A complete comparison of the pre-2015 MCAT and the current exam, with old versus new scoring, an honest score conversion chart, and how admissions committees read each scale.
| Quick Answer: Old MCAT vs New MCAT The old MCAT (1991 to January 2015) was scored on a 3 to 45 scale across three sections. The new MCAT (April 2015 onward) is scored on a 472 to 528 scale across four sections. There is no exact score conversion. The AAMC does not publish a direct crosswalk. The only defensible comparison is by percentile rank, and published conversion charts are estimates, not official equivalents. As a rough guide, an old 30 is near a new 508 to 509, and both sit around the 80th percentile. Old scores are now generally too old for current applications. |
| Key Takeaways Old scale: 3 to 45, three sections scored 1 to 15 each, plus a J to T writing sample (removed in 2013). New scale: 472 to 528, four sections scored 118 to 132 each, midpoint 500. MCAT max score: 528 on the new exam, the old maximum was 45. Conversion is percentile-based and approximate. AAMC states old and new scores cannot be directly converted. Old MCAT scores are effectively retired. Most schools only accept scores from the last two to three years. Always confirm figures against the current AAMC percentile ranks, which are updated annually. |
Got an old MCAT score sitting around, or trying to make sense of numbers from different years? Here’s the thing you need to know first: the old and new MCAT used different scales and tested different sections, so there’s no clean way to convert between them.
The AAMC says this outright, old scores don’t translate directly to new ones. What you can do is match up percentile ranks. A percentile means the same thing no matter which version of the test you took: the percentage of test takers you outscored. That’s the only honest way to compare an old MCAT score to a new one.
| The One Rule of MCAT Score Conversion Compare percentiles, not raw numbers. Any old to new number you see, including on this page, is a percentile-based estimate. Treat conversion charts as guides, never as official equivalents. |
The MCAT dates back to 1928, created to reduce high dropout rates in medical schools. The version most people mean by the “old MCAT” ran from 1991 through January 2015, and for most of that era it was the familiar three section, 3 to 45 exam.
The redesign was not a quick tweak. It came out of a multi-year review by an AAMC advisory committee that gathered input from medical educators, students, and admissions officers before recommending the new blueprint. The result added behavioral and social science, deepened biochemistry, and leaned harder on passage based analysis across the board. That blueprint is still the exam you sit today, so if you are preparing rather than looking back, start with what the MCAT is and how it works today.
The new MCAT launched in April 2015. The final administration of the old exam was in January 2015, so scores from that date and earlier are “old MCAT” scores on the 3 to 45 scale.
A related change happened earlier: the Writing Sample essays, scored on a J to T letter scale, were removed in 2013 and replaced by an unscored trial section before the full 2015 redesign.
The clearest way to see the difference is side by side. The table below compares the structure, length, and scoring of the two exams at a glance.
| Feature | Old MCAT (to Jan 2015) | New MCAT (Apr 2015 on) |
|---|---|---|
| Sections | 3 scored sections + writing (to 2013) | 4 scored sections |
| Section names | Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences | Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem, Psych/Soc |
| Total questions | ~144 multiple choice | 230 multiple-choice |
| Content time | ~3.5 hours (approx.) | 6 hr 15 min |
| Score scale | 3 to 45 | 472 to 528 |
| Section scale | 1 to 15 each | 118 to 132 each |
| Midpoint | ~24 to 25 | 500 |
| Behavioral science | Not tested | Tested (Psych/Soc) |
| Writing sample | J to T (removed 2013) | None |
Reading down the table, the pattern is clear: the new MCAT did not simply rename the old sections, it widened the exam. It kept the physical, verbal, and biological strands, folded biochemistry deeper into the science sections, and added an entirely new behavioral science section.
