UCAT Question Bank
Calling all Medicine applicants, are you feeling nervous about sitting the UCAT exam?
Not to worry, we at The Future Medic have created a handy guide for all things UCAT- to help you understand what the exam entails and how to prepare for it.
What is the UCAT?
The UCAT exam consists of 5 separately timed sub-tests, in multiple-choice format.
The 4 cognitive tests are:
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.
How do you prepare for the UCAT?
The best way to prepare to take the UCAT exam is to practice, practice, practice- in timed conditions. The more you read UCAT practice questions and answer them, the more accustomed you will become to taking them when the exam day comes.
Around 30 hours of revision should be enough practice to build your confidence for taking the UCAT exam.
We recommend creating a feasible revision timetable and practicing 40 to 50 UCAT questions every day. But remember to take study breaks and pace yourself.
Where can I access UCAT Practice Tests and Question Banks?
You can access UCAT question banks on the UCAT website, which we have highlighted below:
- Verbal Reasoning Question Bank
- Decision Making Question Bank
- Quantitative Reasoning Question Bank
- Abstract Reasoning Question Bank
- Situational Judgement Question Bank
Click here to access the UCAT practice tests on the UCAT website.
What topics come up in the UCAT sub-tests?
Verbal Reasoning – 44 Questions
keyword questions
direct comprehension
inference
evaluation
insufficient information questions
Decision Making – 29 Questions
syllogism questions
logic puzzle questions
strongest argument questions
interpreting information
Venn diagram questions
- probability questions
Quantitative Reasoning – 36 Questions
table/chart reading
averages
percentages
ratio and proportionality
rates and conversions
perimeter, area and volume
Abstract Reasoning – 50 Questions
- number of shapes
abstract features
position
size, shading and direction
combination questions
sequence and analogy
Situational Judgement – 66 Questions
patient care
minimizing risks in patient care
professional behaviour in the workplace
offensive behaviour
teamwork
empathy and support
What silly mistakes should students avoid making when taking the UCAT exam?
Oftentimes, students make silly mistakes in the UCAT exam, due to nerves and panic, which ends up costing them a high score.
These avoidable mistakes include:
- Not reading the questions properly.
- Immediately calculating data, even though the question doesn’t ask for it.
- Trying to find complex patterns, despite the answer being more straightforward.
- Improper revision or study skills.
- Not taking practice UCAT tests under timed conditions.
- Not identifying weaknesses and areas for improvement.
How is a UCAT score generated?
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. The total score ranges from 1200 to 3600.
For each subtest, raw marks are converted to scale scores in a range from 300 to 900.
View the table below to get a better understanding of how your UCAT score is determined:
Cognitive Sub-Tests
Number of Questions
Scale Score Range
Marks Awarded
Verbal Reasoning
44
300-900
Questions are worth 1 mark each.
Decision Making
29
300-900
- Single Answer questions: worth 1 mark
- Multiple Statement questions: worth 2 marks
- 1 mark is awarded to partially correct responses on Multiple Statement questions
Quantitative Reasoning
36
300-900
Questions are worth 1 mark each
Abstract Reasoning
50
300-900
Questions are worth 1 mark each
With the Situational Judgement sub-test, which is a non-cognitive part of the UCAT exam, the scoring works like this:
Full marks are awarded for a question if your response matches the correct answer; while partial marks are awarded if your response is close to the correct answer.
Scores for the Situational Judgement Test are expressed in one of four bands, with band 1 being the highest.
Alongside the band, candidates are given an interpretation of their performance:
Band 1
Those in band 1 demonstrated an excellent level of performance, showing similar judgement in most cases to the panel of experts.
Band 2
Those in Band 2 demonstrated a good, solid level of performance, showing appropriate judgement frequently, with many responses matching model answers.
Band 3
Those in Band 3 demonstrated a modest level of performance, with appropriate judgement shown for some questions and substantial differences from ideal responses for others.
Band 4
The performance of those in Band 4 was low, with judgement tending to differ substantially from ideal responses in many cases.
How to Calculate UCAT Score From Practice Tests
In the first 4 sub-tests of the UCAT exam (Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning), you can score up to 900.
But did you know that you can achieve a score of 900, without answering 100% of the questions correctly?
So, let’s say you have scored 900 across all 4 of those cognitive sub-tests, which is the best possible score, and most of your answers in the Situational Judgement sub-test belong in the Band 1 category- then your UCAT score will be very high overall!
Below, you will find a rough guide to help you calculate UCAS scores from practice tests.
Disclaimer: remember that these figures are rough, and the UCAT score boundaries differ every year.
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.
Estimated UCAT Score
Sub-Test: Verbal Reasoning
Sub-Test: Decision Making
Sub-Test: Quantitative Reasoning
Sub-Test: Abstract Reasoning
Between 300-400
0-11
0-7
0-11
0-13
Between 400-500
11-17
7-11
11-17
13-21
Between 500-600
17-23
11-15
17-21
21-29
Between 600-700
23-29
15-19
21-25
29-37
Between 700-800
29-35
19-23
25-29
37-45
Between 800-900
35-44
23-29
29-36
45-55
Situational Judgement Band
Estimated Score
Band 2
57-59
Band 3
38-56
Band 4
19-37
Band 4
0-18
Your total score is generated by adding up the individual scores for all of the sub-tests that make up the UCAT. The total score ranges from 1200 to 3600.
For each subtest, raw marks are converted to scale scores in a range from 300 to 900. Generally, a UCAS sub-test score of 750 or above is considered to be high.
So, to calculate UCAT scores from practice tests, add up your marks in each sub-test. Then, find out where this puts you in the estimated UCAT score.
A total UCAT score of 2700 or over, tends to be a very strong score, which will increase your chances of getting a place at your dream medical school.
Read our blog post on ‘how to calculate UCAT score from practice tests’ to learn more.
About The Future Medic
To learn more about The Future Medic and the services we offer, visit our website here.
To book our UCAT tutoring service, click here.
Read our blog post on ‘Why you need a UCAT tutor’ to find out more about our UCAT tutoring service.
Check out our blog to read articles about applying for Medicine and get some helpful tips on preparing for the UCAT exam.