Quick Summary Box
| Testing year | January 15 – September 11, 2027 |
| Test dates | 35 U.S. dates (plus Canada/international calendars) |
| Registration opens | October 20–22, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET, staggered by test-center region |
| Standard fee | $360 USD |
| Fee Assistance fee | $145 USD (approval required before you register) |
| International fee | +$130 USD outside the U.S., Canada, and U.S. territories (non-refundable) |
| Last day to schedule or change | 10 days before your exam |
The one thing to know: for 2027, registration works differently than it used to. All 35 dates go on sale in the same window — what staggers is your test center's region, not the test date. If your center is in Group A, you register Tuesday, October 20 at noon ET. Miss your window's opening and the popular May/June dates can fill within days.
Verdict
Register the minute your region's window opens — and pick your date from your application timeline, not from vibes. The 2027 calendar rewards planners: fill in the first five tabs of the AAMC registration system between October 5–19, have two or three backup dates ready, and be in the waiting room by 11:50 AM ET on your day. The random queue means logging in hours early buys you nothing, but logging in late puts you at the back of the line.
If there's any chance you qualify for the Fee Assistance Program, apply now — approval takes about five business days and the $145 rate is not retroactive. Register at full price first and you don't get the difference back.
For most applicants, the sweet spot is a March–May test date: scores release 30–35 days later, landing before AMCAS starts sending applications to schools in late June. A late-summer date means an early-fall score — workable, but it can hold up an otherwise on-time application.
Detailed Breakdown
All 35 U.S. test dates (2027)
Source: AAMC U.S. MCAT Calendar. Dates marked * are offered at select U.S. testing centers only — check the AAMC calendar before planning around one.
January — Jan 15 (scores Feb 16) · Jan 16 (scores Feb 16) · Jan 21 (scores Feb 23) · Jan 29 (scores Mar 2) · Jan 30* (scores Mar 2)
February — Feb 12 (scores Mar 16)
March — Mar 6 (scores Apr 6) · Mar 19 (scores Apr 20)
April — Apr 9 (scores May 11) · Apr 10 (scores May 11) · Apr 16 (scores May 18) · Apr 17 (scores May 18)
May — May 1 (scores Jun 2) · May 7 (scores Jun 8) · May 8 (scores Jun 8) · May 13 (scores Jun 15) · May 14* (scores Jun 15) · May 21 (scores Jun 23) · May 29 (scores Jun 29)
June — Jun 11 (scores Jul 13) · Jun 12 (scores Jul 13) · Jun 25 (scores Jul 27) · Jun 26 (scores Jul 27)
July — Jul 9* (scores Aug 10) · Jul 10 (scores Aug 10) · Jul 23 (scores Aug 24) · Jul 30 (scores Aug 31)
August — Aug 14 (scores Sep 14) · Aug 20 (scores Sep 21) · Aug 21 (scores Sep 21) · Aug 28* (scores Sep 28)
September — Sep 2 (scores Oct 5) · Sep 3 (scores Oct 5) · Sep 10 (scores Oct 12) · Sep 11 (scores Oct 12)
Select-location dates and their metro areas (per the AAMC): Jan 30 and May 14 — Atlanta, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, Washington DC. Jul 9 — same list minus Chicago and Houston. Aug 28 — same list as Jan 30/May 14.
Canada and international test centers follow separate AAMC calendars with their own date availability — check the Canadian or International Testing Calendar for your area. All Canada test centers open Thursday, October 22 (Group C).
Registration opens October 20–22 — by region, not by date
This is the big 2027 change. The AAMC used to open registration in stages by test date (January–June first, summer/fall later). That's gone. Every 2027 date goes on sale in one window; the stagger is by where your test center is.
- Group A — Tuesday, October 20, 12:00 PM ET: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
- Group B — Wednesday, October 21, 12:00 PM ET: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
- Group C — Thursday, October 22, 12:00 PM ET: Canada, Australia, China, France, Germany, Guam, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, U.S. Virgin Islands
It goes by the center you want to test at, not where you live — if you're driving one state over, check which day that center opens.
