Parents' Guide: UCAT

What Is the UCAT?

The UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test), is an admissions test used by many UK medical and dental schools. It assesses a range of mental abilities and behavioral attributes that are important for success in clinical careers.

Test Structure and Content

• Sections: The UCAT consists of five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, and Situational Judgement.
• Timing: The test is two hours long, with each section timed separately.

How Can I Help My Child Prepare For Their UCAT?

If your child is sitting their UCAT, that’s probably all you’ve heard about for months! Here are a few ways you can help your child revise for their exams.

How Can I Help My Child to Book Their Test?

Make sure your child books their UCAT test as soon as possible so that they can begin working towards a date and get started on their revision. For their UCAT, remind them that they’ll need to register for this themselves – their school does not register on their behalf!

They can register for the UCAT online.

Where Can I Help My Child Find Practice Questions?

This is one of the best ways you can help your child prepare for their UCAT. Set aside some time on a weekend or evening to go through our UCAT Question Bank with them – they can write their answers down, and then you can look at the mark scheme together.

You could set a goal of tackling ten questions or revising a particular section each day – for example, you could run through UCAT Verbal Reasoning one evening, and Decision Making the following night. This may be a good way for your child to break their revision down into smaller sections so it feels easier to tackle.

How Can I Help My Child Prepare For Their Tests?

You can help your child find different ways of revising: for example, you could ask them to practice their mental maths by adding up the total cost of the food shopping!

You could also encourage them to make flashcards. You can then test them on their knowledge of specific subjects by asking them to talk you through each topic’s key facts.

How Can I Help My Child Deal With Stress?

If your child is sitting the UCAT, the likelihood is that they’ll be feeling the pressure of revising, on top of their school responsibilities, and thinking about their university applications at the same time.

Remember to encourage them to take a break from their studies to do something fun and to make time to see their friends – and remind them that they can’t do their best work if they’re tired! If they’re struggling to unwind, perhaps take them out at the weekend or suggest watching a film together to take their mind off revision.

Where Can I Find UCAT Courses?

While attending a course isn’t necessary to a good exam score, they may really help if your child is struggling with their revision.

You could suggest booking them onto a UCAT Course to help them. If they need help with specific areas, they may also benefit from one-to-one tutoring – you could consider our private UCAT Tutoring.