What is a good Bio/Biochem score?
Bio/Biochem, the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section, is 59 questions in 95 minutes on how cells and organ systems work. Schools see this score on its own, and a 125 is at the 53rd percentile on the current AAMC table.
Pick a Bio/Biochem score
125 in Bio/Biochem is at the 53rd percentile.
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.
What Bio/Biochem tests
59 questions in 95 minutes
10 passage sets of 4 to 6 questions each, plus 15 standalone questions.
Bio/Biochem asks you to solve problems by combining biological and biochemical concepts with scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. It covers processes unique to living things, such as growth, reproduction, and acquiring energy, and how cells and organ systems work alone and together. AAMC lists the course mix as introductory biology 65%, first-semester biochemistry 25%, general chemistry 5%, and organic chemistry 5%.
Biochemistry shows up in two sections: AAMC puts first-semester biochemistry at about 25% of Bio/Biochem and about 25% of Chem/Phys.
Where the questions come from
- Introductory biology65%
- First-semester biochemistry25%
- General chemistry5%
- Organic chemistry5%
What AAMC says it tests
Foundational Concept 1 (55% of the section): how the properties of biomolecules shape cell structure and function, covering proteins and amino acids, gene expression, inheritance and genetic diversity, and bioenergetics and metabolism.
Foundational Concept 2 (20%): how organized assemblies of molecules, cells, and organs carry out life functions, including prokaryotes and viruses and cell division, differentiation, and specialization.
Foundational Concept 3 (25%): how tissues and organ systems sense the internal and external environment and keep the body stable, with a focus on the nervous and endocrine systems and the main organ systems.
Scientific inquiry and reasoning skills: knowledge of concepts (35%), scientific reasoning and problem-solving (45%), research design (10%), and data-based statistical reasoning (10%).
Every Bio/Biochem score from 118 to 132
Percentiles from the AAMC, Summary of MCAT Total and Section Scores, in effect May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. Source
130 to 132: Top of the scale
A Bio/Biochem score from 130 to 132 is at the 96th to 100th percentile, the top of the scale for this section.
- 132100th
A 132 is a perfect Bio/Biochem score
132 is the top Bio/Biochem score, at the 100th percentile on the current AAMC table. It is 6.9 points above the section mean and meets every section minimum in our school data. It shows full command of the three foundational concepts AAMC tests here: biomolecules, the assemblies of cells and organs, and the organ systems that keep the body stable.
Next step: No further Bio/Biochem study is needed. If you retest for another reason, keep it fresh with light mixed practice.
- 13198th
A 131 in Bio/Biochem is one point from the top
Bio/Biochem 131 is at the 98th percentile, one point below the top of the scale and just under the 99th that a 131 earns in Chem/Phys and CARS. It is 5.9 points above the 125.1 mean and well clear of every section minimum in our school data. A 131 reflects near-complete recall of the biology and biochemistry AAMC tests, plus accurate reading of experimental data.
Next step: Maintain with occasional timed passages, and use the hours you save on your weakest section.
- 13096th
A 130 in Bio/Biochem is at the 96th percentile
A Bio/Biochem 130 is at the 96th percentile, 4.9 points above the mean. It meets every section minimum in our school data with room to spare. Because the Bio/Biochem mean is higher than the CARS mean, a 130 here is at the 96th percentile while a CARS 130 is at the 98th, so the same number ranks a little differently across sections.
Next step: Put most of your study time into lower sections, and keep Bio/Biochem warm with a short timed set each week.
127 to 129: Strong
A Bio/Biochem score from 127 to 129 is at the 75th to 90th percentile, so most test takers scored the same or lower.
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A 129 in Bio/Biochem is in the top 10 percent
Bio/Biochem 129 is at the 90th percentile, so 10 percent of test takers scored higher. It is 3.9 points above the 125.1 mean and meets every section minimum in our school data. At this score you usually hold the full range of content, from biomolecules to organ systems, and use it quickly inside passages. The next point, 130, would move you to the 96th percentile.
Next step: Hold this level with one mixed passage set every few days; rereading content adds little now.
- 12884th
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.
Next step: Review only the questions you miss or guess, and check whether each one came from reading the figure or the question stem too fast.