Fees (USD, per the AAMC scheduling fee schedule)
Registration: $360 standard · $145 with approved Fee Assistance · +$130 international fee outside the U.S., Canada, and U.S. territories (non-refundable).
Rescheduling (date and/or test center, one fee covers both if changed together):
| When you reschedule | Standard | Fee Assistance |
|---|---|---|
| 60+ days before exam | $55 | $25 |
| 30–59 days before exam | $110 | $45 |
| 10–29 days before exam | $210 | $85 |
Cancellation refunds:
| When you cancel | Standard refund | Fee Assistance refund |
|---|---|---|
| 60+ days before exam | $180 | $75 |
| 30–59 days before exam | $180 | $75 |
| 10–29 days before exam | $0 | $0 |
No changes of any kind are allowed within 10 days of the exam — after that, you sit for it or forfeit the fee. All deadlines are 11:59 PM local test-center time.
Registration-day playbook
- October 5–19: fill in the first five tabs of the MCAT Registration System now, so there's less to do when your window opens.
- Log in no more than 15 minutes early. Everyone in the waiting room at 11:50 AM ET is randomly assigned a place in line — camping out earlier buys nothing; logging in after 11:50 puts you at the end.
- Have ready: your AAMC login (never create a second account), an MCAT-accepted photo ID whose name matches your registration exactly, and a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex — debit with a Visa/MC logo works too).
- Pick 2–3 backup dates. Popular dates at popular centers go fast — improvising under pressure is how students end up with a date that doesn't fit their study plan.
- Fee Assistance first. Submit materials at least five business days before registration opens. Approval must be in place before you register — the reduced fee is not retroactive.
- After booking: the 10-day deadline is your last chance to schedule, reschedule, cancel, or edit registration details.
Choosing your date
- Scores release ~30–35 days after your test, by 5:00 PM ET on the scheduled date. Work backward from when you need the score.
- Applying in the 2027–2028 cycle? Test between January and May so your score lands before AMCAS transmits to schools in late June.
- Planning a retake? Test earlier in the year. AAMC limits: 3 attempts per testing year, 4 over two consecutive years, 7 in a lifetime — a voided exam or no-show counts as an attempt.
- Accommodations: approved-accommodations examinees get advance scheduling information from the AAMC in September — separate from the October windows.
User Reviews — what students say about registration day
Community-sourced advice from MCAT prep communities, not our own testing.
- On the waiting room: "Everyone sitting in the waiting room at 11:50 gets a random spot in line — logging in at 9 AM did literally nothing for me." Multiple students confirm the AAMC's own guidance: don't camp out early, but don't be late either.
- On backup dates: "My first-choice May date at my center was gone within the hour. My backup saved my whole study schedule." Spring dates at big-city centers are consistently reported as the fastest to fill.
- On Fee Assistance timing: "I registered before my FAP approval came through and they would not refund the difference. Wait for the approval." The AAMC states this explicitly — benefits are not retroactive.
- On ID matching: "The name on your ID has to match your registration exactly or they turn you away at the door." Students recommend checking middle names and suffixes during the October 5–19 prep window.
- On rescheduling costs: "Moving my date 3 weeks out cost $210. Check the fee table before you book a date you're unsure about." The 60/30/10-day windows are the most-cited surprise in registration threads.
Sentiment note: registration-day advice is remarkably consistent across communities — the AAMC's own tips (early tab completion, backup dates, FAP-first) match what experienced test-takers recommend.
Discount Link — AAMC Fee Assistance Program
There are no promo codes for MCAT registration — the AAMC doesn't do discount codes. The legitimate way to pay less is the AAMC Fee Assistance Program:
- Registration drops from $360 to $145
- Reduced rescheduling fees ($25/$45/$85) and cancellation refunds ($75)
- Free AAMC MCAT prep materials included
- Apply at least five business days before registration opens — approval must be in place before you book, and benefits are not retroactive
Start at the AAMC Fee Assistance Program page and gather your documents early — students report the paperwork, not the review, is what takes time.
Methodology: public AAMC pricing & dates, October 2026. No sponsored placements — ever.