Are you hoping to land the best possible UCAT score to help you secure a place in your dream medical school?
The UCAT is a difficult entrance exam which is used by many medical schools to help select applicants for their Medicine and Dentistry degree courses.
Medical schools use the applicant’s UCAT score alongside their personal statement, academic qualifications and interview skills, to decide who to offer a place.
Below, we will explain exactly how to prepare for the UCAT and why you need a UCAT tutor.
What is the UCAT?
Previously called the UKCAT, the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is an entrance exam that prospective students must take if they want to study Medicine.
The exam does not contain any curriculum or science content – it focuses on exploring the cognitive powers of candidates and other attributes considered to be valuable for healthcare professionals.
It is the applicant’s opportunity to stand out from other applicants and demonstrate their aptitude for a challenging degree course.
The exam can be sat either online or at an authorized exam centre. It takes approximately 2 hours to sit the exam.
The UCAT exam consists of 5 separately timed sub-tests, in multiple-choice format.
The 4 cognitive tests
Verbal Reasoning
This assesses your ability to read and think carefully about the information and determine what conclusions can be drawn.
Decision Making
This assesses your ability to make sound decisions and judgements, using complex information.
Quantitative Reasoning
This assesses your ability to critically evaluate information presented in a numerical form and solve problems.
Abstract Reasoning
This assesses your ability to identify patterns amongst abstract shapes where irrelevant and distracting material may lead to incorrect conclusions.
There is also a fifth non-cognitive subtest of Situational Judgement. This measures your capacity to understand real-world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviour in dealing with them. The questions do not require medical or procedural knowledge.
Why you need a UCAT tutor
We will explain exactly why you need a UCAT tutor to help you navigate the challenges of the UCAT.
The competition for places in Medicine degrees is getting tougher and tougher.
In 2022, there were 30,000 more students applying to medical school- in popular universities, this means a success rate of only 1 in 10. For international students, this number is even lower at 1 in 16.
So, getting into medical school is extremely competitive- because there can only be a small handful of the very best applicants who earn a place to train there.
In fact, there are other factors which make Medicine a fiercely competitive field to get into.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused widespread grade inflation, which caused universities to reach full capacity quickly, leaving countless students scrambling to compete over the remaining university places elsewhere.
Additionally, Covid-19 has caused many students to defer their studies for a year. This has further caused the competition for university places to heat up, meaning that medical schools are making fewer and fewer offers.
Therefore, we believe that getting a UCAT tutor will make all the difference to your application to medical school, as it will help you score the best possible marks in the UCAT exam.
Having an excellent UCAT score helps make your university application stand out from other candidates with lower scores.
Many medical schools use UCAT scores as the basis of their decision to shortlist applicants for interviews.
Bearing this in mind is why you need a UCAT tutor, as your tutor will help you unlock your full potential and achieve the best possible results.
What UCAT score is needed to study Medicine in the UK?
Every Medicine course has different entry requirements. Always check the universities’ websites and find out all the information when you visit university open days.
The UCAT is marked on the number of correct answers you give. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers.
Your total score is generated by adding up the individual scores for all the sub-tests that make up the UCAT.
Generally, a UCAS sub-test score of 750 or above is considered to be high.
However, with the UCAT score, remember that what was considered ‘high’ for one year, may not be applicable for the following year. E.g. more applicants may perform in the top deciles in one year, but more applicants perform in the lower deciles the following year.
Therefore, the deciles of UCAT scores will be different each year.
Visit the UCAT website here to find out more information about UCAT test statistics.
Where can I get UCAT tutor?
At The Future Medic, we offer a UCAT tutoring service with our interview experts.
Starting from only £100, our UCAT tutoring package offers you personalised 1-1 lessons with our highly qualified tutors. You can choose whether you want between 1 to 20 hours of UCAT tutoring
The package will also include access to UCAT online courses, so you can practice and prepare for the exam for as long as you need.
All of our tutors are fully qualified British doctors and specialists in medical education. Our tutors are also interviewers at their respective medical schools.
So, you couldn’t be in better hands, as the highly experienced team at The Future Medic has over 14 years of experience in the medical school admissions process, mentoring and public speaking.
We have helped thousands of aspiring medical students successfully enter the medical schools of their choice.
With the UCAT, the average student score is 607.
