The MCAT is offered from January through September each year, with test dates spread across those nine months. The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges), which administers the exam, typically schedules dozens of individual testing days during that window. No MCAT dates are offered in October, November, or December.
Testing Months and Frequency
The 2026 MCAT calendar includes test dates in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September. Within each month, there are usually multiple testing days to choose from, and the standard start time is 8:00 a.m. The exam is administered at hundreds of test sites across the United States, Canada, and internationally.
The heaviest testing months tend to be late spring and summer, when most pre-med students have finished their coursework and are preparing to apply. January through March dates are less crowded but require earlier preparation.
When to Register
Registration for all January through September test dates in a given year opens on a single timeline. For 2026, registration for the full testing season is already open. Seats fill quickly for popular dates, especially in May, June, and July, so registering early gives you the best selection of dates and testing locations.
If your preferred date fills up, the AAMC periodically releases additional seats as other test takers reschedule. Checking back regularly can sometimes turn up openings on high-demand dates.
Best Time to Take the MCAT for Your Application
Most medical school applicants take the MCAT during their junior year of college or the year before they plan to enroll. The primary application cycle for U.S. medical schools (through AMCAS) opens in late May or early June, and submitting your application early in the cycle is a meaningful advantage since many schools use rolling admissions.
That timeline shapes when you should test. Taking the MCAT in March, April, or May of your application year means your scores will be ready when applications open or shortly after. Scores are typically released about 30 to 35 days after your test date, so a late April exam would give you scores by late May or early June.
Testing in January or February gives you even more breathing room. If your score comes back lower than expected, you still have time to retake the exam in the spring or early summer without derailing your application timeline. The AAMC specifically recommends testing earlier in the year if you want to leave yourself the option of a retake.
Summer test dates (June through September) work for applicants who are planning to apply in the next cycle rather than the current one, or for those who need more preparation time. Taking the MCAT in August or September and applying to medical school for the following year’s entering class is a common and perfectly viable path.
How Many Times You Can Take It
The AAMC enforces strict limits on retakes. You can take the MCAT up to three times in a single testing year, up to four times across two consecutive testing years, and no more than seven times in your lifetime. These limits count every scored attempt starting from April 2015, including voided exams.
The AAMC does consider appeals of these limits, but approval is at their sole discretion, and they will not review more than one appeal per testing year. In practice, most applicants take the exam once or twice.
Planning Your Prep Timeline
Most students spend three to six months preparing for the MCAT, which means your target test date should shape when you start studying. If you want to test in April, plan to begin focused preparation no later than the previous November or December. For a summer test date, starting in January or February is typical.
Your academic schedule matters too. Many students prefer to take the MCAT after completing organic chemistry, biochemistry, and introductory psychology and sociology, since the exam tests all of those subjects. If you are finishing a heavy course load in the spring, a summer test date lets you study without competing academic demands. If your prerequisite coursework wraps up by winter, a spring date may work better and keeps your application on the earliest possible timeline.
The nine-month testing window gives you real flexibility. The key decision is working backward from when you want to submit your medical school application, factoring in about a month for score release and enough lead time to retake the exam if needed.