Is 513 a Good MCAT Score?

513

86th

percentile

A 513 is a strong score relative to test takers.

A 513 meets or exceeds the published MCAT class-profile score at 108 of 150 schools with comparable data: 65 US MD programs, 39 US DO programs, and 4 Canadian programs. These figures describe classes or accepted applicants, not admission requirements or your chance of acceptance.

Distribution of MCAT total scores, 472 to 52886 percent of test takers scored 513 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 513 splits across the four sections

A 513 is at the 86th 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 510 is two 127s and two 128s, and an even 513 is three 128s and a 129, so balanced sections here run from 127 to 129, the 65th to the 95th percentile depending on section. If CARS is one of the 127s, it is 1 point short of the CARS 128 that Alberta and Calgary ask of non-Alberta applicants. The same 510 can also hide a weak section: split 131, 122, 130, and 127, the CARS 122 misses Emory's 124 and Baptist Health's 123. Check your lowest section first, and look for anything below 124.

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 513.

Chem/Phys
91st percentile
CARS
90th percentile
Bio/Biochem
84th percentile
Psych/Soc
76th percentile
51386th percentile

Balanced

1 point between your lowest and highest section

An even 513 splits about 129 / 128 / 128 / 128 across Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem, and Psych/Soc. On the current AAMC table, those sections range from the 76th to the 91st percentile.

CARS, Bio/Biochem and Psych/Soc are 1 point below your highest section, at the 90th, 84th and 76th percentiles.

Does an uneven score hurt you?
  • A 128 in CARS meets every section minimum

    A 128 in CARS is at the 90th percentile, 3.4 points above the 124.6 mean. It is the lowest CARS score that meets every section minimum in our school data, because Alberta and Calgary ask non-Alberta applicants for exactly 128. Readers at this level usually build an accurate picture of the author's view on the first read and rarely lose points to timing.

    More on CARS 128
  • A 128 in Bio/Biochem is at the 84th percentile

    A 128 in Bio/Biochem is at the 84th percentile, so 16 percent of test takers scored higher, and it sits 2.9 points above the section mean. It clears every section minimum in our school data. Remaining misses at this level tend to come from one detail in a figure, or from an answer choice that is true but does not answer the question asked.

    More on Bio/Biochem 128
  • A 128 in Psych/Soc is at the 76th percentile

    A 128 in Psych/Soc is at the 76th percentile, 2.1 points above the 125.9 mean. It meets every section minimum in our school data and clears Western's 126 outside designated pathways, the highest Psych/Soc rule, by 2 points. The same 128 is at the 85th percentile in Chem/Phys and the 90th in CARS. At this score you usually know the content well, and the few misses come from answer choices that are almost right.

    More on Psych/Soc 128
  • A 129 in Chem/Phys is in the top 10 percent

    A 129 puts you at the 91st percentile in Chem/Phys, so 9 percent of test takers scored higher, and one more point would move you to the 96th. It is 4.1 points above the mean and clears every section minimum in our school data. Scores this high usually mean the four skills AAMC tests here, content knowledge, scientific reasoning, research design, and data reasoning, are all working together.

    More on Chem/Phys 129

In this split, CARS is 128, at the 90th 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 128 is at or above 9 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.

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Compare a 513 with medical school MCAT profiles

Compare 513 with each school’s published MCAT profile. Your score meets or exceeds that figure at 108 schools, is up to three points below it at 22, and is further below it at 20. Schools without a published figure are excluded from these counts.

Published MCAT academic profilesEach dot is a school’s reported MCAT profile. 108 of 150 schools report a figure at or below 513.513US 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.

At or above the published score

65

Up to 3 points below the published class score

22

More than 3 points below the published class score

20

What to do with a 513

Should you retake a 513?

Compare your total and section scores with your target schools before deciding. A retake may help if it addresses a specific requirement or a consistent gap from practice results. Consider preparation time, score validity, and the possibility of a lower result; a higher total alone does not guarantee admission.

Pair your 513 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 513

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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.