How to Get a Perfect MCAT Score: Strategies From a 528 Scorer
/How hard is it to get a perfect MCAT score? Learn study strategies to achieve the elusive 528, plus a breakdown of perfect scores and how hard it is to achieve
Achieving a perfect MCAT score requires diligent preparation
(Note: This resource also appears in our MCAT Ultimate Guide.)
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Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: What is a perfect MCAT score?
Part 3: How hard is it to get a perfect MCAT score?
Part 4: How to get a perfect MCAT score
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Part 1: Introduction
The MCAT is the longest and most stressful exam that premeds must take in order to get into medical school. The exam plays a huge role in what medical schools’ admissions committees look at when they evaluate applicants.
To make things even harder, premeds are scoring higher on the exam than ever before.
For each of the past three medical school application cycles, the average MCAT score for applicants has increased. In the 2022–2023 application cycle, the average MCAT score for applicants was 506.5, which was up from the 2021–2022 average of 505.9 and the 2020–2021 average of 506.4.
But what about the students that score the highest on the exam? Many premeds have asked us: Is it possible to achieve a perfect score on the MCAT?
Every year, there are stories of a friend of a friend who achieved the elusive perfect score on the MCAT. While a 528 might seem like the stuff of myths, there are students who achieve perfect scores on the MCAT.
In this guide, we’ll break down:
What a perfect MCAT score is
How hard it is to get a perfect MCAT score
Tips you can use in your own studying to work your way closer to a perfect MCAT performance
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Part 2: What is a perfect MCAT score?
A perfect MCAT score is a 528. The MCAT is made up of four sections:
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (CPBS)
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (BBLS)
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (PSBB)
Each of the four MCAT sections is scored from a 118 to a 132, and when you add these four sections up, you can score anywhere between a 472 and a 528. If you score a 132 on each section, you will achieve the perfect 528 MCAT score.
A 528 MCAT score corresponds to the 99.9th percentile of all test takers, along with scores of 524 and above.
(Suggested reading: What MCAT Score Do You Need to Get Into Medical School?)
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Part 3: How hard is it to get a perfect MCAT score?
It is very difficult to get a perfect MCAT score, but achieving a 528 on the MCAT does not mean you have to be perfect. Let us explain.
The MCAT is a scaled exam, meaning each exam is graded slightly differently to account for small variations in how well students perform on different test days. If Mae receives a slightly harder exam than Joshua, Mae could miss a couple more questions than Joshua and still receive the same score.
In other words, you can miss a question on a section of the MCAT and still achieve a perfect section score of 132. Many students who achieve perfect section scores and perfect overall MCAT scores likely do miss a question or two.
That being said, it is still very difficult to achieve the perfect 528 on the MCAT. Many people have asked: How many folks get a perfect score every year?
The AAMC does not report specific numbers, but we can make a rough estimation using the AAMC’s release of the most recent testing cycle’s summary of MCAT total and section scores. Let’s dive into some calculations. (If you are not interested in our math, feel free to skip the next few paragraphs!)
The bar graph plots total score versus the percentage of applicants who achieved this score. The 528 bar is on the far-right side and nearly invisible.
However, we can see a small bar and can count pixels to estimate the number of students who achieve this score. There are 550 pixels between the 0 and 0.5 percent ticks on the y-axis, and the 528 bar contains 23 pixels. Using a simple proportion, we can estimate that perfect 528 scorers account for 0.021% of all test takers.
At the top of the chart, we see that the sample size is 276,779 students. 0.021% of 273,860 students brings us to our final answer: 58 students.
Since this method is not perfect, we’ll leave you with a range; between 30 and 70 students every year achieve a perfect 528 MCAT. This is out of the nearly three hundred thousand students who take the exam.
Thus, achieving a perfect MCAT score is quite difficult, but it is not impossible.
Self-study vs. live prep courses
As you research the best study resources to help you obtain a perfect score on the MCAT, you’ve probably debated as to whether you should go at it alone with self-study materials or enroll in a live prep course. Depending on your learning style, one option may appeal to your more than the other. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons for each option.
Pros of self-study for the MCAT
Customization: You can customize your MCAT study plan to suit your schedule and choose materials that focus on your specific strengths and weaknesses.
Cost-effective: Self-study plans tend to be less expensive because you can customize the plan to suit your needs and budget.
Cons of self-study for the MCAT
Self-discipline: We list this one as the first con because it’s extremely important that you realize the level of self-discipline involved in sticking to a two-month, four-month, six-month, etc. schedule. Of course, if you’re naturally self-disciplined, this won’t be an issue at all.
Minimal support: If you’re studying on your own, you may have limited support through the manufacturers of your study materials, but it won’t be customized to you. (That said, MCAT tutoring is an option that can fill this need.)
