Personal Belongings and Apparel
You are not allowed to take anything into the testing room other than the indoor clothes you are wearing, your photo ID, permitted comfort aids and approved access arrangements.
Unless covered by an exception (see below), you must store all personal belongings in a designated area before you enter the testing room.
The following examples of personal items are not allowed in the testing room unless an exception has been made as detailed below:
| Personal Item | Exceptions |
| Bags, backpacks, briefcases | |
| Calculators | Candidates have access to an onscreen calculator |
| Dictionaries, including language translation dictionaries | |
| Food or drink (including water) | Permitted if approved as an access arrangement |
| Hair accessories (clips/bands etc) | Hair clips narrower than ½ cm or hair bands narrower than 1 cm are permitted in the testing room. |
| Head coverings (hats, hoods, etc) or scarves of any kind | Permitted in the testing room for religious, cultural, or medical reasons (see below). |
| Jewellery | Jewellery narrower than ½ cm is permitted in the testing room. |
| Keys | |
| Lip balm | Permitted if approved as an access arrangement |
| Mobile phones or other electronic devices | Mobile phones or electronic devices (including smart watches) must be turned off before they are stored. Failure to do so may be considered misconduct. |
| Notes, notebooks, study guides, pens or pencils | Candidates are provided with notetaking equipment |
| Outerwear (coats or jackets) | Clothing that is part of an outfit that would typically be worn indoors (e.g. sweaters, sweatshirts, and blazers) is allowed. If the item has pockets and you do not wish to remove it for inspection, you will be expected to show staff that the pockets are empty. If the clothing item has a hood, it must not cover your head at any time. |
| Purses or wallets | |
| Watches | For smart watches refer to ‘mobile phones or other electronic devices’. |
Religious, cultural and medical apparel
Religious apparel
Items considered as religious apparel are allowed in the testing room after visual inspection.
Religious apparel comprises articles of clothing worn as part of the doctrinal or traditional observance of the religious faith practiced by an individual. Some examples include:
- Habit
- Hijab
- Kippah (or Yarmulke)
- Kufi (or Doppa)
- Turban
- Kirpan*
*A kirpan exceeding 12 inches in length is not allowed in the test room without prior approval. If you intend to wear one, contact the UCAT Office for advice at least 5 working days before testing.
Jewellery and other items bearing religious inscriptions or otherwise indicating religious affiliations are not considered religious apparel and are subject to the standard clothing and jewellery restrictions (see above).
Billed caps or brimmed hats identified as religious apparel are only allowed in the testing room if alternative headwear is not available (and after visual inspection).
Cultural headwear
You are allowed to wear traditional articles such as head scarves, hair wraps, and head coverings for cultural reasons. These items are allowed in the testing room after visual inspection.
Billed caps or brimmed hats are not normally permitted.
Headwear for medical reasons
You are allowed to wear head scarves, hair wraps, and head coverings for medical reasons. These items are allowed in the testing room after visual inspection.
Billed caps or brimmed hats are not normally permitted.
