What is the UCAT test?
The UCAT is an online test that assesses the ability and attitude of candidates wishing to study medicine or dentistry. UCAT stands for the University Clinical Aptitude Test and is a requirement for studying medicine or dentistry in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It is used alongside a UCAS application for applying to study at universities.
It consists of a series of questions designed to test aptitude, cognitive ability and behaviour, to ensure that places on medicine and dentistry courses are given to the most capable and suitable candidates.
The UCAT reflects the vital attributes necessary for a career as a doctor or dentist, as identified by universities and clinical professionals.
UCAT Test Format
The UCAT is usually taken at a Pearson VUE test centre and has a time allowance of 2 hours.
The test comprises five sections that each present a set of multiple-choice questions based on areas such as reasoning, decision making and behaviour.
Immediately after sitting the test, candidates are given a score that they can use to complete their UCAS application for university. Once the UCAS deadline has passed, UCAT communicates with universities to determine your suitability for a place on your chosen course.
If you are looking to start a career in the medical field, you will need to get a qualification from a medical school - and in most cases, that means taking the UCAT.
The test is known to be difficult - the hardest part of the assessment is the tight time limit. This means that time management is an important strategy for success in the UCAT.
Why is time management important for the UCAT test?
The UCAT asks 228 questions in just two hours, which makes it difficult to answer all the questions - and with each subtest having its own time limit, you need to be able to manage your time well to ensure that you can answer each section.
Familiarity with the test structure and the content of each of the sections will help you get used to managing your time, and there is no better way to prepare than with practice tests.
When might you take a UCAT test?
If you wish to study medicine or dentistry at a university in the UK, Australia, or New Zealand, sitting the UCAT is a compulsory requirement.
Pupils usually sit the test in the summer before their final year of A Levels. Passing the UCAT is not the only requirement for entry to study medicine or dentistry, though it is a compulsory element of the application process.
You’ll also need to achieve the required educational qualifications and have a strong personal statement and work experience history.
Which aptitudes does the UCAT test?
The UCAT is designed to test aptitude in the following areas:
- Abstract reasoning
- Verbal reasoning
- Quantitative reasoning
- Decision making
- Situational judgement
Unlike some other aptitude tests, the sequence of questions on the UCAT is preset and doesn’t change according to the answers you give.
Quantitative reasoning
As a doctor or dentist, you must have a solid understanding of numerical data and the ability to work with numbers, as you will be expected to safely work out drug dosages and other important calculations.
The quantitative reasoning test assesses your knowledge of basic mathematical principles and your ability to use numerical skills to solve problems.
Although no specific mathematical knowledge is required, the test demands GCSE-level maths ability, at least. You will be allowed to use an on-screen calculator and a whiteboard and pen to work out your answers.
The questions present numerical data in a variety of formats including charts, graphs and tables. Most questions are made up of four questions associated with each set of data, and each question offers a choice of five answers.
In the Quantitative Reasoning test, you will have 25 minutes to answer 36 questions, which works out to about 40 seconds per question.
This test has one of the highest average marks, and in 2022 that average was 658.
Example quantitative reasoning question
If there were 50,000 people employed in Blackpool in 2021 what is the ratio of employed to unemployed people in that year?
- A) 25:1
- B) 12.5:1
- C) 10:1
- D) 8.33:1
Answer
50k : 5k
50 / 5 = 10
10:1, so the answer is C)
Verbal reasoning
Verbal reasoning skills are used frequently in medicine and dentistry. Once qualified, you will be expected to read, interpret, analyse and write sensitive information that can be crucial for the safe care of patients. The verbal reasoning test assesses your ability to grasp contexts, understand language and draw conclusions from the information you read.
The UCAT verbal reasoning test consists of eleven passages of text, each with four accompanying questions. You will have just 21 minutes to answer all 44 questions.
There are two types of verbal reasoning question. The first type poses a question based on the information provided in the passage of text. You must draw conclusions from the information given and choose from four possible answers.
