COVID-19 update: UCAT has said they “fully expect testing to go ahead in 2020.” It is likely that the timeline for UCAT will shift – registration and booking may open later than normal and testing will commence later than the July start period.
You will get your UCAT score directly after sitting the test – so you will know your score before you apply to medical school.
Scores are calculated differently depending which section of the test you’re on. For the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Decision Making sections, you can score between 300 and 900 – but for the Situational Judgement part of the exam, you are awarded a band between 1 and 4.
The table below shows how UCAT scores are calculated in more detail:
| Section | Questions | How is this scored? | How many marks is each question worth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 44 | You get a raw score depending on the number of correct answers. This is scaled into a score between 300 and 900 points. | Questions are worth 1 mark each. |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 36 | Same as above. | Questions are worth 1 mark each. |
| Abstract Reasoning | 55 | Same as above. | Questions are worth 1 mark each. |
| Decision Making | 29 | Same as above. | Questions with one correct answer are worth 1 mark. Questions with multiple statements are worth 2 marks. One mark is awarded to partially correct responses on the multiple-statement questions. |
| Situational Judgement | 68 | Your raw score falls into a category between Band 1 and Band 4, with Band 1 being the highest. | You may score points if your answers are close to the correct one. |
This means that you can score between 1200 and 3600 points in the test overall. To see scores from previous years before the name of the test was changed, visit our UKCAT Scores page.
Looking for expert guidance on improving your UCAT score? Book your space on our one-day UCAT Course!
Book our UCAT CourseA good UCAT score for medicine will vary from year to year, but is usually above 650. Most students, however, tend to score between 620 – 630.
A high score is considered to be above 680. If you manage to get a high UCAT score, you would be wise to apply to universities that place a higher emphasis on the test to boost your chances of getting an interview.
The average UCAT score changes each year, but is generally between 620 and 630. The average UCAT score last year was 621 – but there isn’t any data for 2019 UCAT test results yet.
A low UCAT score is generally below 610. Students with a low score may worry that it means you can’t get into medical school, but that’s not the case. You could instead consider applying to universities that tend to place little emphasis on the UCAT.
You could also consider taking a year out, and try UCAT tutoring in order to resit and improve your score – or think about other paths into medicine. You can read more about other routes into medicine below:
You’ll know your score before you apply to university, which means you can be strategic with your UCAS applications.
As the last testing date is approximately two weeks before the UCAS submission date, it’s important that you use your score to apply strategically. This means researching how different medical schools will use the UCAT in their admissions process.
If you scored highly, it’s a good idea to apply to universities that place a lot of emphasis on the UCAT. Many have a UCAT cut-off score and rank their applicants this way. This means your chance of securing an interview will be higher if you performed well in the UCAT.
Similarly, if you didn’t get the UCAT score you were hoping for, it’s a good idea to apply to universities that place more emphasis on other aspects of the admissions criteria – for example, predicted A-Level grades.
Wondering which universities to apply to with a particular score? You might find it useful to look at our blog series from last year below.
Remember that these blogs are only guidelines – if you’re applying to university, we strongly encourage you to check with the individual universities themselves on their policies before making any significant application decisions.
It is also worth keeping in mind that universities change their UCAT criteria each year, so these blogs should be used as a guide only for the year of entry specified.
Looking to improve your UCAT score? Book your space on our one-day UCAT Course!
Book our UCAT Course
Fully revamped and updated for 2019, our 98.4%-recommended UCAT (UKCAT) Course is used by thousands of students and schools around the world.
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