Fitness to Test Policy and FAQs
UCAT ‘Fitness to Test’ Policy
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Candidates who attend their test are declaring that they are fit to test.
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Candidates aware of anything that might affect their performance on the day, should not sit the test. This applies even if they fall ill or experience issues on the day of their test.
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If a candidate is not fit to test, they must reschedule their appointment to a later date. This advice applies even if they have missed the deadline to reschedule and as a result would have to pay another test fee to book again.
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Candidates who choose to book a late test and encounter minor illness/injury or minor personal circumstances, which prevent them from attending their test appointment, may struggle to reschedule within the testing window. Please refer to the FAQs below.
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Candidates with moderate to severe illness/injury (usually requiring medical treatment and absence from school/work) which they are unlikely to recover from before testing ends, must contact the UCAT Office for advice before sitting their test. Please refer to the FAQs below before doing so.
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Candidates experiencing major illness or injury or significant personal circumstances that affect their ability to declare themselves ‘fit to test’ for the duration of the testing window, must contact the UCAT Office for advice before sitting a test. Please refer to the FAQs below before doing so.
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If a candidate chooses to sit their test against this advice, UCAT will not normally take any action.
FAQs
What should I do if I am not fit to test for the duration of the test window due to major illness/injury or significant personal circumstances?
Candidates experiencing major illness/injury or significant personal circumstances that affect their ability to declare themselves fit to test for the duration of the testing window, must contact the UCAT Office for advice before sitting their test.
Major illness or injury includes (but is not limited to): major surgery, severe disease or permanent bodily injury requiring hospitalisation or significant medical treatment, flare-up of a severe medical or psychological condition, very recent broken limb.
Significant personal circumstances may fall under the following:
- Very serious illness or injury of a parent/carer or other close family member.
- Recent bereavement of a member of the immediate family (usually within the last two months).
- Recent violent crime or traumatic experience.
Candidates contacting the UCAT Office should provide the following information so appropriate advice can be offered:
- Candidate ID (in the format UKCAT123456)
- Full name
- A detailed description of their circumstances (with dates and likely timescales)
- Recent independent evidence (e.g., a death certificate or a letter from a GP, other medical professional, or current place of education).
Candidates should make contact in a timely manner unless there are exceptional circumstances which prevent this.
The UCAT Office aims to respond to candidates by email within 3 business days.
If a candidate chooses to sit their test against this advice, UCAT will not normally take any action.
Please refer to the Rescheduling and Cancelling Policy so you do not lose your test fee unavoidably.
What should I do if I am not fit to test due to moderate to severe illness/injury and will not recover before testing ends?
Candidates with moderate to severe illness/injury which they are unlikely to recover from before testing ends, must contact the UCAT Office for advice before sitting a test.
A moderate to severe illness or injury would usually require hospital or medical treatment and absence from normal daily activities (e.g. school or work) to recover.
Candidates contacting the UCAT Office should provide the following information so appropriate advice can be offered:
- Candidate ID (in the format UKCAT123456)
- Full name
- A detailed description of their circumstances (with dates and likely timescales)
- Recent independent evidence (e.g., a letter from a GP, other medical professional, or current place of education).
Candidates should make contact in a timely manner unless there are exceptional circumstances which prevent this.
The UCAT Office aims to respond to candidates by email within 3 business days.
If a candidate chooses to sit their test against this advice, UCAT will not normally take any action.
Please refer to the Rescheduling and Cancelling Policy so you do not lose your test fee unavoidably.
What should I do if I am not fit to test due to minor illness/injury or minor personal circumstances?
UCAT will not take any action for the following minor personal circumstances:
- Minor life events or general domestic / family / financial problems
- Victim of petty crime e.g., mobile phone theft
- Circumstances which are foreseeable or preventable
This list is not exhaustive.
The UCAT is delivered over a period of 12 weeks. Candidates who experience minor personal circumstances are expected to schedule their test around these circumstances.
UCAT do not normally consider minor illness or injury to be significant enough to impact on a candidate’s fitness to test.
Minor illness or injury includes (but is not limited to): colds, coughs, hay fever and allergies, mild infections (e.g., chest, sinus or ear), migraine or headache, back pain, toothache, sprains, strains, cuts and grazes, arm, foot and leg injuries, bites, minor burns and scalds.
The UCAT is delivered over a period of 12 weeks. Candidates who experience minor illness or injury are expected to reschedule their test and sit once they have recovered.
Candidates are strongly advised to test as early as possible.
Candidates who choose to book a late test date and encounter minor illness/injury or minor personal circumstances which prevent them from attending their test appointment, may struggle to reschedule within the testing window.
Please refer to the Rescheduling and Cancelling Policy so you do not lose your test fee unavoidably.
Note: access arrangements are not normally approved for minor illness or injury.
What should I do if I have sat my test but was not fit to test due to exceptional personal circumstances?
If a candidate has sat their test, UCAT will not normally take any action.
On occasion, UCAT may allow a candidate to withdraw a fitness to test declaration after testing if they have experienced exceptional personal circumstances close to their test date which affected their ability to make a judgement about their fitness to test.
The following are examples of exceptional personal circumstances:
- Terminal or life-threatening illness of a member of the immediate family.
- Very recent bereavement of a member of the immediate family.
- Violent crime or traumatic experience at or near the time of the test.
In these circumstances, please contact the UCAT Office and provide the following information so appropriate advice can be offered:
- Candidate ID (in the format UKCAT123456)
- Full name
- A detailed description of their circumstances (with dates and likely timescales)
- Independent evidence (e.g., a death certificate or a letter from a GP, other medical professional, or current place of education).
The UCAT Office aims to respond to candidates by email within 3 business days.
