UCAT Frequently Asked Questions

Please refer to the information on our UCAT Test Dates page.

Please refer to the information on Eligibility.

When you log into your UCAT account after successfully completing the account registration process you will see a box that asks for a Private Access Code (PAC). A PAC is only issued to candidates approved to sit an extended version of the test or the OnVUE online proctored UCAT and are only valid for use once booking opens.  Candidates booking the standard UCAT do not need a PAC.

Yes.  If you have previously created a UCAT account please use this to book your test.  You do not need to register (create an account) each year you wish to sit the test.  Multiple accounts are not permitted. Please refer to the information for Returning Candidates.

If you have forgotten your username and/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.  

Please refer to the FAQs at the bottom of the ID Policy page.

Although you can register (create an account) from 16 May, you cannot book a test until 20 June.

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 to have your account access reset.

Occasionally, account details must be validated before your account set up can be completed. You may need to wait (up to 1 business day) for an email from Pearson VUE with additional instructions.  If this email has not arrived (after checking junk/spam folders) please contact Pearson VUE Customer Services.

Delays to account registration will not be accepted as a mitigating circumstance for missing the booking deadline.

The email from Pearson VUE containing your username, confirming your UCAT account has been created may have been diverted into your junk/spam folder.  This email is only for your records. 

If you can sign in to your UCAT Account using the username and password you set up during registration, you have successfully completed the registration process.  You are now ready to book your test when booking opens. 

You are only assigned a candidate ID (in the format UKCAT123456) after successfully registering.  You can find your candidate ID in the left corner of your account.

Registration for the UCAT 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 the UCAT Test Dates page for details.

You are assigned a unique Candidate ID number when you create a UCAT account with Pearson VUE. The Candidate ID number is in the format (UKCAT + 6 digits) and is given in the top left of your UCAT account. Your Candidate ID number should be used in all correspondence regarding the test.  If you are struggling to find your Candidate ID please refer to this guide.

The test fee is payable at the time of booking by major debit/credit card or UCAT bursary voucher. 

• Tests taken in the UK: £70
• Tests taken outside the UK: £115

Our Bursary Scheme enables UK candidates in financial need to sit the UCAT for free.  To see if you are eligible for a UCAT Bursary visit the Bursary Scheme page.

Candidates applying to Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (Singapore) may use an International Voucher purchased by their school to pay for their test.

Candidates may only test once in any test cycle. Instances of multiple testing in the same year will be treated as misconduct and all results will be withdrawn. There is no penalty for taking the test again in subsequent years.

Yes, overseas test centres are available in many countries.  Use the test centre locator to find your nearest centre.

Yes. Tests can be rescheduled or cancelled without charge as long as you give appropriate notice.  The full policy can be found on this page Rescheduling and Cancelling.

If you miss the deadline to cancel or reschedule your test or you miss your test appointment for any reason you will not be eligible for a refund or a free reschedule.  This applies in cases of:

• Illness, family emergency, accident, arrest, transport problems and security alert as well as forgetfulness and lateness.
• Arriving without photo identification or not presenting permitted ID.
• IT or technical issues.
• Failure to follow the correct steps to reschedule or cancel your test.

You may book another appointment (subject to availability) but the standard test fee will be charged again.

Candidates who used a bursary voucher to pay for their test will not be issued a further voucher to cover this cost.

You cannot book again until the status of your missed appointment changes to a ‘no-show’ state (usually within 24 hours).

Any existing booking needs to be cancelled (giving appropriate notice) before a new booking can be made.  If you have used a bursary voucher to book your test you may re-use the same code.  The date, time or location of your new booking is likely to change depending on availability.

It may be because you have missed the rescheduling deadline (at least 24 hours’ prior to your test).  You cannot book again until the status of your missed appointment changes to a ‘no-show’ state (usually within 24 hours).  After this, you may book another appointment (subject to availability) but the standard test fee will be charged again.

Alternatively, if you have approved accommodations (e.g. a separate room, coloured overlay, medical equipment) associated with your booking, then you will NOT be able to reschedule through you web account. You must ring Pearson VUE Customer Services on +44 (0)208 616 5106 to reschedule your test slot and approved accommodations.  

Refunds are normally completed within 5 business days but this is dependent on your card issuer.

Yes.  If you have already paid for your test you can still apply for a bursary.  When your application has been approved you will need will need to email Pearson VUE Customer Services with your bursary voucher code to arrange for a refund. 

You need to email Pearson VUE Customer Services to arrange for a refund.  Please complete ALL fields and quote your bursary voucher code for the refund to be processed.  You cannot obtain a refund from the UCAT Office.

