If you get sick before the MCAT, you can reschedule (with potential fees, closer to the date) or cancel for a partial refund via an Emergency Refund Request (ERR) if it's a severe, acute medical issue with documentation, but a no-show counts as an attempt and forfeits your fee. If you feel mildly unwell on test day, you might still take it, but severe illness or COVID-19 symptoms require cancellation and documentation for an excused absence/refund. If you start the exam sick, you must properly void it at the center to prevent scoring; otherwise, it will be scored and count as an attempt.
If you experience an extenuating hardship prior to your MCAT exam appointment that affects your ability to attend your exam, please submit an emergency refund request (ERR). If approved, you will receive a partial refund of your exam registration fee.
Cancellations may be made online through the MCAT Registration System or by calling Pearson VUE up to 10 days before your appointment. You will receive an email confirming your cancellation.
No, medical schools will not know if you void an MCAT. That said, this attempt will count in your total number of MCAT attempts. You can take the MCAT up to three times in a year, four times over two years, and seven times in a lifetime.
Try drinking some ginger or lemon tea to help with your throat/sinuses and stay hydrated with water. Getting rest is the most important. Also, I personally find Buckleys helps with coughing (to avoid coughing during the exam) and those day and night Tylenol cold pills.
The MCAT Test Day Experience & Recreating it for Practice Tests
Can being sick affect test taking?
Yes. Anything that distracts you from the test will cause problems. A cold probably won't affect you much, but a stomach virus that's making you have to get up and go to the bathroom every few minutes will seriously reduce your time, and thus your score.
The top 3 toughest exams globally consistently include China's Gaokao (college entrance), India's IIT-JEE Advanced (engineering), and India's UPSC Civil Services Exam (government jobs), due to their extreme competition, vast syllabi, and life-altering consequences, though other candidates like the All Souls Prize or Master Sommelier Diploma are also noted for extreme difficulty. These exams demand immense knowledge, analytical skills, and endurance, with failure often meaning significant setbacks, making them notoriously difficult.
Yes, a 491 on the MCAT is generally considered a low or below-average score, placing you in the lower percentiles (around the 20th percentile), far from the average score of 501 and the competitive range of 511+, making admission to most MD programs very difficult, though it might be considered for some DO programs or with extraordinary supporting qualifications like a high GPA or extensive research, and it's often a strong signal to retake the exam for most applicants.
No, a 3.7 GPA is not bad for medical school; it's generally considered competitive, often around the average or slightly below for highly selective MD programs, but strong enough for many schools, especially with an upward trend and a good MCAT score. A 3.7 combined with a strong BCPM (Science) GPA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math) and compelling extracurriculars makes you a viable applicant, though lower GPAs might need more exceptional scores or experiences to compensate.
A 70th percentile on the MCAT means you scored better than 70% of test-takers, which generally translates to a total score around 507-508, placing you in a competitive range for MD medical school admissions, though specific school averages vary. Your actual score might differ slightly as percentiles shift, but this score is strong, showing solid performance above the average (around 500).
Does it look bad to retake the MCAT 3 times? Taking the MCAT more than once can be a red flag on medical school applications. However, there are ways to work around this weakness on an application. Admissions committees will see all of MCAT scores.
You can cancel your MCAT at any time before your scheduled appointment, but you will only receive a partial refund if you cancel 30 days or more before your scheduled test date.
A 78% on the MCAT generally translates to a total score of 510, placing you in the 78th percentile, meaning you scored better than 78% of test-takers, which is a strong, competitive score for many medical schools, often above average for MD programs. While not in the highest tiers (like 90th percentile+), it's a very solid score that makes you competitive, especially when combined with a strong GPA and experiences.
It's a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, often accompanied by feelings of cynicism or detachment. In the context of MCAT prep, burnout can significantly impair your ability to retain information, focus, and perform well on the exam.
This is the "fight or flight" reaction. It's what causes symptoms like sweating, a pounding heart, and fast breathing. Test anxiety can also cause you to feel "butterflies" in your stomach, or have a stomachache or headache. You might be shaky, or feel like you might throw up or pass out.
A GPA in the top 1% generally means a near-perfect or perfect GPA, typically around 3.9 to 4.0 (or higher with weighted courses), often qualifying for the highest academic honor, summa cum laude, at many universities, though the exact number can vary by institution and class size. In high school, a 4.0 often places you in the top 2-5%, but achieving the very top percentile (1%) usually requires perfect scores or extremely high weighted scores from AP/IB classes.
What is the lowest GPA for Harvard Medical School?
Harvard Medical School's overall median GPA is 3.97. HMS does not have a minimum GPA requirement. Harvard Medical School's median GPA is 3.97, but its mean GPA is 3.94. In 2025-2026, all medical school applicants and matriculants had an average overall GPA of 3.64.
A top 1% MCAT score generally starts around 517-518+, with the highest percentile being the perfect 528, but scores in the low 520s (like 521-522) already put you in the 98th percentile or above, meaning you're scoring better than nearly everyone else and firmly in that elite tier for top medical schools, though a 528 is statistically extremely rare.
No, a 512 MCAT score is not bad; it's a strong, competitive score, generally around the 84th percentile, meaning you scored better than most test-takers and are competitive for many MD programs, with averages often around 511-512 for admitted students, though higher scores (515+) boost chances for top-tier schools. It's a solid score that allows for broad applications, but consider your overall profile (GPA, experiences) and target schools, as very selective programs may prefer scores above 515.
A 525 MCAT score is extremely rare and exceptional, placing you in the top 1% (100th percentile) of test-takers, just three points shy of a perfect 528, making you a top-tier applicant highly competitive for even the most selective medical schools. While exact numbers vary, only a tiny fraction of test-takers (around 1 in 450 or less) achieve scores of 525+, signifying mastery of the material.
Here's a list of contries with the toughest education system. 1-China 2-Russia 3-Korea 4-India 5-Singapore 6-Hongkong 8-Italy 9-Poland 10-Czech Do you think this list is incomplete?