MCAT Section & Scoring Terms Glossary

July 20, 2026

MCAT scoring uses a specific set of terms and abbreviations that don’t map cleanly onto other standardized tests. Here’s what they mean for the MCAT score calculator.

The Four Sections

Bio/Biochem — Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Chem/Physical — Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
CARS — Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (the only section without science content — passage-based reading and reasoning)
Psych/Social/Bio — Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

Each is independently scaled 118-132, and all four sum to the Total Score the MCAT score calculator computes.

Scaled Score

The 118-132 number reported for each section — not a direct count of correct answers, but a converted value accounting for that specific test form’s difficulty (see Equating below). 125 is the exact midpoint of each section’s scale.

Equating

The statistical process AAMC uses to adjust each test form’s raw-score-to-scaled-score conversion for that form’s specific difficulty, so a 128 means the same thing regardless of which test date or form a student sat for. This is exactly why no universal “raw answers correct to score” chart exists — see the MCAT score calculator for the full explanation of why this calculator starts from section scores rather than raw answer counts.

Total Score

The sum of all four section scores, ranging from 472 to 528, with 500 as the exact numeric midpoint.

Percentile Rank

The share of test-takers who scored at or below a given Total Score, based on AAMC’s actual published distribution — refreshed every May 1 from a rolling 3-year window of real test data. The MCAT score calculator’s percentile is a normal-distribution estimate, not this official table.

AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges)

The organization that develops, administers, and scores the MCAT, and publishes the official percentile-rank tables and score-distribution data referenced throughout this cluster.

MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements)

AAMC’s official database of individual medical schools’ admissions statistics, including median MCAT and GPA for matriculating students — the authoritative source for what score is actually competitive at a specific school, rather than a single national “good score” benchmark. See what counts as a competitive MCAT score by school tier for how to use this data.

AACOMAS / DO Schools

The application service and accrediting body for osteopathic (DO) medical schools, which publish separate average matriculant MCAT data from MD programs — generally somewhat lower on average, though this varies significantly by individual school.

Using This Glossary

Match these terms against AAMC materials or a school’s MSAR listing, then use the MCAT score calculator to combine section scores into a Total Score and percentile estimate. See MCAT retake strategy for what the retake-specific terms and data mean if a retake is under consideration.