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Is 500 a Good MCAT Score?

500

48th

percentile

A 500 is near the test-taker average.

A 500 meets or exceeds the published MCAT class-profile score at 6 of 150 schools with comparable data: 0 US MD programs, 6 US DO programs, and 0 Canadian programs. These figures describe classes or accepted applicants, not admission requirements or your chance of acceptance.

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Pair 500 with your GPA
Distribution of MCAT total scores, 472 to 52848 percent of test takers scored 500 or lower. The shaded curve is a smoothed illustration, not exact test-taker counts.

Approximate distribution, smoothed from rounded AAMC percentile ranks. Percentiles use the published AAMC table.

Choose a score

How a 500 splits across the four sections

A 500 is at the 48th 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.

A 500 is four 125s, the midpoint of every section, and an even 505 is three 126s and a 127. At 500, those 125s range from the 44th percentile in Psych/Soc to the 62nd in CARS, so the same number ranks differently by section. Check any section at 125 first: it meets Toronto's and Queen's 125 but misses Western's 126 outside designated pathways, and a CARS score below 128 misses the Alberta and Calgary rule for non-Alberta applicants. As a next step, compare each section's percentile rank, not just its score, to find your real weak spot.

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 Scores

Use plus and minus to move a point from one section to another. The total stays at 500.

Chem/Phys
56th percentile
CARS
62nd percentile
Bio/Biochem
53rd percentile
Psych/Soc
44th percentile
50048th percentile

Balanced

0 points between your lowest and highest section

An even 500 splits about 125 / 125 / 125 / 125 across Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem, and Psych/Soc. On the current AAMC table, those sections range from the 44th to the 62nd percentile.

All four of your sections are 125.

Does an uneven score hurt you?

  • A 125 in Chem/Phys is right at the midpoint

    A 125 is the exact midpoint of the Chem/Phys scale and at the 56th percentile, just above the 124.9 mean. It meets the 125 per section that Toronto and Queen's list and Western's 125 for designated pathways, but it is 1 point short of the 126 Western asked for outside those pathways in 2025-26. At this score the section is usually neither a strength nor a problem, and a few targeted topics decide the next points.

    More on Chem/Phys 125

  • A 125 in CARS is above the median

    CARS 125 is the scale midpoint, yet it sits at the 62nd percentile because CARS has the lowest section mean, 124.6. It meets the 125 that Toronto, Queen's, and Western's designated pathways list, but not Western's 126 outside those pathways, and it is 3 points below the CARS 128 that Alberta and Calgary ask of non-Alberta applicants. A 125 usually means steady comprehension with a few misses on the hardest passages.

    More on CARS 125

  • A 125 in Bio/Biochem sits right at the mean

    Bio/Biochem 125 is the scale midpoint and at the 53rd percentile, almost exactly the section mean of 125.1. It meets the 125 at Toronto, Queen's, and Western's designated pathways, but not Western's 126 outside those pathways for 2025-26. The same 125 is at the 62nd percentile in CARS and the 44th in Psych/Soc. A 125 usually reflects a solid base in biology with room to gain on biochemistry passages and data questions.

    More on Bio/Biochem 125

  • A 125 in Psych/Soc is below the section mean

    Psych/Soc 125 is the scale midpoint but only the 44th percentile, because this section's mean, 125.9, is the highest of the four. It meets the 125 that Toronto, Queen's, and Western's designated pathways list, but not Western's 126 outside those pathways in 2025-26. A 125 usually means the content is familiar and the remaining points are in careful reading of study designs and results.

    More on Psych/Soc 125

In this split, CARS is 125, at the 62nd 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 125 is at or above 6 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 (1)

  • Western 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.

    Source

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Compare a 500 with medical school MCAT profiles

Compare 500 with each school’s published MCAT profile. Your score meets or exceeds that figure at 6 schools, is up to three points below it at 15, and is further below it at 129. Schools without a published figure are excluded from these counts.

Published MCAT academic profilesEach dot is a school’s reported MCAT profile. 6 of 150 schools report a figure at or below 500.500US MD107 with dataUS DO39 with dataCanadian4 with data472480488496504512520528
  • Published class score at or below yours
  • School score is higher than yours
  • My list
One dot per school record with a published MCAT figure. Missing figures are excluded.

Up to 3 points below the published class score

2

More than 3 points below the published class score

105

What to do with a 500

Should you retake a 500?

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.

Pair your 500 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 500

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Nearby scores

Checking a different result? Every score from 472 to 528 has its own page.

FAQs

School-reported figures describe different cohorts or accepted applicant groups. Labels distinguish means, medians and other published summaries. Some DO figures are college-submitted through AACOM and omit the cohort year. Missing or non-comparable values are not estimated. Check each field’s linked source and current requirements.