The UCAT

Handbook

www.medentry.co.uk
Foreword
We wish to extend a warm welcome to you on behalf of all the team at MedEntry.
We realise how difficult, confusing and stressful entering medical and dental school can
be, since we were in your position many years ago. We have helped tens of thousands
of students enter medical schools in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New
Zealand over the past two decades. Our aim is to help you too.

Whether you are a student, parent, teacher or careers advisor, we are here to assist.
Our extensive knowledge regarding medicine, entry pathways, interviews and the UCAT
means that you can be confident that you are in safe hands. We hope to have the pleasure
of teaching you at one of our UCAT workshops, and meeting you in future as one of our
medical colleagues.

Dr Ray Boyapati Dr Ann Deely

Co-Founder Co-Founder
Director of Education, Director of Education,
UK, Australia & NZ Ireland

UCAT Handbook |3
 Our Founders

DR RAY BOYAPATI DR ANN DEELY

MBBS (Hons I) Monash, FRACP, MD MBBS (Hons I) Monash, FACD, FRCPI (Ireland)
(Research, Edinburgh) Dermatologist at Cork University Hospital,
Gastroenterologist at Monash Health Ireland

Dr Ray was School Captain of the selective Dr Ann was School Captain of the selective
entry Melbourne High School. He obtained entry MacRobertson Girls’ High School.
an ATAR of 99.9 (equivalent to all A* She obtained an ATAR of 99.9 (equivalent
grades at A-level) and UMAT percentile to all A* grades at A-level) and UMAT
of 100. He was accepted into all medical percentile of 100. She was accepted into
schools and was awarded the Monash all medical schools and held the Monash
Scholarship for Exceptional Achievement. Scholarship for Excellence, which is
awarded to the best incoming student each
His other awards include: Youth of the year.
Year (State winner & National Finalist);
Students Prizes for Excellence; awards Her other awards include: Premier’s
for public speaking; first class honours at Awards, the Students Prize, Achiever of the
Monash University medicine, medal for Year (awarded for the most outstanding
the highest achieving candidate in specialist co-curricular and community involvement
examinations held by the Royal College of each year in the state); Gold Medals in
Physicians (RACP News, Vol. 32, No. 2, the University of NSW International
April 2012, p. 27). Competitions and Assessments for Schools
(ICAS); numerous awards for excellence in
Dr Ray has published over 30 peer reviewed public speaking; Caltex Best All-rounder
articles in prestigious journals on his area of Award; State level Debater.
specialty, Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He
has also presented his research and multiple Dr Ann won an unprecedented three medals
national and international conferences. He in the nationwide Dermatology Fellowship
has taught thousands of aspiring medical examinations (‘The Mole’ ACD Issue 102,
students (many of whom are now junior Spring 2014, p. 8, 18; Health Link, Dec
doctors and consultants) over the past two 2014 Issue 19, p. 14). Dr Ann has taught
decades. over 10,000 aspiring medical students.

4 |  UCAT Handbook
Table of Contents
Foreword........................................................................................................ 3

1
HOW TO GET INTO MEDICINE/DENTISTRY 7
Undergraduate Entry Into Medicine / Dentistry.............................................. 8
Other Pathways into Medicine...................................................................... 16
What Should I Do Now?.............................................................................. 20

2
UCAT 23
Introduction to UCAT................................................................................... 24
UCAT Verbal Reasoning .............................................................................. 29
UCAT Decision Making................................................................................ 34
UCAT Quantitative Reasoning...................................................................... 43
UCAT Abstract Reasoning............................................................................ 48
UCAT Situational Judgement........................................................................ 55
Strategies To Maximise Your UCAT Score.................................................... 61
UCAT Scoring............................................................................................... 63
How To Effectively Prepare For UCAT......................................................... 68
How To Optimise Your UCAT Performance................................................. 77
Free UCAT Diagnostic exam ........................................................................ 79

3
THE MEDICAL INTERVIEW 81
Importance of Medical Interviews................................................................. 82
Interview Offers............................................................................................ 84
Timing of Medical Interviews....................................................................... 85
Structure and Types of Medical Interview .................................................... 86
Multiple Mini Interview (MMI).................................................................... 92
Preparing for Medical Interviews.................................................................. 94

UCAT Handbook  |5
4
UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS 97
How UCAT is used....................................................................................... 98
How BMAT is used ................................................................................... 101
How Personal Statement is used ................................................................ 102

5
WHAT MAKES MEDENTRY DIFFERENT? 105
Quality Education That Delivers Results.................................................... 106
Our Services................................................................................................ 110
Free Resources............................................................................................ 116
Resources For Teachers............................................................................... 117

6 |  UCAT Handbook
 How to get into Medicine/
1
Dentistry

UCAT Handbook Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry |7

Undergraduate Entry Into Medicine /
Dentistry

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your decision to pursue medicine or dentistry as a career! Medicine
and dentistry are incredibly rewarding fields, with the opportunity to make a significant,
positive difference to the lives of others.
However, getting into these courses can be a difficult, and often confusing process. In this
part of the handbook we will cover how to get into medicine and dentistry.

ENTRY CRITERIA
University websites can be difficult to navigate and their selection criteria are often
unclear.
Every university differs slightly in how they select students. You should research each
university individually to see what their criteria are, and which course will suit you
best. The Medical Schools Council has comprehensive information online about entry
requirements for UK medical schools, which is available here: www.medschools.ac.uk
In general, entry into undergraduate Medicine and Dentistry is based on three criteria:

• Your academic grades: GCSE, A-Levels, IB (International Baccalaureate) or

university degree classification
• Your score in UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) or BMAT (BioMedical
Admissions Test)
• Your score in a medical interview (plus a personal statement and work
experience for some universities)
These three criteria can be equally weighted, or some universities may place more
emphasis on a particular criterion.
For most universities, academic grades (predicted or actual) and UCAT are used to select
students for interview. If you perform well in an interview, you are then offered a place
in medical school.

8 | Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry UCAT Handbook

 Academic Grades UCAT/BMAT Interview Medicine

COURSE PREREQUISITES
Universities also require medicine candidates Universities require
to study specific subjects at A-level. Most certain pre-requisite
require Chemistry and Biology, with the third subjects to be studied in
subject generally being any A-level that is not secondary school
one of the following: General Studies, Further
Maths (if Maths is also taken), Citizenship
Studies, Critical Thinking or Global Perspectives.
Many students take Chemistry, Biology and Maths which would be suitable for almost
all UK medical schools.
MedEntry recommends taking three A-levels, with a fourth option left as an AS level
or extended project qualification (EPQ). An EPQ taken in a medical related subject not
only gives you the opportunity to discuss it at an interview, but also prepares you for
university assigned projects.
Students need to ensure they select subjects that will satisfy university requirements. If
you do not study a particular prerequisite subject and/or obtain a sufficient score in that
subject, you will not be eligible for entry into some undergraduate medical courses.
Requirements differ between universities so it is important to research the particular
universities that you are interested in.

DON’T I NEED REALLY HIGH

Top-tier A-levels are not ACADEMIC SCORES TO GET INTO
the sole determinant
of whether or not you MEDICINE?
will gain entry into No, you do not necessarily need perfect
undergraduate medicine grades to gain entry into an undergraduate
medical course. Universities differ in their
requirements and the emphasis they place
on different aspects of your application. In general, however, it is the combination of
your UCAT/BMAT, academic ability and interview score that will help you to gain entry
into medicine.

UCAT Handbook Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry |9

All universities require candidates to meet minimum academic thresholds. In general,
AAA (or equivalent) is required. However, each university differs. For example, the
University of Cambridge has entry requirements of A*A*A while Kent and Medway
Medical School requires AAB.
Note that for most universities, you will also need to score highly in the UCAT. Without
a sufficient UCAT score, even perfect A-level grades may not be enough to gain entry
into medicine. Furthermore, in many cases, the higher your UCAT score the lower
your academic grades can be (while still meeting minimum requirements). Conversely,
stronger academic grades can result in you being offered an interview despite a lower
UCAT score.

TO WHICH UNIVERSITIES SHOULD I APPLY?

There are 44 medical schools in the UK. 30 of these use UCAT and are available to
domestic undergraduate students. You can apply to four medical courses on your UCAS
form. You have a fifth spot on your UCAS form for a different course, which must be a
non-medicine option.
MedEntry advises students to place four medical courses on their UCAS form. This is
because many universities require students to perform well in a medical interview. Due
to the subjective nature of interviews, there is no guarantee of entry into a particular
university. Students will maximise their chances of gaining entry into medicine if they
apply to multiple universities.
Choosing the right medical school to which to apply requires some careful consideration.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing where you would like to study:
• Do I meet the entry requirements?
• What are the academic requirements?
• How much importance is placed on UCAT or BMAT?
• What is the teaching style (traditional, integrated or problem-based learning)?
• Where is the school located?
• Is it an Intercalated Degree (an optional or compulsory extra year to study
another degree)?
Once you have selected a few universities that you are most interested in, visit them. If
possible, talk to current students of the university to see what their experiences have
been.

10 | Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry UCAT Handbook

APPLYING TO UCAS
After you have decided that medicine is the right choice for you, and you have narrowed
down your preferred medical schools to your top four, you will need to apply via
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
Your UCAS application will include your grades, a personal statement and a reference
(usually from a teacher). The deadline to apply for medicine via UCAS is October 15th
each year.
You can find more information on the UCAS website: https://www.ucas.com/

UCAT Handbook Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 11

 UCAT
Most UK medical schools require students to sit and succeed
in UCAT. You will need to sit UCAT if you are interested in
applying to any of the following courses in the UK:

University UCAS Course Code

The University of Aberdeen A100, A201
Anglia Ruskin University A100
Aston University A100
University of Birmingham A100, A101, A200
University of Bristol A100, A108, A206, A208, D108
Brunel University London A100
Cardiff University A100*, A200,
University of Chester A101
University of Dundee A100, A104, A200
University of East Anglia A100, A104
Edge Hill University A100, A110
University of Edinburgh A100
University of Exeter A100*
University of Glasgow A100, A200
Hull York Medical School A100, A101
Keele University A100*, A104*
Kent and Medway Medical School A100
King’s College London A100, A101, A102, A202, A205, A206
University of Leicester A100, A199
University of Liverpool A100*, A200
University of Manchester A104, A106, A204, A206
University of Newcastle A100, A101, A206
University of Nottingham A100, A10L, A108, A18L
Plymouth University A100*, A206*
Queen Mary University of London A100, A101, A110, A200
Queen’s University Belfast A100, A200*
University of Sheffield A100, A101, A200
University of Southampton A100, A101, A102
University of St Andrews A100, A990
St George’s, University of London A100, BB96
University of Sunderland A100
University of Surrey A101
University of Warwick A101
University of Worcester A101
* Alternative requirements may apply to certain groups of students – please visit the university
website for details.

