How Many Times Can You Take the MCAT^®?

The AAMC's testing attempt limits set three caps at once, and you have to stay under all of them.

The two-year rule is the easiest one to miss. If you test three times this year, you can test only once the following year, because four is the cap across any two consecutive years.

The lifetime count starts with the April 2015 test dates, when the current version of the exam launched. Attempts on the old exam don't count toward your seven.

You can also hold only one MCAT^® appointment at a time. You can't book a backup date in July while you're still registered for June. You'd have to move or cancel the first appointment before booking another one.

Three outcomes use up an attempt:

• Taking the exam and scoring it. Every scored attempt goes on your record and is reported to medical schools through AMCAS.
• Taking the exam and voiding it. The AAMC's voiding rules say a voided exam "does count toward your testing limits regardless of the reason." Schools never see it.
• Not showing up. MedSchoolCoach's summary of the policy notes that a no-show counts toward your limits even though schools don't see it, and you don't get a refund for the missed appointment.

Moving or canceling your date before the deadline doesn't cost you an attempt, according to UWorld's guide to the limits. If you aren't ready, that's the move to make. If you're deciding on test day whether to keep a score, the void decision is covered in the scoring guide.

Hardly anyone gets near seven. The AAMC's repeat policies and data report this split for everyone who has taken the current exam:

So about 6 percent of examinees have tested three or more times. Retaking once is common, though. Shemmassian Consulting's summary of AAMC data puts retesters at 43 percent of people who tested from 2022 to 2024.

For people who do retest, the same AAMC document reports a median gain of two to three points on the second attempt for first scores from 472 to 517, based on 47,335 examinees who first tested from 2016 to 2018. It also notes that some scores moved more than four points in either direction, and average gains were larger when more time passed between attempts.

You can appeal. The AAMC says it may consider appeals of the testing limits, may ask for more information or documentation, and approves them at its discretion. It considers no more than one appeal per testing year.

Don't plan around an appeal, though. Treat the caps as fixed when you lay out your attempts.

The limits matter less than the trail each attempt leaves. Schools see every scored attempt, and they don't agree on how to weigh them. Some use your highest score, some your most recent, some the trend and some an average, according to UWorld.

A few rules of thumb help:

• Pick a date with room behind it. If your test date leaves time for a retake before applications open, one weak attempt won't stall your cycle.
• Retest only with a plan. The retake guide covers when a second attempt is likely to pay off.
• Use practice tests to decide. If your full-length scores aren't where you want them, moving your date doesn't use an attempt. A no-show or a void does.

To see what a score from a practice test or an official attempt means, check it in the PurpleCAT MCAT score guide.

Last verified October 30, 2026, against the AAMC's testing attempt limits and voiding rules.