UCAT or university clinical aptitude test is taken by nearly 37,000 students every year. The UCAT tests your skills required for undergraduate and graduate medicine as well as dental courses in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
The exam is scored out of 3600, and the mean score of cognitive tests was 2423 in 2024 and 2516 in 2023. In the situational judgment test (SJT), out of 4 bands, around 14% of candidates secured band 1 and nearly 36% in band 2.
If you are planning to apply for admission in the 2026 entry, you will have to sit for the UCAT in 2025. In this guide, we have covered what is UCAT exam, eligibility, key dates, score range, UCAT requirements, cost, how to apply, preparation tips, universities accepting UCAT & a lot more. So let’s get started!
- 1. What is UCAT Exam?
- 2. UCAT Exam Eligibility Criteria for Indian Students
- 3. What is UCAT Exam Fees for 2025?
- 4. How to Apply for UCAT Exam?
- 5. Syllabus for UCAT Exam
- 6. UCAT Exam Dates 2025 in India
- 7. UCAT Exams Centres in India
- 8. What is the Score Range and Marking System for UCAT Exam?
- 9. Universities Accepting the UCAT Exam
- 10. How to Prepare for UCAT Tests?
- 11. Sources for UCAT Practice and Mock Tests
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What is UCAT Exam?
The UCAT or university clinical aptitude test is a computer-based, 2-hour MCQ test for admission to dental and medical programs to study in UK as well as non-UK member universities in New Zealand, Australia, and 45+ other countries.
UCAT is accepted as an additional requirement along with the application and academic qualifications. Further, let’s check a few critical pointers about this test.
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Next, let’s explore the UCAT eligibility for Indian Students.
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UCAT Exam Eligibility Criteria for Indian Students
Here is the UCAT eligibility criteria for Indian students:
- You must complete or be in the final year of your higher secondary education or higher to take the exam i.e. complete 10+2 years of school education or undergraduate degree.
- To meet UCAT eligibility, you must be eligible to apply for medical programs at UK universities.
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What is UCAT Exam Fees for 2025?
The UCAT exam fee is £70 for tests taken in the UK, and £115 (INR 13,053) for tests taken outside the UK.
How to Apply for UCAT Exam?
Now that you have understood what is UCAT test, here is the step-by-step process to apply for the UCAT tests:
- Find out the important dates related to university clinical aptitude tests.
- As soon as the portal is open for registration, create an account and book your test.
- You will have to pay a registration fee of £115 or INR 13,053, through a debit or credit card.
- You will be given the option to choose the date, time, and test center for booking your UCAT exam.
- Go through the testing rules carefully and only carry necessary items to the test centre.
- Book your test as early as possible to avoid missing an entire year.
- You will be given your UCAT reports even before leaving the test center, and the report can be accessed online on your account within 24 hours.
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Next, let’s explore the ucat exam syllabus.
UCAT Exam Syllabus for 2025
The UCAT syllabus 2025 is designed to test the mental abilities required to excel in medical and dental schools. The UCAT exam pattern is divided into 5 sections:
- Verbal Reasoning
- Decision Making
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Abstract Reasoning
- Non-cognitive subtest of Situational Judgment
Each test version is drawn out randomly from a large question bank and is balanced in terms of difficulty level.
Take a look at the number of questions in each subtest of the UCAT syllabus for Indian students and the time allotted to complete each section.
UCAT Sections |
Number of Questions |
Time Alloted |
---|---|---|
Verbal reasoning |
44 |
21 minutes |
Decision making |
29 |
31 minutes |
Quantitative reasoning |
36 |
25 minutes |
Abstract reasoning |
50 |
12 minutes |
Situational judgment |
66 |
26 minutes |
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Now you know the UCAT syllabus for Indian students. Next, let’s explore…
UCAT Exam Dates 2025 in India
The registration for UCAT exams begins by the end of May or early June. The exams are held on multiple dates starting from July and continuing up to September. You can expect to get the results in early November.
It is advisable to appear for the test as early as possible. If you are planning to appear for the UCAT exams in 2025, here are the key dates that you must be aware of:
Important Dates |
Particulars |
---|---|
13 May 2025 |
Account registration starts |
17 June 2025 |
Exam booking opens |
7 July 2025 |
University Clinical Aptitude Test begins |
16 September 2025 |
Deadline for access arrangement application |
19 September 2025 |
Exam booking deadline |
26 September 2025 |
Last date of examination |
26 September 2025 |
Application deadline for bursary scheme |
15 October 2025 |
UCAS deadline |
Early November |
UCAT results delivered to universities |
Can I Reschedule my UCAT test ?