12 | Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry UCAT Handbook

UCAS Code Course or Programme
A100 Medicine
A101 Medicine graduate entry
Medicine with a gateway year (Hull York, King’s)
A102 Medicine graduate entry (King’s)
Medicine with gateway year (Southampton)
A104 Medicine with gateway year (Dundee, East Anglia)
Medicine with preliminary year (Cardiff, Manchester)
A106 Medicine (Manchester)
A108 Medicine with gateway year (Bristol, Nottingham)
A110 Medicine with gateway year (Edge Hill)
Medicine (Queen Mary – Malta)
A10L Medicine (Nottingham – Lincoln)
A18L Medicine with gateway year (Nottingham – Lincoln)
A120 Clinical Foundation Studies (1 year, Queen Mary Malta)
A199 Medicine with gateway year (Leicester)
A200 Dentistry
A201 Dentistry graduate entry
A202 Dentistry graduate entry (King’s)
A204 Dentistry with preliminary year (Cardiff, Manchester)
Dentistry for medical graduate (King’s)
A205 Dentistry (King’s)
A206 Dentistry (Bristol, Newcastle, Manchester, Plymouth)
Enhanced Support Dentistry (King’s)
A208 Dentistry with gateway year (Bristol)
A990 North American Medical Programme (St Andrews)

Registration to sit UCAT opens in May each year. Testing takes place between early July
and late September. Therefore, it is important to start preparing for UCAT early, in order
to be ready for the testing that occurs at the start of the new school year.
More information about UCAT can be found in part 2 of this handbook, and at: https://
www.ucat.ac.uk/

UCAT Handbook Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 13

BMAT
BMAT is used by the following universities for entry into medicine in the UK:

University BMAT Course Code

Brighton & Sussex Medical School A100

Imperial College London A100
Keele University (international students only) A100
Lancaster University A100, A104
University College London A100
University of Cambridge A100
University of Leeds A100, A101, A200
University of Oxford A100, A101

BMAT has three sections. It assesses aptitude and skills, scientific knowledge and written
communication.
Note that you may not know your BMAT score when applying through UCAS. In
contrast, you will know your UCAT score before applying to UCAS. Therefore, it is
advisable to apply to a maximum of two BMAT medical schools, leaving two more
spaces on your UCAS application for UCAT universities.
More information about BMAT is available at: https://www.admissionstesting.org/for-
test-takers/bmat/

OTHER UNIVERSITIES
The University of Buckingham and University of Central Lancashire do not use an
admissions test for entry into medicine. You could consider applying for these universities
if you receive a lower UCAT / BMAT score.
However, the University of Buckingham is a private university so you would need to take
into account tuition fees. The University of Central Lancashire only accepts applicants
from the North West of England (specifically Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Merseyside
and Greater Manchester) and international students.
Other options for those with lower UCAT scores include Keele and Sunderland which,
provided a candidate achieves a UCAT score in the top 8 deciles, look solely at their own
‘Roles and Responsibilities’ form to select applicants for interview. This form focuses on
a student’s work experience and volunteering, the importance of which is explained in
the next section.

14 | Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry UCAT Handbook

WORK EXPERIENCE AND VOLUNTEER WORK
While most universities do not require work experience or volunteering as a course
prerequisite, it is beneficial to obtain some in order to confirm both to yourself and your
chosen universities that you have a realistic appreciation for the profession.
Unfortunately, obtaining work experience can be difficult. Some tips for obtaining work
experience include:

1. Contacting your local trust’s work experience coordinator and getting to know
them. They can be very helpful in assisting you to obtain work experience.

2. Asking family members, friends or teachers at your school for the contact
details of people who are in the medical field. Then contact them to ask if you
can engage in work experience with them.

3. Sending letters to General Practices in your local area explaining that you are a
prospective medical student and would like to undertake some work experience.

4. Approaching local care companies or care homes and asking if you can shadow
nurses.

Try to maintain balance in your work experience and volunteer work: seek out various
specialties, include hospital and community settings, and shadow various members of
the healthcare team. Remember that your work experience does not necessarily have
to be with doctors or dentists (although this is ideal). Nurses, pharmacists, healthcare
assistants and physiotherapists can all offer insight into the healthcare setting.
Importantly, you should reflect on your experiences. Write a journal each day which
includes what you saw, how you felt, and how the experiences of the day have influenced
your desire to pursue medicine or dentistry as a career. These reflections will help you
when creating your personal statement, and in a medical interview.
Volunteer work is often much easier to obtain, and can be valued over work experience
by some universities. Volunteer work demonstrates to the university that you truly are
a well-rounded individual who cares for the community and that you are pursuing a
career in medicine or dentistry for the right reasons. Volunteer work does not have to be
in a medical-related field, but this is preferred. Some examples include volunteering in a
care home, hospital, medical centre or with volunteer organisations like charity shops or
sports teams.

UCAT Handbook Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 15

Other Pathways into Medicine

WHAT IF I DON’T DO WELL IN If you do not do well in

UCAT? UCAT, you can apply to
universities that place
You will obtain your UCAT score immediately less emphasis on UCAT.
after you take your test. This means that you
will know your UCAT score before you apply
to universities. If you obtain a low score in UCAT you can apply to universities that place
little or no emphasis on the UCAT. You could also consider sitting BMAT and applying
to universities that use this entrance test rather than UCAT.
You cannot re-sit UCAT in the same year but can re-sit the following year. If you obtain
strong A-levels, you could consider taking a gap year and reapplying for medicine the
following year. During your gap year, you could prepare for UCAT as well as seek
paid work, work experience and/or volunteer work in a health-related field. This will
not only help you confirm that medicine is the right career for you, but will also help
you significantly in interviews and your personal statement. Note however that not all
universities accept reapplications – you should contact the individual universities to
ensure you can reapply.
If you did not obtain strong A-levels, you could consider resitting these. Note, however,
that some universities will not accept re-sits of A-levels for entry into medicine. Others
accept them in certain circumstances. Before choosing to re-sit your A-levels, you should
talk to your teachers and check if the universities you are applying to will accept these
grades.
Your UCAT score is only valid for one year, therefore, if you are reapplying you will need
to re-sit UCAT.
Ultimately, the decision you make will depend on a number of factors, particularly your
A-levels and UCAT score. If you require guidance, please feel free to contact MedEntry.

16 | Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry UCAT Handbook

GRADUATE ENTRY MEDICINE
If you are currently unsure that you wish to study medicine, or you cannot gain entry
into an undergraduate medical course, you have two main options: entry into an
undergraduate medicine course as a graduate or Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM).

Entry Into Undergraduate Medicine as a Graduate (5 year course)

Many universities allow non-medicine graduates into undergraduate medicine. The entry
requirements are very similar to that of an undergraduate. However, it is important to
note that most universities do not allow you to apply to the same medical school twice
(i.e. as a school leaver and then as a graduate).

Graduate Entry Medicine (4 year course)

This is a dedicated, accelerated graduate programme for students who have first completed
an undergraduate degree in another area of study, or are current professionals in another
area and are looking for a career change.
Some universities only accept applicants with an undergraduate degree in science, whilst
others accept any undergraduate degree (for example, arts, commerce, law, business,
economics).
The three main criteria to get into Graduate Entry Medicine are:
• Your performance in the undergraduate degree.
• Your score in an admissions test: usually GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School
Admissions Test); occasionally UCAT/BMAT, depending on the university.
• Interview score (usually a multiple mini interview, or MMI).

Degree Grades GAMSAT/UCAT Interview Medicine

If you achieve sufficiently high scores in the above assessments, then you will obtain a
place in Graduate Entry Medicine.
Note that some graduate medical courses have certain A-level or GCSE requirements. For
example, Birmingham requires an A in English at GCSE. So, it is important to research
these before applying.

UCAT Handbook Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 17

Comparison between the two types of Graduate Medicine

Undergraduate Medicine as a Graduate Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM)

Less generous student finance More generous student finance

Long summer holidays with the option to work and
More intense course with shorter holidays
fund the degree
More places, less competitive More competitive, often better qualified candidates
Mixed school leaver and graduate (mature) cohort Only graduate (mature) cohort

Should I pursue Graduate Medicine?

In general, the graduate entry pathway is longer and more expensive than the undergraduate
one. If you are sure that you wish to pursue medicine, it is far less stressful, expensive
and time consuming to obtain entry via the undergraduate pathway. You also need to
consider the opportunity cost involved.
As one example, undergraduate medicine allows you to enter the field and practise
earlier than graduate medicine. Generally, those who choose the graduate route will
end up practising medicine later in life. The graduate pathway is best for those who are
very unsure of their career path or who are unable to obtain entry into medicine via the
undergraduate route.

18 | Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry UCAT Handbook

OTHER PATHWAYS INTO MEDICINE
Many medical schools have alternative entry routes into medicine. They often involve
an additional year of study. This year can be a stand-alone year or part of the medical
programme.
The two main types of alternative entry routes are:

1 MEDICINE WITH A PRELIMINARY YEAR: 2 MEDICINE WITH A GATEWAY YEAR:

this is designed for those who have high ability
this involves an additional year at the start of the
and have the potential to succeed in medicine, but
medical degree (sometimes called a ‘foundation
who may have experienced educational or social
year’), making it a six-year course. It is designed for
disadvantage during their education. Medical courses
students who performed well at A-level but did not
can take this into account in various ways, for
take the required science subjects. The extra year
example by using adjusted criteria to change the entry
gives students the necessary training in science to
requirements for certain applicants. Often these are
catch up.
six year courses, which include a foundation year.

