What is the 90th percentile MCAT score?

A 90th percentile MCAT score is typically a total score of 515, though it can vary slightly by year, often falling in the range of 514-515, and represents a strong performance placing you above most test-takers, competitive for top-tier medical schools, with strong section scores in the 128-130 range.

What is a top 1% MCAT score?

A top 1% MCAT score generally falls around the 515-520+ range, though the exact score shifts slightly with each testing year's percentiles, with scores like 475-477 often representing the 1st percentile on the total score chart, but a 99th percentile is closer to 520+, requiring near-perfect section scores (131-132) for the highest ranks, with 528 being perfect. 

What percentile is a 492 on the MCAT?

492 MCAT® Score

The answer depends on several factors including what type of medical school (MD vs DO vs Canadian) you're interested in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 492 on the MCAT® means you performed in the 26% percentile.

What is an 80th percentile MCAT score?

However, the average score typically falls around the 80th percentile, which equates to a scaled score around 511. It is important to note that MCAT score percentiles can change slightly from year to year, so the 80th percentile may be a different score in years past if you're looking at historical trends.

Is the 99th percentile the top 1%?

Yes, the 99th percentile is effectively the top 1% because it signifies you scored better than 99% of the population, placing you in the highest-scoring group, which is the top one percent. If 100 people are ranked, the person at the 99th percentile is above 99 of them, making them the top performer alongside those in that highest bracket. 

5 Tips to Achieve a 99.9th Percentile MCAT Score

What's a good MCAT score in 2025?

MCAT Score Tiers for 2025

506–510 (Competitive): Good chances across broad MD/DO school ranges. 511–513 (Strong): Highly competitive for most medical schools. 514–518 (Very Strong): Competitive for top-tier programs. 519+ (Elite): Exceptional scores, top 5% of all test takers; highly competitive for elite institutions.

Is 512 MCAT too low?

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. 

What percent of MCAT takers get a 520?

Is 520 a good MCAT score? An MCAT score of 520 is very strong and puts you in the 97th percentile of all MCAT test takers.

What is an Ivy League MCAT score?

Dedicate enough time to preparing for the MCAT: Though your MCAT score isn't the only stat considered, the average MCAT score of Ivy League med school matriculants is 519 or higher.

Should I retake a 516 MCAT?

Bottom line: If you scored 498 or below, I definitely recommend retaking the MCAT. If you scored 499-505 your first time, you should probably retake the MCAT. If you scored 506-511, you may not need to retake, but you could if you know you'd score much higher — especially if you're applying to Ivy League schools.

What is a realistic MCAT score?

The average MCAT score for all applicants is currently between a 506 and 507. The average MCAT score for matriculants (those who've been accepted and have registered to attend a med school) is between a 511 and a 512.

Is the MCAT harder than the SAT?

Yes, the MCAT is widely considered significantly harder than the SAT, as it's much longer (nearly 8 hours vs. ~3 hours), requires extensive, specialized science knowledge (biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, psychology, sociology), and tests advanced critical thinking in complex, passage-based scientific contexts, unlike the SAT's high school-level content. The MCAT demands hundreds of hours of dedicated study, making it a formidable challenge even for high-achievers who did well on the SAT.
 

How do med schools view a 516 MCAT score?

According to recent AAMC stats, a 516 on the MCAT is not a bad score because it's an above-average MCAT score, and it is competitive for med-school admission: A 516 is 93 percentile rank on the MCAT. * The current average MCAT score is at the 501 mark, and a 516 is 15 points ahead of that score.

Should I retake a 518 MCAT?

You scored a 518 or higher.

With scores at this level, an MCAT retake is not necessary because schools will consider you to be academically elite.

Can you get into MD with 507?

Considering that a 507 is quite close to the average MCAT score of a 501, it's not very competitive for med-school admission. With a 507, you might make some med-school score cutoffs, but the rest of your application needs to be very competitive to make you a viable candidate for most med-schools.

How hard is it to get 510 on MCAT?

It is not hard to get a 510 as it is at the 80th percentile. That means 20 percent of test takers score 510 or better, which means it is a very reachable goal. However, it requires a lot of studying to get a high MCAT score. Fortunately, at 510 and up, you'll be a competitive candidate.

What is the lowest MCAT to get into med school?

The MCAT is scored between 472 and 528, with the average test-taker scoring around 501. Most competitive medical schools expect 510+, but there are programs with: Lower minimum cutoffs (498–502) Lower average accepted scores (500–505)

How many questions can you miss on MCAT to get 520?

To get a 520 on the MCAT, you generally need to miss very few questions, often only a handful in total, aiming for around 128-130 per section (out of 132), which means getting maybe 1-3 wrong in some sections and a few more in others, as scoring is percentile-based and depends on test difficulty, but you must be in the top few percentiles overall. While a perfect score (528) might allow for a few missed questions, a 520 requires near perfection, potentially missing only 5-10 questions across the entire exam, or even just a couple per section on easier tests, say Reddit users. 

What IQ puts you in the 99th percentile?

An IQ score in the 99th percentile means you scored higher than 99% of the population, typically corresponding to an IQ of around 135 or above, indicating exceptional intelligence, though exact numbers can vary slightly by test and standardization, with the 99th percentile representing the top 1% of people.
 

Is the 95th percentile the top 5%?

Yes, the 95th percentile is the same as the top 5%, meaning that 95% of all data points fall below that specific value, leaving the highest 5% above it, so they are two ways of saying the same thing about being at the upper end of a dataset. 

What rank is 99.9 percentile?

Higher percentile = Better rank = Higher chances of admission to top NITs and IITs. Key Insight: A 99.9 percentile typically corresponds to top 1,000-1,500 ranks, while a 99 percentile translates to approximately 8,000-10,000 rank range.