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Can Anyone Take the MCAT?

Ken

April 27, 2016

MCAT FAQ

The MCAT stands for the Medical College Admission Test. Created by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), this exam is typically taken by pre-medical students interested in attending medical school. You might wonder though, can anyone take the MCAT? The answer is no but pre-medical students should not be concerned.

MCAT Eligibility

According to the AAMC, “you are eligible to take the MCAT exam if you are planning to apply to a health professions school.” Any student interested in allopathic, osteopathic, podiatric, or veterinary medicine can take the MCAT. All pre-medical students fall under this category. If you are international, you can still take the MCAT but the process may be a little bit more complex so make sure to visit the AAMC’s website for more information about taking the exam as an international student.

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Interested test takers that have no desire to apply for a health professions schools or current medical students are not eligible to take the MCAT. However, they may request what is called “special permission” from the AAMC to take the test. It might seem crazy to you that someone would actually want to take the MCAT but have no desire to apply to medical school. However, these people do exist. For example, test preparation companies send developers to take the MCAT on an annual basis. This way they can design their courses and course materials in a way that will help prepare students for the exam.

AAMC Limits

When the new MCAT was launched in 2015, the AAMC set limits on how often students could take the MCAT exam. The limits permit students to take the exam up to three times per year, four times within a two-year span, and seven times in lifetime. This means that anyone who has exceeded lifetime limit is also not allowed to sign up for the MCAT.

How Does This Affect Me?

For pre-medical students seeking to take the MCAT to apply to a health professions school, you are eligible to take the MCAT. You may take it as many times as you want according to the limits set by the AAMC. Instead of worrying about your eligibility, you should focus more on your MCAT studies! To learn more about how to best prepare for the exam, check out our post on the top five strategies for MCAT success.

Have other MCAT questions? Check out Magoosh’s MCAT FAQ!

Author

Ken

Ken is a former blog writer for Magoosh who left to focus on developing novel and effective ways to help students achieve success on the MCAT exam.

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26 responses to “Can Anyone Take the MCAT?”

Aisya

September 20, 2019

Hi Ken,

I find this article very helpful, thank you!

I do have a question. I am planning to get a degree in the Bachelor of Science, majoring in psychology with APAC accredited. After completing my honours, I plan to take the MCAT and become a psychiatrist.

Is my course/pathway considered to be pre-medical and therefore qualify me to take the MCAT?

Thank you!

Aisya
Malaysia

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  November 1, 2019
  
  Hi Aisya,
  
  “Pre-med” is a set of courses that you need to take to be eligible for admission in a medical school, not a specific major. The AAMC website says:
  
  “While each medical school requires the completion of a four-year degree from an accredited institution, the premedical coursework requirements vary from school to school. Every medical school determines their own list of required or recommended premedical coursework, and some accept AP, online, and community college courses while others do not. Some require you to complete a specific classes while others have progressed to competency-based admissions and do not require students to complete a particular list of courses prior to applying. Each school also has unique requirements for coursework, lab experience, volunteer experience, and “shadowing” experience. In general, students will likely complete the following types of courses:
  
  One year of Biology
  One year of English
  Two years of Chemistry (through Organic Chemistry)
  To find school-specific requirements for each U.S. and Canadian medical school, see the Medical School Admission Requirement website. ”
  
  The concepts tested in the MCAT are drawn from information that should be learned in year-long college-level introductory science courses (the pre-med track) in biology, organic chemistry, general chemistry, and physics, and from first-semester introductory courses in biochemistry, psychology, and sociology.
  
  Your major doesn’t matter when it comes to admission–students go to medical school from all disciplines and majors! However,you will need to make sure that you complete all of these pre-med courses.
  
  Reply
Lin Klin

May 10, 2020

I am a MBA graduate and want to write a MCAT.Am I eligible?

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  July 24, 2020
  
  Hi Lin,
  
  Yes, anyone is eligible to take the MCAT. Just keep in mind that there may be specific courses that you’ll need to take in order to prepare.
  
  Reply
  1. Farwa Haroon
    
    December 18, 2020
    
    i am software engineering student .. i want to become a MBBS doctor . can u please help me that what should I do …
    
    Reply
    1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
      
      February 16, 2021
      
      Hi Farwa, I recommend that you reach out to some of your target MBBS schools to better understand their requirements and admissions policies. Good luck!
      