Another option is to study a Biological or Clinical Science Degree followed by internal

transfer into medicine. Students need to achieve a First in their first year of study, show
commitment to medicine (including work experience) and often need to perform well in
the UCAT. Students can place such courses as a fifth option on UCAS. However, students
should note that this pathway is often very competitive.
In addition, many universities accept applications from mature students.

1. UCAT/BMAT
2. A-Levels Medicine
ry
rd Ent 3. Interview
5 - 6 years
t a nda
S

Year 13
Gra
dua
te e 1. GAMSAT/UCAT/BMAT
ntr
y Degree 2. Degree Grades Medicine
3. Interview
7 - 8 years

Figure 1: Pathways into medicine, UK

UCAT Handbook Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 19
What Should I Do Now?

YEAR 13
If you are in Year 13 or have commenced
university, and you are applying for medicine  Write Personal
or dentistry for next year, you should check Statement
all deadlines for applications.  Research entry
UCAS applications close in October each year requirements
so make sure you start work on your personal  Prepare for
statement early. interviews

Consider which universities you would like

to apply to, and if you have not already done so, research their entry requirements.
Remember that some universities have specific prerequisite subjects that are required,
with minimum academic requirements. Before you select the universities that you wish to
apply to, you will know your UCAT score which can help you decide which universities
you should choose. You may consider sitting BMAT to apply to one of the universities
that uses this entry test.
You should also consider researching scholarships offered by different universities. You
can find information about these and deadlines to apply on university websites.
It is important that you prepare for medical interviews. Check the interview dates for
each university and make sure that you will not be away when interviews take place –
sometimes dates can clash with your holidays, for example. Universities will generally
not reschedule interview dates, so you will need to work around them!
Work experience can be completed prior to interviews or UCAS applications in year 13,
however it is advisable to complete these during year 12 when you will be less busy.

20 | Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry UCAT Handbook

YEAR 12
Make sure you are studying the required
prerequisite subjects needed by your preferred  Prepare for UCAT
medical courses. Your remaining subjects  Research entry
should be subjects that you enjoy and excel in, requirements
but also those which will help you to obtain  Engage in work
the A-levels required for entry into medicine. experience and
MedEntry recommends that you begin your volunteer work
UCAT preparation as early as possible.
Because UCAT is a skills-based exam, you cannot ‘cram’ for it. You need to learn, practise
and master the skills required to succeed in the UCAT over a period of time. You will
need to sit UCAT in the summer before Year 13. For more information about UCAT,
please consult part 2 of this handbook.
It is also important to seek work experience or volunteer work in a medical-related
field. This is useful not only for interviews and your personal statement, but also to
help you decide if medicine is for you, and to ensure you understand the role of a health
professional. It is important that you begin this process early, as you will be busy in your
final year of sixth form.

YEAR 11
Your research on different university
requirements should begin now! Make a  Research entry
shortlist of universities at which you would requirements
like to study medicine. Note down each  Engage in work
university’s selection criteria and any pre- experience or
requisite subjects they may require. This will volunteer work
help you choose subjects for your A-levels.
 Consider starting
It will also encourage you to focus on your
UCAT preparation
weaknesses if one of these subjects, such
as Biology, is required by your preferred
university.
Begin looking for work experience and volunteer work in the medical field.
Some students start preparing for UCAT before their final years of schooling, and if you
are motivated, go for it! The earlier you start preparing for a generic skills test such as
UCAT, the better. Most of the skills needed to succeed in the UCAT need to be developed
over a period of time. Note that you will not be able to actually sit the UCAT until the
summer before Year 13.

UCAT Handbook Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 21

SAMPLE TIMELINE
Following is a sample timeline for students who are in their final years of schooling.

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE JUNE – SEPTEMBER

Research university entry
requirements and deadlines
Consider enrolling in a UCAT Register for UCAT and book your
Preparation course preferred date/location
Engage in work experience and/or
volunteer work in a health-related field

NOVEMBER ONWARDS BY 15 OCTOBER JULY - LATE SEPTEMBER

Sit UCAT
Consider enrolling in a MedEntry
Apply to UCAS Consider sitting BMAT
Interview Training Session

NOVEMBER – MARCH FEBRUARY – MAY MAY-JUNE

Sit Medical Interview (dates vary

University offers released Sit A-level exams
depending on university)

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER AUGUST

Start Medical School! A-level results day

22 | Part:1 How to get into Medicine/Dentistry UCAT Handbook

 UCAT
2
UCAT Handbook Part 1: How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 23
Introduction to UCAT
The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is a very difficult test and is different from
any exam you have ever sat before. It is also an important criterion for getting into
medicine and dentistry at many UK universities. In this part of the handbook, we will
cover UCAT in detail, including how to prepare for it.

WHAT IS UCAT?
UCAT stands for University Clinical Aptitude Test. It is used by most universities in the
United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to select students for entry into medicine
and dentistry.
UCAT is a two-hour, computer-based test in multiple-choice question format. It is
administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the UCAT Consortium of universities.

HOW IMPORTANT IS UCAT?

UCAT can be very important. Some universities use it as a significant factor in determining
entry into medicine. For example, for medicine at the University of Newcastle, once
minimum academic thresholds are met, candidates are ranked by UCAT score alone
when selecting for interview.

24 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

HOW HARD IS UCAT?
UCAT is a very difficult test. UCAT questions are completely different to those you will
have encountered at school or university. UCAT is also highly time pressured, and the
vast majority of students do not finish the test. It requires extreme concentration, quick
thinking and solid test taking skills.
The good news? It is possible to prepare for and do well in UCAT.

WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE SITTING UCAT?

UCAT is very different to pen and paper
examinations that you are used to sitting in UCAT is a computer-
school and university. If you have ever sat based test. You can
a driver’s licence theory exam, the UCAT see what it is like by
environment will be similar. You will be in a accessing MedEntry’s
room with other candidates, some of whom Free Diagnostic Exam
may be sitting tests other than UCAT.
You will be provided with a computer screen, keyboard and mouse. You can use
headphones or earplugs to minimise distractions during the test.
You will also have access to a UCAT Noteboard and marker pen so you can make notes
during the test.
There is a one-minute timed instruction screen between each UCAT subtest. There are
no scheduled breaks in the test. If you need to go to the bathroom, the UCAT timer will
keep ticking!
You can see what the UCAT is like by accessing MedEntry’s Free Diagnostic exam,
accessible under ‘Free Resources’ on the MedEntry website.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 25

WHAT ARE THE UCAT SECTIONS?
UCAT is composed of five sections, known as subtests:

1 VERBAL
REASONING:
assesses
2 DECISION
MAKING:
assesses your
3 QUANTITATIVE
REASONING:
assesses your
4 ABSTRACT
REASONING:
assesses your
5 SITUATIONAL
JUDGEMENT:
assesses your
your ability to ability to problem ability to use ability to identify ability to identify
critically evaluate solve and evaluate numerical patterns and critical factors
information arguments reasoning to draw relationships using and appropriate
presented in valid conclusions non-verbal images behaviour when
a written form dealing with real
and draw logical life situations
conclusions

COGNITIVE SUBTESTS NON-COGNITIVE

SUBTEST

The first four subtests are known as ‘cognitive subtests’ and Situational Judgement is
classed as a ‘non-cognitive’ subtest. Some universities do not consider the Situational
Judgement subtest when determining entry into medicine, or use it differently compared
to the cognitive subtests.

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF UCAT?

UCAT is composed of 228 questions, to be answered in 120 minutes.
The table below displays the timing for each UCAT subtest:

Time Per
UCAT Subtest Questions Subtest Duration
Question
Verbal Reasoning 44 21 minutes ~28 seconds

Decision Making 29 31 minutes ~64 seconds

Quantitative Reasoning 36 25 minutes ~42 seconds

Abstract Reasoning 50 12 minutes ~14 seconds

Situational Judgement 69 26 minutes ~22 seconds

26 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

As you can see from the above table, UCAT is
extremely time pressured. In fact, every year
UCAT is extremely
more than 20% of candidates fail to answer every
question (that is, they run out of time to even make time pressured and
a random guess!). the majority of
candidates struggle
Therefore, it is vital that you understand and practice to finish it
the strategies required to deal with this time pressure,
covered in detail in MedEntry UCAT Courses.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 27

WHEN IS UCAT HELD?
UCAT takes place from July to late September. You can choose the time, date and location
that you wish to sit UCAT.
You can only sit UCAT once per testing cycle. UCAT results are valid for one year.

HOW DO I REGISTER TO SIT UCAT?

To register for UCAT, you should visit the Pearson VUE website. You will need to first
create an account with Pearson VUE, and then book your desired testing date, time and
location.
Further detailed instructions on how to register for the test can be found on the UCAT
Official website: https://www.ucat.ac.uk/register/

28 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

UCAT Verbal Reasoning

In this section, we will cover what Verbal Reasoning entails, and how to effectively
answer Verbal Reasoning questions.

WHAT IS VERBAL REASONING?

The Verbal Reasoning subtest is the first section in UCAT. It assesses your ability to
quickly read a passage, locate relevant information, critically evaluate it, and make
logical conclusions.

UCAT

Verbal Decision Quantitative Abstract Situational

Reasoning Making Reasoning Reasoning Judgement

WHY IS VERBAL REASONING IMPORTANT IN MEDICINE?

Verbal Reasoning is an important skill in medicine. Doctors need to interpret information
from textbooks, journals, referral letters and other sources quickly, and communicate
information clearly to other health professionals and patients. They also need to critically
appraise research findings in order to provide patients with the best possible care.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 29

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF VERBAL REASONING?

21

44
44Questions
Questions 21 Minutes 28 sec/question

The Verbal Reasoning subtest is composed of 11 passages of text (ranging from 200 to
400 words), each with 4 associated questions, giving a total of 44 questions.
You have 21 minutes to complete these
Most students find questions, which is under 2 minutes per
Verbal Reasoning the unit, and under 30 seconds per question! It
most time-pressured is generally the most time pressured UCAT
subtest subtest, and the one that most candidates
struggle to finish.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN TYPES OF UCAT VERBAL REASONING

QUESTIONS?
There are two main types question in the Verbal Reasoning subtest.

