University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

À propos de l’examen

The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is the admissions test used by a consortium of UK universities, plus a few partner universities abroad, to select applicants for medicine and dentistry. It is run by the UCAT Consortium and delivered on computer by Pearson VUE.

It does not test science knowledge. Instead it measures reasoning with written and numerical information, logical decision-making and judgement in realistic workplace situations, in four timed sections lasting just under two hours.

The surprise for many applicants is that there is no pass mark. Each university decides how to use the result: some set a threshold, some weight it alongside grades, some use it only in close calls. And you get your score before the UCAS deadline, so you can choose where to apply knowing it.

Qui doit le passer

You must sit the UCAT if you are applying to a relevant medicine or dentistry course at a UCAT Consortium university in the UK, or at a partner university such as Nanyang Technological University, the National University of Singapore or Thammasat University. You sit it in the summer before you apply: the 2026 test was for entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028. Some universities have alternative requirements for certain applicants, so check each course. Applicants who are also applying to Australian or New Zealand universities should sit the UCAT ANZ instead, which has identical content; you may not sit both in the same year. People connected with a UCAT coaching business, as tutors, content writers or investors, are not allowed to sit it. No prior exam or course is required.

Ce qu’il couvre

Verbal Reasoning 44 questions, 22 minutes

Read passages of text and decide whether conclusions follow from them, without using outside knowledge.

Decision Making 35 questions, 37 minutes

Apply logic, weigh arguments and analyse statistical information to reach a decision; some items ask for yes or no on five statements.

Quantitative Reasoning 36 questions, 26 minutes

Work critically with information presented in numerical form.

Situational Judgement 69 questions, 26 minutes

Read realistic situations, pick out what matters and judge how appropriate or important different responses would be.

L’épreuve

• 184 multiple-choice questions in four separately timed subtests, each preceded by a short timed instruction section; just under two hours in total.
• The three cognitive subtests are each scaled from 300 to 900 and added up to a total of 900-2700; Situational Judgement is reported as Band 1 (highest) to Band 4.
• There is no negative marking. In Decision Making, multiple-statement items are worth two marks with one mark for a partly correct answer; Situational Judgement gives partial credit for near answers.
• A basic on-screen calculator is available in Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning, and you are given an A4 laminated notebook and pen.
• Once started the test cannot be paused; breaks to leave the room cost you time unless rest breaks were approved.
• There is no pass mark: universities use the scores in their own ways.
• Access arrangements, such as 25% extra time or rest breaks, must be approved by the UCAT Office before you book.
• Online proctored testing (OnVUE) exists only for limited cases, such as candidates who cannot reach a test centre or whose disability prevents testing in one.

Comment s’inscrire

1. Check each university's entry requirements, then register for a UCAT account when registration opens in spring; accounts from earlier years are not reused.
2. Apply for a bursary or access arrangements through your account before booking, if they apply to you.
3. Book and pay for a test at a Pearson VUE centre in the UK or in more than 130 other countries; you can reschedule or cancel up to 24 hours before without losing the fee.
4. On test day arrive 15 minutes early with one original, unexpired photo ID whose name matches your account exactly, such as a passport; without it you cannot test and lose the fee.
5. You receive a score report before leaving the centre, and the result appears in your account within about 24 hours.
6. Apply through UCAS by the 15 October deadline; the UCAT Office sends your result directly to your chosen universities in early November.
7. You can sit the UCAT only once per test cycle. If you reapply in a later year, you must sit it again.

Frais et dates

Fee

GBP 70 in the UK (about EUR 82), GBP 115 outside the UK (about EUR 135), 2026 cycle; waived for eligible UK bursary holders (source 4)

When

One summer window: 13 July to 24 September in 2026; 2027 dates due by February 2027 (source 2)

Booking

2026: registration opened 20 May, booking 23 June, booking deadline 16 September (source 2)

Results

Score report at the centre; in your account within 24 hours; sent to universities in early November (source 5)

Validity

One admissions cycle only (UCAT 2026: entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028) (source 5)

Retakes

Once per test cycle; sitting it twice is misconduct (source 4)

Les frais et les dates changent : chacun est indiqué tel que sa source le mentionnait le 29 octobre 2026. Vérifiez-le à la source avant de vous inscrire.

Questions fréquentes

How many questions are on the UCAT?

184 questions across four subtests: 44 in Verbal Reasoning, 35 in Decision Making, 36 in Quantitative Reasoning and 69 in Situational Judgement. The whole test takes just under two hours.

What is a good UCAT score?

There is no pass mark. Each university uses the scores differently, and some publish a threshold or the scores they used in earlier years, so check the pages of the universities you are considering. The UCAT site also publishes test statistics.

Can I take the UCAT at home?

Normally not. The UCAT is taken at Pearson VUE test centres; online proctored testing is offered only in limited circumstances, such as when travel to a centre is impossible or a disability prevents it.

How much does the UCAT cost?

In 2026 it cost GBP 70 in the UK and GBP 115 elsewhere. A bursary covering the full fee is available to UK candidates who meet the criteria.

Can I resit the UCAT?

Not in the same year: you may sit it once per test cycle. Because results are valid for one admissions cycle only, anyone reapplying the following year must sit the test again.

Is there a calculator?

Yes, a basic on-screen calculator in Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning only. It has no scientific functions.

When do universities get my result?

The UCAT Office sends results directly to your UCAS choices in early November, after matching data with UCAS. You do not need to include your score on your UCAS application.

Sources

1. UCAT Test Format and Scoring — UCAT Consortium
2. UCAT Test Dates — UCAT Consortium
3. Eligibility — UCAT Consortium
4. FAQs — UCAT Consortium
5. UCAT Results — UCAT Consortium
6. How Universities use the UCAT — UCAT Consortium
7. UCAT Test Centre Photo ID Policy — UCAT Consortium
8. Access Arrangements — UCAT Consortium
9. Rescheduling and Cancelling — UCAT Consortium
10. Test Tools — UCAT Consortium

Vérifié auprès de ces sources le 29 octobre 2026.