Update on 2020 MCAT Testing from the AAMC

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Eli Heller
See message from the AAMC below:
Dear Examinee,

We know how greatly your life has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to say that this is a frustrating and challenging time is an understatement. Preparing for the MCAT exam and applying to medical school takes sustained effort and careful planning over several years. The challenges of COVID-19 have regrettably made it difficult to provide more information to you sooner as you make plans to take the MCAT exam. We thank you for your patience and are glad to share these updates that will help you move forward with your plans for taking the MCAT exam and applying to medical school.

1.) Registration for the updated 2020 MCAT Testing Calendar will open on May 7, 2020. Please visit our website for more information. 

2.) We are increasing the number of test appointments in an attempt to provide enough seats for everyone who wants to test in 2020 and to allow for safe social distancing practices in the test centers.Three new dates will be added to the testing calendar (June 28, September 27, and September 28). Exams will be held three times per day on all test dates for the remainder of 2020. Standard start times will be 6:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. each day. There may be some variations by test center. More information about start times, including start times for examinees who currently have 8:00 a.m. appointments, will be provided prior to registration opening.

3.) We are temporarily shortening the exam to 5 hours and 45 minutes for the remainder of 2020 test dates to accommodate the number of appointments offered per day at each test center.Some of the field test questions in each section have been removed, and some administrative items, such as the tutorial and the end-of-day survey, have been reduced or removed to shorten the length of the exam.We encourage you to use the online “Practice with MCAT Exam Features” tool to familiarize yourself with the exam functionality prior to test day in lieu of the tutorial. Visit the free resources section of the MCAT Official Prep Hub.The exam will not be easier or harder than the full-length exam. You will still be tested on all four sections of the exam and are responsible for knowing the same concepts and skills covered on the full-length exam.Scores are not changing. You will receive five scores from the exam: one from each of the four sections and one combined total score, just like examinees who took the full-length test.Please visit our website to learn more about the shortened exam and access helpful FAQs.

4.) Scores will be reported within approximately two weeks for exams held from June 19 through August 1. MCAT scores from other test dates will be reported to examinees and medical schools in the typical time frame, which is about four weeks.

5.) Decisions will be made next week about the status of the May 29 exams and will be communicated by email. We will continue to follow local and state health guidance to determine which locations will be affected. At this time we anticipate testing in some centers, but not all.

6.) Please keep in mind that as the spread of COVID-19 continues to be volatile, and testing may be affected in specific locations, according to the local health guidance. The health and safety of every examinee is our priority, and it is possible examinees may need to reschedule their exam for another date if conditions are deemed unsafe by local authorities. Social distancing and health and safety measures will be in place at test centers when testing resumes. Please visit the Pearson VUE website to learn more.

7.) All rescheduling fees have been waived for all exam dates for the 2020 MCAT testing year until further notice.

8.) The AAMC has been working closely with medical school admissions officers since the start of this pandemic, and they are very aware of the impact of COVID-19 on the admissions process and the delay of MCAT scores in students’ applications. AMCAS has also delayed transmitting applicant data to medical schools by two weeks (moving from June 26 to July 10) to give applicants more time to complete their applications. Medical schools will be flexible with their application deadlines and make their review processes as fair and equitable as possible during this unprecedented admissions cycle.

Please visit our MCAT Coronavirus Page for more information and FAQs as well as other ways the AAMC can support you through the application process this year.We are wishing you and your loved ones good health during this truly difficult time for our nation. As the next generation of physicians, you are needed now more than ever, and the AAMC is proud to support you at every step throughout your medical school journey.

Sincerely,
The MCAT Program 

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