When to Consider Voiding Your MCAT Scores
Upon completion of all sections on the MCAT, test-takers are given the option to either submit or void their scores. While the thought of voiding your scores after weeks or months of preparation may be unimaginable, certain circumstances should prompt consideration of this option. If you do choose to void your scores after a poor exam session, medical schools will not receive any record of your exam.
No scores are issued for voided tests, and if you do not have any other MCAT scores, you will have to sit for the test again in order to apply to medical school. Choosing to void your scores should therefore be done cautiously, and these three scenarios may be appropriate reasons not to submit your exam on test day.
Your decision to void is not driven by anxiety. Distinguishing whether your impulse to void the MCAT is due to anxiety or an accurate assessment of poor performance can help you determine if voiding is truly the best option for you. Anxiety about your MCAT score is normal, especially if the questions you did not understand keep running through your mind. However, if you did not fully prepare for the exam, it may be worth voiding your scores to give you the opportunity to better prepare.
[Read: Why the MCAT Is Harder Than a Typical College Exam.]
Briefly review your performance on each section. Did you struggle with the majority of questions, or a select few? Were you able to narrow down answers using background knowledge? Did you fail to finish multiple sections?
Also consider your performance on practice tests. Have you been consistently under performing? Can you identify large gaps in your fundamental knowledge that will have a detrimental impact on your score? Finally, did you have anxiety about online practice tests, and was your anxiety an accurate indication of your final score? Understanding the difference between normal anxiety and true under performance -- as well as preparing adequately -- is key when deciding whether to submit your MCAT.
Factors outside of your control had substantial negative impacts on your performance. Environmental factors like acute illness or receiving bad news may undermine your concentration on test day enough to sink your score. Further, unexpected factors at test centers, like computer crashes or fire alarms, can similarly impair your performance.
[Read: What Is a Good MCAT Score?]
If you experienced significant distraction during your test day such that you were unable to finish sections or failed to understand entire passages, voiding your exam may be a reasonable decision. Before you void, however, examine whether your distractions were truly extreme or typical for most test-takers.
For example, it would be unwise to void the MCAT because you were distracted by other individuals coming and going from the exam room. Conversely, sudden vomiting from food poisoning would likely warrant voiding your scores.
You have the means and the time to retake the MCAT. Sometimes test-takers simply have a strong gut feeling that test day did not go well. While this feeling may be difficult to ignore, you should consider whether you have the financial ability and time for another MCAT before you void your scores.
[Read: Take These 3 Steps to Choose Correct MCAT Test Date.]
If you plan to apply to medical school within a few weeks, for example, retaking the test at a later date may delay the completion of your application. In addition, work commitments or the start of a new college semester may mean that you will not have time to adequately study for the exam.
Also think about your financial situation. Can you afford the fees associated with more study materials and another test? If you are unable to reasonably prepare and pay for another exam, ignoring that gut feeling and submitting your scores may be in your best interest.
