MCAT
November 13, 2023

Old to New MCAT Score Conversion 2024

If you’re still new to understanding what differences lie between the old MCAT and the new MCAT scores, look no further than our quick MCAT score conversion guide for total MCAT score as well as section-by-section MCAT conversions.

How Do MCAT Scores Work?

Old MCAT Scoring

To understand how the scoring has changed for the new 2015 MCAT, let’s break out the key differences between the old and the newer MCAT:

Old MCAT:

3 sections of multiple choice
1 writing section
Score in each multiple choice ranging from 1-15; a total score of 3 to 45

New MCAT:

4 sections of multiple choice
No writing section
Score in each multiple choice ranging from 118 – 132; a total score of 472 – 528

What this means:

Although the numbers seem much more intimidating on the new MCAT, it’s important to understand that both the old and new MCAT scores have a range of 15 (1-15 on the old scale and 118-132 on the new).

Old MCAT To New MCAT – Total Score Conversions & Percentiles

OLD MCAT SCORE	NEW MCAT SCORE	PERCENTILE
45	528	>99
44	527	>99
43	527	>99
42	526	>99
41	525	>99
40	524	>99
39	524	>99
38	523	99
37	521	98
36	519	97
35	518	96
34	517	94
33	515	91
32	514	89
31	512	85
30	510	80
29	508	74
28	506	67
27	504	60
26	503	57
25	501	50
24	499	43
23	497	37
22	496	33
21	494	28
20	492	22
19	491	20
18	489	15
17	488	13
16	486	10
15	485	8
14	483	6
13	482	5
12	480	3
11	479	2
10	478	2
9	477	1
8	476	1
7	475	<1
6	475	<1
5	474	<1
4	473	<1
3	472	<1

Old MCAT To New MCAT: Biological Sciences Score Conversion & Percentiles

OLD MCAT SCORE	NEW MCAT SCORE	PERCENTILE
15	132	>99
14	131	99
13	130	96
12	129	90
11	128	83
10	127	73
9	126	62
8	125	50
7	124	39
6	123	28
5	122	18
4	121	11
3	120	6
2	119	2
1	118	1

Old MCAT To New MCAT: Physical Sciences Score Conversion & Percentiles

OLD MCAT SCORE	NEW MCAT SCORE	PERCENTILE
15	132	>99
14	131	99
13	130	97
12	129	91
11	128	85
10	127	76
9	126	65
8	125	53
7	124	43
6	123	31
5	122	21
4	121	12
3	120	6
2	119	3
1	118	1

Old MCAT To New MCAT: CARS Score Conversion & Percentiles

OLD MCAT SCORE	NEW MCAT SCORE	PERCENTILE
15	132	>99
14	131	99
13	130	98
12	129	95
11	128	90
10	127	82
9	126	72
8	125	60
7	124	48
6	123	35
5	122	23
4	121	13
3	120	7
2	119	3
1	118	1

What are MCAT Score Percentiles?

MCAT score percentiles compare us against everyone else taking the test. Gone are the days where everyone gets a trophy. With the MCAT, there are winners, losers, and then everyone else who falls in the middle of the bell curve. One could say that the percentile comparing you against the other test takers is actually more important than your score itself.

See how Caroline Chen scored in the top 100th percentile on the MCAT:

How MCAT Percentiles Work

The percentile measures how well your score compares to others who took the test. The percentile does NOT measure the percentage of questions you answered correctly. Let’s take this percentile example:

98th percentile: 98% of all test takers received the same score or lower. Simply put, a 98th percentile means that you are in the top 2% of all test takers.

Although there are big differences in content that is being tested between the old and new MCAT, you should understand that the importance of a high score and landing in the top percentiles remains equally important.

MCAT Score Conversion FAQ

How rare is a 528 on the MCAT?

A 528 is extremely rare, but is certainly possible. Every year, between 30 to 70 students score a 528 on the MCAT. You can see more on our post about a perfect MCAT score.

What is a good MCAT score?

The answer to this question depends on the medical schools you intend on applying to. That said, a good MCAT score is considered a 511 or higher – with no section scoring less than 127.

How many times can I retake the MCAT?

A student is allowed to take the test just 3 times in a calendar year, 4 times in a span of two years and a total of 7 in one’s lifetime. See more on how many times can I take the MCAT?

What’s Next

Have you signed up for the MCAT? See the MCAT dates for 2024 and learn more about the cancellation and rescheduling MCAT policies that may affect your upcoming test.