Once your refund request has been processed, it should take within 5 business days but this is dependent on your card issuer.

We do not keep evidence or applications from previous test cycles for data protection reasons, therefore you can use your existing candidate ID / account but must apply for a bursary again and supply correct supporting evidence of eligibility for the current academic year.

Please contact the UCAT Office with these queries.

Details of the access arrangements available for the UCAT and how to apply for them, can be found on the Access Arrangements page.

At the bottom of the Access Arrangements page is a list of specific FAQs which may answer your query.

If that information does not answer your query, please contact the UCAT Office.

Each year several test forms are created, drawn from a large question bank. The test form that a candidate sits is selected at random and within each subtest questions are presented randomly. This ensures that every candidate's test experience is different.  

All test forms are equated and balanced to ensure that the scaled scores that candidates receive are equivalent between forms. Questions in the UCAT have been pretested and have passed rigorous data analysis and statistical screening.

The standard UCAT is 2 hours and subtest timings can be found here.  We also offer a range of extended versions of the test for candidates with a documented disability. 

We advise you to prepare for the UCAT using the free official practice materials which have been developed by the UCAT Consortium.  We believe that all everyone should have access to free preparation materials to support their test preparation.  The resources and advice here have been produced by ourselves using feedback from previous high-scoring candidates.

We recommend you view these resources before moving on to the Practice Tests.

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 their test using the free Official UCAT Preparation Resources.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time to complete the check-in process and bring the following: 

• Photographic ID that meets the Photo ID Policy
• Your appointment confirmation email from Pearson VUE (electronic or printed) 

If you miss your appointment for any reason, your test fee will not be refunded. This applies in cases of illness, family emergency, accident, arrest, transport problems and security alert as well as forgetfulness, lateness, and failure to present permitted ID. You will have to pay again to book a new appointment.

You must take official photographic identification that meets the requirements of the country where you are testing.  Please refer to the Photo ID Policy for a list of list of permitted ID.

You will be asked to store all personal belongings (including bags, coats, hats or head coverings, papers, books, pens, watches, purses, wallets, keys, mobile phones) in the lockers provided before you enter the test room.  The only exceptions permitted are religious apparel, headwear worn for medical reasons and small hair clips/bands (less than 1cm wide).  For clarity, nothing is allowed into the testing room apart from the indoor clothes worn, your photo ID and any permitted comfort aids or approved access arrangements.   

Food and drink (including water) is not permitted in the testing room (unless approved as an Access Arrangement) as it may damage technical equipment.  If brought it must be stored in a locker or designated area and used outside the testing room.

Staff will conduct a routine visual inspection of your clothing, hands/arms and any comfort aids. This is for security purposes.

The exam rules can be found on the Test Day page.  You should familiarise yourself with these before your appointment as they explain what you must do if you have any issues during testing.  Please also refer to the section on Test Day Problems. 

Please refer to the information on the Test Day and Test Incident pages which explain what to do if there is a problem during your test.

If you need a break to take medication or to use the toilets, raise your hand to notify the invigilator. The test cannot be paused; you will lose time when out of the room. Take breaks between subtests to limit impact on test time. Candidates with pause-the-clock breaks have different arrangements.

If you raised an issue during testing that was not satisfactorily resolved you may request an incident investigation.  The issuing of an incident case number does not automatically result in UCAT or Pearson VUE taking any action unless an incident investigation is requested.  Please refer to the Test Incident page for advice on how to proceed.

Please refer to the information on the Scoring page.

When you leave the test centre you will be given a copy of your UCAT Score Report.

Your score report will also be accessible online through your UCAT account. You should allow approximately 24 hours after your test for this to be uploaded. 

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.

Results will not display properly if you use Internet Explorer as your browser. Please use an up-to-date browser (e.g., Chrome, Safari or Edge).

In mid-September we publish preliminary results which give candidates an early indication of decile ranks (although this is subject to change until testing is completed). Final mean scores, deciles and percentiles will be published on the Test Statistics page after testing ends.

The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ) is used by a consortium of universities in Australia and New Zealand for their medical, dental and clinical science degree programmes. The UCAT ANZ is identical in format and content to the UCAT. Please visit the UCAT ANZ website for more information.

Candidates intending to apply to Australian/New Zealand consortium universities AND UK and International consortium universities (for 2024 entry) should sit the UCAT ANZ for the following reasons:  

• Australian and New Zealand admissions deadlines are earlier than in the UK.
• Australian/New Zealand universities only accept UCAT ANZ results. 

Please refer to the information on Eligibility. 

Candidates are not permitted to sit both the UCAT and UCAT ANZ in the same year under any circumstances. This is considered candidate misconduct and all results may be withdrawn.