Is 502 a Good MCAT Score?

502

55th

percentile

A 502 is near the test-taker average.

A 502 meets or exceeds the published MCAT class-profile score at 10 of 150 schools with comparable data: 0 US MD programs, 10 US DO programs, and 0 Canadian programs. These figures describe classes or accepted applicants, not admission requirements or your chance of acceptance.

Distribution of MCAT total scores, 472 to 52855 percent of test takers scored 502 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 502 splits across the four sections

A 502 is at the 55th 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 502.

Chem/Phys
67th percentile
CARS
62nd percentile
Bio/Biochem
64th percentile
Psych/Soc
44th percentile
50255th percentile

Balanced

1 point between your lowest and highest section

An even 502 splits about 126 / 125 / 126 / 125 across Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem, and Psych/Soc. On the current AAMC table, those sections range from the 44th to the 67th percentile.

CARS and Psych/Soc are 1 point below your highest section, at the 62nd and 44th percentiles.

Does an uneven score hurt you?
  • 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 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
  • A 126 in Chem/Phys meets every Chem/Phys minimum

    Chem/Phys 126 is at the 67th percentile, about a point above the section mean. It meets every section minimum in our school data that applies to Chem/Phys, up to Western's 126 outside designated pathways; the only higher rule, a 128, applies to CARS alone. A 126 usually reflects solid content and steady timing, with the remaining misses in harder reasoning questions rather than recall.

    More on Chem/Phys 126
  • A 126 in Bio/Biochem meets every Bio/Biochem minimum

    A Bio/Biochem 126 is at the 64th percentile, about a point above the mean. It meets every section minimum in our school data that applies to Bio/Biochem, up to Western's 126 outside designated pathways. It ranks a little lower than a 126 in Chem/Phys (67th) or CARS (74th). A 126 usually means you read experiments well and lose points mostly on detail-heavy questions about organ systems or metabolism.

    More on Bio/Biochem 126

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 CARS 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 502 with medical school MCAT profiles

Compare 502 with each school’s published MCAT profile. Your score meets or exceeds that figure at 10 schools, is up to three points below it at 22, and is further below it at 118. Schools without a published figure are excluded from these counts.

Published MCAT academic profilesEach dot is a school’s reported MCAT profile. 10 of 150 schools report a figure at or below 502.502US 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

3

More than 3 points below the published class score

104

What to do with a 502

Should you retake a 502?

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 502 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.

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Nearby scores

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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.