UCAT Frequently Asked Questions

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 Key Dates page for details.

Yes.  If you have previously created a UCAT web 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.

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.  

Although you can register (create a web account) from 2 June, you cannot book a test until 28 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.  

On occasion, accounts cannot be created until they are validated by the Account Processing team.  In this case, you will not be able to create a username and password.  An onscreen message will inform you that your account is not yet complete.  You will then receive an email from Pearson VUE, usually within one business day, with additional instructions. 

If this email has not arrived after 36 hours (and is not in your junk/spam folder) please contact Pearson VUE Customer Services.

The email from Pearson VUE containing your username, confirming your web 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 web 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 (from 28 June). 

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.

You are assigned a unique Candidate ID number when you create a web account with Pearson VUE. The Candidate ID number is in the format (UKCAT + 6 digits) and is given in the top left of your Pearson VUE 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 credit card or UCAT bursary voucher. 

• Tests taken in the UK: £75
• Tests taken outside the UK: £120

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.

Yes. Tests can be rescheduled or cancelled without charge as long as you give appropriate notice.  You can reschedule or cancel your test centre appointment through your web account up until the web booking deadline (noon BST on 22 September) or by phoning Customer Services up to 24 hours before your appointment time.  However, if you miss the 24 hour deadline for rescheduling, you will need to pay a further fee for a rescheduled test.

You cannot cancel or reschedule your test by email.

If you have used a bursary voucher to pay for your test you can re-use the same voucher code.

The full policy can be found on this page Rescheduling and Cancelling.

You can only sit the test once in any test cycle and any instances of multiple testing in the same year will be treated as an example of candidate misconduct. However, there is no penalty for taking the test again in subsequent years.

If you have already paid for your test you can still apply for a UCAT bursary to cover the test fee, if you are eligible.  If your bursary application is approved you will need will need to email Pearson VUE Customer Services with your bursary voucher code to arrange for a refund.   You cannot obtain a refund from the UCAT Office.

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 the UCAT by using the free OFFICIAL practice materials available on the UCAT website.

You should make sure to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time to complete the check-in process and bring the following:   

• Official photographic identification from our list of permitted ID that meets the requirements of the country where you are testing.  Please refer to the Photo ID Policy.

• A printed or electronic copy of your appointment confirmation email from Pearson VUE.  

Additionally, all Pearson VUE company-owned test centres are following recommendations from the CDC and World Health Organisation for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting candidates and test centre staff and their third-party test centres are also encouraged to implement the same precautionary measures. 

Candidates are asked to comply with the latest health and safety guidelines outlined on the Pearson VUE website. 

If you have experienced a problem with sitting your test, please refer to the Test Incident page for advice on how to proceed.

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 Pearson VUE 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.

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In mid-late 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 Results 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.  Further details can be found on their website.

If you are an Australian/New Zealand applicant applying to both Australian/New Zealand and UK universities for 2022 entry please refer to this information.

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.