Verbal Reasoning

True, False, Reading

Can’t Tell Comprehension

30 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 ‘True, False, Can’t Tell’ questions
In these questions, you will be presented with a passage associated with
four statements. For each statement, you must decide if, based on the
information in the text, the statement is:
• True
• False
• Can’t tell (that is, you cannot tell from the passage whether the
statement is true or false)

Example Question – True, False, Can’t Tell

Time limit per question – ~28 seconds
Passage:
There are several species of citrus trees whose fruits are called limes, including the Key lime
(Citrus aurantiifolia), Persian lime (Citrus latifolia), kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix), and desert
lime (Citrus glauca). Persian limes are more phototoxic than Key limes. The difficulty in
identifying exactly which species of fruit are called lime in different parts of the English-
speaking world is increased by the botanical complexity of the citrus genus itself, to which
the majority of limes belong. Species of this genus readily interbreed, and it is only recently
that genetic studies have started to throw light on the structure of the genus. The majority
of cultivated lime species are in reality bred from two different “parent” species through
hybridisation, produced from the citron (Citrus medica), the mandarin orange (Citrus
reticulata), the pomelo (Citrus maxima) and in particular with many lime varieties, the
micrantha (Citrus micrantha).
Although the precise origin is uncertain, wild limes are believed to have first grown in
Indonesia or Southeast Asia, and then were transported to the Mediterranean region and
North Africa around 1000 CE. To prevent scurvy during the 19th century, British sailors were
issued a daily allowance of citrus, such as lemon, and later switched to lime. The use of citrus
was initially a closely guarded military secret, as scurvy was a common scourge of various
national navies, and the ability to remain at sea for lengthy periods without contracting
the disorder was a huge benefit for the British military. British sailors thus acquired the
nickname "Limey" because of their use of limes.
Raw limes are 88% water, 10% carbohydrates and less than 1% each of fat and protein.
Only vitamin C content at 35% of the Daily Value (DV) per 100g serving is significant for
nutrition, with other nutrients present in low DV amounts. Lime juice contains about 47
g/L of citric acid, slightly less than the citric acid of lemon juice, nearly twice the citric acid
of grapefruit juice, and about five times the amount of citric acid found in orange juice.
Phototoxicity in lime species is due to higher concentrations of furanocoumarins, and lime
peel contains higher concentrations of furanocoumarins than lime pulp (by one or two
orders of magnitude).

Question:
Citrus latifolia contains higher concentrations of furanocoumarins than Citrus aurantiifolia.
(A) True
(B) False
(C) Can’t Tell

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 31

 Answer: A

Solution:
The information required to answer this question is scattered throughout the passage. In the
first paragraph, it is given that Citrus latifolia is another name for Persian limes, and Citrus
aurantiifolia is another name for Key limes. The passage then states that “Persian limes are
more phototoxic than Key limes”. Additionally, in the last paragraph, the passage states that
“Phototoxicity in lime species is due to higher concentrations of furanocoumarins”. Since
Persian limes are more phototoxic than Key limes, then Persian limes must have higher
concentrations of furanocoumarins than Key limes, so the answer is A – true.

Reading Comprehension questions

In these questions, you will be provided with an incomplete statement
or question, and will be required to choose one of four options that can
best be concluded based on the passage. You will need to use critical
thinking and logical reasoning skills to arrive at the correct answer.

Example Question - Reading Comprehension

Time limit per question – ~28 seconds
Passage:
The Mechanical Turk was a fake chess-playing machine, constructed and unveiled in 1770
by Wolfgang von Kempelen to impress the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The Turk
appeared to be able to play a strong game of chess against a human opponent, as well as
perform the knight's tour, a puzzle that requires the player to move a knight to occupy every
square of a chessboard exactly once. Until its destruction by fire, it was exhibited by various
owners as an automaton, though it was eventually revealed to be an elaborate hoax.
Following word of its debut, interest in the machine grew across Europe. Kempelen,
however, was more interested in his other projects and avoided exhibiting the Turk, often
lying about the machine's repair status to prospective challengers. In the decade following
its debut at Schönbrunn Palace, the Turk only played one opponent, Sir Robert Murray
Keith, a Scottish noble, and Kempelen went as far as dismantling the Turk entirely following
the match. Kempelen was quoted as referring to the invention as a "mere bagatelle", as he
was not pleased with its popularity and would rather continue work on steam engines and
machines that replicated human speech.
In 1781, Kempelen was ordered by Emperor Joseph II to reconstruct the Turk and deliver it to
Vienna for a state visit from Grand Duke Paul of Russia and his wife. The appearance was so
successful that Grand Duke Paul suggested a tour of Europe for the Turk, a request to which
Kempelen reluctantly agreed. The Turk began its European tour in 1783, beginning with
an appearance in France in April. Upon arrival in Paris in May 1783, it was displayed to the
public and played a variety of opponents, including a lawyer named Mr. Bernard who was
a second rank in chess ability. Following the sessions at Versailles, demands increased for
a match with François-André Danican Philidor, who was considered the best chess player
of his time. Moving to the Café de la Régence, the machine played many of the most skilled
players, often losing, until securing a match with Philidor at the Académie des Sciences.

32 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 While Philidor won his match with the Turk, Philidor's son noted that his father called it "his
most fatiguing game of chess ever!" The Turk's final game in Paris was against Benjamin
Franklin, who was serving as ambassador to France from the United States.

Question:
Which of the following statements cannot be inferred from the passage?
(A) The Turk began its tour of Europe in April of 1783.
(B) During its European tour, the Turk won almost all of its matches.
(C) Philidor found his match with the Turk challenging.
(D) The Turk’s visit to Vienna preceded its appearance in Paris.

Answer: B

Solution:
Note the use of the word ‘cannot’ in the question stem. We are looking for an option that
cannot be concluded. Options A, C, and D are incorrect as they can ALL be reasonably
inferred from the passage.
Option A can be inferred as the passage states that “The Turk began its European tour in
1783, beginning with an appearance in France in April”.
Option C can be inferred as the passage states that Philidor’s son “noted that his father
called it ‘his most fatiguing game of chess ever!’”
Option D can be inferred as the passage states that the Turk’s European tour (including its
stop in Paris) was suggested as a result of the success of its appearance in Vienna. Note
that ‘precede’ means to come before.
Option B cannot be reasonably inferred as the passage never suggests that the Turk won
the majority of its matches – indeed, the passage states that at the Café de la Régence, “the
machine played many of the most skilled players, often losing”. The right answer is therefore
option B.

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN I USE TO ANSWER VERBAL REASONING

QUESTIONS?
There are many strategies that can be used to answer Verbal Reasoning questions quickly
and accurately. These include speed reading, keyword searching, understanding logical
fallacies and applying a critical thinking framework. These techniques and many others
are covered in detail in MedEntry’s UCAT courses.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 33

UCAT Decision Making

In this section, we will cover what Decision Making entails, and how to effectively answer
Decision Making questions.

WHAT IS DECISION MAKING?

Decision Making is the second subtest of the UCAT. It assesses your ability to solve
problems, draw logical conclusions and evaluate arguments.

UCAT

Verbal Decision Quantitative Abstract Situational

Reasoning Making Reasoning Reasoning Judgement

WHY IS DECISION MAKING IMPORTANT IN MEDICINE?

Decision making is central to the role of a health professional. Doctors need to be able to
solve problems, manage risk and deal with uncertainty. Furthermore, health professionals
are often required to make decisions quickly, in complex or stressful situations.

34 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF DECISION MAKING?

31

29
44Questions
Questions 31 Minutes 64 sec/question

The Decision Making subtest is composed of 29 questions. Each question is ‘individual’

– that is, each is associated with text and/or a diagram, followed by an independent
question. Your task is to select the best answer.
You will have 31 minutes to answer the questions, which is just over one minute per
question.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF DECISION MAKING QUESTION?

UCAT Decision Making is the most diverse of the UCAT subtests, with a mixture of
question types. There are six major types of question:

Decision
Making

Logical Syllogisms Interpreting Recognising Venn Probabilistic

Puzzles Information Assumptions Diagrams Reasoning

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 35

 Most UCAT Decision Making questions are
Marks for ‘Drag and presented in standard multiple choice ‘best out
Drop’ Decision Making of four options’ format. However, syllogisms
questions range from and interpreting information questions
0 to 2. are presented differently. In these types of
question, you will be provided with a series of
five conclusions, and you will need to decide
whether the conclusion does or does not follow. You will be required to ‘drag and drop’
a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ response next to each statement.
‘Drag and Drop’ Decision Making questions are marked differently. Marks range from
0 to 2, with partially correct responses being awarded 1 mark.
Each type of question will be discussed below.

Logical puzzles
These questions present you with a puzzle or game that you need to
solve in order to arrive at the answer. You are usually presented with
text, with or without an accompanying diagram.

Example Question - Logical Puzzles

Time limit per question – ~64 seconds
Stimulus:
An Olympic athlete has put her medals up on the wall for everyone to admire. She has won
six medals— two gold and four silver. The medals are from two Olympics, 2000 and 2004.
The medals are arranged as shown:

1 2 3
4 5 6

• Medal 2 is gold.
• Both gold medals were won in the 2004 Olympics.
• Medals 1 and 3 were won in 2000.
• At most only three silver medals are on the corners.
• All medals won in 2000 are hung adjacent to at least two medals won in 2004.

Question:
Which of the following could be the kinds of medals that 4, 5, and 6 are, respectively?
(A) Gold, silver, gold.
(B) Silver, gold, silver.
(C) Silver, silver, gold.
(D) Silver, silver, silver.

