UCAT Scores

How Is The UCAT Scored?

The UCAT is scored out of 3,600. Marks are spread across four sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Decision Making. Your performance on each of these sections is scaled to a score between 300 and 900 and then added together, to get your overall UCAT score.

The Situational Judgement section is scored differently. Instead of getting a score, you’ll be put into one of four bands, depending on your performance. Band 1 is the highest, and band 4 is the lowest.

This is how UCAT scores are broken down:

• Verbal Reasoning: Score between 300 and 900
• Quantitative Reasoning: Score between 300 and 900
• Abstract Reasoning: Score between 300 and 900
• Decision Making: Score between 300 and 900
• Situational Judgement: Score between Band 1 and Band 4

UCAT Deciles

Each year UCAT scores are sorted into deciles, with each one representing 10% of candidates. For example, a UCAT score in the 1st decile means that you have scored in the bottom 10% of all UCAT takers. A score in the 10th decile means you are in the top 10%.

When Do I Get My UCAT Test Results?

You’ll get your UCAT test results immediately after you finish the test. Your results will be handed to you as you leave the test centre.

Your UCAT score will also be available online via your Pearson VUE account, but you should allow up to 24 hours for them to be uploaded.

Your results will be shared with the universities you’ve applied to on the application deadline, after which UCAT universities will then be able to see your scores.

2021 Scores

UCAT has published the final scores for the 2021 tests, after 37,230 tests.

Overall UCAT Score

2021 Situational Judgement Score

2021 Mean UCAT Subtest Scores

Find out more about what this means for you and your 2022 Medicine application in our 2021 UCAT scores analysis.

What Is A Good UCAT Score?

What counts as a good UCAT score actually varies from year to year. Typically a score above 650 would represent a good outcome, and above 680 would normally be considered a high score. In 2020, a good UCAT score was between 640 and 670, and a high score was over 670.

For 2021, a high UCAT score would be in the top 20%, which is 2,730 – or 682. A middle score would be in the top 40%, which is 2,570 – or 640 and above.

What Is An Average UCAT Score?

The average UCAT score changes each year – but is generally between 620 and 630. In 2019, the average UCAT score was 620 and in 2020 the average was 628. In 2021 the mean UCAT score was 2,499 – or 625.

What Is A Low UCAT Score?

A low UCAT score is generally below 610. If this reflects your UCAT result, it doesn’t mean your dreams of getting into Med School are over. But you do need to be strategic with where you apply in the UK if you have a low UCAT score.

Make sure you understand how to use your UCAT score when applying to Medical Schools.

Previous UK UCAT Scores

Students usually struggle the most with Verbal Reasoning, with the average score at around 570. In comparison, students tend to be most comfortable with Quantitative Reasoning, getting an average score of 678. Abstract Reasoning scores tended to fall between 630 and 640, while Decision Making scores see more variation.

The easiest way to compare previous year scores is by reviewing the scores for each decile – but please remember that these don’t include the Situational Judgement results because that’s scored differently.

The table below shows deciles for the last five years:

The table below shows the average score for each section:

Scoring is different for Situational Judgement,  but as you can see below, most students scored Band 2 in this section.

Previous UCAT ANZ Scores

Because the UCAT ANZ has only been running for a couple of years, there’s much less data about previous test scores in Australia and New Zealand.

It’s worth noting that the mean UCAT ANZ score for 2020 was:

• 577 in Verbal Reasoning
• 635 in Decision Making
• 671 in Quantitative Reasoning
• 644 in Abstract Reasoning
• 2527 overall

How Is My UCAT Score Used?

When it comes to shortlisting candidates, Medical Schools will use your UCAT score in three different ways:

• Candidates will be ranked by score, and only the top-scorers will be shortlisted
• A cut-off score will be defined, and you’ll only be shortlisted if you meet this
• Scores will be viewed holistically alongside everything else that makes up your application

Discover how each university will use your UCAT score.