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You can take the MCAT up to three times in a single testing year, four times across two consecutive years, and seven times in your lifetime. Every registration counts toward those limits, even if you void your score or don't show up on test day.
You can take the MCAT only seven times in your lifetime, unless you petition the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) directly for special permission.
Voided scores, no-shows, and scored tests all count as attempts. Every time you hold a seat past the cancellation deadline, the AAMC tallies it against you.
The AAMC considers appeals to these testing limits and may request additional documentation as part of the review. Approval falls entirely within the AAMC's discretion, and they won't review more than one appeal per testing year. Don't count on an appeal as a backup plan.
Admissions committees read the story your scores tell. Two attempts with a considerable increase (from 504 to 514, for example) can actually show that you’re dedicated to improving your score. It shows resilience, an excellent trait of a future physician.
Four or more MCAT attempts can be a red flag. At that point, admissions committee members might question your self-awareness and judgment, two qualities they consider non-negotiable for future physicians.
They'll wonder why you kept sitting for an exam you weren't adequately prepared for and whether that same pattern of pushing forward without revisions will show up in clinical rotations or residency.
Medical schools can see all of your scored MCAT exams. Some schools weigh your highest score, others focus on your most recent, and a growing number look at the full picture across all attempts. Before you register for a retake, research the specific policies of your target schools so you know exactly what you're working with.
The biggest mistake most students make is retaking the MCAT too soon, without making any meaningful changes to their preparation. If you scored a 506 using self-study and Anki decks, signing up again two months later with the same materials is unlikely to yield a different result.
Find exactly which sections dragged your score down, invest in targeted resources for those areas, and only register again once your practice of full-length exams consistently hits your target score.
Three or fewer MCAT attempts won’t inherently hurt your chances of admission, but four or more attempts could. Multiple attempts hurt most when the rest of your application doesn't compensate for it. If you've taken the MCAT four times and your GPA, clinical hours, and extracurriculars are all average, the retake pattern just increases the weakness.
A high MCAT score doesn't guarantee admission, and a lower score doesn't automatically disqualify you either. Dr. Chiamaka Okorie, an admissions consultant at Inspira Advantage who served on Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine admissions committee, has personally rejected applicants with 523 MCAT scores in the same cycle in which she accepted students scoring 507.
As she explains in Inspira Advantage's Med School Application Q&A webinar, the lower-scoring candidate demonstrated the compassion and clinical readiness in their interview that a retake score alone can't capture.
If you've taken the MCAT two or three times and your trajectory shows growth, that upward trend can reinforce your application narrative, as long as your interviews, experiences, and personal statement back it up. A retake that demonstrates resilience, paired with genuine development, reads very differently from a retake with no clear improvement and nothing new to show for the time in between.
The smartest move you can make is working with Inspira MCAT tutors. Our tutors have mastered the MCAT’s content to help you achieve a guaranteed 515 score.
Take the MCAT once. Put your best effort into thorough preparation so you never have to sit through that 7.5-hour exam again.
However, if your first score falls short, retake it, but cap yourself at three total attempts. Beyond that, admissions committees might question your readiness rather than crediting your persistence. Space out your attempts with enough time to overhaul your study strategy between retakes, not just repeat the same approach.
Students typically miss preparing for the MCAT with full-length practice exams that simulate the real exam. High-yield practice tests are among the most reliable indicators of your proficiency level before test day.
You can reschedule your MCAT exam date online using the AAMC’s MCAT Registration System. Alternatively, you can call 202-828-0600 to reschedule. Before selecting a new date to take the MCAT, ensure you’ll receive your scores before your medical school application deadlines.
It’s important to note that there are fees for rescheduling your MCAT exam. Below are the MCAT rescheduling fees according to when you reschedule your test. Note that you may reschedule your exam up to ten days before the exam.
Source: The AAMC
Source: The AAMC
There are many reasons someone might want to reschedule their MCAT. Let’s review some of these reasons and talk about what to do if you find yourself in the following situations.
If you don’t feel prepared for the MCAT and need more time to study, rescheduling may seem like a good idea. If this is the case, it’s crucial to reschedule your MCAT with enough time to study. Your new MCAT test date should be at least a month away to give you more time to review and take practice tests.
If you're at this stage and want to prep with practice tests, our tests are designed by industry experts to ensure they're as close to the real MCAT as possible!
