Should You Retake the MCAT? 6 Key Factors to Consider

Despite months of studying, the day of the MCAT may not go as planned and leave pre-medical students considering whether a retake is necessary. A common follow-up question after a difficult test day is whether you can retake the MCAT. Yes, retakes of the Medical College Admission Test are explicitly allowed under the AAMC’s MCAT retake policy. Though the AAMC allows taking the MCAT up to three times per year, it is best practice to minimize the number of times this exam is taken.

The golden rule of thumb is to not take the MCAT more than three times before applying and to aim for an upwards trend in the score. Medical school admissions committees will often consider your highest score, but some can consider your average MCAT score, or consider multiple MCAT scores but weigh your recent score most heavily.

There are risks associated with retaking the MCAT that must be considered before committing to a retake. First, it is possible to score lower, which would look worse than not retaking the test in the first place. Also, an increase of one or two points falls within a normal score variation and will only confirm the accuracy of your previous score. Finally, dedicating more study time to the MCAT will take away from other activities that could enhance your application, such as better grades, research, or volunteering activities.

Because of this, retaking should never be automatic. A thoughtful MCAT retake strategy weighs timing, preparation, and realistic score movement before selecting a new MCAT test date. Strong MCAT prep often includes MCAT tutoring and diagnostic use of a full-length practice exam to identify whether changes in approach can realistically produce a higher MCAT score.

Applicants deciding when to retake the MCAT should also be aware of common MCAT retake mistakes, such as repeating the same study habits or underestimating how schools view score stagnation. Knowing how to study for MCAT retakes often means restructuring review, addressing weaknesses directly, and focusing on measurable improvement. For students starting from a weaker baseline, targeted MCAT tutoring for low scores can provide structure and accountability to improve your MCAT score and clarify how to improve MCAT score outcomes realistically.

For some students, stepping away from the exam cycle allows time to rebuild fundamentals and gain perspective. Planning around retaking MCAT after gap year timelines can support stronger preparation and more sustainable improvement. You can learn more about that option in our guide on retaking the MCAT during a gap yea.

Ultimately, retaking the exam should be about progress. When done thoughtfully, a retake can strengthen your application and demonstrate growth rather than hesitation. So, what are the reasons that can solidify your decision for a MCAT retake?

1. An Unforeseen Event Around the Time of the MCAT

If you experienced a personal difficulty or illness around the time of the test, it is likely that this affected your ability to concentrate and possibly even study effectively for the test. Perhaps you considered postponing at the time, but the circumstances made this difficult, and you ended up taking it anyways, with the hope that it will work out. Given that you are no longer experiencing difficulty in your personal life, this is a great reason to prepare and retake the MCAT.

2. You Were Not Well-Prepared the First Time

Studying for the MCAT generally requires a full-time two months of commitment. If the first time around, you did not spend enough time studying, it is possible that you may increase your score if you retake the MCAT exam. You should strongly consider a retake if you did not complete UWorld at least once, did not get through review books, or left some subjects not reviewed. It is common for pre-medical students to underestimate the difficulty of the MCAT.

3. You Scored Significantly Higher on Your MCAT Practice Tests

If your practice test scores from AAMC and UWorld exams were significantly higher, it is likely that you had a bad test day. Unfortunately, this can happen, and a retake would likely serve you well in this case. However, before you retake the test, reflect on your test day and try to identify anything that may have contributed to your performance. Did you have significant anxiety that made it difficult to concentrate? Did you have a bad headache? Was something else going on in your life that made you worried? Address any factors that influenced your test-taking ability on that day.

4. Your Score is Not Competitive for Medical Schools

As you have likely heard, medical schools often use the MCAT score and GPA as ways to screen out applications. Schools get thousands of applications every year and there is not enough workforce to review all of these. Since the MCAT is a strong predictor of performance on the USMLE exams, which you will need to take in medical school, it is understandable that this number is so important. If your score is low enough to get your application screened out by most schools, you should retake the MCAT. Getting screened out significantly lowers your chances of a medical school acceptance and unfortunately, it can be a waste of financial resources to apply with the knowledge that medical school admissions committees will not look over your application.

5. One or More of Your MCAT Section Scores Are Low

Just as medical schools use the overall score to screen out applicants, they often also have cut-offs for each section of the score. Again, if one or more of these section scores is low for you, even if your overall score meets the cut-offs, it is a good idea to study more, focus on your weak sections, and retake the test.

6. You Know Exactly How to Address the Main Issue

Finally, you should only retake the test if you know what went wrong and have a clear plan for addressing the issue. You must also have the necessary study time.

Though there are risks and benefits to retaking the MCAT, the above reasons are strong indicators that you should retake it. If you would like further guidance on creating a study plan and improving your score, you should consider hiring an MCAT tutor. Elite Medical is here to help! Schedule your free consultation today to hear about what we can do to help you reach your MCAT goals!