Studying for the MCAT is hard. It requires a lot of time, energy, and discipline to get the results you want.
But how long do the scores last? If you decide to take a year off or life simply gets in the way, will they still be valid when it’s time for you to apply?
In this post, you’ll learn how long MCAT scores are valid and how to make sure you have the right info (the answer isn’t the same for every school).
How Long Are MCAT Scores Valid?
Let’s cut to the chase:
Technically, MCAT scores never truly become invalid. What we mean by this is that the student will have those scores on their record forever.
However, medical colleges have strict admission policies that generally puts limits on how old those test scores can be for each prospective college applicant.
Those admission rules vary from one school to another, and it is crucial to thoroughly research each school’s current admission policies and other criteria well before admission deadlines (more on that later).
But here’s the general window of time MCAT scores last for applicants:
Medical schools will typically accept MCAT scores for approximately 2 to 3 years from the testing date.
The most competitive medical schools often fall on the lower end of this window. In fact, more often than not they’ll only consider MCAT scores from the past 2 years (it’s not common to see them accept 3-year-old scores).
Why You Need To Check The Admission Policy
Most medical schools have different admission policies that often put limits on how long they consider MCAT scores to be valid.
This means it’s essential that each student checks these application policies and other rules for each school that they plan on applying to. You don’t want to end up wasting time completing an application for a school where your score isn’t valid anymore!
