Ideally, you should plan at least 3–6 months of dedicated MCAT preparation. Nate Overholtzer, a Caltech MD-PhD student and admissions counselor at Inspira Advantage, explains in our webinar What to Do With Your Summer: Pre-Med Edition:
“It is a long journey—usually it takes like two to three months to really get a solid foundation where you’re ready to take the test…people who took the strategy of taking a summer to study for the MCAT and then taking the exam were generally just more successful than those…balancing a course load during the school year.”
Using focused, uninterrupted time early allows students to build content mastery efficiently.
However, you don’t want to spend too long preparing for the MCAT. Dr. Katherine Munoz, a Plastic Surgery Resident and medical school admissions consultant at Inspira Advantage, notes that preparation should be limited to eight to ten months at most.
She recommends a phased approach: three to six months of dedicated study, including practice exams and content review, followed by one to three months of intensive review focused on weaker areas. This prevents burnout while maximizing retention.
When choosing your MCAT test date, aim to take the exam by March at the latest, even though test dates run through September. A panelist from the same webinar explains that a March test date allows time for score reporting and, if needed, a retake before spring application deadlines. Planning your prep in phases helps ensure readiness and timeline alignment.
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How to Choose the Right MCAT Test Date
When choosing your MCAT test date, start by considering your personal readiness and schedule. The best time to take the MCAT is when you feel fully prepared from studying for the MCAT and have enough time to review content, practice questions, and take full-length exams.
Avoid dates that feel rushed or conflict with other obligations. Ideally, pick a date that gives you a clear window to complete your prep without unnecessary stress. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how to pick the perfect date to write your MCAT:
1. Schedule With Application Deadlines in Mind
A practical strategy is to plan your MCAT date by working backward from your medical school application deadlines. Dr. Katherine Munoz, a Plastic Surgery Resident and medical school admissions consultant at Inspira Advantage, shared the following advice in our Plan Ahead: Your Medical School Application Timeline webinar:
“Generally, primary applications can be turned in towards the end of May… so your MCAT should be back in time… The latest is usually March… it takes about six weeks to get your score back… and in case you need a retake. So all of this buffer time gets built in. Plan your MCAT timing accordingly, assuming that you’ll need a retake… that way if that doesn’t happen great… if that does happen, you’re not stressing and delaying your application.”
By using this deadline-focused approach, you ensure that your test date allows sufficient time for score reporting and potential retakes, preventing last-minute stress and keeping your application competitive. For instance, targeting an initial test in January or February leaves room for a March retake without jeopardizing submission timelines.
2. Adjust Based on Practice Test Performance
Another highly effective strategy is to let your practice test results guide your test date. In our Free MCAT Workshop, Dr. Austin Johnson, a Stanford University School of Medicine grad and an Inspira Advantage admissions counselor, stressed the importance of full-length practice exams for both endurance and concept mastery:
“Simulating full-length exams is so important… the idea with these full-lengths is not just to do them… but… tracking your progress… getting your endurance up… and reinforcing the high-yield concepts and patterns you’re developing.”
He explains that test dates should remain flexible based on how students perform:
“At some point, there are diminishing returns… some students… end up moving their exam up… and of course I have had students where… they push their date back a few weeks… the strategy can change based on how you’re doing on practice tests.”
If your full-length practice exams consistently fall within or above your target score range under realistic conditions, this is a strong indicator that you may be ready to take the MCAT sooner rather than continuing to study without meaningful gains.
In contrast, if scores are stagnant, inconsistent, or significantly below your goal, the data supports pushing your test date back to focus on targeted content gaps, timing issues, or test-day stamina. Large section score disparities often signal foundational weaknesses, while smaller gaps usually require refinement rather than a full reset.
3. Optimize Study Duration and Intensity
A third strategy emphasizes structuring your MCAT preparation and study schedules so that study intensity and duration maximize learning without causing burnout. Dr. Aditya Khurana, a radiology resident at Mayo Clinic and an experienced Inspira Advantage admissions advisor, outlines a phased approach in our recent AMCAS Activities webinar:
“There is a cut off for how long is too long to prepare… I usually limit it to like eight or 10 months at the most… three to six months before is really… dedicated… and one to three months will be crunch time… then you simulate test conditions… taking practice exams… a good site for evaluation and making sure that you’re actually prepared to take the test.”
Simulating the real test day environment, taking full-length exams at the same time of day, tracking scores meticulously, and treating practice tests as accurate proxies for readiness. This strategy ensures that students do not overextend themselves or plateau but rather build focused mastery in the months leading up to the exam and reach top MCAT scores.
By calibrating preparation intensity and length, students can enter the exam fully prepared, confident in both knowledge and endurance.
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MCAT Test Dates for Locations Outside of the USA in 2026
Upon registering for the test, you can select the MCAT testing location that’s most convenient for you.
MCAT score release dates fall approximately 30-35 days after your test date. You can see precise score release dates on the AAMC table or the MCAT schedule provided above. You can view your released test scores by logging into your AAMC account and clicking the “get your test scores” button on the website.
All scores are released by 5:00 pm (EST) on the scheduled date.
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FAQs: MCAT Test Dates
1. Will I Be Notified When My MCAT Scores Are Released?
No, you will not receive a notification when your MCAT score is released. You must log in to your AAMC account to check for your scores.
2. What Is the Latest MCAT Date for the 2025-2026 Cycle?
The final MCAT date for the 2025-2026 cycle is September 13, 2026. You must register by the 10-day deadline, September 3, 2026, to secure your spot.
3. When Should I Start Preparing for the MCAT?
Start preparing based on your familiarity with test content, your target score, and your application timeline. Most students dedicate around 20 hours per week for three months, but longer or shorter plans work depending on your experience.
4. What Month Is Best to Take the MCAT?
There’s no single “best” month, but taking it early in your application cycle is ideal to allow for a retake if needed. Most students take it in the fall and spend their summer studying. Early testing also helps you receive scores in time to submit a competitive application without delay.
5. Should You Take the MCAT in Your Junior or Senior Year?
You should take the MCAT during your junior year so that you have enough time to retake it, if necessary. If you are taking a gap year, however, you should take it during your senior year the first time so you can retake it during your gap year if needed.
6. Will a September MCAT Hurt My Chances Due to Rolling Admissions?
Yes, a September MCAT can hurt your chances of admission because it will significantly tighten your timeline for US medical schools with rolling admissions. Schools typically begin reviewing applications and scheduling interviews in August and September.
Since MCAT scores are released about 30–35 days after your test, a September exam would post in mid‑October, around the same time the first acceptance offers are sent (usually by October 15).
This means your complete application could be submitted after many interviews have occurred and some offers have already been made, potentially limiting your options at competitive schools.
7. How Do Score Release Dates Affect My Med School Application Timeline?
MCAT score release dates determine when your application can be considered complete by schools that require scores. For example, if you take the MCAT in September, scores won’t be available until mid-October, delaying submission of a complete application and potentially pushing back interviews and admissions decisions compared to applicants with earlier tests.
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