What is a good Chem/Phys score?
Chem/Phys, the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section, is 59 questions in 95 minutes on chemistry, physics, and biochemistry as they apply to the human body. Schools see this score on its own, and a 125 is at the 56th percentile on the current AAMC table.
Pick a Chem/Phys score
125 in Chem/Phys is at the 56th percentile.
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.
What Chem/Phys tests
59 questions in 95 minutes
10 passage sets of 4 to 6 questions each, plus 15 standalone questions.
Chem/Phys asks you to solve problems by combining chemical and physical concepts with scientific inquiry and reasoning skills, with a focus on the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of human tissues, organs, and organ systems. AAMC lists the course mix as general chemistry 30%, introductory physics 25%, first-semester biochemistry 25%, organic chemistry 15%, and introductory biology 5%.
About a quarter of Chem/Phys is first-semester biochemistry, the same share AAMC gives to introductory physics.
Where the questions come from
- General chemistry30%
- Introductory physics25%
- First-semester biochemistry25%
- Organic chemistry15%
- Introductory biology5%
What AAMC says it tests
Foundational Concept 4 (40% of the section): how the body moves materials, senses its environment, and responds to signals, explained with physical principles such as forces and energy, fluids, circuits, light and sound, and atomic structure.
Foundational Concept 5 (60%): how chemical interactions and reactions explain the molecular behavior of living systems, including water and solutions, molecular structure, separation methods, the reactivity of biological molecules, and thermodynamics and kinetics.
Knowledge of scientific concepts and principles (35% of the section).
Scientific reasoning and problem-solving (45%).
Reasoning about research design (10%) and data-based statistical reasoning (10%).
Every Chem/Phys 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 Chem/Phys 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 Chem/Phys score
132 is the highest possible Chem/Phys score and sits at the 100th percentile on the current AAMC table. It is 7.1 points above the 124.9 mean and meets every section minimum in our school data. Only a 132 reaches the 100th percentile in Chem/Phys; a 131 is at the 99th. It shows complete command, on test day, of the general chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and organic chemistry this section draws on.
Next step: There is nothing left to gain in Chem/Phys. If you retest for another reason, keep it warm with light mixed practice and spend your time elsewhere.
- 13199th
A 131 in Chem/Phys is at the 99th percentile
A 131 in Chem/Phys is at the 99th percentile, one point from the top of the scale. It is 6.1 points above the section mean of 124.9, and every section minimum in our school data sits well below it. A score like this reflects precise content knowledge plus fast, accurate calculation and reasoning across all 59 questions in 95 minutes.
Next step: Protect the score with a timed section every week or two, and put the rest of your hours into the other sections.
- 13096th
A 130 in Chem/Phys is a clear strength
Chem/Phys 130 is at the 96th percentile, so 4 percent of test takers scored higher and 1 percent scored above 131. It sits 5.1 points above the 124.9 mean and clears every section minimum in our school data by a wide margin. At this score Chem/Phys is a clear strength, and extra study time here usually adds less than the same time spent on your lowest section.
Next step: Shift most of your study hours to your lowest section, and keep Chem/Phys fresh with one mixed passage set every few days.
127 to 129: Strong
A Chem/Phys score from 127 to 129 is at the 77th to 91st percentile, so most test takers scored the same or lower.
- 12991st
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.
Next step: Do not add new content. Take mixed practice sets to stay sharp, and check each miss for small habits such as unit errors or a skipped condition in the question stem.
- 12885th
A 128 in Chem/Phys is at the 85th percentile
Chem/Phys 128 is at the 85th percentile, more than 3 points above the section mean of 124.9. It meets every section minimum in our school data and clears the highest Chem/Phys rule, Western's 126 outside designated pathways, by 2 points. At this level the few remaining misses tend to cluster in one or two content categories, or come from reading an answer choice or a graph axis too quickly.
Next step: Sort your last three practice sections by topic; if misses cluster in one category, such as light and sound (4D) or electrochemistry and circuits (4C), give it a short targeted review.
