MCAT Fee Structure

The Medical College Admission Test or MCAT is taken by candidates who aspire to join Medical Schools as part of their higher studies. The cost of applying for the test is relatively high due to the importance of the test and the procedures involved. It is also to be understood that the expenses included in preparing for the test are not limited to registering for the exam since the preparatory materials often require a large sum of money.

Cost of taking the MCAT

The registration fee for the MCAT is as follows-

Service	Cost
Registration	$345
Fee Assistance Program Registration	$140
International Fee**	+$120

**The International Fee is the amount added to the initial registration amount and applies only to international applicants. International applicants include examinees outside of the US, Canada, and US territories. In the event of registration cancellation, this additional fee is not refundable.

Rescheduling Fee

There are three different deadlines for candidates to reschedule their MCAT test. The cost associated with each deadline is as follows:

Deadline	Rescheduling Cost	Fee Assistance Program Rescheduling Cost
60 or more days before exam	$50	$20
30-59 days before exam	$100	$40
10-29 days before exam	$200	$90
Less than 10 days before exam	Not Allowed	Not Allowed

Cancellation Fee

If candidates cancel their MCAT exam before the deadline, their refund will be as follows:

Deadline	Cancellation Refund	Fee Assistance Program Cancellation Refund
30 days or more before exam	$170	$70
10-29 days before exam	$0	$0
Less than 10 days before exam	Not Allowed	Not Allowed

Things to keep in mind:

• Taxes have not been added to the amounts above and will be added according to the laws in the jurisdiction during registration.
• All deadlines are set at 23:59, based on the local time of the test center on the deadline day.
• No changes are allowed less than 10 days before the exam date.

How to Make the Payment for MCAT?

The payment for MCAT registration can be made through American Express, VISA, and MasterCard. The registration will be confirmed as soon as the payment is reflected in the system. If the payment has been declined or the credit card charge has been reversed, the registration will stand canceled until an alternative form of payment has been made.

The penalties for reversing credit card charges or canceling payment are that the registration may stand canceled or that AAMC may withhold the scores of the candidate, including previous scores. They will also not allow candidates to register in the future or provide other services until the payment issue has been reconciled.

Cancellation Policies and Refund Amount

Candidates can cancel their registration up to 10 days before the test day. This can be done by logging into their MCAT Registration System or calling Pearson VUE. If candidates do not cancel their exam before the suggested deadline and do not appear for the test as scheduled, it will be considered a no-show and will count towards one of the seven attempts they have for the test. They will also only be able to register for another test 24 hours after their scheduled test day.

Once the cancellation is done, the candidate will receive an email confirming the cancellation. If candidates do not receive an email confirmation within 24 hours of submitting their cancellation request, it indicates that the cancellation was unsuccessful, and they will need to attempt the process again. If the candidate cancels more than 60 days before the exam, they will receive a partial refund. Refunds are made to the same mode of payment that the candidate chose to register for the test.

Fee Assistance Program in MCAT

AAMC offers a Fee Assistant Program for candidates who require financial assistance. This is for candidates who want to take the MCAT test or are AMCAS applicants in dire need of financial assistance, without which they would be unable to take the test and pursue higher studies. Applicants whose entire familial earnings amount to 400% or less of the national poverty threshold for their household size for the previous year shall be granted permission for fee assistance.

Requirements for the Fee Assistance Program

• The candidate should have a permanent address in the United States before completing the program application.
• If the candidate is less than 26 years old, they should be willing to produce parental financial information, whatever their status, unless they are deceased.
• Candidate should be looking to apply to medical schools. If they are already in a medical school or have been accepted by a medical school, or are preparing for residency, they will not be eligible for the fee-assistance program.

Benefits of the Fee Assistance Program

• Candidates pay $140 instead of $345 as registration fee.
• Free MCAT Official Prep Online Bundle, which costs $268.80. This benefit is provided only once in a lifetime, even if the candidate has been approved for the Fee Assistance Program more than once.
• 2 year subscription to the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) online database which is valued at $36.
• Waiver for all AMCAS application fees for up to 20 medical school submissions valued at $1,049 till the end of the calendar year.
• Waiver for AAMC PREview professional readiness exam registration fees, should they choose to take this exam valued at $100.

Candidates can receive Fee Assistance for a maximum of 5 times in their lifetime and once in a calendar year. The benefits are not retroactive and cannot be applied to previous payments. All benefits for Fee Assistance program are available only after registering with this program. These benefits are subject to change each year, so the candidates should check the current benefits when registering.