36 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 Answer: C

Solution:
It is useful to draw a diagram to summarise the rules:

S/’00 G/’04 S/’00

?/’04 S/’?? ?/’04

We know there is a gold medal in spot 2. We also know that it is from 2004, as it is a gold
medal. Medals 1 and 3 are from 2000, so they must also be silver medals. From these, we
know that medals 4 and 6 are from 2004, as medals from 2000 are hung adjacent to at least
two medals won in 2004. Finally, as we know that a maximum of 3 silvers can be on the
corners, and because 1 and 3 are already known silver medals, then medal 5 must be silver.
The order of the last row could either be gold, silver, silver or silver, silver, gold (option C).

Syllogisms
This type of question requires you to use deductive reasoning to assess a
series of conclusions. You will need to decide whether each conclusion
does or does not follow from the information provided. You will need
to ‘drag and drop’ your answer accordingly.

Example Question - Syllogisms

Time limit per question – ~64 seconds
Stimulus:
At a conference for anaesthetists in Sydney last year, none were men who had subspecialised
in chronic pain management.

Question:
Place “Yes” if the conclusion does follow. Place “No” if the conclusion does not follow

Only female anaesthetists in were present at the conference

Any man at conference was not a chronic pain management specialist

Yes

There were female anaesthetists who had subspecialized in chronic No

pain at the conference

Very few male anaesthetists were present at the conference

No anaesthetists at the conference who had subspecialized in chronic

pain management was a man

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 37

 Answers/Solution:
Statement 1: No. Anaesthetists who were male but had subspecialised in other areas may
have been present at the conference.
Statement 2: Yes. No attendee who had subspecialised in chronic pain management was
a man at the conference.
Statement 3: No. This assumes that there were people who attended the conference
who had subspecialised in chronic pain management (i.e. potentially no one who had
subspecialised in chronic pain management attended).
Statement 4: No. The stimulus only reflects on the number of males in the subspecialty of
chronic pain management at the conference, not the total number of male attendees.
Statement 5: Yes. This is an accurate reflection of the statement.

Interpreting Information
In these questions, you may be provided with text, charts and/or
graphs. Your task is to interpret the information and decide whether
each conclusion does or does not follow. You will need to ‘drag and
drop’ your answer accordingly.

Example Question – Interpreting Information

Time limit per question – ~64 seconds
Stimulus:
Jeremy, Tony, Jacob and Lucy are students who go to the same school. Jeremy only follows
2 people from school on Instagram. Everyone at school follows Lucy. The only people whom
Tony follows on Instagram are those who follow him first, and Tony follows Jeremy.

Question:
Place ‘Yes’ if the conclusion does follow. Place ‘No’ if the conclusion does not follow.

The only people who Jeremy follows from school are Tony and Lucy

Lucy follows Tony

Yes

No
Jacob follows Lucy

The number of people who follow Tony must be greater than or equal to the
number of people who are followed by Tony

Lucy follows Jeremy

38 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 Answer/Solution:
Statement 1: Yes. It is given that Jeremy only follows 2 people from school on Instagram.
Since Tony follows Jeremy, Jeremy must have followed Tony first (since Tony only follows
people who follow him first). In addition, everyone at school follows Lucy; therefore, Jeremy
follows Lucy. Therefore, the two people from school whom Jeremy follows are Lucy and
Tony.
Statement 2: Yes. It is given that everyone at school follows Lucy, indicating that Tony also
follows Lucy. Since Tony only follows people who follow him first, Lucy must follow Tony.
Statement 3: Yes. Everyone at school follows Lucy, and therefore Jacob must follow Lucy
since they are students from the same school.
Statement 4: Yes. The number of people who follow Tony must be greater than or equal to
the number of people who are followed by Tony, as the only people Tony follows are those
who follow him first.
Statement 5: No. There is no information which suggests that Lucy follows Jeremy.

Recognising Assumptions
These questions are perhaps the strangest in UCAT and can be very
unfamiliar unless you have acquired and practiced effective strategies
to answer them. You will be required to analyse a statement and four
associated arguments. You will need to choose the strongest argument
from among the available options.

Example Question - Recognising Assumptions

Time limit per question – ~64 seconds
Stimulus:
Should the government be able to monitor and read all telephone conversations?

Question:
Select the strongest argument from the statements below.
A) Yes, it is important for police to be able to prevent terrorism
B) Yes, so that the government can help plan for infrastructure
C) No, because it would be technically very difficult to do this
D) No, because it is a serious infringement of civil liberties

Answer: D

Solution:
Option A is incorrect as the statement refers to police rather than the government.
Furthermore, terrorism is not referred to in the stimulus. Option B is incorrect as although
planning for infrastructure is important, there is no link between why monitoring all
telephone conversations is needed to do this well. Option C is incorrect as the question is
about whether it should be done rather than whether it can be done. Option D is the best
answer because it directly addresses the question asked and provides a reasonable reason
why objections may be raised from citizens.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 39

 Venn diagrams
These questions require an understanding of Venn diagrams. You may
be presented with:
• A Venn diagram
• A series of statements requiring you to draw a Venn diagram
• Several Venn diagrams that represent information
You will need to choose the correct answer from among the available options.
The diagrams presented in UCAT can look unusual due to the variety of shapes that
are used. It is important to have a strong understanding of how Venn diagrams work to
answer these questions.

Example Question – Venn Diagrams

Time limit per question – ~64 seconds
Stimulus:
A survey was conducted across some classes in a school to determine the forms of Asian
entertainment media that its students engaged with in their spare time.

anime
4 8
8 K-drama
6
2 12
3 15
5 9 K-pop
8

C-drama
Question:
Which of the following statements is true?
(A) More students engaged with C-dramas and anime, than K-dramas and K-pop only.
(B) A total of 17 students engaged with anime and K-pop but not K-dramas.
(C) Less than 20% of all students who engaged with K-dramas also engaged with anime.
(D) Less than half of the students surveyed engaged with K-pop.

Answer: A

Solution:
There are 14 students (2 + 12) who engaged with C-dramas and anime (region enclosed
by the triangle and star). There are 8 students who engaged with K-dramas and K-pop
only (region enclosed by the circle and rectangle only). Therefore, more students engaged
with C-dramas and anime, than K-dramas and K-pop only – A is correct. To save time, it
would be important to move on after selecting A, and not waste time checking the other
responses. However, they will be discussed for completeness.

40 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 Only 5 students (2 + 3) engaged with anime and K-pop but not K-dramas (region enclosed
by the star and rectangle but not the circle) – B is incorrect.
More than half of the students who watched K-drama (region enclosed by circle) also
watched anime (region enclosed by the star) – this is evident after observing that the number
of students who watched K-drama but not anime is 23 (8 + 9 + 6), which is less than the
number of students who watched K-drama and anime (15 + 12 + 5 = 32) – C is incorrect.
It can be estimated that more than half of the students surveyed engaged with K-pop.
There are 28 (6 + 8 + 9 + 5) students who did not engage with K-pop (region outside the
rectangle). This is less than the number of students who did engage with K-pop (region
enclosed by the rectangle), which is more than 33 (15 + 12 + 6 = 33; using just some of the
values enclosed by the rectangle which already add up to a total greater than 23). Therefore
D is incorrect. For reference, there are a total of 58 students who engaged with K-pop (4 +
2 + 12 + 6 + 3 + 15 + 8 + 8 = 58), out of a total of 86 students (58 + 28 = 86).

Probabilistic reasoning
In these questions, you will be provided with a passage of text containing
statistical information. You will need to use your understanding of
probability principles to select the best answer.

Example Question - Probabilistic Reasoning

Time limit per question – ~64 seconds
Stimulus:
Joe has five 50 cent and three 5 cent pieces.
He picks two of these coins at random, one after another.
Joe states that the probability that both coins will be 50 cent pieces is 1/4.

Question:
Is Joe correct?
(A) Yes, because there is a 1/2 chance of the first coin being a 50 cent coin and 1/2
chance that the second is a 50 cent coin
(B) Yes, because he picks the coins at random.
(C) No, the probability is 5/16
(D) No, the probability is 5/14

Answer: D

Solution:
The probably of the first coin Joe picks being a 50 cent piece is 5/8, since 5 of the 8 coins
are 50 cent pieces.
Joe does not replace this coin – thus, there are now only 7 coins remaining, 4 of which are
50 cent pieces. Therefore, the probability of the second coin he picks being a 50 cent piece
is 4/7.
Thus, the probability that both coins will be 50 cent pieces is 5/8 x 4/7 = 20/56 = 5/14

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 41

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN I USE TO ANSWER DECISION MAKING
QUESTIONS?
This is the subtest where your UCAT Noteboard and pen will be most helpful to you.
It will help to note down important information or key calculations, and draw tables
or diagrams. You must have a strong understanding of Venn diagrams, probability and
logical reasoning principles to succeed in this subtest. There are a variety of techniques
which can be used to answer each specific question type quickly and accurately, which
are discussed in detail in MedEntry UCAT Courses.

42 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

UCAT Quantitative Reasoning

In this section, we will cover what Quantitative Reasoning entails, and how to effectively
answer Quantitative Reasoning questions.

WHAT IS QUANTITATIVE REASONING?

Quantitative Reasoning is the third subtest in
UCAT. Quantitative
Reasoning is not a
It assesses your numerical and problem solving
maths test, it is a
abilities. Note that it is not just a ‘maths test’,
reasoning test using
but rather a reasoning test requiring you to use
mathematical skills
mathematical skills.

UCAT

Verbal Decision Quantitative Abstract Situational

Reasoning Making Reasoning Reasoning Judgement

WHY IS QUANTITATIVE REASONING IMPORTANT IN MEDICINE?

Doctors will often need to make calculations in their day to day work, for example,
when calculating medication doses and in research. They often need to make calculations
quickly, and use them as a basis to make decisions and solve problems.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 43

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF QUANTITATIVE REASONING?

25

36 Questions 25 Minutes 42 sec/question

In this subtest, you will have 36 questions to answer in 25 minutes, which is an average
of 42 seconds per question. Most Quantitative Reasoning questions are presented in
units of four questions, however, some questions are ‘standalone’ or individual.
In Quantitative Reasoning, you will be presented with text and/or tables, graphs
or diagrams that you will need to interpret. You will then need to select the correct
answer from among the available five options. The difficulty of questions varies from
straightforward to more complex. You will often need to make multiple calculations to
arrive at the correct answer, and avoid common wrong answer ‘traps’.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF QUANTITATIVE REASONING

QUESTIONS?
UCAT Quantitative Reasoning questions cover a range of numerical abilities. These
include:

Quantitative
Reasoning

Percentages Proportionality Rates Averages

44 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 Percentages:
Calculating percentage increase or decrease in prices or quantities of an
item. You may be required to convert between percentages, decimals,
fractions and ratios.

