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The UCAT exam full form is the University Clinical Aptitude Test. It is a computer-based conducted by the Pearson VUE for admission to medical and dental degree programmes in UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Nearly 37,000 students every year take the UCAT exam to study medicine in UK, New Zealand, and Australia.
Pearson has released the latest test dates for the UCAT 2024 exam. The UCAT Account creation has opened on May 14, 2024. Students are advised to book their UCAT test early in the testing window to get preferred test dates and locations. Candidates can also apply for test cancellation and rescheduling of the test date by contacting Pearson VUE services.
UCAT test is conducted in over 130 Pearson VUE test centres all over the world. UCAT exams are held in more than 22 places across India. Students who wish to apply for UCAT exam 2024 can register for the test on the Pearson official website.
UCAT exam syllabus consists of five sub-tests: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, and Situational Judgement. The duration of the test is 2 hours and the total UCAT score is calculated by summing up the scale scores obtained in each sub-test. Read the complete article to learn more about UCAT syllabus for Indian students, test dates, eligibility, test centres, registration process, and more.
As the UCAT exam is opted for by all the medical students who are planning to pursue their careers abroad, we have mentioned the overview of UCAT exam in India below.
Overview for UCAT Exam
Parameters | Details |
Name of the exam | University Clinical Aptitude Test |
Short name of exam | UCAT |
Total Questions | 228 |
Total time for the exam | 115 minutes |
Total Marks | 1200-3600 |
Language of exam | English |
Mode of exam | Computer-based |
UCAT Syllabus | Verbal Reasoning Decision Making Quantitative Reasoning Abstract Reasoning Situational Judgement |
Official website | ucat.ac.uk |
Pearson has released key dates for UCAT test. The booking for UCAT account creation opened on May 14, 2024. Students are advised to book a UCAT exam date early in the testing window. A detailed guide for the UCAT 2024 test dates is given below:
Particulars | Date |
UCAT Account creation opens Bursary and Access Arrangement applications open | 14 May (09:30 BST) |
Booking opens | 18 June (06:00 BST) |
Testing starts | 8 July |
Access Arrangement application deadline | 15 September (23:59 BST) |
Booking deadline UCAT Account creation closes | 19 September (12 noon BST) |
Last test day | 26 September |
Bursary Scheme application deadline | 27 September (16:00 BST) |
UCAS deadline | 15 October |
Results delivered to universities | Early November |
Students can apply for UCAT test cancellation online using their UCAT account. Candidates who have completed their UCAT exam registration including accommodation can contact Pearson VUE Customer Services to cancel the exam. Candidates cannot cancel or reschedule an appointment by email.
Students applying for UCAT exam 2024 cancellation must give a notice at least 24 hours before the appointment. Candidates applying for test cancellations after 12 noon BST on 19 September 2024 can contact Pearson VUE Customer Services to cancel the exam.
Pearson VUE Customer Service: +44 (0) 208 616 5106
Students can use their UCAT account to apply online for rescheduling a UCAT test. Students cannot reschedule a test by email. Students must note that rescheduling of the exam is subject to the availability of appointments. Candidates must provide at least 24 hours' notice to reschedule their test, or they will have to pay again.
The UCAT is a gateway for aspiring medical and dental students who wish to study in UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Students applying for UCAT 2024 exam must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
Academic Background: Candidates applying for UCAT must clear their secondary education or higher degree from a recognised university.
No Of Attempts: There is no restriction on the number of attempts for the UCAT exam. However, students can take the test once a year and apply for a retake in the subsequent year.
Age: Pearson has set no age restrictions for UCAT candidates.
Residency: The UCAT test is conducted in over 130 countries across the world. However, some universities prefer admission to home-country students over international applicants.
Candidates applying for the UCAT exam for the first time can start their registration by opening a UCAT account. The step-by-step process to apply for the UCAT test is given below:
Step 1: Create a UCAT Account from 14 May 2024
Step 2: Register for UCAT 2024 using your legal name on your official photo ID.
Step 3: After registration login to your account using the username and password.
Step 4: Look for your candidate ID in the left corner of your account.
Step 5: Pay the required UCAT exam fees using your debit or credit card.
Step 6: Select your preferred UCAT exam centres in India.
Step 7: Read the testing guidelines carefully and bring only the necessary items to the testing centre.
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Accepted Photo IDs for UCAT test 2024
A valid passport
Photo-card Driver's Licence (full or provisional)
EU Identity Card or Irish Passport Card
Government-issued Identity Card from a non-EU country
Note: Students must note that it can take up to 1 working day for Pearson VUE to set up your account. If you do not receive your confirmation email from Pearson VUE with additional instructions contact Pearson VUE Customer Services.
