MCAT expiration

shades_children
Wed, 28 May 2008 19:07:32 +0000

According to [AAMC: MCAT Exam Miscellaneous FAQ](http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/miscfaq.htm#11) :



How long are MCAT scores valid?

In general, MCAT scores are valid for 3 years. However, this time frame varies from school to school. So you may wish to contact the school(s) of your choice to find out their policies concerning MCAT scores.



student14x:

At this time I’m unable to verify this, but I’m under the impression that when you send out a score report to a school, the report contains all of your scores. There is no way to release the results from one sitting and suppress the results from another. Maybe only the best of your scores will still be valid, but schools will be able to see your performance in the past.

According to [AMCAS - FAQs - Transcripts and MCAT Scores](http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/faq/transcripts.htm) :



Score Reporting through AMCAS

When you apply to medical schools through AMCAS, the AAMC sends your application materials to the medical schools you have designated in the AMCAS application, including your MCAT scores. AMCAS automatically includes MCAT scores for examinees who sat for the exam in 2003 onward—you do not have the option to withhold scores for exams taken in 2003 or later. Scores from 1991 to 2002 will be included only if you have released them to AMCAS. To release pre-2003 MCAT scores to AMCAS, use the online MCAT THx system (http://services.aamc.org/mcatthx).



So unless you took the MCAT before 2003, you have two options for score release - all or none.

I wasn’t able to find anything about suppressing scores via THx on the MCAT or AMCAS official sites, but the Princeton Review ([MCAT Score Release Option | The Princeton Review](http://www.princetonreview.com/medical/testprep/testprep.asp?TPRPAGE=139&TYPE=MCAT)) had this to say:



Scores from previous years’ MCATs (that is, those taken in 1991-2002) can still be “hidden”, and are available to medical schools only when the student specifically releases them. However, starting in 2003, every student will have a Testing History (THx) report, which lists all the student’s MCAT scores from test dates in 2003 and beyond, plus any older tests whose scores the student authorizes for release.

Now the only way a student can keep their MCAT scores hidden is to VOID the test before the end of the MCAT testing day. This means their test will not be scored at all, and their participation in that administration of the MCAT will not be reported to AMCAS or to non-AMCAS schools. (However, the AAMC still counts this as having attended the test and it counts toward the total of 3 times a student can take the MCAT without receiving special permission from the AAMC.)



So it looks like you can hide scores from before 2003, but you can’t hide the fact that you took the MCAT. I imagine that an adcom would be concerned about a hidden score and wonder why an application chose to do that.