After prospective medical students use our UCAT tutoring service, the mean student score is 743.
Therefore, you can see the vast improvement and amazing results that our students go on to achieve, which tells you that it is worth getting a UCAT tutor.
Click here to view our UCAT tutoring services.
Is it worth getting a UCAT tutor?
If you book our UCAT tutoring package, you will see numerous benefits, such as:
Access to support and advice from our expert tutors
Our tutors are all doctors, medical education specialists and medical school interview panellists. Between them, they have vast experience in interviewing Medicine applicants and coaching them to successfully earn a place at their dream medical schools.
This means that you will get first-hand tutoring directly from a medical school interviewer!
This level of tutoring is not guaranteed by any competitor.
Individual attention
You and your tutor will have personalised 1-1 lessons that are specific to you. It won’t be like a classroom environment where there is one teacher who has to cater to 30 students!
This will help you progress at your own pace, without the need to worry about distractions or other students.
Low-pressured environment
You and your tutor will be communicating virtually, which is super convenient. This gives you the advantage of being coached from the comfort of your home.
Every student has 24/7 access to their tutor, through a dedicated WhatsApp group.
Our tutors are experienced, friendly, approachable and very dedicated to bringing the best out of all their students, which demonstrates perfectly why you need a UCAT tutor.
Enhance your learning
Your UCAT tutor will guide you through all 5 of the UCAT exam topics and help you improve your understanding of how to answer the exam questions.
We know the UCAT exam is tough, so we are here to support you and calm your nerves.
With our help, you will boost your confidence and approach the exam with the best practice.
Opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback
Preparing for the UCAT exam can be very nerve-wracking for students. Many students would greatly benefit from the opportunity to be inquisitive and pose questions directly to a medical school interviewer.
So, this is why you need a UCAT tutor- our tutors have the knowledge of what it takes to land a place in medical school. They will answer any questions you may have, whether they are about the UCAT exam itself, or any other part of the medical school application process.
Hence, having access to a UCAT tutor will reduce any anxiety and help you feel better informed about the application procedure.
How should I prepare for the UCAT?
- Create a revision timetable which is feasible.
- Understand the types of questions you will be asked in each of the UCAT exam topics.
- Visit the UCAT website to view the free help resources
- Take practice tests under timed conditions, to test yourself.
- Think like a doctor. How is your behaviour going to be professional and ethical? How will you use your cognitive ability, judgement and decision-making, to provide the best care for patients?
- Revise the strategies that you would employ in the 5 UCAT exam topics.
- Consider getting a UCAT tutor to support you through the process and improve your confidence.
- Make a note of the areas where you need to improve and work on these.
- Take study breaks when needed.
- Get a good night’s sleep the night before your exam.
How do I register for the UCAT?
To register for the UCAT, visit the UCAT website here and register for a UCAT account.
You will need to provide answers to the questions and you will be assigned a UCAT candidate ID.
Remember there is a deadline to register or book a test each year- this is usually in September.
UK candidates in financial need can apply for a UCAT Bursary to cover the full test fee. Once your Bursary Application is approved you will be given a voucher code to use when booking your test.
Candidates with special educational needs, disabilities or medical conditions who are eligible for extra time or accommodations must apply for Access Arrangements and be approved before booking their test.
How much does the UCAT test fee cost?
If you are taking the UCAT in the UK, this costs £70.
If you are taking the UCAT outside of the UK, this costs £115.
UK candidates in financial need can apply for a UCAT Bursary to pay for their test.
How do I get my UCAT results?
You will receive your UCAT results before you leave the test centre.
Your test result will also be accessible online through your UCAT account- it will take up to 24 hours to be uploaded.
Your UCAT test result goes automatically to your chosen universities- it is sent directly by UCAT.
How many times can you take the UCAT?
You can take the UCAT as many times as you like, but you can only sit the exam once per year.
We hope you now feel better informed about why you need a UCAT tutor.
We wish you the best of luck with your medical school application.
To find out about the services we offer at The Future Medic, visit our website here.
To book our UCAT tutoring service, click here.
To book a personal statement reviewer, click here to browse our Personal Statement coaching options.
We also provide Medicine interview tutoring services and a mentorship programme for budding doctors. Register for a place in 2022/2023 on our Mentorship Programme here.
