MCAT 101
When is the MCAT?
There are 30 dates scheduled for the 2021 testing year with a few dates through January- May but the bulk of the testing dates occuring in June, July and August. The date you choose to write is entirely personal. Most typical undergraduate students have their summers off and therefore choose to spend the 3-4 months of summer studying and taking a prep course. This means that the end of August dates are the most popular and fill up the fastest. Other dates may suit your schedule much better.
Note: if your application year is this year (one year PRIOR to your intended start of medical school) then you MUST complete your MCAT prior to the end of August to get your scores back in time for the vast majority of application deadlines for schools across Canada.
Score Release Dates
The AAMC publishes all the score release dates for the 2022 testing year and can be found at
If you intend on applying to schools with a September 15th application deadline (UBC and Memorial) then you must complete the MCAT before or including the August 13th test date to ensure your scores are returned in time for the application deadline.
MCAT Test Locations
The MCAT is administered at private testing facilities in major urban centers across North America. There is likely a testing center within 100kms from where you live. For instance, there are 7 testing centers near Saskatoon and 13 around Chicago.
If you live in a rural area, you may have to travel to the nearest urban center for test date and will need to arrange comfortable accommodation and transportation for your test date.
Register Early
TIP: Register early!
Some of the more popular test dates fill up fast. The most popular tend to be mid-August test date as this coincides with the end of prep courses as well as giving you the summer to prepare. This means you need to register early! Registration for summer test dates opens at AAMC.org in early-February of that year.
It’s also cheaper to register early so plan ahead and find the right test date for you.
Can you rewrite/reschedule the MCAT?
You are allowed to change your MCAT date, for a fee. The price depends on how far out you are rescheduling.
- 60 days prior to the exam: $50 USD rescheduling fee and $160USD cancellation refund
- 30-59 days prior to the exam: $100 USD rescheduling fee and $160USD cancellation refund
- 10-29 days prior to the exam: $200 USD rescheduling fee and $0USD cancellation refund
So plan ahead and have a plan to be ready for test day!
TIP: Choosing the optimal test date
Your best test date is not necessarily the most popular test date. The most popular dates are early to mid-August as most competitive students take a prep class which usually finishes late July. This allows a few weeks of studying on your own prior to your actual test date.
But there are dozens of test dates throughout the year that may suit your life better. There are also Prep101 courses running throughout the year that coincide with most test days. For the typical undergraduate student, a mid-August test date is ideal so that you have the summer to study and don’t overlap with your important undergraduate courses.
