MCAT Retake Rules: Attempt Limits, Voids, and What Schools See
Publication date: September 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM America/Chicago
Last reviewed: August 29, 2026
Independent-publisher disclosure: King of the Curve is an independent test-prep publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Direct answer
The MCAT has three overlapping attempt limits: no more than three attempts in one testing year, four attempts across two consecutive testing years, and seven attempts over your lifetime beginning with April 2015 test dates. You may hold only one MCAT appointment at a time. A voided exam counts as an attempt, and a no-show counts as an attempt, but neither a void nor a no-show is reported to medical schools. Once you check in for the exam, the attempt is used even if you later void or do not complete the test. By contrast, scored exams are generally subject to AAMC's full-disclosure policy for tests from April 2003 onward. These are separate questions: “Does it count toward my limit?” is not the same as “Will it appear on a medical-school score report?”
This article explains those rules only. It does not tell you whether you personally should retake the MCAT, define a good score, repeat score-release logistics, or advise how a particular medical school evaluates multiple scores.
The MCAT attempt limits: 3, 4, and 7
The official AAMC Testing Attempt Limits page and the 2026 MCAT Essentials state four core restrictions: you can hold only one MCAT appointment at a time; you may attempt the exam no more than three times in one testing year; no more than four times across two consecutive testing years; and no more than seven times over your lifetime, with the lifetime count beginning with the April 2015 test dates.
| Limit | Maximum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Appointments held at one time | 1 | You may hold only one MCAT exam appointment at a time. |
| Single testing year | 3 attempts | You may attempt the MCAT no more than three times during one testing year. |
| Two consecutive testing years | 4 attempts | The combined number of attempts across two back-to-back testing years cannot exceed four. |
| Lifetime | 7 attempts | The lifetime cap counts attempts beginning with April 2015 MCAT test dates. |
The limits operate together. Reaching any applicable cap can prevent another attempt even if a different cap has not been reached. The AAMC's When Is the Right Time to Take the MCAT? guidance specifically reminds examinees that voids and no-shows count toward total attempts, so the testing-history calculation is broader than the number of score reports a school sees.
Counts as an attempt vs. appears on a medical-school report
This is the distinction most likely to cause confusion. An event can use one of your testing attempts without creating a score that medical schools can see. The current MCAT FAQ explicitly says medical schools do not have a record of exams you voided or no-showed and do not have access to a system showing those events. Only you can see that history in the MCAT Score Reporting System.
| Event | Counts toward attempt limits? | Shown to medical schools as an MCAT score? |
|---|---|---|
| You complete the exam and choose to have it scored | Yes | Yes, subject to AAMC score-reporting/full-disclosure rules |
| You check in and later choose to void | Yes | No |
| You check in but do not complete the exam | Yes | No scored exam is reported unless the exam is ultimately scored under the applicable rules |
| You are a no-show | Yes | No |
The Check-In Rules and Procedures page makes the check-in threshold especially clear: once you check in, you are considered to have used one testing attempt even if you void or do not complete the test. The same page states that a no-show counts as an attempt regardless of the reason.
Voiding an MCAT exam: what is final and what is not reported
The official Scoring or Voiding Your Exam page says you have one opportunity at the end of the exam to choose whether the test should be scored or voided. Once you submit that selection, it is final; scoring and voiding cannot be reversed after the exam.
If you do not make a selection before the score/void decision time expires, AAMC says the exam defaults to scored. Merely telling the test administrator that you intend to void is not enough when the score/void screen is available—you must make the appropriate selection in the exam system. If a technical or exceptional circumstance prevents the normal void process, follow the official AAMC reporting procedure rather than assuming the exam will automatically be voided.
A properly voided exam still counts toward testing limits. However, AAMC states that information from the voided exam is not included on score reports sent to medical schools. The void indication appears in your own Score Reporting System after the scheduled release date for you to see.
No-shows also count, but schools do not see them
AAMC defines late arrival or failure to appear for a scheduled MCAT appointment as a no-show under its test-center rules. The 2026 check-in guidance states that no-shows count toward the maximum number of testing attempts.
