Research Strategy

A core aim of the UCAT Consortium is to improve the evidence base in relation to selection to medicine and dentistry. The organisation continues to support research which has the potential to contribute to the improvement of the test or to inform the use of the test in selection.

Since its inception the UCAT Consortium has made its data available to researchers interested in exploring these areas.  More recently these data are hosted by the General Medical Council and can be accessed by approved researchers through the UKMED development.  On occasion, the UCAT consortium commissions and funds to  researchers to undertake specific projects identified as priorities.  This is usually done through invitations to tender to undertake specific projects. Such opportunities are advertised through the UCAT Consortium and wider networks in medical and dental education.

The UCAT Research and Development Group (RDG) guides the research strategy. At the same time the RDG considers issues raised in published research conducted within the UCAT Consortium and beyond.

At registration, the UCAT Consortium collects a significant amount of demographic data regarding its candidates. At the end of each test cycle these data are transferred to the University of Dundee Health Informatics Centre who store and process these data on behalf of the Consortium. Data is stored securely and UCAT commits through its Data Privacy Policy to only undertake studies on fully anonymised data.

If you are undertaking research relating to the UCAT please feel free to email us. We can put you in touch with other researchers active in the field of work.