You want to register months in advance because seats fill up quickly. Sometimes registering 2 or 3 months in advance may not be early enough to get the test date and location you originally hoped for. There are two time periods when MCAT registration opens: October and February.
When Should You Take the MCAT?
The MCAT exam is offered multiple times in 2021 from January and March through September at hundreds of test sites in the United States, Canada, and around the world. Visit our MCAT COVID-19 page for updates on the MCAT testing program's response to the pandemic.
Your calendar should have the following:
How do I register for the MCAT? 1 Create a required AAMC account. This will help you access the MCAT registration system. To set up an account, you’ll need a username and password. 2 Gather your ID and credit card (or debit card). Have your government-issued ID available (something like a driver’s license), and have your form of payment handy. 3 Access the registration portal. Click on “Students and Residents” in the left-hand bar, then “Applying to Medical School,” then “Register for the MCAT.” In the registration system, select “Start Exam Registration.” 4 Fill in information as required. This will include personal info (think: date of birth, address, country), biographic information, background, various releases. 5 Choose your test date from the schedule. This screen will also show you MCAT testing locations that are available near you. Note that MCAT dates fall throughout the week, so think about what day would be best for you–Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Keep in mind that weekend dates tend to fill up fast! 6 Pay and complete your registration! You can pay with VISA, MasterCard, or American Express.
You can take the MCAT up to three times in a single testing year, but you’re only allowed to be registered for one seat at a time. If a conflict has arisen with your original test date reservation, you may be able to reschedule your exam on the AAMC website (you can also change your preferred location there.
To set up an account, you’ll need a username and password. Gather your ID and credit card (or debit card). Have your government-issued ID available (something like a driver ’s license), and have your form of payment handy. Access the registration portal. Click on “Students and Residents” in the left-hand bar, then “Applying to Medical School,” then ...
But the initial MCAT registration fees aren’t the only cost. Exactly how pricy registering for the MCAT is depends on when you register. The AAMC does this by “zones”: there’s the gold zone deadline, the silver zone deadline, or the bronze zone deadline. With that in mind, here’s a closer look at MCAT fees!
For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS, is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin's Press, while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND, co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House.
Rachel is one of Magoosh’s Content Creators. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book. Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS, is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin's Press, while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND, co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn't strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!
Most students want to take the exam at their preferred testing location on a date that works best for them. As you can imagine, Saturday is a very popular MCAT test day. Understandably, the closer it is to the test date (and the last date of registration), ...
See available MCAT test center locations in the U.S. and Canada before registering for your exam.
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You need to be wise because it is an expensive test ($320) and is only administered around 20 times per year. It also takes careful planning because it costs an additional $95-$165 to change a test center or reschedule the test.
2. You should complete your pre-requisite courses for medical school before the test. Generally, for medical school, you need to have taken 3-4 semesters of biology (including genetics), 2 semesters of general chemistry, 1-2 semesters of organic chemistry, 1 semester of biochemistry, ...
There are two time periods when MCAT registration opens: October and February. The registration in October is for tests that are administered from January to May.
This is why the most popular time to take the MCAT is during the summer after junior year. If you want to take the test in the summer, sign up as soon as registration opens in February. Tags.
It is much easier to study and take the test during the summer than the school year. This seems rather obvious but poor planning could really hurt you in this area. Studying for the MCAT while you’re taking classes for school requires tremendous discipline and is very difficult to do.
Edward Chang. Edward Chang is the Co-founder and Director of Operations of ProspectiveDoctor.com. He graduated from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is currently a urology resident at the University of Washington.
I know you’re probably thinking about what to do with all the extra time you have on your hands. Begin, by creating a disciplined schedule for your MCAT.
Who can take the MDo molecular biology and organic chemistry sound fascinating to you? Do you want to be around people who thrive in the STEM field? You are eligible to take the MCAT if you are considering a health professions school. Any students who want to further study allopathic, osteopathic, podiatric, or veterinary medicine can qualify for this exam.
Are you passing most of your practice exams? If studying and your workflow is becoming easier you can start thinking about the MCAT.
Certainly, this is one of your main priorities for the day of the test. Your identification is your ticket into the exam without it you’ll leave with the frustration of reapplying for the exam. Bring an ID that has your first and last name, it must exactly match the MCAT registration name.
Furthermore, make sure you have mastered the test prep content. In this way, you’ll be able to choose the best dates suitable for you. The locations and available seating are important for you to consider. Often the MCAT can seem like a long waiting game, however with a calculated decision you can take the test much quicker and with good results.
The registration part can be the scariest because it’s when everything becomes more real for the candidate. You will receive your test scores and it will determine whether or not you can continue for the MCAT program.
Additionally, you can follow the @AAMC_MCAT Twitter account for most updates.
In addition, a lot of students choose to take the MCAT in January because there is usually a lot of break time leading up to the test date, which provides a nice chunk of time for them to focus on MCAT prep without the distraction of classes and finals.
There are 30 MCAT test dates to choose from in 2021. When deciding on an MCAT test date, consider the fact that you’ll need 3-5 months to study and that your MCAT scores should be ready by the time medical school applications open in June. Other factors include whether or not you want a weekend test date, seat availability at your preferred testing ...
If you’re testing in April, May, June, or July, then January or February is the perfect time to get started on your prep. Remember that the application cycle opens in June of each year, and you will want your official MCAT score to be released and ready to go when you submit your application.
In 2020, the MCAT will be offered in January and every month from March through September. With so many test dates coming up, it can be easy to put the decision on the back-burner, but think about it like this: lots of longer-term decisions—like when to schedule your test prep—depend on your MCAT test date. So taking just a little bit of time now to determine your future test date can put you ahead of the game and help you develop a strong plan for your MCAT success.
This is often something students forget about. You want to pick an exam location that is going to be convenient for you. Just like all things in medical school applications early is always better. It is in your best interest to register for your MCAT exam date ASAP. This way you are committed to studying for the exam and you are going to take the test at your preferred location. (Some testing centers fill up fast!)
Testing in time for your application. We generally recommend that students give themselves at least three to five months to prepare for the MCAT. As such, if you want to test in January or March, then you’ll want to get started in September or October. If you’re testing in April, May, June, or July, then January or February is ...
MCAT Prep Tip. As the official MCAT prep of the AMSA, Kaplan has many MCAT classes to prepare you for any test date. You can register months in advance, so you can enroll and save your spot for when they begin. This way of thinking ahead has an additional payoff: Even though you might not start your MCAT class meetings right away, once you enroll, ...