🔍Ask An Expert: How to analyze you scores and determine if you need to retest!

andrew2w

So you've gotten your MCAT scores back, and they're not as high as you wanted.  And you need to decide:  retest or not?  To help inform that decision, analyze 2 sets of factors:  1) the quantitative: how the scores compare to your most recent practice scores; and 2) the qualitative:  conditions during and before your official test.  

First, the quantitative:  take a look at the individual section scores on the official test and compare them to the most recent 3-5 full practice tests before.  Analyze each section separately.  After doing that, here’s an example of what you might find: 

1 section: you scored the same as the highest you’ve done in practice

2 sections:  you scored 1-2 points worse than your personal best

1 section: you scored 3 points worse than your personal best

All of this requires that you’ve kept detailed records of your practice.  So if you’re reading this and are still prepping, keep those records!  

Next, the qualitative:  were there any factors that kept you from doing your best?  Were you able to sleep the night before?  Headaches, stomach issues, stress from driving or travelling to your test center?  Was there someone in your testing room constantly coughing?  Did you unexpectedly run out of time for any sections?  Did you have serious content gaps of material the test expected you to know (different from stuff it expected you to figure out)?  

Finally, if you’re thinking of retesting, consider timeframes:  is there a date to retest before you apply, and will you be able to get a spot?  Will you have time to prepare for it thoroughly?  You likely won’t need as much time as you did preparing the first time, but you’ll want to review and refresh many topics and skills, and make improvements from there.  Most folks get rusty after even a short time away from the MCAT.  And consider whether you had a good MCAT score even if not as high as you wanted.  

As always, we're here to help, so let us know if you have any questions in the comments below!