Advice & Insight From UCAT Specialists
As early as possible! UCAT examinations can be rescheduled up to 24 hours before your test, without any charge or challenges. Registration opens on 1st May and booking early ensures that you have the best selection of dates & locations. Don’t underestimate the challenge of driving three hours to a remote test centre and thereafter having to complete one of the most important exams of your life. With the sheer number of students taking the UCAT, as well as the multi-use of the testing centres (eg. Driving theory tests), many popular test centres need booking several weeks in advance.
There are two parts to this answer:
When should I book my UCAT on the Pearson Portal?
What date should I take my UCAT test?
This is very much person specific, and depends on your overall circumstances (eg. exam schedule, work experience and holidays planned).
Historically, candidates taking the examination towards the end of their summer holidays (eg. Late August) tend to score highest, as this provides you with 6+ weeks of revision time. Avoid the temptation of delaying your UCAT examination until after returning to school, as the start of year 13 can be very, very busy with multiple school and UCAS demands. If you are attending or thinking of attending a BlackStone Tutors UCAT Course, try to leave at least two weeks between your course and examination date, to make the most of the tips, techniques and resources provided.
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