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MCAT Scores - What do they mean?

The scores issued for the Medical College Admissions Test are designed to reflect the candidate's ability and knowledge in the Physical and Biological Sciences, in Verbal Reasoning, and in Writing. Each test-taker will receive a score sheet with individual scores for each section of the exam as well as a total score. The Physical Science, Biological Science, and Verbal Reasoning sections of the exam consist of multiple-choice questions.

The number of questions answered correctly is converted into a score on a scale of 1 to 15, taking into account the relative difficulty of the test version. The scaled scores also minimize the effects of factors that are not reflective of an examinee's actual skill or knowledge, allowing for a more accurate assessment of individual ability as well as comparisons of competing scores. Note the raw score is derived from the number of questions answered correctly; in other words, there is no difference between a question that is not answered and a question that is answered incorrectly. For this reason, candidates should make their best guess when they are unsure about an answer. The scaled scores will also be given in terms of percentile rank, so that candidates can see how they compare to one another. The mean score on the multiple-choice sections of the exam is 8, with a standard deviation of 2.5. The scoring system for the Writing Sample portion of the exam is slightly different. Each essay will be read and scored by two independent readers. The score scale for the Writing Sample ranges from a low of 1 to a high of 6. These numerical scores will then be converted into an alphabetic scale in which J is the lowest and T is the highest. These letters represent the combined scores from both essays, so it is possible for various combinations of numerical scores to result in the same letter score.

Information provided by Morrison Media LLC

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