How Many Times Can You Take the MCAT?
You can attempt the MCAT no more than 3 times in a single testing year, no more than 4 times across two consecutive testing years (2 times per year, average), and no more than 7 times in your lifetime (lifetime starting April 2015). You can also hold only one MCAT signup date at a time.
What Are the Official MCAT Attempt Limits?
There are three limits and they apply at the same time: three attempts in one testing year, four across two consecutive testing years, and seven in a lifetime.
The limits stack rather than replace one another, which is the part students most often get wrong. Testing three times in one year is allowed, but it leaves you only one attempt in the following year before the two-year limit stops you — so a three-attempt year is a decision about the next two years, not just this one.
AAMC counts the lifetime total from the April 2015 test dates onward. Attempts at the older version of the exam, before that changeover, do not count against the seven.
Source: AAMC
Is a Testing Year the Same as a Calendar Year?
In practice, yes. Each testing year's exam dates fall inside one calendar year: the 2027 testing year runs from January 15 to September 11, 2027, and there is no US testing from October through December.
So a September attempt and a January attempt sit in different testing years, but they still count together toward the limit of four across two consecutive testing years, and toward the lifetime limit of seven. Before booking a retake, check the current dates on the AAMC calendar.
Does a Voided Score or a No-Show Count as an Attempt?
Yes, both count. AAMC states that a voided exam counts toward your testing limits regardless of the reason, and that voids and no-shows count toward your lifetime limit.
Voiding keeps that day's score off the reports sent to medical schools, but it does not give the attempt back. Missing your appointment does not give it back either. So treat every exam appointment you keep, or miss, as one of your attempts, and make the void-or-score decision on test day knowing it uses an attempt either way.
If you are close enough to the limits that this changes your plan, contact the AAMC before you book.
Can You Take the MCAT More Than Seven Times?
Only by appeal. AAMC states it may consider appeals of the testing limits, and that it will not consider more than one appeal in a test year.
An appeal is an exception, not a planning tool. If you are approaching the lifetime limit, the more useful question is not how to buy an eighth attempt but why the score has not moved — repeated attempts without a change in preparation method rarely produce a different result, and every score you generate is visible to the schools you apply to.
Source: AAMC
How Many Times Should You Actually Take the MCAT?
Far fewer times than you are allowed to. The limit is seven; the number of attempts that helps most applicants is one, and occasionally two.
Medical schools see every score you have, and how they weigh multiple attempts varies by school. Some average, some take the most recent, some take the highest, and their policies are published in the MSAR.
A retake is only worth it when something concrete has changed: more content mastery, a fixed timing problem, a practice-test average meaningfully above your real score. A retake without one of those changes is usually the same exam with more anxiety attached.
We recommend that students should not sit the real exam until your official AAMC full-length practice scores are consistently at or above your target, because your real score usually lands near your practice average rather than above it. Unfortunately, most students don't know this, and this is counter to how a lot of people prepare!
Some students think that it's okay to just take the MCAT, see how they do, and if they don't do well, they can retake it. Not only is this a waste of your time and money, but it causes two main problems:
- After you take it, there's about a month between your test day and your score release date. If you're waiting to see your score, you're likely not going to study, which is going to cause you to fall behind a lot of the material. If you're planning to study through this period anyway, then you should just reschedule for a month later.
- Schools are going to see all of your attempts. Well, it's hard to say definitively that one low score before you get a more recent, higher score is going to hurt you. Those low chances actually look good.
Source: AAMC
The attempt limit is highly unlikely to be driving your plan. Almost nobody runs out of attempts. They run out of time and application cycles. Take the exam when you feel ready (and your practice scores say you are ready) not when the calendar says you are allowed. If this means that you need to push back your test, then it do be like that sometimes. Remember, the MCAT is a big part of your application. The difference between a good score and a suboptimal score could not only be the difference in where you get in and the year that you get in, but also in scholarships that could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. This is not something to skimp out on!
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Many Times Can You Take the MCAT in One Year?
- Three times in a single testing year, according to AAMC. Each testing year's exam dates run from January to September.
- How Many Times Can You Take the MCAT in Your Lifetime?
- Seven times. AAMC counts the lifetime total beginning with the April 2015 test dates, so attempts at the pre-2015 version of the exam do not count.
- Do Medical Schools See All of My MCAT Attempts?
- Yes. Every scored attempt is reported. How a school weighs multiple scores varies. Some consider the most recent, while some might average them. Individual school policies are published in the MSAR.
- Can I Hold Two MCAT Appointments at the Same Time?
- No. AAMC allows you to hold only one MCAT exam appointment at a time. This means that you can't have multiple dates scheduled, and you can only schedule the next date after taking the test or canceling/rescheduling your previous date.
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Sources
- Testing Attempt Limits — The MCAT EssentialsAssociation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) · checked
- The MCAT Essentials for Testing Year 2026Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) · checked
- US MCAT Calendar, Scheduling Deadlines, and Score Release DatesAssociation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) · checked
- Scoring or Voiding Your Exam — The MCAT EssentialsAssociation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) · checked
- MCAT FAQsAssociation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) · checked
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