Your MCAT score goes through two steps: first your raw score (the number of questions you answer correctly), then a scaled score between 472 and 528. The catch is that there is no single, official chart that maps a raw score to a scaled score. The AAMC adjusts the conversion for each version of the test so that the same scaled score means the same thing no matter which day you tested.
That can feel frustrating when you just want to know “I got X right, so what’s my score?” The good news is that you can still get a solid estimate from a practice test, and you can translate any scaled score into a percentile to see where you stand. This guide walks through how MCAT scoring actually works, how to estimate your score, and what your number means for medical school.
Table of Contents
- How the MCAT is scored
- Why there is no official raw-to-scaled conversion chart
- How to estimate your scaled score from a practice test
- MCAT scaled score to percentile (2026 chart)
- What your score means for medical school
- Took the old MCAT before 2015? (Old-to-new conversion)
- Frequently asked questions
How the MCAT is scored
The MCAT has four sections. Each section is scored on a scale from 118 to 132, with a midpoint of 125. Your four section scores add up to a total score between 472 and 528, with a midpoint of 500.
Before we go further, let’s anchor a few terms. These come up constantly, and mixing them up is the source of most confusion about MCAT scoring.
- Raw score: The number of questions you answered correctly in a section. There are 230 scored questions on the full MCAT, spread across the four sections.
- Scaled score: The converted score on the 118 to 132 (per section) or 472 to 528 (total) scale. This is the number medical schools see.
- Percentile: The percentage of test takers who scored at or below your scaled score. A 90th-percentile score means you did as well as or better than 90% of test takers.
Here are the four sections and their scales:
| Section | Questions | Section score range |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys) | 59 | 118-132 |
| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) | 53 | 118-132 |
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (Bio/Biochem) | 59 | 118-132 |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psych/Soc) | 59 | 118-132 |
There is no penalty for wrong answers, so you should answer every question even if you have to guess. The MCAT is also not adaptive: everyone who takes a given form sees the same questions in the same order, and your performance on early questions does not change the difficulty of later ones.
Why there is no official raw-to-scaled conversion chart
This is the part students most want, and the honest answer is that the AAMC does not publish one. Here’s why.
Every MCAT is built to be as close as possible in difficulty to every other MCAT, but no two versions are exactly the same. To keep scores fair, the AAMC uses a process called equating. If one version of the test happens to be slightly harder, you need a few fewer correct answers to earn a given scaled score. If a version is slightly easier, you need a few more. The raw-to-scaled conversion is recalculated for every version of the exam.
The result: a 128 in Chem/Phys means the same thing whether you tested in January or September, and whether your particular form was a little harder or a little easier. The scaled score, not the raw score, is what carries meaning. That is exactly why a fixed “42 correct = score X” chart can’t exist. The number of correct answers needed for a 128 shifts from form to form by design.
Pro tip: Any website that gives you an exact, official-looking MCAT raw-to-scaled chart is showing you an estimate, not an official AAMC conversion. Use those tools to ballpark your score, not to predict it to the point.
So if there is no chart, how do you figure out where you stand? Two ways: estimate your scaled score from a full-length practice test, and convert any scaled score into a percentile.
How to estimate your scaled score from a practice test
The most reliable way to estimate your MCAT score is to take a full-length practice test that already reports a scaled score for you. The official AAMC practice exams do this, because they’re built from previously administered questions and carry their own equated conversions. Third-party full-lengths, including Magoosh’s, also report an estimated scaled score so you can track progress.
Here’s a simple way to use practice tests to gauge where you are:
- Take a full-length practice test under realistic timing, ideally early in your prep to set a baseline.
- Record your scaled score per section and your total, not just the raw number you got right.
- Convert your scaled score to a percentile using the chart below.
- Compare that percentile to the range your target schools look for.
- Retest every few weeks to see whether your scaled scores, not just your raw counts, are climbing.
Why focus on the scaled score and percentile instead of “questions correct”? Because raw counts don’t transfer between tests. Getting 45 right on an easy section is not the same accomplishment as getting 45 right on a hard one, and the scaled score is what already accounts for that difference.
Pro tip: A free MCAT practice test is the cleanest way to get a baseline scaled score before you build a study plan. You can’t improve toward a target you haven’t measured.
MCAT scaled score to percentile (2026 chart)
Even without a raw-to-scaled chart, you can always translate a scaled score into a percentile, and the percentile is what really tells you how you compare to other applicants. The AAMC updates these percentiles every year on May 1, using data from the most recent three years of test takers.