Example Question – Percentages

Time limit per question – 42 seconds
Stimulus:
A television streaming service changes its fees from last year to this year.
The following represents the original and new fees (in $ per month) for it’s basic, premium
and ultimate packages, as well as showing the number of customers paying for each of
these packages.

Packages Last Year This Year

Price No. of Customers Price No. of Customers

Basic 7 3250 8.5 4425

Premium 12 7845 14 5595

Ultimate 15 5220 18 2250

Note: The service can only be purchased/switched to a different package at the beginning
of a month.

Question:
The company decides to raise its prices by the following from this year to the next year:
10% increase for basic package, 7% decrease for premium package and 15% increase for
ultimate package.
If the number of customers for each package remains the same as this year, what is the
percentage change in income from last year to next year?
(A) 17.6%
(B) 11.75%
(C) 21%
(D) 7.25%
(E) 8.49%

Answer: A

Solution:
Note that this question should be identified by students as one that is going to take a long
time (involves lots of calculations). Thus, it should be flagged and students can return to it
if there is time. It is easy to get caught on this question, and compromise the rest of your
subtest, so be careful!
Last year’s total income: ($7x3250)+($12x7845)+($15x5220) = 22750 + 94140 + 78300 =
$195,190 per month.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 45

 Next year:
Basic package increased by 10%. New price = 1.1 x 8.50 = $9.35
Premium decreased by 7%. New price = 14 x 0.93 = $13.02
Ultimate increased by 15%. New price = 18 x 1.15 = $20.70
Total income next year: (9.35x4425)+(13.02x5595)+(20.70x2250) = 41373.75+72846.9+46575
= $160,795.65 per month
Difference = $195,190 – $160,796 = $34,394
Percentage change = 34,394/195,190 x 100 = 17.6%
(Note that there is no need to multiply both values by 12, as the % difference will be the
same and this will waste time).

Proportionality:
Calculating direct and indirect proportions and converting between
units.

Example Question – Proportionality

Time limit per question – 42 seconds
Stimulus:
The chart below shows the results of a traffic survey conducted this year. The numbers
in each bar show the actual number of vehicles of each colour counted. These are all the
types of vehicles considered.

A large motor reseller (which sells vans/minibuses and buses/coaches) uses these statistics
to work out how many vehicles they should preorder for resale in their yard, and in what
colours in a given year. The reseller preorders vehicles in the same proportions as these
statistics.

46 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 Question:
Based on this survey, the motor reseller has purchased 377 white vans/minbuses. How
many blue buses/coaches will they pre-order?
A) 3
B) 26
C) 39
D) 104
E) 403

Answer: C

Solution:
377 white vans/minibuses x (31/29) = 403 (number of vans/minibuses total).
We need to now multiply this number by 3/31 as this is the proportion of blue/total buses/
coaches.
403 x (3/31) = 39

Rates:
Calculating the speed of an object, or rates of flow.

Averages:
Calculating the mean, mode or median from data presented, including
use of combined samples and use in prediction.

Other:
Other skills required include an understanding of ratios, geometry and data interpretation.

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN I USE TO ANSWER QUANTITATIVE

REASONING QUESTIONS?
To do well in Quantitative Reasoning, it is important to look for shortcuts and develop
your mental maths skills. Although you are provided with a calculator in UCAT, it is
often much quicker to make calculations ‘in your head’ or on your UCAT Noteboard.
Over-use of a calculator will usually lead to you running out of time to answer the
questions. It is also important to have a solid understanding of various mathematical
principles, including percentage change, rates, averages, ratios and geometry. There
are many other strategies that can be used to answer Quantitative Reasoning questions
quickly and accurately, which are covered in detail in MedEntry UCAT Courses.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 47

UCAT Abstract Reasoning

In this section, we will cover what Abstract Reasoning entails, and how to effectively
answer Abstract Reasoning questions.

WHAT IS ABSTRACT REASONING?

Abstract Reasoning is the fourth subtest in UCAT.
It assesses your non-verbal and visuo-spatial reasoning ability. You will be required
to identify patterns, spot trends, engage in hypothesis testing and ignore distracting
information in order to arrive at the right answer.

UCAT

Verbal Decision Quantitative Abstract Situational

Reasoning Making Reasoning Reasoning Judgement

WHY IS ABSTRACT REASONING IMPORTANT IN MEDICINE?

Much of the work of a senior health professional involves pattern recognition.
Furthermore, doctors will often need to generate and test hypotheses, extract relevant
information and identify trends in their day to day work and in research.

48 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF ABSTRACT REASONING?

13

50 Questions 12 Minutes 14 sec/question

In Abstract Reasoning, you will have 50

questions to answer in just 12 minutes, which Abstract Reasoning
is an average of less than 15 seconds per questions can be very
question! difficult to answer
initially, but become
Most Abstract Reasoning questions are much easier with
presented in units of 5 questions, based on
practice
two ‘sets’ of images. Some questions will
be individual or ‘standalone’. You will be
presented with several images, and you will need to identify (and sometimes extrapolate)
patterns to arrive at the correct answer.
UCAT Abstract Reasoning questions can look unfamiliar and intimidating, but with
practice, they become much easier to solve.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF ABSTRACT REASONING QUESTIONS?

There are four types of Abstract Reasoning questions.

Abstract
Reasoning

Set A, B, Neither Complete the Complete the Set A or B

Series Statement

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 49

Each question type will be discussed in turn.

‘Type 1’ questions (Set A / B / Neither)

This is the commonest type of question in Abstract Reasoning. You
will be presented with two sets of shapes, one labelled ‘Set A’ and
the other labelled ‘Set B’. You will provided with a series of five ‘test
shapes’ sequentially, and will be asked to decide whether the test shape
belongs to Set A, Set B or Neither Set A nor Set B.
Note that this is not a ‘matching’ exercise. You are not simply required to match the test
shape to one of the boxes. You will first need to find a logical pattern that links all images
in Set A, and a related (but different) pattern that links all images in Set B.

Example Question - Set A / B / Neither

Time limit per question – ~14 seconds

Stimulus

Question
Does the following shape belong to Set A or Set B or Neither?

(A) Set A
(B) Set B
(C) Neither

50 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 Answer: A

Solution:
SET A: Black + = white circle; White + = black circle; X = nothing
SET B: Black + = black circle; White + = white circle; X = nothing
The shape belongs to Set A as there is one black + and one white circle, and there is three
white + and three black circles. The cross is irrelevant.

‘Type 2’ questions (Complete the Series)

In these questions, you will be provided with a series of images. You
will need to determine the likely pattern and select the image that
would logically appear next in the series.

Example Question - Complete the Series

Time limit per question – ~14 seconds
Stimulus:

Question:
Which figure completes the series?

Answer: C

Solution:
The black circle moves two points around in a clockwise direction each move and changes
colour with each move. It will therefore be black and in the top right hand corner of the
pentagon in the answer (thus options A and B are incorrect). The square moves one point
in an anti-clockwise direction each move and therefore will be in the bottom-left hand
corner in the answer (thus option D is incorrect). Option C is the answer.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 51

 ‘Type 3’ questions (Complete the Statement)
These questions are otherwise known as ‘this is to that’. In these
questions, you will be given an image which has undergone a
transformation to form another image. You will need to apply the same
transformation to a third image to arrive at the answer.

Example Question - Complete the Statement

Time limit per question – ~14 seconds
Stimulus:

Question:
Which figure completes the statement?

Answer: A

Solution:
In the example image, the outer shape is flipped along the horizontal axis, changes from
black to striped and moves inside the small square. Thus, in the question image, the outer
shape will flip along the horizontal axis, change from striped to black and move inside the
small square (thus options B and C are incorrect).
The three inside shapes in the example image (triangles) move to the outside of the square
and rotate around in a clockwise direction. Thus, in the question image, the three inside
arrows should move outside the square and move around in a clockwise direction with the
white arrow being in the bottom left (thus option A is the correct answer).

52 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 ‘Type 4’ questions (Set A or B)
These questions are similar in appearance to type 1 questions (Set A
/ B / Neither). You will be given a set of images labelled ‘Set A’ and a
second set of images labelled ‘Set B’. You will then be given a series of
four ‘test shapes’ simultaneously and will be asked to determine which
of the four belongs to either Set A or Set B.

Example Question - Set A or B

Time limit per question – ~14 seconds
Stimulus:

Question:
Which of the following shapes belongs in Set A?

Answer: B

Solution:
Set A has an odd number of striped arrows, and regardless of the arrow rotation, the stripes
are always vertical. Set B has an even number of striped arrows which are always in the
top right and bottom left positions. Regardless of the arrow rotation, the stripes are always
horizontal.
Option A has an odd number of striped arrows (Set A rule), but the stripes are horizontal
(Set B rule). Option C has vertically striped arrows (Set A rule) but there are an even number.
Option D has an odd number of striped arrows (Set A rule) but the stripes are only vertical
on two of the arrows. The only option that abides by the Set A rules is option B, which is
the correct answer.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 53

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN I USE TO ANSWER ABSTRACT
REASONING QUESTIONS?
It is useful to use a mnemonic that covers the key patterns that arise in Abstract Reasoning
questions. Practicing questions will familiarise you with common patterns and rules.
There are a variety of effective strategies that can be used for each type of Abstract
Reasoning question to arrive at the answer quickly and accurately. These will be covered
in detail in the MedEntry UCAT Courses.

54 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

UCAT Situational Judgement

In this section, we will cover what Situational Judgement entails, and how to effectively
answer Situational Judgement questions.

WHAT IS SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT?

