaling).
When should you take the MCAT exam?
If you are trying to determine whether you should take the exam early
in the year or later, you should ask yourself a couple of questions:
- Will I take the exam just once or is there a possibility I may want
to take it again?
- Have I mastered the material or do I need additional coursework or
study?
If you think that you will take the exam more than once in a given calendar
year, we highly recommend that your make your first attempt in January,
March, April, or May. This should allow you sufficient time to receive
your scores, make a decision about your second attempt, and find an available
seat later in the testing year. Seats fill up quickly, especially near
the end of the year, so the earlier you test and make a decision about
a second attempt, the higher the likelihood that a seat will be available
for you later.
But don't test too early if you are just not ready. If you have coursework
to complete, additional studying to do, or you have a major conflict that
will not allow you to be in the right frame of mind for the exam, we suggest
you wait until you are better prepared. This may mean you make your first
attempt in June or July. That's OK, too. You are the best judge of your
preparedness. But if you need a little more help in making this decision,
you should check in with your pre-health advisor. Whatever you do, don't
make a decision to test at a particular time of year because you think
you will get a higher score because other examinees may not score as well—the test is not scored on a curve.
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