What percentile is 493 MCAT?

A 493 MCAT score falls around the 27th-29th percentile, making it below the average for medical school applicants (around 506-507) and well below the average for accepted students (around 511-512), suggesting it's a score that often prompts consideration for retaking, especially for MD programs, though acceptance to DO or Caribbean schools might be possible depending on section scores and overall application strength.

What percentile is 493 on MCAT?

Attaining a score of 493 on the MCAT® means you performed in the 29% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 123 (C/P) 124 (CARS) 123 (B/B) 123 (P/S).

Can I get into med-school with a 493?

The lowest MCAT score accepted by most medical schools in the US is 490-495. Scores below 490 are seldom accepted. That said, just meeting the minimum won't make you competitive. According to the AAMC, the median MCAT score for all applicants is 506.1, while the median for matriculants is 511.8.

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 MCAT score is 95th percentile?

A 95th percentile MCAT score is typically a total score of 518, meaning you scored better than 95% of test-takers, placing you in a highly competitive range for medical school admissions, though this can shift slightly annually with new data. Scores around this range (e.g., 518-521) are excellent, indicating strong performance, with the highest percentile (100th) achieved at scores of 524-528. 

5 Tips to Achieve a 99.9th Percentile MCAT Score

Is a 480 bad on the MCAT?

Yes, a 480 is generally considered a low or below-average MCAT score, falling in the 3rd percentile, significantly below the average of around 501 and the competitive range (511+) for medical school admissions, making it challenging to get into most MD programs without a strong retake or exceptional other application components. However, your specific section scores and overall application (GPA, experiences) matter, and a balanced score (e.g., 120 in each section) is better than a skewed one, with DO or Caribbean schools potentially being more accessible. 

Is 99th percentile the same as top 1%?

In such cases, the 99th percentile is typically the highest, representing the top 1 percent of data points, while the bottom 1 percent fall into the 0th percentile. One common way to calculate percentiles is to use index values for the data points in a set.

What is a realistic MCAT score?

A good MCAT score is generally considered to be 511 or higher, with no section score below 127. The MCAT, also known as the Medical College Admission Test, is a computer-based standardized exam designed to assess your potential as a medical student and doctor.

Is 492 a bad MCAT score?

Yes, a 492 is generally considered a low MCAT score, falling below the average (around 501) and placing you in the 23rd-26th percentile, but it's not impossible to get into some programs, especially if your other application components are strong or if you're applying to DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) or certain MD schools with lower cutoffs; however, a retake is often recommended for significantly improving your chances for most MD programs. 

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.

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.

What is the lowest MCAT score accepted for Harvard?

While Harvard Medical School (HMS) doesn't publish a minimum MCAT score, accepted students typically have scores in the low 500s or higher, with averages around 520, but exceptional extracurriculars, research, and personal narratives can allow admission with lower scores, like a 515, especially with a high GPA, though even lower scores (like the 511 range for MD-PhD) are seen but are rare for MD-only. 

Is MCAT harder than 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.
 

What score is 80% correct on MCAT?

Scoring 80% correct on the MCAT is very strong, often translating to high section scores (like 127-130+) and a total score around the 80th percentile or higher (511+), which is competitive for most medical schools, but achieving a balanced score across all sections (especially CARS) is crucial, as inconsistent section performance (e.g., very high science, very low CARS) can raise red flags despite a good overall average. While 80% on practice tests like UWorld is excellent for learning, the final AAMC score depends on scaling and test difficulty, so focus on learning from errors, not just the percentage.
 

Is 490 a bad 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 490 on the MCAT® means you performed in the 20% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

Should I retake the MCAT if I scored 499?

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.

Can I get into med school with a 495 MCAT?

In general: MCAT scores below 502 are considered below-average. Scores between 490–500 fall on the lower end for both MD and DO schools. Below 490 is unlikely to be competitive at accredited U.S. or Canadian schools.

How bad is a 491 MCAT score?

Yes, a 491 is generally considered a low MCAT score, placing you in the lower percentiles (around the 20th percentile) and significantly below the average (around 500-501) and competitive scores (511+) for most MD programs, making admission difficult but not impossible, especially for DO or Caribbean schools with lower averages, or if balanced with a stellar GPA/experiences, though a retake is often recommended for better MD chances.
 

What's the most common MCAT score?

There are four sections, and scores for each one fall between 118 and 132—so the total MCAT score range is 472 to 528. AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) data shows that the average accepted score in the U.S. is around 511–512.

What's the hardest section of the MCAT?

Most test-takers find the CARS (Critical Analysis and Reading Skills) section the hardest MCAT section due to its focus on reasoning, inference, and reading comprehension of dense, non-scientific texts, rather than pure knowledge recall. However, some struggle with the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys) section due to complex content like biochemistry pathways and physics concepts, while Behavioral Sciences (Bio/Psych) also presents unique challenges, making the "hardest" section highly individual.
 

What is 90% correct on MCAT?

Getting 90% correct on the MCAT usually translates to a score in the 90th percentile (around 515+ total), meaning you scored better than 90% of test-takers, with scores of 128-130 per section, though exact raw scores vary by section difficulty and test date due to statistical equating. Achieving this means answering most questions correctly, often around 44-48 questions per section, placing you as a very competitive applicant for medical school. 

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 the data points fall below that value, and only 5% fall above it, indicating excellent standing in most contexts like test scores or performance metrics. It marks the point where you've surpassed almost everyone, excluding the highest outliers.
 

Is it better or worse to be in a higher percentile?

A student's percentile rank indicates that the student scored as well as, or better than, the percent of students in the norm group. For example, a student scoring at the 35th percentile scored as well as, or better than, 35 percent of students in the norm group.