For the second type of question, you must read the passage of text and decide whether enough information is provided to judge whether a given statement is true or false, or whether there is insufficient information to draw a conclusion.
Example verbal reasoning question
Statement: The passage suggests that it is safer to spread your savings across a range of different investments.
- A) True
- B) False
- C) Cannot say
Answer
True – the third sentence explains that the very rich have been diversifying their portfolios to reduce the risk of sudden changes in share prices.
Situational judgement
The situational judgement test is not a test of aptitude or cognitive ability, but rather a test of behaviour and response to certain realistic situations. The assessors will use your answers to determine whether you can act professionally and responsibly enough to pursue work as a doctor or dentist.
The test allows 26 minutes to answer 69 questions. The questions are based around 22 scenarios that you must critically analyse to draw conclusions and decide how to respond.
You might be presented with various options of responses and have to choose the one that reflects your decision. Some questions will present a range of responses that you must rate in order of suitability.
Your answers will be used to gauge your honesty and integrity, your ability to work in a team, and your approach to difficult situations.
The marking on this section is different too. You will be awarded full marks for matching the answer given by the panel, and partial marks for getting close to the right answer. These marks are translated into bands, with Band 1 meaning that your answers show similar judgment to the experts, and Band 4 showing that your judgment is substantially different from the experts.
Example situational judgement question
Which of these responses is most and least likely?
A) The most radical approach that brings with it the largest potential returns but that has the most associated risk. It goes against everything the business has done before but if it works it could have a startling impact.
B) The approach that mirrors initiatives that have proven to be successful for the business previously. This harnesses methods that are known to work and will build upon previous success. The likely returns are less but there is almost zero risk.
C) The approach that offers a more creative way of thinking about customers and how they interact with the website. The likely returns are fairly substantial and it offers a pragmatic approach to building revenue.
D) It would make sense to provide a short overview of each approach so that the directors can feed into the decision-making process.
Answer
C for most likely. This approach will appeal to many graduate employers. You are demonstrating creativity but balancing that with pragmatism. Whilst some risk is inevitable, it is clear that you have the drive to move the business forwards.
D for least likely. This response does not address the request that has been made. You have been asked to put forward your favoured proposal which this approach does not do. Even if the directors do not agree with what you propose at least you are demonstrating that you can make a decision by choosing one of the other options.
Abstract reasoning
Doctors and dentists often need to spot patterns, hypothesise, make diagnoses, and identify similarities or differences in situations. An abstract reasoning test is designed to assess a candidate’s ability to identify patterns of shapes among distracting objects and material.
This is a very fast-paced test that allows only 12 minutes to answer 50 questions. Incorrect answers are not marked down, so it is worth having a go at as many questions as you can manage within the time.
Despite the short time allocated to this section, candidates usually find this one of the easier sections, with the average score in this section of 659.
The questions themselves fall into four types:
- 1) You will be presented with a statement about a set of shapes and must select the shape that completes the statement.
- 2) You will see two groups of shapes and must decide in which group an additional shape fits.
- 3) Again, you will see two groups of shapes. This time you have to decide which group each of the four ‘answer’ shapes belong to.
- 4) You must select which shape comes next in a given series of shapes.
Example abstract reasoning question
Which of the boxes comes next in the sequence?
Answer
Circle, maintains same position in top right segment for one turn, and then is not present for the following three turns. Triangle, maintains same position in bottom left segment for one turn, and then is not present for the following two turns. So the answer is B).
Decision making
As a doctor or dentist, you will be making complex decisions quickly and under pressure. The outcome of your decisions could influence a patient’s wellbeing or even survival. The decision-making test assesses your ability to analyse information and data to reach a conclusion.
The test itself consists of 29 questions that each present data sets, charts, graphs or diagrams, along with additional written information.
You are given 31 minutes to answer as many questions as possible, simulating the high-pressure environments that practising doctors and dentists often find themselves in. The questions may be presented in different formats to one another.
You can use a whiteboard and pen, and an on-screen calculator to help work out your answers.