Situational Judgement is the fifth and final subtest in UCAT.
It assesses your ability to understand real world situations and identify important
factors and appropriate responses in dealing with them. Scenarios are usually based in a
university or health-related setting, and the main character will normally be a medical or
dental student, or junior health professional.

UCAT

Verbal Decision Quantitative Abstract Situational

Reasoning Making Reasoning Reasoning Judgement

WHY IS SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT IMPORTANT IN MEDICINE?

Situational Judgement tests are widely used in medicine to evaluate candidates’
professionalism. UCAT Situational Judgement assesses attributes considered important
in the study and practice of medicine, including empathy, adaptability, resilience,
teamwork and integrity.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 55

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT?

26

69 Questions 26 Minutes 22 sec/question

In this subtest you will be presented with 69 questions associated with a series of
scenarios. Each scenario can have up to 6 questions.
You will have 26 minutes to answer all of
In Situational Judgement, the questions, but most students do not find
you will receive full marks Situational Judgement as time pressured as
if you choose the correct other UCAT subtests. It is, however, often very
answer, and partial difficult to judge which is the ‘correct’ answer.
marks if you choose an In Situational Judgement questions, you will
option that is close to the receive full marks if you choose the correct
correct answer answer, and partial marks if you choose an
option that is close to the correct answer.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT QUESTIONS?

There are three main types of Situational Judgement questions.

Situational
Judgement

Importance Appropriateness Most/least

appropriateness
56 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook
 Importance questions
Less than half of the questions in
the Situational Judgement subtest
will be composed of Importance
questions. In these questions,
you will be presented with a
scenario, followed by a number of considerations.
You will need to rate the relative importance of each
consideration in the context of the scenario, from
‘very important’ to ‘not important at all’.

Example Question - Importance Question

Time limit per question – ~22 seconds
Passage:
A junior doctor, Brian, has just commenced work
on a busy surgical ward. He shares his workload
with another junior colleague, John. Brian has
noticed that John is consistently late for work.
This has been going on for the past fortnight.
John being late has resulted in Brian taking on
extra responsibilities on the ward to ensure that
patients receive appropriate care.
How important is it to take into account are the
following considerations for Brian when deciding
how to respond to the situation?

Question:
That Brian and John do not know each other well
and are yet to form a close working relationship
A) Very important
B) Important
C) Of minor importance
D) Not important at all

Answer: D

Solution:
This is not important at all. Brian will need to
take action to ensure that patient care is not
compromised, and also to ensure his own well-
being, regardless of his relationship with John.
Brian should express his concerns to John,
question John on the reasons why he is late, and
explain the impact of John’s actions.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 57

 Appropriateness questions
The commonest type of question in the Situational Judgement subtest is
Appropriateness questions. Here you will be presented with a scenario
and a series of actions. You will need to rate the appropriateness of
each action from ‘very appropriate’ to ‘very inappropriate’.
A smaller number of questions will provide an exact quote that a character may say
based on the scenario, and ask you to rate the appropriateness of each statement.

Example Question - Appropriateness Question

Time limit per question – ~22 seconds
Passage:
A dental student, George, has been contacted by his supervisor, Dr Jefferson, to arrange a
mid-placement review. The purpose of the review is to assess George’s learning portfolio.
George has been on a placement at a busy dental clinic, and has not kept up to date with
his supervised learning events. Furthermore, George has not completed any of the learning
targets he had agreed upon with Dr Jefferson at the start of the rotation.
How appropriate are each of the following responses by George in this situation?

Question:
Stay back late after the placement has finished in order to complete the supervised learning
events.
A) A very appropriate thing to do
B) Appropriate, but not ideal
C) Inappropriate, but not awful
D) A very inappropriate thing to do

Answer: B

Solution:
This is an appropriate response, as it does attempt to address the issue, but is not ideal.
Staying back later to complete targets demonstrates dedication, but it is also an example
of being unable to maintain work/life balance. Learning portfolios should be updated
throughout the year, and staying late after placements is not a sustainable response.

58 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

 Most/least appropriateness questions
In this question type, you are also presented with a scenario. However, you
are then given three possible actions or responses directly underneath the
scenario. You will need to choose the most and least appropriate response
for the given scenario, and ‘drag and drop’ these items accordingly.

Example Question - Most/Least Appropriate Questions

Time limit per question – ~22 seconds
A medical student, Joanne, is interviewing Mr Jones, a patient with a chronic lung condition.
Joanne has read in Mr Jones’ notes that he has stated that he has quit smoking, which is
a major reason why he has been assessed as being suitable for home oxygen. Joanne is
aware that only patients who have quit smoking are offered home oxygen, and that smoking
on home oxygen is very dangerous. While conducting the interview, Joanne notices a pack
of cigarettes in Mr Jones’ jacket pocket.
Choose both the one most appropriate action and the one least appropriate action
that Joanne should take in response to this situation.
You will not receive any marks for this question unless you select both the most and least
appropriate actions.

Most
Appropriate

Least
Appropriate

Inform the senior doctor immediately, as this may be risk to Mr. Jones’ health

Overlook the pocket of cigarettes, so as not to damage the relationship that Joanne has built
with Mr. Jones

Ask Mr. Jones further questions to understand what she has seen, and to assess whether her
suspicions regarding him smoking are correct

Answer:
Most Appropriate: Statement 3
Least Appropriate: Statement 2

Solution:
This question tests the candidate’s assessment of the situation, in particular understanding
the threat to patient safety. The most important consideration in this question is that it
would be very unsafe for Mr Jones to be on home oxygen if he is smoking. However, it is also
important to establish the facts before making accusations and acting on any suspicions.
Thus, the most appropriate course of action is for Joanne to directly discuss what she has
seen with Mr Jones. This is preferable to informing the senior doctor straight away.
While it is important to maintain relationships with patients, it is inappropriate and
potentially dangerous to overlook the packet of cigarettes. Patient safety is always the
primary consideration.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 59

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN I USE TO ANSWER SITUATIONAL
JUDGEMENT QUESTIONS?
To effectively answer Situational Judgement questions, you will need a solid understanding
of the principles governing medical professionalism. These include: honesty and integrity,
compassionate and patient-centred care, effective teamwork, patient autonomy,
confidentiality and a commitment to safety and ongoing improvement. A useful
document to read is the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice. There are a
variety of strategies that can be used for Situational Judgement questions to arrive at the
correct answer and maximise your score. These are covered in detail in MedEntry UCAT
Courses.

60 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

Strategies To Maximise Your UCAT Score

WHAT STRATEGIES WILL BOOST MY UCAT SCORE?

There are a variety of questions within each of the five UCAT subtests. For each type of
question, there are specific strategies that can be used to arrive at the answer quickly and
accurately. Strategies should be learned, implemented and practiced so that by test day,
they will feel ‘automatic’, or like second-nature.
There are some strategies that are effective for most UCAT questions. It is also important
to learn and practice these strategies to maximise your score. These include:

w Using the process of elimination

w Strategic guessing

w “Looking for shortcuts

(for example, estimation and only solving what is necessary)”

w Using keyboard shortcuts

w Using the keyboard numberpad when operating the calculator

w Flagging wisely and sparingly

These strategies and many more are covered in detail in the MedEntry UCAT Courses.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 61

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO MAXIMISE
MY UCAT SCORE?
It is also helpful to incorporate UCAT-style thinking
in your everyday schoolwork and life. This will not
only help boost your UCAT score, but will also
increase your overall productiveness and academic
performance. For example, you should:

w Practice speed reading

w Read widely and critically

w Practice using mental maths skills

w Develop stamina, concentration and focus

w Develop stress management techniques

62 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

UCAT Scoring

HOW IS UCAT SCORED?

The UCAT scoring process is complicated, and Pearson VUE uses complex statistical
analysis to arrive at your UCAT score, based upon the answers you select. The scoring
process is covered in detail in MedEntry UCAT Courses.
There are several myths relating to UCAT scores, which are outlined below:

UCAT scoring myth Reality

It is possible to predict UCAT UCAT scores are calculated using complex statistical processes.
scores based on raw marks It is not possible to predict UCAT scores based on raw marks (the
number of questions you answered correctly). The most accurate
indication of your performance can be obtained after completing
MedEntry UCAT practice exams, as MedEntry uses similar statistical
programs to calculate your scores.

You need to answer all UCAT is a very difficult, time-pressured test. The majority of students
questions correctly to do not have sufficient time to answer every question. You can
achieve a high score therefore obtain very high scores even if you do not answer every
question correctly.

UCAT questions change Computerised Adaptive Testing is not utilised in UCAT. There are
depending on your response multiple ‘versions’ of UCAT that are used every year, but the content
within each version is identical, and does not vary based on your
responses.

You will be penalised for There is no negative marking in UCAT. If you choose an incorrect
incorrect responses response, you will receive a score of zero.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 63

WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY UCAT SCORE?
You will receive your UCAT score on the day you sit UCAT. You will be provided with
your score report before leaving your UCAT testing centre. However, full statistics
relating to the performance of other UCAT candidates will not be released until later in
the year. You will not know exactly how your score compares until this time.
Note that your UCAT scores will be sent to the UCAT Consortium universities you have
applied to in early November – you do not need to submit your own scores.

WHAT WILL MY UCAT SCORE

The highest UCAT
REPORT LOOK LIKE? score achieved
Below is an example UCAT Candidate Score last year was 3530
Report. It shows an overall score of 3530, (achieved by a
which was the highest worldwide UCAT score MedEntry student).
achieved last year (achieved by a MedEntry
student).

UCAT



CANDIDATE SCORE REPORT



 
Scaled score for
 

each cognitive
subtest
      

   

  
Total scaled
score

     

Situational
Judgement
band provided
separately

64 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

Your Candidate Score Report will show a scaled score for each of the five subtests, which
ranges from 300 to 900. You will also receive a total scaled score for the four cognitive
subtests (Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract
Reasoning) that ranges from 1200 to 3600.
The Situational Judgement score is provided separately as it tests ‘non-cognitive’
attributes. Scores for the Situational Judgement subtest are expressed in one of four
bands, with band 1 being the highest:
• Band 1: Those in Band 1 demonstrated an excellent level of performance, showing
similar judgement in most cases to the panel of experts.
• Band 2: T
 hose in Band 2 demonstrated a good, solid level of performance, showing
appropriate judgement frequently, with many responses matching model answers.
• Band 3: T  hose in Band 3 demonstrated a modest level of performance, with
appropriate judgement shown for some questions and substantial differences from
ideal responses for others.
• Band 4: T  he performance of those in Band 4 was low, with judgement tending to
differ substantially from ideal responses in many cases.
Some universities use the Situational Judgement subtest differently to the cognitive
subtests. For example, most do not offer interviews to students in band 4. Others consider
this subtest when you attend your interview.

