2026 MCAT Test and Score Release Dates

The MCAT is offered multiple times from January through September each year. Below, you’ll find the official 2026 MCAT test dates and score release dates, along with the scheduling information you need to choose a test date that works with your study plan and medical school application timeline.

Planning to take the MCAT in 2027? The AAMC has announced that registration for January–September 2027 exam dates will open October 20–22, 2026, depending on testing center location.

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2026 MCAT Test Dates and Score Release Dates

The table below includes the official 2026 MCAT test dates and score release dates. MCAT scores are typically released 30–35 days after your exam and are available no later than 5 p.m. ET on the scheduled release date.

If you haven’t registered yet, you can check current test center availability and schedule your exam through the AAMC MCAT Registration System. Test Center availability can change, so it’s a good idea to register once you’ve chosen a test date.

2026 Test Date	Score Release Date	10-Day Deadline	Start Test Prep By (4-Month Study Window)
January 9	February 10	December 30, 2025	September 9, 2025
January 10	February 10	December 31, 2025	September 10, 2025
January 15	February 17	January 5	September 15, 2025
January 23	February 24	January 13	September 23, 2025
February 13	March 17	February 3	October 13, 2025
March 7	April 7	February 25	November 7, 2025
March 20	April 21	March 10	November 20, 2025
April 10	May 12	March 31	December 10, 2026
April 11	May 12	April 1	December 11, 2026
April 24	May 27	April 14	December 24, 2026
April 25	May 27	April 15	December 25, 2026
May 2	June 2	April 22	January 2, 2026
May 8	June 9	April 28	January 8, 2026
May 9	June 9	April 29	January 9, 2026
May 14	June 16	May 4	January 14, 2026
May 22	June 23	May 12	January 22, 2026
May 30	June 30	May 20	January 28, 2026
June 12	July 14	June 2	February 12, 2026
June 13	July 14	June 3	February 13, 2026
June 26	July 28	June 16	February 26, 2026
June 27	July 28	June 17	February 27, 2026
July 11	August 11	July 1	March 11, 2026
July 24	August 25	July 14	March 24, 2026
July 31	September 2	July 21	March 30, 2026
August 15	September 15	August 5	April 15, 2026
August 21	September 22	August 11	April 21, 2026
August 22	September 22	August 12	April 22, 2026
September 3	October 6	August 24	May 3, 2026
September 4	October 6	August 25	May 4, 2026
September 11	October 13	September 1	May 11, 2026
September 12	October 13	September 2	May 12, 2026

MCAT Fees and Scheduling Dates

The standard registration fee for the MCAT is $355. This is reduced to $145 if you are part of the Fee Assistance Program.

The AAMC also uses 60-, 30-, and 10-day scheduling deadlines for each MCAT test date. These deadlines affect how much you’ll pay to reschedule your exam and whether you’ll receive a partial refund if you cancel.

For standard registrations, rescheduling costs $55 when you make the change at least 60 days before your exam, $110 when you’re 30–59 days out, and $210 when you’re 10–29 days out. You cannot schedule, reschedule, or make other appointment changes fewer than 10 days before your test date.

All scheduling deadlines end at 11:59 p.m. local time at your testing center.

When Should You Take the MCAT?

The best MCAT test date depends both on your medical school application timeline and how much time you need to prepare. Ideally, you want to take the exam early enough that your score is available when schools begin reviewing applications while still giving yourself enough time to reach your target score.

If you’re taking the MCAT during the same year you plan to apply, I generally recommend aiming for a winter or spring test date, with May being a useful target for many applicants. Since MCAT scores are typically released about a month after the exam, testing by May can help ensure your score is available relatively early in the application cycle.

This doesn’t mean a June, July, or August MCAT automatically makes it too late to apply. However, a later test date can delay when your application is complete and ready for schools to review. If you know you won’t be applying until a later cycle, you have much more flexibility and may find a summer test date works better with your schedule.

