How Do I Register for the MCAT^®?

Get these sorted before you open the registration system, because a few of them take days and one of them can't be fixed after you pay.

• One AAMC ID. The AAMC's opening-day tips say that if you already have an AAMC ID from another AAMC service, you must use that account. Don't make a second one.
• Your MCAT-accepted ID in hand. The name on your registration has to match your ID exactly. Copy it letter by letter from the card.
• Fee assistance approval, if you're applying. You have to be approved before you register to get the $145 fee, and the AAMC says review takes about 5 business days. The fee assistance guide covers who qualifies.
• An accommodations decision, if you need one. UWorld's registration guide says you'll likely get a decision within 60 days of the AAMC receiving your initial application, and that you must submit your scheduling request at least 15 days before your test date.
• A card. The AAMC accepts American Express, Visa, Discover and MasterCard, including debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo.

The fee assistance and accommodations timelines are the ones that catch people. If you're planning a spring date, start both now.

1. Sign in with your AAMC ID. Go to the registration system from the AAMC's register page. If you've forgotten your password, reset it first.
2. Fill in your account tabs. You'll enter contact, background and education details and agree to the AAMC's consents and policies, according to UWorld. The AAMC asked 2027 examinees to finish the first five tabs between October 5 and 19, 2026, so they'd only have to choose a seat on opening day.
3. Choose a date and test center. The system shows which dates still have seats at each location. Have a few backup dates ready, as the AAMC recommends.
4. Pay. The AAMC advises against browser autofill when you register or pay.
5. Check your confirmation email. UWorld says it should arrive within 24 hours. Make sure the name on it matches the ID you'll bring on test day.

You can hold only one MCAT^® appointment at a time, as the testing limits guide explains. To switch to a different date, you reschedule the one you have instead of booking a second seat as a backup.

The AAMC's scheduling fees page lists these amounts for 2027 dates:

Testing outside the U.S., Canada or U.S. territories adds a $130 international fee, which isn't refunded if you cancel. Sales or similar taxes may also be added at checkout.

Some prep company pages list a $355 registration fee and a $175 refund, which look like older figures. The AAMC's page lists $360 and $180 for 2027 dates.

Here's how the reschedule fee climbs as your test date gets closer:

The fee table also shows that rescheduling is always cheaper than canceling and booking again. At 30 to 59 days out, moving your date costs $110, while canceling gives back only $180 of your $360, so you'd lose $180 before paying for a new seat. Inside 30 days, a cancellation refunds nothing, and $210 to move is the only way to keep any value from what you paid.

Every 2027 date has three deadlines: 60 days, 30 days and 10 days before the exam. The AAMC's 2027 testing calendar says the 10-day deadline is the last day to schedule, reschedule or cancel, and the last day to edit your registration information. All of them end at 11:59 p.m. local test center time.

After that, your appointment is locked. MedSchoolCoach's summary of the testing limits notes that a no-show gets no refund and still counts toward your limits, including the AAMC's lifetime cap of seven attempts. So if your practice scores have stalled, make the call before the 10-day deadline. A reschedule fee is cheaper than a wasted attempt.

A few details on the calendar change which date makes sense.

• Scores come back in about a month. AAMC release dates for 2027 run 31 to 33 days after each test date, by 5 p.m. ET. A January 15 exam is scored February 16, and a September 11 exam is scored October 12. The score release guide covers what that day looks like.
• Four dates are big-city only. January 30, May 14 and August 28 are offered only in 14 metro areas, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. July 9 drops Chicago and Houston from that list.
• Seats go first come, first served. UWorld notes that Pearson VUE centers have limited capacity. If your first choice is full, the AAMC's register page lets you sign up for a notification when a seat opens. A notification doesn't hold a seat, so act on it fast.

Your date also sets your application timeline. If you plan to apply in 2027, a May exam gets your score to schools early in the cycle. September 10 and 11 are the last 2027 dates, so a September exam leaves no 2027 date for a retake. The MCAT timing guide walks through those trade-offs, and the study schedule guide helps you count backward from the date you choose.

For the 2027 testing year, the AAMC opened registration in three groups:

The AAMC's 2027 opening page explains the queue. Everyone in the online waiting room at 11:50 a.m. ET got a random place in line, and anyone who arrived later went to the end. Logging in earlier didn't improve your spot, so the AAMC recommended logging in no more than 15 minutes before opening.

If you're planning for the 2028 testing year, check the AAMC's register page for its opening schedule well before you plan to test. Fill in your tabs during the window it gives you, and be in the waiting room by the cutoff time it lists.

• Can I register now for a 2027 date? Yes. The registration system stays open for any date with seats until its 10-day deadline.
• Can I get the fee assistance price after I pay? No. You must be approved before you register.
• Can I book two dates and drop one later? No. You can hold only one appointment at a time.
• What if my name doesn't match my ID? Fix it in your account before the 10-day deadline, which is the last day to edit registration information.
• Who do I call with a problem? The MCAT^® Program, at 202-828-0600, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, except Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. ET.

Before you lock in a date, check whether your recent practice scores line up with your goal using the PurpleCAT MCAT score guide.

Last verified October 30, 2026, against the AAMC's 2027 scheduling fees, testing calendar and registration opening pages.