Is 495 a Good MCAT Score?
495
33rd
percentile
A 495 is below the test-taker average.
No school in our data publishes an MCAT class-profile score this low: all 150 schools with comparable data report a higher figure. These figures describe classes or accepted applicants, not admission requirements or your chance of acceptance.
Approximate distribution, smoothed from rounded AAMC percentile ranks. Percentiles use the published AAMC table.
Choose a score
How a 495 splits across the four sections
A 495 is at the 33rd percentile on the current AAMC table. A percentile is the share of test takers who scored the same or lower, so it compares you with other test takers, not with the students a school admits.
An even split here puts sections at 122 to 125: a 490 is two 122s and two 123s, and a 499 is three 125s and a 124. Across the four sections, those scores sit from the 17th percentile (Psych/Soc 122) to the 62nd (CARS 125). Check any section at 122 or 123 first, since 122 misses Baptist Health's 123 and 123 misses Emory's 124, and expect Psych/Soc to show the lowest percentile at the same score because its mean, 125.9, is the highest. As a next step, list which of your target schools publish section minimums, then study the section furthest below them.
All MCAT results from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 testing years (N = 305,494). In effect May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. AAMC, Summary of MCAT Total and Section ScoresUse plus and minus to move a point from one section to another. The total stays at 495.
Balanced
1 point between your lowest and highest section
An even 495 splits about 124 / 123 / 124 / 124 across Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem, and Psych/Soc. On the current AAMC table, those sections range from the 34th to the 46th percentile.
CARS is 1 point below your highest section, at the 37th percentile.
Does an uneven score hurt you?- More on CARS 123
CARS 123 is at the 37th percentile. It meets the 123 at Baptist Health, SFU, Dalhousie, and Saskatchewan, but not Emory's 124 or Toronto's 125, where only one section may be 124. At 1.6 points below the mean, a 123 often means comprehension is solid while questions that ask you to apply the passage to a new situation, or weigh new information against it, still cause misses.
- More on Chem/Phys 124
124 is one point under the Chem/Phys midpoint of 125 and at the 46th percentile, slightly below the 124.9 mean. It meets Emory's 124 and Alberta's 124, and Toronto accepts it as your one section below 125. It misses Queen's 125 for 2026-27 QARS eligibility and Western's 125 or 126, depending on pathway. At this level students often know the content but lose points to slow calculation and second-guessing on long passages.
- More on Bio/Biochem 124
A 124 in Bio/Biochem is at the 43rd percentile, about a point below the 125.1 mean and just under the scale midpoint. It meets Emory's and Alberta's 124, and Toronto accepts it as your one section below 125. It misses Queen's 125 and Western's 125 or 126, depending on pathway. At this level, scientific reasoning questions, 45% of the section's skills, usually decide whether you move up.
- More on Psych/Soc 124
A 124 in Psych/Soc is at the 34th percentile, so 66 percent of test takers scored higher. It meets Emory's and Alberta's 124, and Toronto accepts it as your one section below 125, but it misses Queen's 125 and Western's 125 or 126. It is 1.9 points below the 125.9 mean, which is why a 124 ranks lower here than in any other section. It often reflects shaky recall of less common terms.
In this split, CARS is 123, at the 37th percentile; CARS needs no outside science knowledge, and WizePrep posts a free practice passage each week. Try this week's free CARS passage
Your CARS score of 123 is at or above 3 of the 9 published Canadian CARS minimums in our data. Several apply only to some applicants, such as the 128 Alberta and Calgary ask of non-Alberta applicants.
Sourced thresholds to review (4)
Emory University School of Medicine
Your CARS score is below the sourced threshold of 124. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions.
SourceQueen's University School of Medicine
Your Chem/Phys score is below the sourced threshold of 125. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your CARS score is below the sourced threshold of 125. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your Bio/Biochem score is below the sourced threshold of 125. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your Psych/Soc score is below the sourced threshold of 125. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions.
SourceWestern University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Your Chem/Phys score is below the sourced threshold of 126. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your CARS score is below the sourced threshold of 126. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your Bio/Biochem score is below the sourced threshold of 126. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your Psych/Soc score is below the sourced threshold of 126. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions.
SourceUniversity of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Your Chem/Phys score is below the sourced threshold of 125. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your CARS score is below the sourced threshold of 125. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your Bio/Biochem score is below the sourced threshold of 125. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions. Your Psych/Soc score is below the sourced threshold of 125. Check the linked requirements and applicant conditions.
Source
Focus your preparation on CARS
Use your section results to focus your preparation, and explore Wizeprep MCAT prep if you want structured support.
See Wizeprep MCAT prepCompare a 495 with medical school MCAT profiles
Compare 495 with each school’s published MCAT profile. Your score meets or exceeds that figure at 0 schools, is up to three points below it at 1, and is further below it at 149. Schools without a published figure are excluded from these counts.
- Published class score at or below yours
- School score is higher than yours
- My list
More than 3 points below the published class score
107Mercer University School of Medicine
- Mean GPA
- 3.69
- Mean MCAT
- 503
- Class size
- Not published
University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine
- Mean GPA
- 3.81
- Mean MCAT
- 503
- Class size
- Not published
Howard University College of Medicine
- GPA
- Not published
- Mean MCAT
- 505
- Published Class size
- 130
No published comparable 4.0-scale GPA available. Check the school’s grading and applicant rules.
Morehouse School of Medicine
- Mean GPA
- 3.64
- Mean MCAT
- 505.6
- Published Class size
- 110
University of Mississippi School of Medicine
- Mean GPA
- 3.80
- Mean MCAT
- 506
- Class size
- Not published
All applicants: section minimums Chem/Phys 121, CARS 121, Bio/Biochem 121, Psych/Soc 121, total MCAT 496.
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
- Mean GPA
- 3.77
- Mean MCAT
- 506
- Class size
- Not published
Current New Mexico residents may apply through the Early Decision Program, and WICHE applicants must apply through it.
What to do with a 495
Should you retake a 495?
Consider preparing for a retake if this score is below the requirements or academic profiles of your target schools. Use several realistic practice exams to judge whether improvement is likely and whether the timing fits your application.
Explore Wizeprep MCAT prepPair your 495 with your GPA
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Nearby scores
Checking a different result? Every score from 472 to 528 has its own page.