High School

Suppose you take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and your score is in the 32nd percentile. How do you interpret this result?

A. You scored 32 points higher than the average person who took the exam.
B. 32% of the people who took the exam scored higher than you did.
C. You answered only 32% of the questions correctly.
D. You scored as high as or higher than 32% of the people who took the exam.

Answer :

The correct option is D) You scored as high as or higher than 32% of the people who took the exam.

Interpreting a percentile score on a standardized test like the MCAT involves understanding the proportion of test-takers who scored below a certain point.

If your score is at the 32nd percentile, this means that you scored equal to or better than 32% of the test-takers.

It does not necessarily mean that you answered 32% of the questions correctly, nor does it mean that you scored 32 points higher than the average; rather, it indicates the relative standing of your score among all the scores. Specifically, it tells you that 32% of the scores were at or below your score, and 68% of the scores were higher than yours. This is a useful metric for understanding how your performance compares to others who took the exam.