While this is a common reason to reschedule the MCAT, it’s not considered a special circumstance or emergency. You need to reschedule your MCAT before the bronze deadline to receive a partial refund for your testing fees.
Everybody gets sick, so don’t feel frustrated if it happens. It’s essential to protect yourself and others by not going to the test center if you feel sick, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you feel unwell, you can submit an emergency refund request on the AAMC website.
According to the AAMC, you are obligated to reschedule or cancel your test if:
You can also request MCAT accommodations if you’re immunocompromised or have a disability that may impact your ability to take the MCAT.
Aside from feeling ill, you may face other uncontrollable emergency circumstances that prevent you from following through with your scheduled MCAT test date. Examples of emergency circumstances could be a death in the family, a house fire, a flood, etc.
If you have a sudden emergency circumstance on or around your MCAT test date, you can submit an MCAT emergency refund request on the AAMC website or call 202-828-0600 to discuss the next steps.
There’s no issue with rescheduling your MCAT if you’re ready to pay the necessary fees and reschedule before the final ten-day period. You should ensure your MCAT scores will be available before the deadline for your med school application.
It’s best to take the MCAT long before the deadline to ensure you have enough time to receive your scores and retake the test if you’re unhappy with them. Make sure you get help from an expert MCAT advisor to excel on test day.
Many students wonder how rescheduling the MCAT will impact their profile; thankfully, successfully rescheduling won’t hurt your chances of acceptance at medical schools. Schools aren’t interested in when you take the MCAT; they care about your score and how many times you took the test.
Retaking the MCAT less than four times and showing score improvement won't harm your chances of admission. However, retaking the MCAT four times or more with little to no score improvement could signal unpreparedness for medical school.
Since the current exam's introduction, just under 95% of examinees have tested at most once or twice, according to the AAMC. About 5% have tested three times, and only about 1% have tested more than that.
Retake the MCAT if your score falls well below the admitted student averages at your target schools, and you can identify exactly what went wrong. A bad test day, a specific section that decreased your composite score, or genuinely insufficient preparation the first time around are all valid reasons to sit again. Don’t retake the MCAT if you already got a good score that you’re satisfied with.
In one year, you can take the MCAT up to three times. You can schedule the test dates as far apart as you want, although you should give yourself time to review your score and study before retaking the exam.
Four or more MCAT attempts might harm your chances of admission to medical school, especially if they don’t show score improvement. If you’re approaching your fourth attempt, ensure you follow a comprehensive study guide and take multiple practice exams to gauge your preparedness.
No, most medical schools don’t care if you’ve taken the MCAT twice. A second score that shows clear improvement actually strengthens your application because it demonstrates you identified your weaknesses, adjusted your preparation, and performed better under pressure.
The MCAT costs $345 USD to register for in 2026. If you qualify for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program, your registration fee is reduced to $140 USD. Students testing outside the United States, Canada, or U.S. territories must also pay a $120 international fee in addition to the standard registration cost.
Your total MCAT cost may be higher once you factor in prep materials, practice exams, tutoring, travel, or rescheduling fees. For most students, the full cost of taking and preparing for the MCAT can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on how much support they need. Official AAMC prep materials, third-party prep courses, and private MCAT tutoring can all increase the overall cost.
You may also pay extra if you change your test date. In 2026, MCAT rescheduling and cancellation fees vary based on how far in advance you make the change, with lower fees for students who qualify for fee assistance. To keep costs down, apply for the Fee Assistance Program before registering, choose your test date carefully, and build enough prep time into your schedule to reduce the chance of needing a retake.
MCAT scores don't have a set expiration date, but most medical schools accept scores that are two to three years old. The trend is shifting toward a stricter two-year window, and more prestigious programs with lower acceptance rates - like Harvard and Johns Hopkins - are unlikely to consider scores older than two years. Because requirements can change each application cycle and may differ for international or transfer applicants, it's essential to check each school's admission requirements before applying. To stay within the window, it's generally recommended to take the MCAT around six months to one year before submitting your application.
Schools can see old MCAT scores, and submitting one within the standard two-year window won't hurt your application - but if there's a gap between your test date and your application, it's worth giving admissions context (research, full-time work, or other steps you took to strengthen your candidacy). Retaking the MCAT is only worthwhile if you're confident you'll score significantly higher or if your existing score is no longer valid; multiple retakes without meaningful improvement can be a red flag for admissions committees. Plan your timeline carefully, especially if you're considering a gap year, and keep close tabs on your target programs' specific requirements.
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