Perfect MCAT score?

[jalexand42]

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Getting a 45 on the MCAT is damn near impossible. To give you an idea of how difficult that is, the average medical school matriculant scores a 30 on the MCAT. A [censored] 30! A score of around 33-34 gets you into the 90th percentile. The highest score I've heard of someone getting is one of my friends who got a 39.

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I'm reviewing for the MCAT now through Kaplan test prep, who told me the MCAT is designed such that in the entire history of the test, no one has ever gotten the max score (45). My roommate has already taken it and got a 40, which was like >99th percentile, FWIW.

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40 is sick as hell. I got a 31, that test was a [censored] bitch.

[kleinstadt1]

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For at least some years it is ACTUALLY impossible.
For the three sections with 15 point scales, they sometimes report 13-15 as the highest score rather than 15.

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This is true. I got a 12 on Verbal Reasoning section (lamest brag ever) when I took it in 1996 and that was 98%. 13 was highest reported that year.

Also, leaving med school is a big red flag. Usually people are kicked out, which is REALLY difficult to do these days (this is why they're so picky about who they let in).

Only about 1 person out of every 3-4 classes in my med school left voluntarily (class size approx. 150).

[nickg1532]

for someone who has no idea about the MCAT or how it's structured, could someone explain what about the test makes a perfect score so unheard of? is it simply that the test is really really hard? i mean, you occassionally hear of perfect scores on, e.g. the LSAT, which is what i took (i believe you can miss one or two actual questions and still get a 180 on the LSAT btw)

[suzzer99]

I would have doubts if this guy even went to med school.

[Skipbidder]

The test has four sections: verbal reasoning, physical science, biological science, and a writing sample. Getting a perfect score on any one section isn't particularly rare. Something like 1.5% of those taking a section will get it. (I don't remember exactly, but it certainly is less than 3%) The four sections are very different animals, however. Someone who can get perfect scores on the physical and biological science sections is not going to have the kind of background necessary to get perfect scores on the verbal reasoning and writing sample. The writing sample has two questions, which are each graded by two different readers. I believe that you have to get top marks by both readers on both sections to get that perfect score. Your competition is going to include nontraditional students who went through a humanities background first. For instance, when I took the test, I already had an MA in philosophy and had previously graded writing samples for other tests (not the MCAT, however). One of my colleagues was an English professor (PhD). How exactly is a science guy going to compete with this?

[suzzer99]

More importantly, why would I want a PhD English professor diagnosing my brain tumor?

[gusmahler]

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He claims to have a triple major in Biochem, Physics and Business Admin from a very good small college in NYC. Also says that he won the top student award in his first year of med school at different but also very good med school in NYC (no mention of graduating med school).


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He didn't send you his transcripts? Shouldn't that be standard?

[mmbt0ne]

No one has ever gotten a 45 on the MCAT.

[Skipbidder]

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More importantly, why would I want a PhD English professor diagnosing my brain tumor?

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You wouldn't, he's a physiatrist (physical medicine and rehab doc).

[nickg1532]

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The test has four sections: verbal reasoning, physical science, biological science, and a writing sample. Getting a perfect score on any one section isn't particularly rare. Something like 1.5% of those taking a section will get it. (I don't remember exactly, but it certainly is less than 3%) The four sections are very different animals, however. Someone who can get perfect scores on the physical and biological science sections is not going to have the kind of background necessary to get perfect scores on the verbal reasoning and writing sample. The writing sample has two questions, which are each graded by two different readers. I believe that you have to get top marks by both readers on both sections to get that perfect score. Your competition is going to include nontraditional students who went through a humanities background first. For instance, when I took the test, I already had an MA in philosophy and had previously graded writing samples for other tests (not the MCAT, however). One of my colleagues was an English professor (PhD). How exactly is a science guy going to compete with this?

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so the diversity of knowledge/skills required to ace this thing is what makes it so tough? interesting. thanks.