Yes, You can reschedule the university clinical aptitude test using your UCAT account. To reschedule the UCAT before or after the scheduled date, you will have to give a notice at least 24 hours prior to the exam or you will be charged the registration fee again.
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Now you know when to begin your UCAT syllabus 2024 preparation. Next, let’s explore where…
UCAT Exams Centres in India
The UCAT exam can be taken at Pearson VUE centers throughout the UK and worldwide.
Some test centers where UCAT tests are held in India are:
- Nagpur
- Bhopal
- Hyderabad
- Visakhapatnam
- Surat
- Mumbai
- Bhubaneswar
- Chennai
- Vellore
- Noida
- Kolkata
- Coimbatore and others
What is the Score Range and Marking System for UCAT Exam?
Your UCAT exam score will depend only on the number of questions you answer correctly because there is no negative marking. The questions presented to you are not influenced by your performance in other questions.
Within the 4 cognitive subtests, the scores are converted to a range from 300 to 900, which means the total score is generated on a scale of 1200 to 3600. Coming to the situational judgment test, marks are awarded depending on how close your answer is to the correct response. The final scores are expressed in terms of bands, band 1 being the highest.
Let us briefly discuss the marking scheme of each of the four cognitive tests:
- Verbal reasoning: Each question carries 1 mark.
- Decision making: Questions with single answers carry 1 mark while multiple statement questions carry 2 marks each, wherein you will be awarded 1 mark for a partially correct answer.
- Quantitative reasoning: Questions carry 1 mark each.
- Abstract reasoning: Questions carry 1 mark each.
How Long is UCAT Scores Valid for?
You can sit for the UCAT only once a year, and the scores will be valid for one year.
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Next, let’s explore…
Universities Accepting the UCAT Exam
As discussed earlier, UCAT tests are accepted mainly by UK universities for offering admission to medical and dental programs. We have curated a complete list of UK as well as non-UK associate member universities accepting UCAT exam for entry in 2025-2026:
- University of Aberdeen
- Anglia Ruskin University
- Aston University
- University of Birmingham
- University of Bristol
- Brunel University London
- Cardiff University
- University of Chester
- University of Dundee
- University of East Anglia
- Edge Hill University
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Exeter
- University of Glasgow
- Hull York Medical School
- Keele University
- Kent and Medway Medical School
- King's College London
- University of Leicester
- University of Liverpool
- University of Manchester
- University of Newcastle
- University of Nottingham
- Plymouth University
- Queen Mary University of London
- Queen's University Belfast
- University of Sheffield
- University of Southampton
- University of St Andrews
- St George's, University of London
- University of Sunderland
- University of Warwick
- University of Worcester
- American University of the Caribbean
- University of Kurdistan Hewler
Now you know the universities accepting UCAT exam. Next, let’s explore a few tips and tricks to fasten the preparation.
How to Prepare for the UCAT Test?
You can prepare for UCAT syllabus using the official practice materials developed by UCAT Consortium and made available for free.
The UCAT preparation material includes question tutorials, test tools, candidate advice, UCAT videos, question banks, and practice tests.
Here are a few UCAT preparation tips:
- You can start self-study by using the free resources available on the official UCAT website.
- Taking UCAT mock test will help you understand the paper format and time management.
- You can enroll in preparation courses and get one-to-one advice and counseling.
- For better ucat exam preparation, you must identify your weak areas and work upon them.
- You can purchase various books and question banks for the UCAT aptitude test and practice more and more.
- While practicing, mark the important sections and repeated questions.
Next, check out the…
Sources for UCAT Practice and Mock Tests
If you have chosen self-preparation, then referring to UCAT provided study materials is the best place to start. Otherwise, take note of the sources where you can access or enroll for various UCAT preparation materials:
- Kaplan Test Prep
- Udemy
- The MSAG
- The Medic Portal
- Medical School Expert
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Now that you have a complete idea about what is UCAT exam, we advise you to start preparing for the exam 4-6 months before the exam date since you can sit for the UCAT only once a year, and the scores will also be valid for one year only.
When you submit applications to universities accepting UCAT through UCAS, Pearson VUE will directly send your scores to the universities for evaluation. If you have decided to take the UCAT exam, make a strategic preparation plan and keep tracking your progress from time to time.
However, during the process, if at any step you need end-to-end guidance, connect with our counsellors by subscribing to Yocket premium services. They will surely make your study abroad experience successful!