MCAT Score Expectations for Canadians Applying to US Medical Schools
By Muntasir • Published Jul 07, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Canadians Studying Abroad
The MCAT is scored from 472 to 528 across four sections. Competitive applicants at most US MD schools cluster in the high 500s to low 510s, while McMaster University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine do not use the MCAT at all, though the University of Calgary reinstated its MCAT requirement for the 2025 and later cycles.
🎓 MCAT total score range: 472-528, four sections each scored 118-132
⏱️ Competitive US MD matriculant scores cluster in the high 500s to low 510s at most schools
📩 McMaster and NOSM do not require the MCAT, while the University of Calgary reinstated its MCAT requirement for 2025 and later application cycles
💵 Non-resident and international seats at US schools are limited, so aim above each school's own median, not the national one
How the MCAT Is Scored
The MCAT has four sections: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior, and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. Each section is scored from 118 to 132, and the four combine into a total score from 472 to 528. This scale has held since the exam's 2015 redesign, run by the Association of American Medical Colleges .
| Section | Score range |
|---|---|
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems | 118-132 |
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems | 118-132 |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior | 118-132 |
| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills | 118-132 |
| Total score | 472-528 |
What Counts as Competitive at US Schools
Accepted-applicant scores vary a lot by school. Highly selective US MD programs draw matriculants well above the middle of the scale, while less selective and newer programs admit students closer to the middle. Look up each school's own accepted-applicant range in the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database rather than relying on a single national average, since the gap between the most and least selective schools is wide.
As a Canadian applicant, you are usually competing for a non-resident or international seat, which is a smaller and more competitive pool than the in-state seats at public US schools. Treat each school's median as a floor rather than a target, and aim to sit at or above it.
How Canadian Medical Schools Compare
Canada does not use one shared MCAT standard. McMaster University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) do not require the MCAT, weighing other parts of the file, such as the CASPer situational judgment test, GPA, and personal materials, more heavily. The University of Calgary reinstated an MCAT requirement for its 2025 and later application cycles, so confirm current policy directly on each school's admissions page. Other Canadian schools, including several that admit through OMSAS , do require the MCAT and set their own thresholds and cutoffs.
Because policy differs school by school and can change, confirm each Canadian school's current MCAT requirement directly on its own admissions page before you decide whether to write the exam at all.
Why Some Canadian Schools Skip the MCAT
Schools that drop the MCAT usually say the same thing: they want a wider mix of applicants and a smaller gap between students who can afford heavy test preparation and those who cannot. Instead, they lean on GPA across your full transcript, a situational judgment test such as CASPer, an autobiographical sketch, and multiple mini interview stations to judge how you reason and communicate under pressure. None of this means these schools are less selective, it means they measure competitiveness through different inputs.
CASPer and Other Non-Cognitive Tests
CASPer, a situational judgment test, is required by a number of Canadian medical schools and by a smaller number of US schools too, often alongside the MCAT rather than instead of it. If a school on your list requires CASPer, budget separate preparation time for it, since it tests judgment and communication rather than science knowledge, and cramming the same way you would for the MCAT will not help.
Why the Comparison Matters
If you are applying to both countries, your MCAT strategy affects both lists at once. A single strong score works for every MCAT-requiring school on both sides of the border, so there is no separate US-specific or Canada-specific version of the exam to prepare for. The difference is in how each school weighs the score once you have it, not in the test itself.
Practical Steps
Pull each target school's accepted-applicant MCAT range from MSAR before you finalize your list, instead of aiming at a single national number.
Check whether your Canadian target schools require the MCAT at all. Some do not, and writing it anyway costs time and money you could spend elsewhere.
Remember that a non-resident or international seat at a US school is a smaller pool than the resident seats reflected in a school's overall average, so weigh your odds against the right subgroup where a school reports one.
Check whether each target school also requires CASPer or a similar test, and prepare for it separately from your MCAT study.
Retake only if your score sits meaningfully below your target schools' ranges, since a marginal retake can cost you a full application cycle.