The scale changed for the same reason. A 3 to 45 range gives three broad bands, while the 472 to 528 range spreads scores across many more points. That finer spread lets schools separate applicants who would have landed on the identical old number, which is one reason a direct conversion between the two can never be exact.
| Biggest Structural Change The new MCAT added a full Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section and expanded critical reasoning. It tests a broader base than the old exam, which is a key reason raw numbers do not translate one to one. |
The two exams do not share a common section map. The table below lines up the old sections against their closest modern counterparts so you can see what carried over and what is new.
| Old MCAT Section | Closest New MCAT Section | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Sciences (1-15) | Chemical and Physical Foundations (118-132) | Adds biochemistry context and passage reasoning |
| Verbal Reasoning (1-15) | Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (118-132) | Similar skill, longer and humanities/social focus |
| Biological Sciences (1-15) | Biological and Biochemical Foundations (118-132) | Heavier biochemistry emphasis |
| Not tested | Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations (118-132) | Entirely new behavioral and social science section |
The mapping is approximate, not exact. Verbal Reasoning and CARS are the closest match, because both test reading and argument analysis rather than outside knowledge, though CARS is longer and pulls more from the humanities and social sciences. The old Physical and Biological Sciences sections split their content across the new science sections, with biochemistry now woven through both.
The bottom row is the real headline. The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations section has no old exam counterpart at all. Any comparison that quietly ignores it understates how much the exam expanded, and it explains why a modern score reflects skills the old score never measured.
Timing comparison: the old MCAT ran roughly three and a half hours of testing, while the new MCAT runs 6 hours 15 minutes of content time (about 7.5 hours seated). Question comparison: the exam grew from roughly 144 questions to 230 questions. More items and more passages spread difficulty out, so a single hard question weighs less than it did on the shorter old exam.
Understanding both scales is the foundation of any comparison. This is where old MCAT scoring and new scoring differ most.
The old MCAT score range was 3 to 45. Each of the three sections was scored 1 to 15, and the three section scores were added together. A competitive old score was generally in the low to mid 30s, and the midpoint sat around 24 to 25.
The new MCAT uses a 472 to 528 total scale. Each of the four sections is scored 118 to 132, and the four are summed. The midpoint is 500, and a strong score is generally 510 and above. What is the MCAT out of? The new exam is out of 528, the old exam was out of 45.
The summary table below puts both scoring systems next to each other, including section scales, midpoints, and maximums.
| Scoring Element | Old MCAT | New MCAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total range | 3 to 45 | 472 to 528 |
| Section range | 1 to 15 (x3) | 118 to 132 (x4) |
| Midpoint | ~24 to 25 | 500 |
| Maximum (MCAT max score) | 45 | 528 |
| Number of scored sections | 3 | 4 |
Two rows deserve emphasis. First, the midpoint moved from a round 25 to a round 500, so an average score looks completely different on paper even though it means the same thing. Second, the maximum jumped from 45 to 528, which is why a number like 512 is meaningless until you know which scale it belongs to.
This is the practical lesson of old versus new scoring: never judge a bare MCAT number without anchoring it to its range and, ideally, its percentile. A 512 is strong on the new scale, while a 12 was a single below average section on the old one. Same digits, opposite meaning.
| Section Scoring Note: On the new MCAT, a balanced score across all four sections (roughly 125 each) lands near the midpoint of 500. Admissions committees look at section balance, not just the total, because a very low section can raise questions even with a solid overall score. |
Because the scales differ, MCAT percentiles are the common language between the two exams. A percentile rank tells you the percentage of test takers who scored at or below your score, and the AAMC publishes updated percentile ranks each year.
Admissions committees use MCAT score percentiles to compare applicants fairly across years and exam versions. A percentile is stable in meaning even when the scale changes, which is exactly why percentile matching is the only sound way to relate an old score to a new one.
The table below shows approximate new MCAT percentile ranks for commonly referenced scores. Percentiles shift slightly each year, so confirm the current figures on the AAMC site.
| New MCAT Score | Approx. Percentile | Read As |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | ~49th | Midpoint |
| 505 | ~65th | Above average |
| 510 | ~81st | Competitive |
| 513 | ~88th to 90th | Strong (near 90th percentile MCAT) |
| 515 | ~92nd to 93rd | 515 MCAT percentile: very strong |
| 518 | ~96th to 97th | Top tier |
| 520 | ~98th | Elite |
The habit that matters here is reading the percentile column, not the score column. A 500 sounds high to anyone used to the old 45 point scale, yet it sits right at the midpoint. A 510 is genuinely competitive, because roughly four out of five test takers score below it, and a 515 pushes into the top ten percent or so. Percentiles tell you where you stand against other test takers, but not what schools expect, for that, compare your number against the average MCAT score for medical school.
