A 522 sits in the 99th percentile on the official AAMC percentile table, meaning 99% of all MCAT scores were equal to or lower. This is an exceptional result.
Percentile ranks come from the official AAMC percentile table in effect May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027, based on all MCAT results from the 2023, 2024, and 2025 testing years combined (N = 305,494).
What a 522 means
The national mean is 500.6, and the total scale tops out at 528. A 522 is 21 points above the mean, in the territory where scores stop being a question mark on an application and start being a strength.
At this level the MCAT has done its job for you. The score is not the thing standing between you and your goals.
Do people retake from here?
Very rarely, and we will be straightforward: for nearly everyone at this level, a retake is not the highest-leverage use of your time. The realistic upside is small, the downside of a lower score is real, and admissions attention shifts to everything else in your file.
If you landed on this page while deciding whether your 522 is "enough," the honest answer is that it almost certainly is. Put your energy into the parts of your application that are still in motion.
If you know someone mid-retake
Plenty of visitors to this page are here for a friend, a sibling, or their own earlier self. If someone you know is working back toward test day, the most useful gift is calm structure: a plan, a sustainable pace, and a way to actually learn from missed questions instead of just counting them.
Common questions about a 522
Is a 522 MCAT score good?
A 522 sits in the 99th percentile on the official AAMC percentile table, meaning 99% of MCAT scores were equal to or lower. Whether it is "good" depends on your goals, your target programs, and the rest of your application.
What percentile is a 522 MCAT score?
On the AAMC percentile table in effect May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027, a total score of 522 is in the 99th percentile. That means 99% of scores were equal to or lower than 522.
Should I retake the MCAT with a 522?
Almost certainly not. A 522 is in the 99th percentile, and for nearly all applicants a score at this level is a strength, not an obstacle. The realistic upside of a retake is small and the risk of a lower score is real.
Explore nearby scores and next steps
Score context changes quickly on this part of the scale. Compare: is a 520 good? · is a 521 good? · is a 523 good? · is a 524 good?
For a personalized read on your situation, the free Retaker Calculator is the place to start, and The Retaker Course is the full system when you are ready to build the plan.