All candidates intending to apply for entry to a relevant course in a UKCAT University in a particular year are required to sit the UKCAT by October of the preceding year. The requirement to take the test applies to all UK, EU and the majority of international applicants.
To check which university courses require UKCAT, see the list of UKCAT Universities.
If you are unsure whether you should take the test, please contact UKCAT directly.
The UKCAT is designed to be a test of aptitude rather than educational achievement. It consists of the following sections:
- Verbal reasoning - assesses candidates' ability to think logically about written information and to arrive at a reasoned conclusion.
- Quantitative reasoning - assesses candidates' ability to solve numerical problems.
- Abstract reasoning - assesses candidates' ability to infer relationships from information by convergent and divergent thinking.
- Decision analysis - assesses candidates' ability to deal with various forms of information, to infer relationships, to make informed judgements, and to decide on an appropriate response, in situations of complexity and ambiguity.
- Situational judgement test - measures capacity to understand real world situations and to identify critical factorsand appropriate behaviour in dealing with them.
The standard test is delivered in just over two hours. Each subtest is in a multiple-choice format and is separately timed.
- Verbal Reasoning Section consists of 44 questions and takes 22 minutes.
- Quantitative Reasoning Section consists of 36 questions and takes 23 minutes.
- Abstract Reasoning Section consists of 55 questions and takes 14 minutes.
- Decision Analysis consists of 28 questions and takes 34 minutes.
- Situational Judgement Test consists of 71 questions and takes 27 minutes.
There is also a longer version of the standard UKCAT, the UKCATSEN (Special Educational Needs), which is intended for candidates who require additional time due to a documented medical condition or disability.
UKCAT results are only valid for applications to universities in the year in which the test is taken. If your application to medical school is not successful and you re-apply the following year, you will be required to re-sit the UKCAT.
There is no single date for sitting the UKCAT, but candidates wishing to apply in 2013 for entry to the participating universities in 2014 or deferred entry in 2014, are required to take the UKCAT before the 4th October 2013 deadline.
The UKCAT results are only valid for applications to universities in the year in which the test is taken. If your application to medical school is not successful and you re-apply the following year, you will be required to re-sit the UKCAT.
Each of the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Decision Analysis sections is scored on a 300- to 900-point scale, for a possible total of 3600. Results for Confidence Ratings do not contribute to the Decision Analysis score and are not communicated to the universities to which you apply.
Within the Situational Judgement Test, full marks are awarded for a question if your response matches the correct answer and partial marks awarded if your response is close to the correct answer. Raw scores are then expressed in one of four bands, with band 1 being the highest and band 4 the lowest.
There is no pass mark for the UKCAT. Universities consider the performance in the exam in conjunction with a number of other factors, so that no one element will determine whether or not an offer of a place can be made.
In Singapore, the UKCAT is administered by Pearson Professional Centers-Singapore at the following address:
International Plaza #30-03
10 Anson Road
Singapore 079903
Phone number: +65 6225 2027
The test fee varies between £65 - £100, depending on the test centre location and the time of the year. It is usually cheaper during the summer period.
In 2013, the cost of the test taken in the EU in summer (01/07 - 31/08) is £65, in autumn (01/09 - 04/10) is £80. Tests taken outside the EU cost £100.
The registration fee is payable online at the time of booking by major credit card (Visa, Mastercard or UK Visa debit card). The fee is always charged in GBP (pounds sterling). If you have a non-UK credit card, your credit card company will bill you according to its own rules for foreign transactions.
Candidates may cancel or reschedule their test, without charge, up to one clear day before their scheduled test date. A clear day does not include the day of the reschedule or the day of the test; for example for a test on a Friday, the last day to make any changes would be midnight on the preceding Wednesday. Where a candidate cancels their test within these deadlines they will receive a credit/debit card refund.
If the candidate cancels or reschedules later than this, the appointment will count as a 'no-show'. In this case a candidate wishing to reschedule their test would be required to pay a further fee for the rescheduled test. A candidate cancelling their test and not meeting the deadline would not receive a refund.
If you miss your test for any reason and have not rescheduled in time, you will have to book another test at your own expense. This applies in cases of illness, family emergency, accident, arrest, transport problems and security alert as well as forgetfulness and lateness. It also applies to those who arrive at the test centre with inadequate or invalid identification.