Because the AAMC recalculates these ranks each year from the most recent testing cohorts, the same score can drift a percentile point or two between cycles without you doing anything differently. That is why every figure in this guide is framed as approximate and tied back to the current AAMC ranks.
| 515 MCAT Percentile and the 90th Percentile A 515 MCAT percentile sits around the 92nd to 93rd percentile in recent AAMC data, and the 90th percentile MCAT falls near a score of 513. These move a point or two year to year, so always check the latest AAMC percentile ranks. |
Searches for an MCAT score converter, an MCAT conversion chart, or an MCAT raw score conversion chart all lead to the same honest answer. Here is what is official and what is estimated.
A percentile based MCAT conversion chart takes an old score, finds its old percentile, then reads across to the new score at the same percentile. That is also how a MCAT sample test score conversion or MCAT raw score conversion chart works within a single exam: raw correct answers are scaled, then mapped to a percentile.
| Limitations of Conversion Charts Percentiles shift each year, so a chart from one cycle is slightly off in another. Old and new cohorts differ, so matching percentiles compares populations, not identical skills. The new exam tests content the old one did not (behavioral science), so no chart captures that difference. Treat every converted number as approximate, useful for context, not for official reporting. |
Below are the most commonly searched old scores with their approximate modern equivalents, based on percentile matching. These answer questions like 31 MCAT to new MCAT, 30 MCAT to new, 32 MCAT to new, and 33 MCAT to new. Every value is an estimate, not an official AAMC conversion.
The chart pairs each old score with its approximate percentile and the new scale score at a similar percentile. Use it for context only.
| Old MCAT | Approx. Percentile | Approx. New MCAT | Common Search |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | ~55th to 60th | ~503 to 504 | 27 MCAT to new |
| 28 | ~65th to 68th | ~505 to 506 | 28 MCAT to new |
| 29 | ~72nd to 76th | ~507 | 29 MCAT to new |
| 30 | ~78th to 80th | ~508 to 509 | 30 MCAT to new |
| 31 | ~83rd to 85th | ~510 to 511 | 31 MCAT to new MCAT |
| 32 | ~87th to 89th | ~512 to 513 | 32 MCAT to new |
| 33 | ~90th to 91st | ~514 | 33 MCAT to new |
| 35 | ~94th to 95th | ~516 to 517 | 35 MCAT to new |
| 36 | ~96th to 97th | ~518 | 36 MCAT to new |
A few things stand out when you scan the chart. The old scores compress at the top: the gap between a 33 and a 36 is only three old points, but it covers a meaningful jump in percentile and roughly four new scale points. That compression is precisely why percentile matching, rather than simple arithmetic, is the only sound way to relate the two scales.
Notice too that every new score cell is a range, not a single number. That is deliberate. The honest answer to a query like 31 MCAT to new MCAT is a band around 510 to 511, because the underlying percentiles themselves shift year to year. Anyone who hands you one exact number is overstating what the data can support.
| Read This Before Using the Chart These are percentile based estimates, not official conversions. The AAMC does not certify any old to new number. Ranges reflect real year to year variation in percentiles. For any formal purpose, report your actual score on its original scale and cite the AAMC percentile ranks. |
The new MCAT is longer and broader, but “harder” depends on the student. It nearly doubles the question count, adds a behavioral science section, and leans more on reasoning through passages than on recall.
Put together, these factors make the new exam a different kind of challenge rather than simply a tougher one. A student with deep memorized facts might have thrived on the old test, while a strong reader who reasons well through unfamiliar passages may do better on the new one. That shift in what the exam rewards is the point of the redesign, and it is another reason old and new scores are not interchangeable.
| Bottom Line on Difficulty You cannot say a new-scale score is “easier” or “harder” than an old one by the number alone. Compare where each score falls in its own percentile distribution instead. |
Admissions interpretation is where this comparison matters most. Committees do not mentally convert numbers, they read each score against the percentile norms of its own exam.
During the old MCAT era, a total in the low to mid 30s was competitive for many US MD programs, with balanced 10 plus section scores viewed favorably. Committees judged those numbers against old exam percentiles.
Today, committees read the 472 to 528 scale directly. Matriculant averages at US MD schools cluster in the low 510s, and section balance still matters. They rely on current AAMC percentile ranks, not on old to new conversions.
For practical purposes, no. Most medical schools only accept MCAT scores from the past two to three years, and the old exam was last given in January 2015. That is more than a decade ago, so pre-2015 scores fall outside virtually every school’s validity window.