An earlier test date can also give you more room to retake the exam if your first score wasn’t where you want it to be. You shouldn’t choose an earlier date simply to create a retake window, though. Taking the exam before you’re adequately prepared can create a problem that a few additional weeks or months of studying might have prevented.

How Far in Advance Should You Start Studying for the MCAT?

Many students spend about three to six months preparing for the MCAT, but there isn’t one ideal study timeline for everyone. Your starting score, target score, weekly availability, and familiarity with the tested material all affect how much preparation you’ll need.

I recommend starting with a diagnostic exam rather than choosing an arbitrary number of months to study. Your results can help you identify which content areas need the most attention and give you a realistic sense of how much ground you need to cover.

From there, work backward from your test date. Make sure your schedule leaves room not only for content review, but also for practice questions, reviewing mistakes, and taking full- or half-length practice exams. If you’re balancing MCAT prep with school or a full-time job, you may need a longer timeline than someone who can devote most of their week to studying.

For a more detailed breakdown, see our guide to choosing when to take the MCAT and our MCAT study schedule recommendations.

MCAT Study Tips & Resources

A strong MCAT study plan should give you time for content review, practice questions, full-length exams, and targeted review of the areas where you’re losing the most points.

MedSchoolCoach also offers several resources to support your prep, including:

MCAT Practice Exams: Take full-length practice tests and track your progress over time.
MCAT Masterclass: Review key MCAT concepts with free articles, videos, and practice questions.
MCAT CARS Mastery: Build your approach to the CARS section with focused video lessons and practice.
MCAT Go: Review high-yield MCAT content with audio lessons you can use while commuting, exercising, or away from your desk.
MCAT Prep App: Practice MCAT questions and review content from your phone when you have a few minutes to study.
MCAT Practice Runner Game: Turn practice questions into a quick, interactive challenge covering biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and psychology/sociology.

FAQs

You can register through the AAMC MCAT Registration System using your AAMC ID. After completing the registration questions, you can select an available test date and testing location.

MCAT appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so it’s a good idea to register once you’ve chosen a date that fits your study and application timeline. If your preferred date or location is full, you can also use the AAMC’s appointment notification system to be notified if a seat becomes available.

No. The AAMC only allows you to hold one MCAT appointment at a time. If you want to change your test date, you can reschedule your existing appointment as long as you’re at least 10 days from your scheduled exam.

After you take the MCAT, you can register for another available date once the registration system updates your account, provided you haven’t reached the AAMC’s testing limits. You may take the MCAT up to three times in one testing year, four times across two consecutive years, and seven times in your lifetime.

MCAT scores are typically released about 30–35 days after your test date. You can find the scheduled score release date for each 2026 exam in the table above.

If you apply to MD programs through AMCAS, your MCAT scores are automatically added to your application as soon as they are released, even if you submitted your application before receiving your score.

If you apply to DO programs through AACOMAS, your scores are not sent automatically. You’ll need to use the AAMC Score Reporting System to release your official MCAT scores to AACOMAS. AACOM notes that it can take approximately 10–12 days to process your scores after they’re released by the AAMC.

Because schools can’t review an MCAT score until it’s been released, consider the score release date when choosing when to test, especially if you’re taking the exam during the same year you plan to apply.

MCAT scores are available no later than 5 p.m. ET on the score release date. You can view your score through the AAMC MCAT Score Reporting System.

What qualifies as a “good” MCAT score depends on the medical schools you’re targeting and the strength of the rest of your application.

For context, the average MCAT score for students entering U.S. MD programs in 2025 was 512.1, while the average for students entering U.S. DO programs was 502.95. Individual schools can have averages that are significantly higher or lower, so compare your score with the ranges at the programs you’re considering. You can also review our list of medical schools with the highest average MCAT scores to see how scores vary among particularly competitive programs.

Get Help Reaching Your Target MCAT Score

Your practice test results can help you see where you’re already strong and where you have the most room to improve. If you want more personalized support, MedSchoolCoach MCAT tutoring pairs you with a 99th-percentile tutor who can help you identify content gaps, strengthen your test-taking strategy, and build a study plan around your goals.

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