Pros of live study classes for the MCAT
Organization and structure: Live prep courses offer the sense of structure you might need to keep you on track with your MCAT study schedule.
Support: Typically, live prep courses will offer instructor support.
Cons of live study classes for the MCAT
Cost: Live prep classes are considerably more expensive than self-study options.
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Part 4: How to get a perfect MCAT score
Now that you know it is possible to achieve a perfect score on the MCAT, how can you study so that you maximize your chances of scoring a 528? After speaking with two of those students who achieved a perfect 528, here’s what we found out.
Tip #1: Build a well-thought out MCAT study schedule early on in your test prep.
Students who don’t create a study schedule often end up creating one later on in their prep, but it is too late by that point as they have already missed out on weeks or even months of rigorous and planned studying. Don’t underestimate the benefit of spending a few diligent hours up front to build your perfect study schedule.
Plan to create a study schedule as soon as you decide when to take the MCAT. This will do the work of holding you accountable during the study process and ensuring that you have a detailed roadmap for the test prep that lies ahead.
A well-thought out MCAT study schedule should incorporate “flex days”—either one free day per week or one to two open weeks at the end of the schedule—for a couple of reasons. Building in flex days will allow you to handle the inevitable curveballs that life will throw at you and give you a chance to catch up. Plus, they’ll provide the crucial opportunity to relax and avoid burnout, allowing you to come back to the MCAT materials refreshed, and recharged.
(Suggested reading: The Ideal MCAT Study Schedule)
Tip #2: Change up your strategy if it isn’t working.
Many of you have heard the phrase: “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.” That holds true for the MCAT, and so does the reverse statement that we just made up for you: “Do fix it when it is broke.” Many students stick with the same strategy exam after exam even though their score is not improving.
However, not every strategy works for every person. An effective strategy takes advantage of the way that you think, and different people understandably have different ways of thinking and problem-solving.
That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid to mix up your strategy. One of the 528 scorers we interviewed even told us: “I switched up my CARS strategy up on my second to last AAMC full-length exam because I was stuck in a score plateau. On the real exam, I scored a 132 in CARS!”
That said, your actual test day isn’t the day to suddenly change strategies. By doing this, you risk being thrown off your game with potentially disastrous results.
Tip #3: Make practice problem review a cornerstone of your MCAT study plan.
Taking practice problems is not enough to score well on the MCAT. Our 528 scorers said that they spent just as much time reviewing the practice problems as they did taking the problems in the first place.
Many students will face the following situation at some point in their test prep: Should I take another full-length exam or finish reviewing and studying the last two exams that I took?
You should always finish reviewing and studying the last two exams that you took. In review, you should also make sure to emphasize questions and content areas that you previously missed. If you don’t put 110 percent of your effort into reviewing and studying the exams that you have already taken, you will not approach the next exam with a new body of knowledge and an understanding of what you missed before. As a result, you might not see the score increase that you want.
Tip #4: Prepare for test day by simulating test day when you practice.
It’s not uncommon for students to score highly on their practice tests and then score several points lower on the real test. That’s why, whenever possible, you should take any practice problem as if you were taking it on a real exam.
Here’s how to simulate test day conditions:
Try to find a quiet environment where you won’t be disturbed.
Start full-lengths at 8:00am.
Take all of the breaks you’d take during the real exam.
Don’t rush through the questions just because you are interested to see the correct answers (students commonly do this during the final Psychology and Sociology section, but remember that this makes up one-quarter of your score).
Rather than simply guess the answers to questions you don’t know the answer to, reason through them to the best of your ability, the way you would if you were actually taking the test.
By simulating test day as accurately as possible, you’ll be well prepared come the day of your actual exam.
Tip #5: Get a little bit lucky.
Scoring a 528 on the MCAT does require some luck. Both of the 528 scorers we interviewed said that a small portion of their score was getting the “fifty-fifty” questions right. One 528 scorer even said that he “completely guessed” on a question in the chemistry/physics section of his exam.
Achieving a perfect 528 on the MCAT is an impressive feat, but it is not the only great MCAT score that you can achieve. In fact, the majority of students who are accepted into medical school do not score a 528. There are other factors in your application, including your GPA, extracurricular activities, clinical experience, personal statement, and much more.
A student with a perfect 528 and no extracurricular activities is not as likely to get into medical school as a 520 student with hundreds of research hours, leadership experiences, and clinical volunteering.
Final thoughts
There is a famous quote by author Norman Vincent Peale: “Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you will land among the stars.” In other words, if you study like you are planning to score a 528, you will set yourself up for success on the MCAT!
For more study strategies to help you achieve a perfect MCAT score, plus further details on the tips above, be sure to watch our corresponding YouTube video: How I Scored a 528 (Perfect MCAT Score).
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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