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A 127 in Bio/Biochem is a strong score
Bio/Biochem 127 is at the 75th percentile, so three quarters of test takers scored the same or lower. It is 1.9 points above the 125.1 mean and meets every section minimum in our school data, clearing Western's 126 outside designated pathways, the highest Bio/Biochem rule, by a point. A 127 in this section signals that you can apply biology and biochemistry to new experiments, not just recall them.
Next step: Keep a weekly timed section to protect your pacing, review only misses and guesses, and move spare hours to your lowest section.
125 to 126: Around the midpoint
A Bio/Biochem score of 125 or 126 is at the 53rd to 64th percentile. A 125 meets Toronto's and Queen's section minimums, and a 126 also meets Western's minimum outside its designated pathways, the highest every-section rule in our data.
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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.
Next step: Chase the last points with timed passage sets, and keep a list of missed facts short enough to review in 10 minutes before each practice test.
- 12553rd
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.
Next step: Spend a week on biochemistry passages only, since first-semester biochemistry is 25% of this section, and review each figure you misread.
123 to 124: Just below the midpoint
A Bio/Biochem score of 123 or 124 is at the 32nd to 43rd percentile, just under the scale midpoint of 125. A 123 meets the section minimums at Baptist Health Sciences University, SFU, Dalhousie and Saskatchewan; a 124 also meets Emory's and Alberta's. Both sit below the 125 that Toronto and Queen's ask for, although Toronto lets one section be 124.
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A 124 in Bio/Biochem is one point below the midpoint
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.
Next step: Take a timed Bio/Biochem section weekly, and for each miss decide whether you lacked the fact or misused the passage; drill whichever group is larger.
- 12332nd
A 123 in Bio/Biochem is at the 32nd percentile
Bio/Biochem 123 is at the 32nd percentile. It meets the 123 at Baptist Health, SFU, Dalhousie, and Saskatchewan, but not the 124 at Emory and Alberta, and Toronto allows only one section at 124 with the rest at 125. A 123 here ranks lower than a 123 in CARS (37th) because the Bio/Biochem mean, 125.1, is higher. It often means content is mostly in place but multistep passages still cost points.
Next step: Mix standalone questions and passages in each session, and review metabolism until you can sketch glycolysis and the citric acid cycle from memory.
118 to 122: Low range
A Bio/Biochem score from 118 to 122 is at the 1st to 23rd percentile. That is below almost every published section minimum in our data, which run from 121 at the University of Mississippi to 126 at Western, so a score here usually needs a retake before you apply to schools that set one.
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A 122 in Bio/Biochem is at the 23rd percentile
A Bio/Biochem 122 is at the 23rd percentile, 3.1 points below the mean. It clears Mississippi's 121, and Saskatchewan allows one section at 122 for 2027 entry, but it falls short of Baptist Health's 123 and Emory's 124. Often the gap at 122 is less about memory than application: reading an experiment's figure and linking it to biology you already know.
Next step: Do one experiment-based passage a day, and before the questions, write what the study changed, what it measured, and what the main figure shows.
- 12115th
A 121 in Bio/Biochem meets only the lowest minimum
Bio/Biochem 121 is at the 15th percentile, so 85 percent of test takers scored higher. It meets Mississippi's 121 but misses the 123 that Baptist Health, SFU, Dalhousie (for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI applicants), and Saskatchewan list, and Emory's 124. About 4 points below the 125.1 mean, it usually signals uneven content, for example genetics you know well next to metabolism you do not.
Next step: Map AAMC's nine Bio/Biochem content categories, 1A through 3B, mark each as strong or weak, and give the weak ones most of your content time.
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A 120 in Bio/Biochem misses every section minimum
A 120 in Bio/Biochem is at the 8th percentile, so 92 percent of test takers scored higher. It is 5.1 points under the section mean, misses every section minimum in our school data, and is 1 point short of Mississippi's 121. A 120 often reflects biology you once learned but cannot recall quickly enough to use in a passage about an unfamiliar experiment.
Next step: Use spaced review for biology facts, such as flashcards you revisit on a schedule, and end each study day with five standalone Bio/Biochem questions.
