If you experience an extenuating hardship prior to your MCAT exam appointment that affects your ability to attend your exam, please submit an emergency refund request (ERR). If approved, you will receive a partial refund of your exam registration fee. The following table summarizes qualifying events and required documentation.
| Event | Documentation Requirements |
|---|---|
| You are or were hospitalized or visited the doctor for an unexpected acute medical emergency. | A doctor’s note that indicates you are unable to take your exam due to a medical emergency or hospitalization that you experienced within 30 days of your exam. Please do not send hospital records. *We will not accept a doctor’s note that indicates you had a doctor’s visit after your exam date. |
| You experience a death in your immediate family. | Funeral program, obituary, or death certificate. The death or service must have taken place within 10 days of your exam date. |
| You must perform primary caregiver duties for someone who is sick. | A doctor’s note that states the person you are primary caregiver for cannot be left without your assistance or availability on exam day. We will also accept power of attorney documentation for health-related emergency decision-making. Please do not send hospital records. The illness must have occurred within 10 days of your exam date. |
| You are unexpectedly called away to active military service. | Official request for deployment dated within 30 days of your exam date. The deployment date must also be within 30 days of your exam date. |
| You are unexpectedly called away for health care service duties related to a catastrophic event. | Official request for deployment dated within 30 days of your exam date. The deployment date must also be within 30 days of your exam date. |
| You are required to report for jury duty on exam day. | Official documentation that you attended jury duty on your exam day. |
| You are displaced from your residence due to a natural disaster, or the national weather service or government recommend you shelter in place or evacuate. | Documentation of such event within 10 days of your exam date. |
| You test positive for COVID-19 five or fewer days prior to exam day. | Positive COVID-19 test taken by you, dated within five days prior to or within seven days after your exam date. |
*If you believe you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, but they are not supported by a positive test, we will consider a note from a medical professional as described in the first row of this table.
Other events not listed in the table above will be considered at the AAMC’s discretion.
Requests must be submitted using the Emergency Refund Request Form in the Service Requests section of the MCAT Registration System.
Complete requests, including all necessary accompanying documentation, must be received no later than 10 days after your scheduled exam date.
- The maximum emergency refund amount is the amount of the 30-day+ cancellation refund.
- This exam may still count as one of your attempts toward your testing limits.
- The ERR process does not result in the AAMC canceling your exam.
- Your exam will go into a no-show status. If approved, the refund will be processed after your exam date, and the testing attempt will be returned.
- You will be able to schedule a new exam after your current exam date.
- The AAMC reserves the right to limit the number of approved Emergency Refund Requests (ERRs) per examinee.
Do not submit an ERR until you are absolutely certain you will not be able to attend your exam. Do not go to the test center once you’ve submitted an ERR. Emergency Refund Requests are not reversible.
The AAMC will email the decision about your request within two weeks of receipt of the required documentation. Approved refunds will be applied to the method of payment used during the initial scheduling process.
Refunds are not guaranteed and are issued at the AAMC’s sole discretion.
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