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UCATUniversity Clinical Aptitude Test

Required for Medicine and Dentistry at most UK medical schools.

Duration
2 hours total, computer-based
Sections
Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Situational Judgement
Marking
Scored 1200–3600, plus SJT band 1–4
Calculator
On-screen only. use the keyboard shortcut
Who takes this

Who the UCAT is for

Applicants to undergraduate Medicine and Dentistry at the majority of UK medical schools. Used to differentiate between academically strong applicants.

Registration

When and where

Booking opens in mid-June. Testing runs July through early October. Book early. popular slots fill quickly.

Preparation timeline

Phase 01

10 weeks out

Diagnostic mock. Identify weakest section first.

Phase 02

6 weeks out

Section-by-section drilling. Aim for fluency, not speed yet.

Phase 03

3 weeks out

Full mocks under timed conditions twice a week.

Phase 04

Final week

Light revision. Sleep, not more questions.

The syllabus

5 core areas

01.

Verbal Reasoning

Read fast, infer faster. 44 questions in 21 minutes.

02.

Decision Making

Logic puzzles, syllogisms, probabilistic reasoning.

03.

Quantitative Reasoning

Real-world arithmetic under heavy time pressure.

04.

Abstract Reasoning

Pattern recognition across shape sets.

05.

Situational Judgement

Medical ethics and professional behaviour scenarios.

Strategy

Examination strategy

  • 01Master keyboard shortcuts before you master content.
  • 02In Abstract Reasoning, identify the pattern in under 20 seconds or flag and move on.
  • 03For SJT, study the GMC's Good Medical Practice. the answer key is built from it.
Common mistakes

What goes wrong

  • ·Reading every passage in full in VR. skim, then locate.
  • ·Avoiding the on-screen calculator keyboard shortcut and losing 5–10 seconds per question.
  • ·Treating SJT like an academic test rather than a judgement test.

Frequently asked

How important is the UCAT?+

Critical at most medical schools. Some weight it 50% of the academic-stage decision.

Does Oxford use the UCAT?+

Oxford uses the BMAT historically; the BMAT has been discontinued, and Oxford Medicine now uses its own assessment process. Confirm against the current Oxford Medicine admissions page.

Latest Update

The Abstract Reasoning section was shortened from the 2024 cycle. Older practice materials may over-estimate this section's difficulty.

Ready to begin UCAT?

Take the 20-minute diagnostic. receive a personalised report identifying your strongest and weakest topics.