- 12777th
A 127 in Chem/Phys is a strong score
A 127 in Chem/Phys is at the 77th percentile, so 77 percent of test takers scored the same or lower. It is 2.1 points above the 124.9 mean and meets every section minimum in our school data. The same 127 is at the 84th percentile in CARS and the 65th in Psych/Soc, so compare sections by percentile rank. This score usually signals that you can apply chemical and physical principles to biological systems under time pressure, not just recall them.
Next step: Keep one timed Chem/Phys section a week to protect your pacing, and review only the questions you missed or guessed.
125 to 126: Around the midpoint
A Chem/Phys score of 125 or 126 is at the 56th to 67th 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 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.
Next step: Review every miss and every guess you got right, and explain why each wrong option fails; scientific reasoning and problem-solving is 45% of this section's skills.
- 12556th
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.
Next step: Use your error log to find the two content categories where you miss most, and do focused passage sets on those instead of broad review.
123 to 124: Just below the midpoint
A Chem/Phys score of 123 or 124 is at the 35th to 46th 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 Chem/Phys is one point below the midpoint
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.
Next step: Take a full timed Chem/Phys section each week and track time per passage; when one passage runs long, practice estimating answers instead of calculating them exactly.
- 12335th
A 123 in Chem/Phys is just under the section mean
A Chem/Phys 123 is at the 35th percentile and 1.9 points below the 124.9 mean. It meets the 123 minimums at Baptist Health, SFU, Dalhousie, and Saskatchewan, but not the 124 at Emory and Alberta, and Toronto asks for 125 with only one section at 124. The content base is usually in place at this score, and points tend to leak on research design and statistics questions, which make up about 20% of the section's skills.
Next step: Add one experiment-based passage set a day, and name each study's variables and controls before you read the questions.
118 to 122: Low range
A Chem/Phys score from 118 to 122 is at the 2nd to 25th 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 Chem/Phys is at the 25th percentile
Chem/Phys 122 is at the 25th percentile, so a quarter of test takers scored the same or lower. It clears Mississippi's 121, and Saskatchewan allows one section at 122 for 2027 entry, but it misses Baptist Health's 123 and Emory's 124. About 3 points below the mean, this score often shows working knowledge that breaks down when a passage combines two topics, such as fluid flow and gas exchange in the body.
Next step: Move half your practice to passage sets, and after each one write down which step failed: recalling the concept, reading the figure, or doing the math.
- 12116th
A 121 in Chem/Phys meets only the lowest minimum
A 121 in Chem/Phys is at the 16th percentile, so 84 percent of test takers scored higher. It meets Mississippi's 121 but falls below the 123 that Baptist Health, SFU, Dalhousie (for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI applicants), and Saskatchewan list, and below Emory's 124. Nearly 4 points under the 124.9 mean, it usually means some topics are solid while whole content categories are still guesswork.
Next step: List AAMC's ten Chem/Phys content categories, from 4A (motion, forces, and energy) to 5E (thermodynamics and kinetics), rate yourself on each, and study the weakest three first.
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A 120 in Chem/Phys misses every section minimum
Chem/Phys 120 is at the 9th percentile. It is 1 point below Mississippi's 121, 3 below Baptist Health Sciences University's 123, and 4 below Emory's 124, so it misses every section minimum in our school data. Compared with the 124.9 mean, a 120 often reflects gaps in the relationships the section leans on, such as forces and energy, circuits, and equilibrium, more than a pure timing problem.
Next step: Build a one-page sheet of core physics and chemistry equations with their units, and check units on every practice problem until setting up a problem feels routine.
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A 119 in Chem/Phys is at the 4th percentile
A Chem/Phys 119 is at the 4th percentile, which means 96 percent of test takers scored higher. It is 5.9 points under the 124.9 mean and 2 points short of Mississippi's 121, the lowest section minimum in our school data. At this level the misses are usually spread across all five course areas AAMC lists for the section, from general chemistry (30%) down to introductory biology (5%), rather than sitting in one topic.
