What is the UCAT?

The University Clinical Aptitude Test, or UCAT, is a standardised test used by universities in Australia to assess applicants’ cognitive aptitude and skills in areas related to medicine and dentistry. The scores are not intended to measure knowledge or expertise in any particular subject area. The UCAT consists of five sections: verbal reasoning, decision-making, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning, and situational judgement. Each section is timed, and the test takes two hours to complete.

How is the UCAT marked?

The UCAT is scored on a scale from 300 to 900 for each section, in increments of 10, with a score of 0 corresponding to 300, while a perfect score is 900.  The maximum score for the four cognitive UCAT subtests, UCAT Verbal Reasoning, UCAT Decision Making, UCAT Quantitative Reasoning and UCAT Abstract Reasoning, is 3,600. The scores are scaled to account for any variations in difficulty between different test forms, ensuring that the scores are comparable across test takers. The fifth section, Situational Judgement, is also scored from between 300 to 900, but this score is usually considered separately. Importantly, there is no negative marking – you will not lose marks for getting an answer wrong, so it is important you attempt all questions.

Why is the UCAT important?

UCAT scores are an important factor in the admissions process for healthcare-related degree programs. However, they are not the only factor considered, with your academic achievement, personal statements, and interviews also playing an important role. Each university and degree program may have different weightings for the UCAT scores and other factors, so it is important to research the specific requirements for the programs you are interested in.

It is also important to note that the UCAT is a competitive test, meaning that your score is relative to the scores of other test takers. This means that even if you have a high UCAT score, you may not be guaranteed a place in your university course.

So, what do the UCAT scores mean? 

A score of around 600 in each section is considered to be an average score. The average scores in each section in Australia and New Zealand are provided in the table below.

Table: Average scores for each section in the UCAT ANZ.

A score of 800 or above is considered to be an exceptional score. However, it is important to remember that the UCAT is a competitive test and the scores are relative to the scores of other test takers. This means that even if you have an exceptional score, you may still face strong competition from other applicants with similar or higher scores. Conversely, in Verbal Reasoning, which tends to be the lowest scoring section apart from Situational Judgement, a score of 700 or more is considered excellent. The scores in each section which would have placed you in the top 10% are shown in the table below.

Table: Top 10% scores for each section in the UCAT ANZ.

Looking to achieve higher UCAT Scores?

Medical studies are close to the heart of the ACE HSC team. Over 70% of us in the UCAT tutoring Sydney team studied Medicine and our three founders are all accomplished doctors. The ACE HSC team is proud to offer you the most comprehensive support through UCAT preparation courses, fortnightly exams and access to a massive bank of UCAT practice questions (including access to the Medify Question Bank). Work alongside other UCAT students and skilled tutors and secure your dream offer to study Medicine.