In most cases, NO! You should think of the exam as a one-shot deal and do your absolute best the first time around! That said, the fact remains that many of you wonder about retaking the test when you find you did not do quite as well as you would have liked. Some questions to consider if you're in this situation:
- Can I really do better? If you began studying 3-4 months before the exam and did five or six full-length practice tests, then you should have been prepared. While you may have wished for a better score, be careful to jump to the conclusion that a second time around is necessarily better. If you put in sufficient prep time the first time around, retaking the test can backfire.
- How was my score? To be competitive, a "33 or better" is a good MCAT score. You should check the average scores of the schools you are considering applying to. And remember, these are averages; just because you scored higher than the average does not ensure acceptance, and just because you scored lower than the average does not mean you won't be accepted. You are considered a composite applicant, and your MCAT score is only part of the whole.
- How are my grades? If your GPA is lower than the averages of the schools to which you want to apply, then ideally you would want to score significantly higher than average on the required entrance exam.
- In most cases if you are in the midst of applying you'll be retaking the exam sometime during the summer. Be aware of the fact, however, that sometimes as much as 50% of the interview slots at some schools have been filled by the time schools receive those later test scores so, because of rolling admission, you are at a disadvantage.
- Lastly, there should be no "trial runs" for the entrance exam (other than taking the recommended un-scored practice exams). These entrance exams are to be thought of as one-time events. It is no LESS unpleasant the second time around than it was the first! In addition, many schools average all sets of scores or only accept the most recent set.