That does not turn the no-show into a medical-school score report. The AAMC FAQ says schools have no record of no-shows and no ability to access a system listing them. Again, a used attempt and a reported score are different concepts.
What medical schools generally see: scored exams and full disclosure
For exams that you choose to score, AAMC's score-reporting rules are different. The official Score Reporting Through Your AMCAS Application page states that AAMC has followed a full-disclosure policy since April 2003. Tests taken from April 2003 onward for which you received a score are generally included in score reports or made available through AMCAS.
The Score Reporting System guidance similarly says electronic reports include all tests from April 2003 onward for which you received a score and that you cannot exclude one scored exam or selectively send only one score through SRS.
Void and no-show events are different: they do not produce a score for schools to review. The AAMC FAQ also emphasizes that medical schools decide independently how to evaluate multiple scored MCAT exams. Some may emphasize recent scores, highest scores, trends, averages, or other approaches. AAMC does not impose a single admissions interpretation, and this article does not substitute for a school's published policy.
What happens if you reach an AAMC testing limit?
The Testing Attempt Limits page says AAMC may consider appeals of the testing limits and may request relevant information or documentation. Approval is entirely at AAMC's discretion, and AAMC says it will not consider more than one testing-limit appeal in a testing year.
That language should not be read as an ordinary extra-attempt pathway or a promise that an appeal will be granted. If the issue is relevant to you, follow the current AAMC process and instructions exactly. King of the Curve does not advise whether to appeal and does not predict an appeal outcome.
Rule-check checklist
This checklist is King of the Curve organizational guidance, not an AAMC retake recommendation.
- Count all MCAT attempts in the current testing year, including voids and no-shows.
- Check the combined count across the current and adjacent consecutive testing year.
- Check the lifetime count beginning with April 2015 test dates.
- Remember that once you check in, that attempt is used even if you later void or do not finish.
- Keep “attempt history” separate from “medical-school score history.”
- Remember that a missing score/void choice defaults to scored under the official rule.
- Assume scored tests from April 2003 onward are subject to full disclosure unless an official historical exception applies.
- Use each school's own published policy to understand how it evaluates multiple scored exams.
Official AAMC sources
- Testing Attempt Limits — one appointment at a time; 3/4/7 attempt limits; discretionary appeals.
- MCAT FAQs — void/no-show visibility, attempt counting, full disclosure, and school-specific treatment of multiple scores.
- Scoring or Voiding Your Exam — final score/void choice, default-to-scored rule, and void reporting.
- Check-In Rules and Procedures — no-show consequences and the rule that check-in uses an attempt even if the exam is voided or incomplete.
- Score Reporting Through Your AMCAS Application — full disclosure of scored tests from April 2003 onward.
- Score Reporting Through the Score Reporting System — all scored exams under the full-disclosure policy and no selective score release.
- When Is the Right Time to Take the MCAT? — AAMC reminder that testing limits include voids and no-shows.
- 2026 MCAT Essentials — current testing-limit and test-day policy source.
Frequently asked questions
How many times can I take the MCAT in one year?
AAMC allows no more than three attempts in a single testing year.
What is the two-year MCAT attempt limit?
You may attempt the exam no more than four times across two consecutive testing years.
What is the lifetime MCAT attempt limit?
The lifetime maximum is seven attempts, counting MCAT test dates beginning in April 2015.
Does voiding the MCAT count as an attempt?
Yes. A voided exam counts toward the testing limits, but medical schools do not see a voided exam on their score reports.
Does a no-show count as an MCAT attempt?
Yes. A no-show counts toward the testing limits, but AAMC says medical schools do not receive a record of the no-show.
What happens if I forget to choose score or void?
AAMC states that if you do not make a selection before the decision period expires, the exam will be scored.
Do medical schools see every scored MCAT?
AAMC's full-disclosure policy generally includes scored tests from April 2003 onward in score reports or AMCAS. Schools independently decide how they evaluate multiple scores.
