UCAT Frequently Asked Questions

Please refer to our COVID-19 (coronavirus) information page www.ucat.ac.uk/ucat/registration-booking/covid-19/

Updates will be posted on the COVID-19 page and on our social media sites when more information becomes available.  Our Customer Service Team is currently operating with a reduced level of staff, so please avoid contacting them as they have no further information other than what is detailed on our website. 

Registration for our tests is only open between certain dates.  Outside of these times you will see a message that says "The feature that you are trying to access is blocked. Please try later".  Please see your relevant test page for more details of registration periods.

If you have forgotten your username or password there are options to retrieve these from the sign in page.  Please do not set up a new account as multiple accounts are not permitted.  If you continue to have problems signing in then you need to contact Pearson VUE Customer Services.  

This email should arrive quickly and at the very latest within one working day. Please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as it may have been diverted there.  If it has not arrived please contact Pearson VUE Customer Services.

UCAT seeks to minimise bias in the test due to factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. In order to do this, we ask you for information about your nationality, ethnicity, parents' occupation and experience of healthcare settings. For clarity, this data is not passed to any University. By parent(s)/carer(s), we mean the people who have fulfilled the role of parents in the household in which you grew up, who may or may not be your biological parents.  More information about how we use your data can be found here.

Please print and answer this questionnaire with the assistance of your parent(s)/carer(s). You can then use the information to help answer the questions during registration.

The test fee is payable online at the time of booking by major credit card (Visa, Mastercard or UK Visa debit card). The fee is always charged in GBP (pounds sterling).  If you or your parents do not have access to a Visa, MasterCard credit card or UK Visa debit card to pay for the test fee, you can pay by purchasing a Prepaid Visa or MasterCard. You can also check with your local bank for prepaid credit card options.  If you are struggling to pay for your test using any of these options please contact Pearson VUE Customer Services to discuss.  Candidates may like to check whether they are eligible for a bursary to cover the full cost of the fees.

There is no difference in content between the UCAT sat during the Summer or Autumn period. The increased price reflects demand on resources at particular times of the year. We recommend candidates sit the test during the Summer period and pay the lower test fee.  Test fees depend on the test centre location, not on your place of residence or nationality.

You need to register for your test personally – this cannot be done by your school/college.  Tests can only be taken at Pearson VUE test centres throughout the UK and internationally.  Please check the test locator for your nearest centre.

You should still submit a request with supporting evidence and the UCAT Office will advise you on your options.  You should aim to do this at least 10 working days before the close of registration for your test.

This could be because you have not supplied the correct form of supporting documentation or enough evidence of your entitlement. You should refer to the email you will have been sent for more information regarding required documentation including examples.  If you have any queries regarding this decision please email the UCAT Office with additional supporting documentation if necessary. 

Yes, there is an expiry date.  In 2020 this is (date to be advised).

Yes, you can still apply as long as you do so before the bursary deadline.  Once you have your bursary voucher code you will need to contact Pearson VUE Customer Services to arrange for a refund.  You must redeem your voucher before it expires.  

Yes, you can still apply as long as you do so before the bursary deadline.  Once you have your bursary voucher code you will need to contact Pearson VUE Customer Services to arrange for a refund.  You must redeem your voucher before it expires.  

During the checkout process there is the option to 'Add a voucher or promo code'.  Enter your bursary voucher code here and click apply.

Yes, there are extensive resources available on the Practice Tests page which are available to everyone, regardless of whether you have registered or booked your test yet. These have been developed so that you have everything you need to support your preparation, including a Question Tutorial, a Question Bank with over 1,000 free example questions and 3 free fully timed Practice Tests which mimic the live test environment.

No, all resources contained on the UCAT website are FREE.  Candidates should be aware that whilst there are many commercial companies publishing books and offering coaching for the test, we do not work with any of these companies or endorse the use of their materials.

No, whilst there are many commercial companies offering coaching for the UCAT, we do not work with any of these companies or endorse the use of their materials. These courses can cost candidates a great deal of money and we would advise you to be sceptical about their claims.  Commercial organisations are not affiliated with UCAT.  They may be using items that are not necessarily of the standard you will encounter in the UCAT and this may distort your performance whilst practising.  We advise all students to prepare for the UCAT by using the free OFFICIAL practice materials available on the UCAT website.

Please refer to our Complaints and Appeals Policy for details.

When you leave the test centre you will be given details of how you can log-on to the Pearson VUE system and retrieve your UCAT Score Report.  Results will be uploaded within 24 hours of completing your test, and can be accessed through you Pearson VUE UCAT account at any time after this.  If you need a copy of a score report from 2018 or earlier, these will be available for a fee of £25 GBP. You can order one by contacting Pearson VUE Customer Services.

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You do not need to tell us this information.  After the UCAS application deadline has passed, we work with UCAS to match our data with theirs to obtain your university choices.

UCAT results are usually delivered to universities in the first week of November. We do not specify the date as each university may access the data at different stages during their admissions process.  Due to the number of candidates sitting our tests each year we cannot check or confirm that individual results have been sent.

In September of each year we publish interim results which give candidates an early indication of the decile they are within (although this is subject to change until testing is completed).  Once testing has ended and results are released a useful 'Percentile Look Up' facility is added to the Test Statistics page of our website to allow you to see your exact ranking within the current year's cohort of test takers.

The UCAT, which is predominantly used as an admissions test for UK universities, has now been adopted by a consortium of universities in Australia and New Zealand.  We refer to these universities informally as the UCAT ANZ Consortium and their test as the UCAT ANZ.  However it is identical in format and content to the UCAT.  Candidates should only apply to sit this version of the test if they are intending to apply to a relevant course at one of the UCAT ANZ Consortium member universities in Australia or New Zealand.

If you are an Australian/New Zealand applicant applying to both Australian/New Zealand and UK universities for 2021 entry you need to sit the UCAT ANZ during July.  You are required to sit this test so that your results can be delivered to your Australian/New Zealand medical school choices by their admissions deadlines, which are earlier than the UK. 

You then need to complete this form (link to follow) so that we can verify your UCAT ANZ score with the UCAT ANZ Office and communicate this to your chosen UK universities.  You do not need to sit both the UCAT and the UCAT ANZ. 

The website for the UCAT ANZ test is www.ucat.edu.au/ and their contact details can be found here www.ucat.edu.au/contact-us/

Other applicants or those applying for different entry points should always check entry requirements with the university they intend to apply to.  UCAT cannot advise a candidate on their applicant status (e.g. home/domestic or international/overseas).  Applicants should always seek clarification on this matter from their chosen universities. 

Please note that a UCAT (UK) result is not accepted by Australian/New Zealand universities.

Candidates are not permitted to sit both the UCAT and the UCAT ANZ in the same year.  In this event only the test result obtained at the first sitting will be valid.