Is 496 a Good MCAT Score?
496
36th
percentile
A 496 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 496 splits across the four sections
A 496 is at the 36th 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 496.
Balanced
0 points between your lowest and highest section
An even 496 splits about 124 / 124 / 124 / 124 across Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem, and Psych/Soc. On the current AAMC table, those sections range from the 34th to the 50th percentile.
All four of your sections are 124.
Does an uneven score hurt you?- 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 CARS 124
A 124 in CARS is at the 50th percentile, the middle of test takers, and close to the section mean of 124.6. It meets Emory's 124 and Alberta's 124 for Alberta applicants, and Toronto accepts it as your one section below 125. It misses Queen's 125 and the CARS 128 that Alberta and Calgary ask of non-Alberta applicants. A 124 usually reflects a reader who gets the main idea but loses points on subtle wording.
- 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 124, at the 50th 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 124 is at or above 4 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 (3)
Queen'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 Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem and Psych/Soc
Use your section results to focus your preparation, and explore Wizeprep MCAT prep if you want structured support.
See Wizeprep MCAT prepCompare a 496 with medical school MCAT profiles
Compare 496 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 6, and is further below it at 144. 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 496
Should you retake a 496?
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 496 with your GPA
Your GPA adds another academic comparison. Enter it in the calculator to compare both measures, filter programs, and build your school list.
Open the calculator with 496Pick the schools you are considering
Search for schools here, or add them from a school comparison. Your list stays on this device and follows you between these pages.
My list
No schools on your list yet. Search above, or use the plus beside any school on this page.
Free, and no account needed to start. Your academic comparison is not an admission decision.
Nearby scores
Checking a different result? Every score from 472 to 528 has its own page.