Preparing for the UCAT

For prospective dentistry and medicine students going into Year 13, the summer holidays are the optimal time to prepare for the UCAT. Many admissions tests feel especially daunting, which is why we have compiled tips to help you ace your UCAT!

How does it work?

The UCAT is a test that students for applying to study Dentistry or Medicine must take. Most universities want a score of 620-620 within the subtests. The exam tests your proficiency in multiple areas: verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning and situational judgement. Overall, the test lasts 2 hours and is online. You will sit it in an exam centre, and the automatic result will be calculated and revealed to you at the end of the test.

How do I prepare?

Since the UCAT has no fixed syllabus for it and tests a range of areas, the simple way to

improve is to complete as many practice questions as possible. The UCAT website provides

many helpful resources, including questions tutorials on how to answer questions. Moreover,

there are also lots of other useful free resources: YouTube videos, past papers etc.

Planning your preparation in advance will also help you balance school revision alongside

UCAT preparation and will also give you the opportunity to analyse your improvement; it is

necessary to reflect on the areas you find most difficult, then prioritise those in your preparation.

It is also important to stay on top of your reading! In particular, reading the Good Medical Practice from the GMC will aid you greatly in the Situational Judgement section. As well as this, timing for the test can be extremely difficult to manage, so practising skim reading through reading the news everyday, or reading more books can help improve your reading speed.

Stay calm!

Since the UCAT is a such a difficult test, especially with tight time conditions, it can often seem

overwhelming and difficult to prepare for. However, taking a breath and making sure you feel

comfortable and calm will almost always help you score better - and remember, the test can be

retaken too. Moreover, by completing practice tests and familiarising yourself with the exam

structure, it will seem a lot less daunting in the actual exam.

In order to gain more specialist help ensuring success, contact The Education Suite:

Website: www.theeducationsuite.co.uk

Email: Hello@theeducationsuite.co.uk

Tel: 07818022590