Should I Retake the MCAT?
We posted this back some time ago and thought it was a good idea to revisit the ideas. You could also use some of this information as well if you are considering retaking the DAT, OAT, etc.
You want to ask/assess yourself:
In looking at your past history, how have you tended to perform on standardized tests?
How well did you prepare? Did you thoroughly review and take practice tests?
How did you score on practice tests?
How did you feel the actual test went for you? Were you sick? Were you overly anxious? Did you run out of time before answering all the questions?, etc.
Do you feel your scores accurately represent your ability?
How competitive are the other aspects of your candidacy? Grades, activities, recommendations, etc.
Are there other important contexts for interpreting your scores? Are you disadvantaged, learning disabled, a first-generation college student, or a member of an underrepresented minority with lower average scores? Was English your second language?, etc.
Where would you like to go to school? Admissions’ guides usually list average test scores for accepted candidates. Schools also have different policies for how they will use the scores from multiple tests.
What was your overall performance? Dental schools usually use the academic average, but may differ in how they use the perceptual ability score. Optometry schools usually use the academic average. And, medical schools usually use the total of the verbal, physical and biological science sections.
Are there individual scores which might be seen as significant weaknesses? Whether or not a score is seen as weakness depends on the evaluator and the context (grades in related courses, English as a 2nd language, etc.).
What happened to other people who re-took the test with similar initial scores? In general, those who scored lower than average tend to improve, while those who scored higher than average, often score lower on a re-take. Hint for medical school applicants, there is some helpful data at the AAMC site
In general, if you scored lower than average for admission, you have indications you can do significantly better, and you are motivated to thoroughly review and practice, then signs point to re-taking.