The numbers below are the official AAMC percentile ranks in effect from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, based on everyone who tested in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The “percentile” column shows the percentage of test takers who scored at or below that total score.
| Total scaled score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 528 | 100 |
| 525 | 100 |
| 522 | 99 |
| 520 | 97 |
| 518 | 95 |
| 515 | 91 |
| 512 | 84 |
| 510 | 79 |
| 508 | 74 |
| 505 | 64 |
| 502 | 55 |
| 500 | 48 |
| 498 | 42 |
| 495 | 33 |
| 490 | 20 |
| 485 | 11 |
| 480 | 4 |
| 472 | <1 |
A few useful anchors to remember:
- 500 sits right around the 48th percentile (the true midpoint, the 50th percentile, lands at about a 501).
- 510 is roughly the 79th percentile.
- 515 is about the 91st percentile.
- 520 reaches the 97th percentile.
Because these ranks shift slightly each year, always check the current percentile ranks on the AAMC’s site for the most up-to-date figures. For a fuller breakdown by section and by percentile band, see our guide to MCAT score percentiles.
What your score means for medical school
Percentiles matter because medical schools, not just you, use them to compare applicants. A scaled score on its own is abstract. A percentile tells an admissions committee how you stack up against the rest of the applicant pool.
As a rough guide for MD programs:
- 510 and above is competitive for many MD programs. The average MCAT for matriculants at U.S. MD schools tends to sit in the low 510s.
- 505 to 509 keeps a wide range of schools in play, especially alongside a strong GPA and application.
- Below 500 narrows your options for MD programs, though it does not close the door, and many DO programs accept lower scores.
These are general patterns, not cutoffs. Every school weighs the MCAT differently, and your GPA, experiences, and personal statement all matter. Always check the specific score ranges published by the programs you’re targeting. For more on setting a realistic target, see our guide to what a good MCAT score is.
Pro tip: Many schools look at your section scores, not just your total. A balanced 510 (around 127-128 per section) often reads better than a lopsided 510 with one weak section, so don’t ignore a single section just because your total looks fine.
Took the old MCAT before 2015? (Old-to-new conversion)
The MCAT scoring system you’ve read about so far has been in place since 2015. The previous version, scored on a 3 to 45 scale with three multiple-choice sections and a writing component, was retired in January 2015. If you tested before then, you may be wondering how your old score compares.
The honest answer, straight from the AAMC, is that a direct comparison between old and new scores is not possible. The two tests measured different content on different scales, so there’s no exact crosswalk.
What you can do is compare percentiles. Both versions were standardized exams, so a percentile on the old scale lines up roughly with the same percentile on the new scale. For example, the 50th percentile was about a 25 on the old scale and about a 501 on the new scale, so a 25 corresponds loosely to a 501. The 99th percentile was about a 38 on the old test and roughly a 522-523 today.
In practice, this conversion almost never matters anymore. The old MCAT was retired more than a decade ago, and schools that accept older scores are increasingly rare. If you took the old test and you’re applying now, you’re very likely retaking the current MCAT, in which case the scoring above is all you need.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official MCAT raw score to scaled score conversion chart?
No. The AAMC equates each version of the test individually, so the number of correct answers needed for a given scaled score changes from form to form. Any fixed chart you find online is an estimate.
How many questions do I need to get right for a certain score?
There’s no single answer, for the same reason there’s no fixed chart. As a very rough guide, scoring around the midpoint (a 500) usually means answering a bit over half the questions correctly, but the exact count varies by form. Focus on your scaled score from practice tests, not raw counts.
What is a good MCAT score?
It depends on your target schools, but a 510 or higher is competitive for many MD programs. The midpoint is 500 (the 48th percentile), and the top schools often see averages in the mid-510s. See our good MCAT score guide for details.
How is the MCAT total score calculated?
Your four section scores, each from 118 to 132, are added together for a total from 472 to 528. There is no weighting; every section counts equally.
Where can I find the current MCAT percentiles?
The AAMC publishes them on its percentile ranks page and updates them every May 1.
Understanding how your score is built is the first step. The next is measuring where you actually stand, then closing the gap. Take a free practice test to get your baseline scaled score, and when you’re ready to build a focused study plan, Magoosh MCAT prep can help you get there.
