MCAT Registration Guidelines
As we all know, the MCAT is an admissions exam taken by applicants who are seeking admission in medical schools in the United States and Canada. The format of the exam is undergoing some changes to introduce a completely new MCAT in 2015. In this article, we will be talking about the completeMCAT registration process which includes a discussion on MCAT dates, MCAT fees, MCAT Test Centers and MCAT test registrations. Let us begin.MCAT Dates:MCAT dates refer to the important dates that one must keep in mind while applying for the MCAT. The first most important date is the regular registration deadline which is 14 days before the date of the exam. The lateregistration deadline, which incurs an extra fee, extends till up to 7 days before the test. If you plan to apply to medical schools this year, it is best not to take a September date for taking the exam as it takes 30-35 days for the scores to be released and you might not make it in time to submit your applications. If you are applying for accommodations, this is best done at least 60 days prior to the chosen test date. This is so that you have all permissions and documentation ready well in time for the day of the test. For further information about MCAT test dates, click on this link.MCAT Test Centers: Once you are done choosing an appropriate date for your test and have completed your MCAT registration in that aspect, you can move on to choosing an appropriate test center. If you are giving the test in a national location, it is probable that you will get to test in your own city. As we move on to international locations, the chances of this happening become less and less. MCAT test centers take special care to facilitate the test-taking experience of students with disabilities. Thus, if you have been awarded special permission, you must submit these to your test center so that they can make suitable arrangements for you. For further information about MCAT test centers, click on this link.MCAT Test Registration:The linked article on MCAT test registration contains information about the actual registration process, the Fee Assistance Program and some information about students with disabilities. MCAT only accepts online registration so do not turn up at test centers or MCAT offices for registering for the test. You can register for the test by creating an AAMC ID and logging on. Theregistration process for MCAT is self-explanatory and relatively simple. You will also find information about the Fee Assistance Program in the linked article. The AAMC tries its best to encourage students from a financially weak background to pursue a career in medicine. Thus, recipients of this award have to pay only $100 as their fee. To avail this benefit, a student must be the recipient of this award before he registers for the test. If a student does not have this award at the time of registration, he will be asked to pay the full fee.MCAT Fees:Paying fees is the last step in the registration process. Your registration is not said to be complete till the time your payment has been processed. The regular registration fee is $270. International students have to meet an additional charge of $85. To avail the benefit of late registration, you will be required to pay an extra fee of $75. To change your test center or reschedule your test date, there is a fee of $90 each. All figures are in U.S. dollars and all payments have to made online through Visa or Mastercard credit/debit cards.
MCAT Test Registration Options
The MCAT or the Medical College Admissions Test is a common standardized test that is taken by applicants who are seeking admission to medical schools in United States and Canada. The exam is conducted on several dates in test centers around the world starting from January till September each year. Unlike for other admissions tests,registration for MCAT can only be done online. Exam authorities have aimed to make this exam experience as comfortable as possible for all types of candidates and thus, they provide special accommodation facilities and Fee Assistance Programs as well.Registration Process
- To start the process, all candidates need to visit the official website (https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat-home/) of the exam. When you click on the ‘Register for the MCAT exam’ tab, you will be transported to the MCAT Registration Module website.
- If you haven’t already created an account, you will be asked to sign up for one by providing your personal details such as your name, address, phone number, etc. Once you have created an account, sign into it.
- The homepage will contain your name and the test date you have registered for, if any. When you begin, what will follow is a very detailed electronic form which will ask you to submit all your details.
- The first part of the form concerns ‘Contact and Personal Info’. Make sure that you are completely truthful while providing your personal details. You must also be careful that the spellings of your name match those on the identification document you plan to carry. If there is any variance, you will not be allowed to enter the test centre.
- This is followed by ‘Background’ where you are asked to provide details about your education. This section of the form is used by MCAT for research purposes. Next is the ‘Consents’ tab which asks you why you want to take the MCAT. The ‘Consents’ tab helps in determining whether you are eligible to give the exam or not.
- Now we move on to the ‘Use of Personal Info’ tab where you have to agree that whatever information you have provided may be used by MCAT for identification on test day, investigation regarding misconduct etc.
- Now, you can finally proceed to selecting your test date and centre in the ‘Date/Test Site Availability’ tab.
- The ‘Checkout’ tab is the final tab where your payment is processed. Please note that your registration is not complete until the payment is processed. After the payment has been processed, an email will be sent to you to confirm your registration.
Registration FeeThe fee for MCAT registration is $270 if you apply well within the regular registration deadline which ends 14 days before the date of the exam. For international students, there is an additional charge of $85. For late registration, which can be done up till a week before the test, you have to pay a fee of $75 in addition to $270. If a candidate has gotten a Fee Assistance award, he will be charged only $100. All figures mentioned here are given keeping in mind the 2013 attempt and are in US dollars.Fee Assistance ProgramAAMC tried its best to encourage students from financially weak backgrounds to pursue a career in medicine. Thus, it has put in place a Fee Assistance Program wherein such students (only U.S. residents) can apply for a fee waiver. If a student wants to avail this benefit, he will have to apply for such award prior to registering for the test, and then only can he enjoy this benefit.Accommodation for Students with DisabilitiesIf a student feels that he requires special accommodation for testing, he is required to submit such a request at least 60 days prior to his chosen test date. Special accommodations include anything that is a deviation from normal testing environment. This includes the mere carrying of a water bottle to the exam room and extends up till been provided with a separate room for the exam. You can find the special accommodations form here – https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85268/data/accommodations_request_form.pdf. Post the complete form along with the required proof of your disability to the address printed on the form. For more detailed information regarding this, please visit https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat-home/accommodations/.Any other information regarding registration can be found at their official website.