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The AAMC does not “expire” your record, but individual schools set validity windows, typically two to three years. Always check each program’s stated policy, because the accepted window is set by the school, not by the AAMC. In effect, if you hold an old MCAT score today, you would need to retake the current exam to apply.
| Current Admissions Expectation Plan around the new 472 to 528 exam. Aim for a balanced score in the 510 and above range for competitive US MD programs, and confirm each school’s minimum and score validity policy before you apply. |
The table below pairs frequent myths about old to new MCAT scoring with the accurate reality.
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| There is an official AAMC conversion chart | The AAMC provides percentile ranks, not a direct score conversion |
| A 30 old “equals” a fixed new number | It approximates a new score by percentile, it is an estimate, not an equivalence |
| Old scores can still be submitted | Schools generally accept only scores from the last 2 to 3 years |
| Higher scale means the new MCAT is easier | The scale is finer, not easier, compare percentiles instead |
| The new MCAT is out of 45 | The new MCAT is out of 528, 45 was the old maximum |
| Percentiles never change | AAMC updates percentile ranks each year |
Most of these myths share one root cause: treating a converted number as if the AAMC had certified it. It never did. Because the exams changed content, length, and scale at the same time, any clean looking equivalence hides real uncertainty.
Keeping that straight prevents the most common and most costly error, which is quoting a converted score as though it were official. When in doubt, state your real score on its original scale and let the percentile do the comparing.
| Insights for Interpreting MCAT Scores Lead with percentiles. When comparing any two MCAT numbers, translate both to percentiles first. Never report a converted score officially. Submit your real score on its original scale. Check the current year’s percentile ranks. A 515 is not a fixed percentile forever. Weigh section balance. A lopsided section can matter more than a few total points. If your score is pre-2015, plan to retake. Old scores are outside typical acceptance windows. |
No. The AAMC does not publish a direct conversion. Old and new scores can only be compared by percentile rank, and any conversion chart is an estimate.
The old MCAT was scored from 3 to 45, with three sections scored 1 to 15 each. The midpoint was around 24 to 25.
The new MCAT is scored from 472 to 528, with four sections scored 118 to 132 each and a midpoint of 500.
The current MCAT is out of 528. The old MCAT was out of 45.
The maximum new MCAT score is 528. The old maximum was 45.
An old 30 is roughly a new 508 to 509, near the 80th percentile. This is a percentile based estimate, not an official conversion.
An old 31 is approximately a new 510 to 511, around the 84th to 85th percentile, as an estimate only.
An old 32 is roughly a new 512 to 513, and an old 33 is roughly a new 514, near the 88th to 91st percentiles. These are estimates.
An old 36 is roughly a new 518, around the 96th to 97th percentile, as a percentile-based estimate.
A 515 sits around the 92nd to 93rd percentile in recent AAMC data. Percentiles update yearly, so check the current ranks.
The 90th percentile falls near a 513 on the current scale, though the exact score shifts slightly each year.
Generally no. Most schools accept only scores from the last two to three years, and the old exam ended in January 2015.
The AAMC keeps your record, but each school sets its own validity window, usually two to three years. Confirm the policy at every program.
They match an old score to its old percentile, then read across to the new score at the same percentile. The result is approximate.
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The old MCAT and the new MCAT are different exams on different scales, so no exact conversion exists. Compare them by percentile, treat every conversion chart as an estimate, and remember that pre-2015 scores are effectively retired for current applications.
If you are interpreting a historical score, lead with the AAMC percentile ranks and confirm each school’s validity policy. If you hold an old score and plan to apply, the realistic step is to prepare for the current 472 to 528 exam.
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AAMC, Percentile Ranks for the MCAT Exam: students-residents.aamc.org
AAMC, Historical Percentile Ranks for the MCAT Exam: students-residents.aamc.org
AAMC, MCAT Scores from 1991 Through January 2015: students-residents.aamc.org
AAMC, Understanding Your MCAT Scores: students-residents.aamc.org
Articles published by IMG Helping Hands are prepared by our team using information from direct experience, publicly available resources, and educational references. AI tools may be used to assist with drafting, proofreading, and formatting; however, all content undergoes review and approval before publication.
The information provided is intended for educational purposes only. Requirements, policies, and processes may change over time. Readers should consult official sources for the most current information.
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