When To Take The MCAT In 2026 | The Best Months

One of the first steps to taking the MCAT is deciding when to take the MCAT, which is not as straightforward of a decision as most think. From our years of researching and interviewing 90+ percentile MCAT scorers, we've seen patterns in the thought process that goes behind choosing a test date. There isn't one "best" month to take the MCAT, but there is a "best month" for YOU depending on YOUR unique situation and circumstances.

The MCAT Testing Calendar and General Strategy

To start, the MCAT is offered in January and March through September, with most dates between May and August. This means no MCAT in October, November or December, so we need to plan accordingly! To determine when you want to take the MCAT figure out what year you would like to start medical school. We recommend that you should have the MCAT completed at least 1.5 years ahead of that date. For instance, if you want to start med school in Fall you should have the MCAT done by Spring of the same year.

Timing Recommendations by Student Profile

Your ideal testing window depends heavily on your current academic or professional status:

• Traditional Students: If you want to go straight through you need to take the MCAT the summer before Junior year or spring of Junior year. Ideally, you would have the summer off/minimal commitments or a lighter semester schedule in the spring.
• Gap Year Students: Similar to the traditional student, except they take the MCAT before senior year or spring of senior year, planning for a gap year. This is ideal for someone who knows they want to take a year off to strengthen their app, get another degree, or just take some time off.
• Nontraditional Students: This type of student has the most flexibility when to take the MCAT. The biggest thing here is to take the MCAT when it is not your job's busy season.

Comparison of Testing Timelines

Evaluating the January and Spring Test Dates

In general, most traditional or gap year students should not plan to take the MCAT in Jan. Unless you can commit the fall semester to studying, do not plan on a Jan. test date, you will most likely have to postpone. However, if you are CERTAIN you can be focused during the fall + Dec break, the benefit here is that you have a good amount of time in the worst case you need to retake before applications open. Consider these advantages of early testing:

• You can leverage the December break for focused MCAT studying.
• Free up your mental energy to focus on applications (personal statement, etc) during the spring.
• Feels awesome knocking out the MCAT with a great score in the beginning of the year.
• If you’re retaking or pushed back, you likely already have a good foundation of content.

Alternatively, you can Write in April so you can get your score back in May. If you really aren’t sure a good time of year is to study part time September to mid Jan and take the test in Jan, as this gives you the opportunity to postpone if needed until March.