<p>reading on CC it seems it is frowned upon to take the mcat more than once..see many posts saying that the admissions people dont like it. on studentdoctor forum...they dont seem to think it a big deal (unless your score goes down, as the school will see all your scores) the aamc site says a person can take it up to 3 times in a year?</p>
<p>so is the truth somewhere in between, what circumstances make it worthwhile to take it more than once. I can see if you got a score in the 20's you might try again, but is there a point at which it is frowned upon?</p>
<p>As you said, if you score below 30, a retake is probably something you should consider. However, if you score above a certain level (perhaps 33+) then retaking the test may cause concern to those looking at your file. In between these two levels, it’s a tough call.</p>
<p>I think if your MCAT is either not high enough to be competitive ( ~28 or higher) or if your actual MCAT score is significantly lower than all your practice scores (e.g. your practice scores are all in the 40+ range and you score a 32), then a retake would be justifiable.</p>
<p>Reportedly your actual MCAT score will be ~3 points lower than your the average of your final practice exams, so I wouldn’t retake if your score is within those parameters, but you took the exam and really bombed it…</p>
<p>I think if you score in the top 5-8 percentile range and still repeatedly (i.e. more than one more time) take the exam, then it just looks like you’re going for bragging rights or are prestige whoring.</p>
<p>I also think that if you repeatedly take the exam and still score in the ±3 point range of your original score, then all you’re doing is advertising you’re reached your level of competence.</p>
<p>thanks.those parameters are helpful!!</p>
<p>Do most have the experience of their MCAT score being about 3 points lower than the average of the practice exams? i know several people who have scored higher than their average score. I’m curious what others’ experiences have been.</p>
<p>I think the consensus is +/- 3 points.</p>