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A 119 in Bio/Biochem is at the 4th percentile
Bio/Biochem 119 is at the 4th percentile, so 96 percent of test takers scored higher. It sits 2 points below Mississippi's 121, the lowest section minimum in our school data, and 6.1 points below the 125.1 mean. At this level the misses usually span all three of AAMC's concepts for the section: biomolecules, cells and their assemblies, and organ systems.
Next step: Start with amino acids and proteins, the first content category AAMC lists, then move to enzymes and metabolism, since biomolecules are 55% of the section.
- 1181st
A 118 is the lowest Bio/Biochem score
A Bio/Biochem 118 is the bottom of the scale, at the 1st percentile. It is 7.1 points below the section mean of 125.1 and below every section minimum in our school data, including Mississippi's 121. Because introductory biology makes up 65% of this section, a score this low usually points to gaps in core biology before biochemistry even comes into play.
Next step: Rebuild biology system by system, starting with the nervous and endocrine systems and the main organ systems, and quiz yourself daily with short recall questions.
See where a 125 in Bio/Biochem leaves you
Bio/Biochem is one of four numbers schools read. Add your GPA, your other sections, your residency and your background in the free Fit Check to see the rest of your profile against your school list.
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How schools use your Bio/Biochem score
Schools receive your Bio/Biochem score as its own number, next to your total and the other three sections. 10 schools in our data publish a minimum that applies to Bio/Biochem, listed below. Most are Canadian, many apply only to some applicants, and they change from cycle to cycle, so check each school's current requirements before you apply. Schools without a published minimum still see the section and read it next to the rest of your application.
Published minimums that include Bio/Biochem
Western University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry (Outside designated pathways; 125 in designated pathways)
126 in Bio/Biochem
SourceQueen's University School of Medicine (2026-27 eligibility)
125 in Bio/Biochem
SourceUniversity of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine
125 in Bio/Biochem, one section may be 124
SourceEmory University School of Medicine
124 in Bio/Biochem
SourceUniversity of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (Alberta applicants)
124 in Bio/Biochem
SourceUniversity of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (Non-Alberta applicants, one sitting)
124 in Bio/Biochem
SourceBaptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
123 in Bio/Biochem
SourceDalhousie University Faculty of Medicine (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI applicants)
123 in Bio/Biochem
SourceSFU Stephens Family School of Medicine (GPA and MCAT route (MCAT-only route needs 510 total))
123 in Bio/Biochem
SourceUniversity of Saskatchewan College of Medicine (2027 entry)
123 in Bio/Biochem, one section may be 122
SourceUniversity of Mississippi School of Medicine
121 in Bio/Biochem
Source
Bio/Biochem is one of four section scores that add up to your total, so every point here is a point on your total. A weak Bio/Biochem score pulls the total down and stands out on a score report even when the other three sections are strong.
Reading Bio/Biochem on your score report
Bio/Biochem is reported as its own score from 118 to 132, with a percentile rank that shows the share of test takers who scored the same or lower. AAMC updates percentile ranks each May 1 using results from the previous three testing years, so the same score can carry a slightly different rank from one year to the next. The confidence band beside the score marks the range where AAMC says your true score likely lies.
How to raise your Bio/Biochem score
A study plan in three stages
In the early weeks, start with Foundational Concept 1, since biomolecules are 55% of the section: amino acids and proteins, enzymes, gene expression, genetics, and metabolism. Then move to cells and organ systems. After each topic, answer a short set of standalone questions and put every missed fact on a card for spaced review. Take one untimed diagnostic section early to see where you stand.
In the middle weeks, move to passages built around experiments. Before you answer, note what each study changed, what it measured, and what the main figure shows. Log every miss as a missing fact or a misread passage. Keep biochemistry in the rotation, since it is 25% of this section as well as 25% of Chem/Phys, so study time on it counts twice.
In the final weeks, take full timed Bio/Biochem sections, 59 questions in 95 minutes, inside full-length practice exams. Use your error log to pick the two or three content categories that still cost you points, and review only those. Keep your fact cards going in short daily sessions so recall stays fast on test day.
Mistakes that cost Bio/Biochem points
Treating biochemistry as a Chem/Phys topic only, although it is 25% of this section too.
Memorizing pathways as lists without knowing where they are regulated or what happens when a step is blocked.
Reading an experiment passage for biology facts and missing what the figure actually shows.
Answering from memory when the passage describes an unusual result that changes the answer.