Sometimes things don’t work out the first time around. If you’re staring at your MCAT score report wondering, “Should I retake the MCAT?”, we have good news. The MCAT will allow you to take the test again—up to three times in a single testing year, up to four times in a consecutive two-year period, or seven times total in a lifetime.
If you have to retake the test, you’re not alone. According to data released by the AAMC, thousands of students retake the test every year. If you don’t prepare thoroughly for your second attempt, you risk scoring the same—or even lower—than your initial result. In fact, for most retakers, there’s nearly a 1/3 chance of achieving a score that falls short of your expectations or doesn’t improve. This emphasizes how important it is to prepare thoroughly for an MCAT retake.
It’s not enough to “just study harder” when you take the MCAT again. You need to carefully analyze the study patterns that produced the results you got the first time. Then you need to craft an approach that builds on past success, corrects past failure, and leads to strong performance on the next test.
Should I Retake the MCAT?
The decision whether to retake is easy if your score is well below the average for the programs you’re applying to—obviously retake it! Similarly, if your score is comfortably at or above the “average” range for your target schools, then you certainly don’t retake the test. The question becomes tough if you’re on the edge.
If your score is below your target by only a handful of points, it can be tricky to decide whether to risk a lower score on another test. The solution is to ask yourself a few fundamental questions.
Do I Have Time To Prep for an MCAT Retake?
It’s important to remember that when you sit for the MCAT a second time, you’re not just brushing up quickly. You have to start over from scratch. All the study and practice you did months ago aren’t stored in a bank of MCAT points you can just withdraw from. You need to prep again to get yourself back into shape. Then you need to adjust your MCAT prep to push your performance beyond your first test.
So, start by looking at your calendar. What other time commitments do you have? School? Job? Family? Volunteer work? If you’re going to retake the MCAT, you’ll need to allocate anywhere from 10 to 30 hours a week of prep time for two to four months. Plan your MCAT test date and study schedule accordingly. It’s a huge undertaking, but one with huge payoffs.
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What Will I Change This Time?
Doing the same thing will get you the same results. This is an incredibly simple idea, but it’s so easy to lose sight of it. How did you prepare the first time? Books? A classroom course? Did you take any full-length practice exams under test-like conditions? If so, how many? If you took a classroom course, look into an online MCAT course. Similarly, if you took an online course, consider private MCAT tutoring.
By far, the most common mistake students make the first time around is simply not allocating enough time and resources to the MCAT.
The second most common mistake students make is treating the MCAT as if it were just another science test. By now, you know that’s not true. The actual science content on the exam isn’t that advanced—often just what would be covered in freshman-level courses.
You can’t simply study your way to a better MCAT score; you need to practice. Make sure you are practicing with full-length exams, as well as shorter tests and quizzes. Use as many free MCAT materials as you can to help supplement your main prep.
Finally, you may have found that you just weren’t prepared for the psychological pressure of the exam itself. When it comes to the MCAT, it’s not what you know, it’s what you show. The ability to show your best performance can be hampered by test anxiety in various shapes and forms. All the books and classes in the world won’t help if you don’t have some expert guidance to diffuse all that test anxiety.
How Will Admissions Committees View Multiple Scores?
When you submit your applications, all MCAT scores will be included. If you will send multiple scores to a medical school, the admissions committee will do one of the following:
- Take the most recent scores, regardless of which scores are the highest
- Average all scores to generate a single overall MCAT score
- Take the highest single test administration
- Take the highest section scores from each test administration
Each school will have its own policies, so it’s a good idea to contact each school directly to find out how they treat individual scores.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, retaking the MCAT is only a good idea if you know you can work hard to see significant improvement. Admissions committees see students with a low first score and a high second score all the time. The key is not to be one of those unfortunate folks whose second score is actually lower than the first.
If you need help with your MCAT retake, our experts are here to help! Whether you need the flexibility of a Self-Paced Course, the instruction of a live 515+ Course, or the 1:1 attention of a private MCAT tutor, Blueprint MCAT has the MCAT prep option that works for your learning style!
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