Advice & Insight From UCAT Specialists
The UCAT is used by a consortium of medical schools to select applicants. Using the UCAT score as part of their selection process allows medical schools to transparently and fairly distinguish between the large number of highly qualified applicants. Knowing what constitutes a “good” UCAT score and how your UCAT score ranks for your year group can inform where you apply. You should use your UCAT score to apply strategically to university. Be aware of any UCAT thresholds universities may have in addition to which parts of the UCAT they consider when processing applications (The SJT section is sometimes excluded when ranking student; some universities do not consider applicants with band 4 in the SJT)
It is difficult to define what UCAT score will be good enough. However, at Blackstone tutors we would consider scores of 660-700 good. Above 700 Very Good and above 750 excellent. Follow our top 5 tips below to gain a score of 700+:
There is no perfect time to sit the UCAT exam but there are lots of considerations to make. It is important you consider how long you will require to prepare and your preparation strategy- ensure you have at least 4 weeks for regular revision followed by 2 weeks of intense revision. I would strongly recommend you try to complete the exam before you return to sixth form or college in September. During this time, your A2 Studies, personal statement, extracurricular activities, and coursework will begin competing with your time to prepare. Plan out your time weekly and aim to practice over 4000+ questions.
Comprehensive 3 in 1 Package with a Full Day Intensive UCAT Course, Online UCAT Course Tutorials & UCAT Question Bank Access
UCAT, BMAT, Personal Statement & Interview Specialist Support with Preferential Rates & Availability
Online UCAT Tutorials, Expert Techniques & UCAT Mock Examinations With Our Popular UCAT Portal
Being aware of what resources are available to you can help you to organise, plan and focus your revision. Consider using online sites such as Medify for questions, find free resources online with worked questions and examples. The 12500Q ISC book is create value for money – many schools libraries supply this book to switch up from using online question banks. You should be stimulating the UCAT using mock exams. You may choose to watch YouTube videos providing guides of how to approach each subsection.
UCAT preparation should be targeted, knowing how well you are scoring on each section can highlight where more revision is required. Full Mock Exams prepare you for working under timed conditions for 2 hours, focusing on single sections may be a better way to improve your overall score and target your revision.
Learn the best UCAT strategies and practice with reflective UCAT questions & worked solutions.
Each section of the UCAT requires different skills and knowledge. Through UCAT preparations you will begin to get an appreciation of how long you should be spending on each question. Although you can target this where necessary to suit your strengths and weakness’ we recommend allocating the following time frames for each subsection:
Be aware of common topics that are tested- this is particularly relevant for quantitively reasoning. Familiarise yourself with: percentage change, reading graphs, weighted means, triangle formulae, areas and ratios etc. For abstract reasoning be aware of triggers. We recommend you use the SCANS acronym to approach pattern recognition. Consider the shapes, colour/fill, angle/arrangement, number, and symmetry/ sizes.
The UCAT exam is quick paced, not only is the test set to test your aptitude but how you perform under pressure. Some questions will take you longer than others but balancing not rushing or working too slowly will maximise your chances of obtaining a good score.
Part of your preparation for the UCAT should involve learning time saving techniques and shortcuts. Ensure you know how to flag and review questions. Remember UCAT is positively marked so you should put a guess for every question. The following 5 keyboard shortcuts will save you valuable seconds.
Other time saving strategies include:
