What to Know if You're Retaking the MCAT
Didn't get the score you wanted the first time? Here's what to know before your MCAT retake.
Getting your MCAT score back and not seeing the number you wanted can be really discouraging. Prepping for the test takes time, effort, and money, and a disappointing result can make it feel like all of that was wasted.
But one low score isn't the end of the road. Countless pre-med students have been in your shoes, come back with a higher score on their second or third attempt, and gone on to earn a medical school acceptance.
Change Your Approach
The most important thing to understand is that your next round of prep has to look different. Using the exact same approach and hoping for a higher score is a big mistake.
Instead, look at your previous prep with a critical eye and figure out what went wrong. For example, maybe you:
- Didn't do enough practice questions
- Did plenty of questions but didn't spend enough time reviewing them
- Had gaps in your content knowledge
- Weren't familiar enough with the test format
There are plenty of other possibilities, and it could easily be more than one of these. Either way, take the time to dig into what went wrong last time and what you can do differently now.
Take a Break if You Need One
Once you've evaluated your previous prep, give yourself a break if you need it. Signing up for a retake right away isn't always the best move. It works well for some people, but you need to think about your own situation and timeline.
Pick a Realistic Timeline
When you're ready, sign up for your retake and choose a timeline that's realistic for you. If you're aiming for a big score increase, it won't happen overnight. It takes time.
That said, don't start studying so far ahead of your test date that you burn out or start forgetting what you covered early on. I think a good range to aim for is 3–6 months of prep. It's the sweet spot: enough time to make real progress, but short enough that you still feel a sense of urgency.
Get Expert Guidance
If you're willing to invest in your prep and want 1:1 guidance along with discounted resources like UWorld, browse our MCAT packages. A tutor who has already succeeded on the MCAT can make it much easier to figure out what went wrong and what to change so you can raise your score.