Students applying for UCAT exam 2024 are required to pay mandatory test fees at the time of test registration. Applicants can pay the necessary UCAT test fees using their debit or credit cards. The fees for 2024 UCAT exam are given below:
Tests taken in the UK: EUR 70
Tests taken outside the UK: EUR 115
Popular Medical Entrance Exams to Study Abroad
The UCAT exam syllabus consists of five separately timed subtests in multiple-choice format. It is a two-hour standardised test used by universities abroad for selecting students for their medical and dental programmes.
UCAT Subtests | Questions | Test Time |
Verbal Reasoning | 44 | 21 minutes |
Decision Making | 29 | 31 minutes |
Quantitative Reasoning | 36 | 25 minutes |
Abstract Reasoning | 50 | 12 minutes |
Situational Judgement | 69 | 26 minutes |
The Verbal Reasoning of the UCAT format assesses the ability of candidates to critically evaluate information presented in a written form. In this section, the students are given eleven passages of text, each associated with four questions. There are two different question types in this subtest:
A question or incomplete statement with four answer options.
A passage where students need to determine whether a statement is true or false.
This subtest analyses the ability of the candidates to make sound decisions and judgments using complex information. In this section, students are given questions that may refer to text, charts, tables, graphs, or diagrams.
Question types in Decision Making:
Syllogisms
Logical Puzzles
Recognising Assumptions
Interpreting Information
Venn Diagrams
Probabilistic and Statistical Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning tests students’ ability to critically evaluate information presented in numerical form. The questions are generally designed for problem-solving rather than a numerical facility. All the questions are generally formed referring to the charts and graphs containing data. Question types in this subtest include:
Most questions are presented in sets of four questions, each tied to the same data.
Each question has five answer options and students can select one response from the given options.
Abstract Reasoning analyses the use of convergent and divergent thinking of candidates to infer relationships from information. The questions are generally presented in sets of five. Some questions stand alone. Each question has three or four answer options and students can only select one response.
Situational Judgement measures the capacity of students to understand real-world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviour to deal with them. This section has up to six questions. Candidates will be presented with realistic situations and asked to choose the most appropriate response from multiple options.
The UCAT exam is a challenging test for candidates who wish to move to UK, Australia, and New Zealand for higher studies. The Pearson official website offers multiple UCAT exam sample papers, videos, question banks, question tutorials, and other study materials for the test-takers. A few significant UCAT test preparations are as follows:
Understand the UCAT exam syllabus and format.
Utilise free practice materials available on the UCAT official website.
Practice UCAT mock tests and sample papers.
Solve UCAT question bank to improve your knowledge.
Explore UCAT preparation books that offer practice questions, strategies, and tips.
Learn time management.
UCAT is delivered in over 130 countries in the world in Pearson VUE test centres. In India, UCAT exam is conducted in over 22 cities across the country. The list of all UCAT test centres in India for Indian aspirants is given below:
Nagpur | Bhopal |
Hyderabad | Vijayawada |
Indore | Visakhapatnam |
Pune | Mumbai |
Surat | Bhubaneswar |
Ranchi | Ahmedabad |
Chennai | Jaipur |
Vellore | Bangalore |
Gurugram | Noida |
New Delhi | Manipal |
Mysore | Kolkata |
The candidates will receive a copy of their UCAT score report before they leave the Pearson VUE test centre. Students can also access their UCAT results 2024 using their UCAT accounts. Applicants can take a printout of the same or save it on their PC.
UCAT score is calculated by the number of right answers given by the students. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers. For the Cognitive Subtest, the overall UCAT score 2024 is the sum of individual scale marks obtained in five UCAT sub-tests. The overall scaled score ranges from 1200 to 3600.
For Situational judgment scoring, if the responses of the candidates match the proper answer, students will receive full marks for the question, while partial marks will be awarded in case the response is close. Situational Judgement Test scores are expressed in one of four bands, with band 1 being the highest.
Subtests | Scoring | Scaled Score Range |
Verbal Reasoning | 1 mark for each question | 300-900 |
Decision Making |
| 300-900 |
Quantitative Reasoning | 1 mark for each question | 300-900 |
Abstract Reasoning | 1 mark for each question | 300-900 |
We have mentioned the popular universities that accept UCAT exam scores for higher education applications by international students. One can refer to the same given below:
Universities undertaking UCAT Exam scores
University of St Andrews | ||
Kent and Medway Medical School | ||
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is a computer-based, standardised examination for students looking to study medicine in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Candidates who wish to study medicine in top medical colleges in UK must qualify for the UCAT test to demonstrate their eligibility.
Any candidate who has completed their secondary education or higher degree from a recognised university is eligible for the UCAT exam. However, students can only appear for the test once in a year.
There is no particular UCAT cut-off score for MBBS. Universities have different cut-off scores for UCAT to enrol potential students. Students can visit the official website of the university to know the specific UCAT score requirement for MBBS.
Yes, UCAT is a hard exam for international students. It assesses a range of mental abilities identified by university medical and dental schools as important. The UCAT test pattern includes five sub-tests which are assessed separately and students must complete the test within two hours.
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