MCAT Refund Policy
Cancel the MCAT 30 or more days out for a $175 refund — later cancellations return nothing.
The MCAT refund policy is narrower than most premeds expect. The AAMC refunds part of your registration fee only when you cancel early enough, never refunds the full amount, and offers just one exception path after the deadline. This page lays out refund deadlines, amounts, processing time, and the emergency request process.
- Refunds are partial only — the AAMC standard registration fee is $355 and the early cancellation refund is $175.
- The standard refund drops to $0 in the 10–29 day window.
- Emergency refund requests are the only path once the standard deadline has passed.
Refund Windows
Which cancellation windows produce a refund.
The refund is determined by how many days remain when you cancel.
- 60+ days out: $175 standard refund.
- 30–59 days out: $175 standard refund.
- 10–29 days out: $0 refund, though you can still cancel.
- Inside 10 days: no cancellation and no refund outside the emergency process.
Rescheduling and cancelling are different transactions. Standard rescheduling costs $55 / $110 / $210 by deadline window and produces no refund.
What Is Not Refunded
Fees the AAMC keeps regardless of when you cancel.
Several charges attached to your registration are treated as non-refundable service costs.
- The AAMC's processing portion of the base registration fee.
- Previously paid reschedule fees — these never come back.
- International testing surcharges in most cases.
- Additional score report orders once processed.
Emergency Refunds
How to request an MCAT emergency refund after the deadline.
The AAMC reviews emergency refund requests case by case for circumstances genuinely outside your control. The request must be filed promptly and backed with objective documentation.
- Qualifying: serious illness or hospitalization, death in the immediate family, military deployment, natural disaster affecting your test center.
- Not qualifying: feeling underprepared, low practice scores, work or school conflicts, travel problems you could plan around.
- File through the AAMC MCAT Program with documentation attached, ideally within days of the event.
- Review can take several weeks; approval is discretionary, not automatic.
Keep copies of every document and email. Incomplete documentation is the most common reason emergency requests are denied.
Processing
How and when the money actually returns.
Refunds go back to the original payment method — you cannot redirect them to a different card or account.
- Typical processing time is 2-4 weeks after approval.
- Credit card refunds may take an additional billing cycle to display.
- Fee Assistance Program registrations follow separate handling with the AAMC.
- Contact the AAMC if nothing appears after 30 days.