      Reply
  2. Vikas
    
    January 25, 2021
    
    Hello sir/mam.
    I am last semester psychology student and wat to ask, am i ellibible for MCAT and can i get addmission in medical school under MBBS ? Please clear it, it would be a great healp.
    
    Thank you.
    
    Reply
    1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
      
      February 16, 2021
      
      Hi Vikas, you should check with your target schools to understand their specific admissions requirements. Good luck!
      
      Reply
farkhana

May 24, 2020

Is their any age limit for taking MCAT..I am being 27 years old and have completed M.Sc chemistry. Now i wish to go to medical school in USA.. Am I eligilble to give MCAT? r US medical schools have any age limit criteria? plz guide

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  July 24, 2020
  
  Hi Farkhana, there is no age limit to take the MCAT or enter medical school in the US 🙂
  
  Reply
Roshini

July 26, 2020

Hii!
I’m from india
Cam you just say how to apply MCAT and also its qualifying and eligibility,fees and all that..
And also can you say how to get scholarship through this exam?

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  November 13, 2020
  
  Hi Roshini, the best source for all of that information is directly from the AAMC website.
  
  Reply
Luigi

October 4, 2020

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in nursing program and also aiming to join medical school. When is the best time for me to take the MCAT? and would be there any additional course i need to take?

Thank you!

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  October 30, 2020
  
  Hi Luigi, this really depends on when you plan to start applying to medical school. You’ll want to look at your schedule to make sure that you have enough time to study, and consider when applications are due. This blog post might help.
  
  Reply
Houssam

November 10, 2020

If someone got approved to a medical school that is not one of their top choices because of the MCAT score and then they got enrolled in that school just to secure a spot, can they retake the test that year and if they got a higher score reapply the following cycle to get in a medical school of their top preferences?
To make it more straightforward, my question would be: can a medical student take the the test for the reason above? because I think when someone gets approved and enrolled in a medical school they’re already considered medical students!

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  November 13, 2020
  
  Hi Houssam, this is an interesting case. I don’t see anything on the AAMC website barring students who have accepted a spot at medical school from taking the exam. This is a big risk, though, because you’d have to give up your spot at a school on the hope that better MCAT scores will earn you admission into a better school. I’d recommend contacting some admissions counselors to ask their opinion.
  
  Reply
Tarak

January 18, 2021

If one has a bachelors degree from a different country, and has completed the premed courses in the US, will she/he be eligible for MCAT?

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  February 16, 2021
  
  Hi Tarak, this is a bit complicated, and I don’t want to give you incorrect information. I believe the process for applying to US medical school would depend on whether you are an international student or if you have residency in the US. I would recommend checking out this post on the AAMC website and consulting with some admissions officers at your target schools. They will have more information to share.
  
  Reply
Amisha

February 21, 2021

I am currently studying bsc chemistry, botany and zoology.. Am I eligible for mcat (MD )

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  March 5, 2021
  
  Hi Amisha, as long as you plan to apply for a health professions school, you are eligible.
  
  Reply
apoorva

January 3, 2022

hi Ken , i am from non science background and want to become a doctor so do i need to seek special permission from aamc to allow be to give MCAT ? could you please guide me out ?

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  March 1, 2022
  
  Hi Apoorva,
  
  If you are planning to apply to a health professions school, you are eligible to take the MCAT. If you are a pre-med student, this will apply to you. If you already have a non-medical degree, you should check the admissions requirements of any schools you want to apply to in order to see if you will need any additional courses or degrees before you can apply to their health professions programs. Check their websites, or contact the admissions department of your intended program directly.
  
  Good luck to you!
  
  Reply
Noor

April 2, 2022

How do you get special permission to take the MCAT if you want to take it some years (approximately 5-10 years) before applying to Medical School?

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  April 9, 2022
  
  Hi Noor,
  MCAT scores only last 3 years, so we recommend that you wait until you’re almost ready to apply to medical school to take the MCAT.
  Best of luck to you!
  
  Reply
Ojo

August 14, 2023

I have a PHYSIOLOGY degree and I want to become an Anesthesiologistis there any other option than mcat

Reply
1. Magoosh Expert
  
  August 18, 2023
  
  Hi Ojo!
  
  To become an anesthesiologist in the U.S., you typically have to go to medical score, which will most usually requires taking the MCAT exam.
  
  Happy studying and all the best to you! 😀
  
  Reply