Next step: Take one timed Chem/Phys section, sort every miss by course, and rebuild the two largest areas, general chemistry and physics, before you work on timing.
- 1182nd
A 118 is the lowest Chem/Phys score
118 is the floor of the Chem/Phys scale and sits at the 2nd percentile, so only 2 percent of test takers scored the same or lower. It is 6.9 points below the section mean of 124.9 and below every section minimum in our school data, including the lowest, the University of Mississippi's 121. A score this low usually means the core chemistry and physics content was not in place on test day, so passages felt unfamiliar before any reasoning began.
Next step: Start with content, not full practice tests. Work through general chemistry and physics one topic at a time, and after each topic answer 10 to 15 standalone questions to check that it stuck.
See where a 125 in Chem/Phys leaves you
Chem/Phys 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 Chem/Phys score
Schools receive your Chem/Phys 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 Chem/Phys, 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 Chem/Phys
Western University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry (Outside designated pathways; 125 in designated pathways)
126 in Chem/Phys
SourceQueen's University School of Medicine (2026-27 eligibility)
125 in Chem/Phys
SourceUniversity of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine
125 in Chem/Phys, one section may be 124
SourceEmory University School of Medicine
124 in Chem/Phys
SourceUniversity of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (Alberta applicants)
124 in Chem/Phys
SourceUniversity of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (Non-Alberta applicants, one sitting)
124 in Chem/Phys
SourceBaptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
123 in Chem/Phys
SourceDalhousie University Faculty of Medicine (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI applicants)
123 in Chem/Phys
SourceSFU Stephens Family School of Medicine (GPA and MCAT route (MCAT-only route needs 510 total))
123 in Chem/Phys
SourceUniversity of Saskatchewan College of Medicine (2027 entry)
123 in Chem/Phys, one section may be 122
SourceUniversity of Mississippi School of Medicine
121 in Chem/Phys
Source
Chem/Phys is one of four section scores that add up to your total, so every point here is a point on your total. A weak Chem/Phys score pulls the total down and stands out on a score report even when the other three sections are strong.
Reading Chem/Phys on your score report
Your score report lists Chem/Phys as its own score from 118 to 132, beside the other three sections and your total. Next to it you get a percentile rank, the share of test takers who scored the same or lower, and a confidence band, which AAMC says marks the range where your true score likely lies. AAMC uses the bands to discourage fine distinctions between similar scores, so treat a one-point difference between sections with care.
How to raise your Chem/Phys score
A study plan in three stages
In the early weeks, rebuild content in the order of AAMC's course mix: general chemistry (30%), physics (25%), and biochemistry (25%) first, then organic chemistry (15%). Work through the ten content categories, 4A to 5E, and after each topic answer a small set of standalone questions to check recall. Keep a formula sheet with units, and take one untimed diagnostic section so you know where you start.
In the middle weeks, shift to passages. Do two or three passage sets a day, mixing topics so you practice spotting which concept a passage is really about. After each set, log every miss by topic and by cause: a content gap, a misread figure, or a math slip. Research design and statistics are about 20% of the section's skills, so practice reading tables and experiment setups on purpose.
In the final weeks, take full timed Chem/Phys sections, 59 questions in 95 minutes, as part of full-length practice exams. Review each test within a day, then spend the next few days only on the patterns your log shows. Stop adding new topics near the end, and reread your formula sheet and error log so the facts you already know stay fast.
Mistakes that cost Chem/Phys points
Memorizing equations without their units, so setup errors go unnoticed until no answer choice matches.
Studying physics and general chemistry but skimping on biochemistry, even though first-semester biochemistry is 25% of this section.
Working long exact calculations when the answer choices are far enough apart to estimate.
Reading the passage text closely but glancing at the figures, when many questions depend on what a graph or table actually shows.