WHAT IS A GOOD UCAT SCORE?

The following chart shows how each percentile converted to overall cognitive scaled
scores in last year’s UCAT:

Decile Rank Final Scores Actual percentile

1st 2150 10th

2nd 2270 20th
3rd 2360 30th
4th 2430 40th
5th 2500 50th
6th 2570 60th
7th 2640 70th
8th 2730 80th
9th 2850 90th

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 65

For example, if you achieved an overall scaled cognitive score in the range of 2650, you
will have been in the 7th decile, or about the 70th percentile. This means you performed
better than 70% of candidates, and 30% of candidates performed better than you.
Ultimately, UCAT scores are a comparison of your own performance against others
sitting UCAT. This means that achieving a ‘good score’ means performing well in UCAT
compared to others. Statistics on how this year’s UCAT cohort performed will be available
at the end of the UCAT testing cycle (with interim statistics available mid-cycle).
In general, a good score is above 650 in the cognitive subtests (a total cognitive subtest
score of 2600). A high score is usually considered to be a score above 680 (a total
cognitive subtest score of 2720). If you achieve such a score, it is recommended that
you apply to universities that place significant emphasis on UCAT. A low UCAT score is
usually considered to be below 610.

WHAT UCAT SCORE DO I NEED TO GET INTO MEDICINE?

The UCAT score you need to get into medicine
A total cognitive score depends on various factors, including the year
of at least 2600 is that you sit UCAT, the university/course to
generally required for which you are applying and other aspects of
a standard medical your application such as academic grades.
place. Most universities use UCAT alongside
predicted or actual academic achievement to
select students for interview. Some universities (such as the University of Bristol) rank
applicants by UCAT score and a certain number are invited to interview. Usually a
minimum UCAT cut-off score is not released, as it varies from year to year.
In general, a UCAT percentile of around 70-80 would be sufficient for entry into medicine
at most universities. This would equate to total cognitive test scores of above 2600 (or
average subtest scores of 650).
Situational Judgement scores are used by universities in various ways: some use it as a
‘virtual’ interview station, some eliminate students scoring in band 4, some issue ‘points’
depending on the band achieved, and some do not consider it at all.
Every MedEntry practise exam provides detailed feedback including estimated percentiles
and scaled scores, so you can track your progress and see where you stand.

66 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

HOW WILL UNIVERSITIES USE UCAT SCORES?
Universities use UCAT scores in different ways. For example, the University of Newcastle
places significant emphasis on UCAT. This university selects candidates for interview
based solely on UCAT scores (once academic thresholds have been met). “Last year, the
UCAT cut-off score for interviews was 2730 but this can change year on year.”
Further information on how universities use UCAT scores is covered in part 4 of this
handbook.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 67

How To Effectively Prepare For UCAT

Preparing for UCAT can feel overwhelming, especially if you are going into your final
year of secondary school or are studying at university. How can you fit in preparation
for such an important and difficult test into your already busy schedule? Do not despair!
MedEntry has developed a plan to help you effectively and efficiently prepare for UCAT
so you will be ready come UCAT test day.

HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR UCAT?

Effective preparation for UCAT can be summarised in four key steps:

U C A T
UNDERSTAND CREATE ASSESS TRAIN

U – Understand
To succeed in UCAT, you will need to Understand the following:

w How important UCAT is and how it is used in selection

w How the UCAT computer platform works and how to use it strategically to
maximise your score

w Important details relating to each UCAT subtest, including structure, timing,

format and types of question

w Effective strategies and skills for answering each type of question in each UCAT
subtest

MedEntry makes this easy by providing a two-day workshop and comprehensive curriculum
with video instruction, enabling you to have a detailed understanding of UCAT.

68 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

C – Create
Every student is different, and some strategies that work very effectively for one student
may not work for another. Therefore, you will need to Create:

w A UCAT study plan that takes into account your other academic and non-
academic commitments

w A bank of strategies that work for you when approaching each type of question
and UCAT overall

MedEntry provides an interactive study planner to allow you to easily plan and track
your UCAT preparation.

Our comprehensive two-day workshop and detailed curriculum covers every effective
UCAT strategy, with thousands of practice questions for you to apply them. By the end
of MedEntry’s program, you will be armed with a bank of strategies that work for you,
so you will be ready to succeed come UCAT test day.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 69

A – Assess
It is important to prepare for UCAT efficiently, so that your UCAT preparation does not
detract from your school study. The most time-efficient way to prepare for UCAT is to Assess:

w How you are performing overall in UCAT

w How you are performing in each of the five UCAT subtests, and in each UCAT
question type

w What your strengths and weaknesses are

You can then target your UCAT preparation to focus on your weakest subtests and
question types.
MedEntry makes this easy with our Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) technology.
PAL provides comprehensive, personalised feedback provided after each drill, subtest
mock or Practice exam attempt, including:

w Predicted UCAT percentiles and UCAT scores

w A breakdown of your performance in each UCAT subtest and question type

w Detailed feedback on timing, including the time spent on each question and
how this compares to other students

w Specific feedback on every question, with comprehensive solutions (including

video solutions) and feedback on how other students have performed on that
question

w An ability to re-attempt incorrectly answered questions in each practice exam

up to four times

w Performance reports which analyse your performance and provide advice on

where to direct your future study

70 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

With MedEntry, you can be sure your UCAT preparation is targeted, effective and time-
efficient.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 71

 T – Train
UCAT is like a marathon, and it requires
training. As well as acquiring and practicing
the strategies required to solve each question,
it is also vital that you Train for UCAT. This
involves developing the following skills in
order to succeed:

w Concentration

w Focus

w Stamina

The best way to do this is via full length

UCAT practice exams, completed under
simulated conditions.
The most important way to simulate UCAT
is to ensure you complete each practice
exam under strict time conditions, with no
breaks. It is also vital that you work with a
computer platform which exactly replicates
the live UCAT. Don’t make the mistake of
working with outdated or (even worse),
paper-based UCAT questions!
MedEntry makes training for UCAT easy
with 16 full-length UCAT exams, which
exactly simulate the content and testing
platform of the live UCAT. By the time
UCAT test day arrives, it will feel like just
another MedEntry practice exam!
In addition, MedEntry has a wealth of other
important training resources such as our
exclusive Skills Trainers (e.g Venn Diagram
trainer, Mental Math trainer), drills, subtest
mocks and more to optimise your UCAT
skills.

72 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD I SPEND ON UCAT STUDY?
A common question that students ask is ‘how
long should I spend on UCAT study?’ In general, MedEntry
The amount of time you spend on UCAT recommends setting
preparation depends on your specific aside about 5-10% of
circumstances and extent of your desire to your study time for
pursue medicine or dentistry. In general, UCAT preparation
MedEntry recommends setting aside about
5-10% of your study time for UCAT preparation. For example, if you study for about
25 hours per week, about 2.5 hours should be allocated for UCAT preparation.
However, it is not the number of hours which is important when it comes to UCAT
preparation. It is what you do and how you do it that is important.
To prepare for UCAT in the most effective way, you should:

w Develop a bank of UCAT strategies that are effective for you by attending a
MedEntry workshop and working through MedEntry’s comprehensive guided
curriculum

w Prioritise completion of full length UCAT Practice exams, completed under

simulated conditions (particularly adhering to the time limits)

w Thoroughly review your UCAT exams, performance feedback and each question,
and reflect on what you can do to improve in your performance next time

w Discuss difficult questions with a UCAT study group

w Focus your preparation on your weakest subtests and question types

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 73

HOW CAN I BALANCE UCAT STUDY WITH OTHER COMMITMENTS?
The best way to balance your UCAT study
with other academic and non-academic Schedule a little bit
commitments is to create a UCAT study of UCAT practice on a
plan. You can do this easily with MedEntry’s regular basis
advanced, unique, interactive study planner.
Schedule a little bit of UCAT study on a regular
basis, for example once or twice per week.
An example study plan for one month could be:

March
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Verbal Reasoning Decision Making
Strategies & Practice Strategies & Practice

10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Quantitative Reasoning Abstract Reasoning
Strategies & Practice Strategies & Practice

17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Situational Judgement Full-Length
Strategies & Practice UCAT Practice Exam

24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Review of UCAT Work on Weakest
Practice Exam Subtest / Question
Types

31

You do not need to engage in UCAT practice every day, but regular practice over a
period of time will help you develop the skills you need to succeed.

74 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

WHAT ARE THE COMMON UCAT PREPARATION PITFALLS I
SHOULD AVOID?

The UCAT is a skills-based test and, like learning to play a musical instrument, cannot
be mastered in a short space of time. Unlike traditional school exams, which can often
be rote-learned effectively, the UCAT assesses a students’ information processing, critical
thinking and situational awareness, among other skills. These take time to develop and
apply, particularly in such a time-pressured exam. It is therefore important to start
preparing for UCAT as soon as possible, and engage in regular preparation over a period
of time.

Not completing UCAT practice exams under timed conditions

This is a common pitfall. Many students are
used to being able to complete school exams It is important to
comfortably within the time limits. They feel strictly adhere to
extremely uncomfortable with the prospect timed conditions when
of not being able to complete all UCAT
completing UCAT
questions. But the reality is, almost no one
practice exams
is able to answer every question in the live
UCAT due to the intense time pressure. It
is therefore important to strictly adhere to timed conditions when completing UCAT
practice exams, so you develop important skills required to succeed, such as strategic
guessing. Remember, practicing answering questions and practicing answering questions
quickly are two very different things.

Not thoroughly reviewing UCAT questions

Practice makes perfect, right? Well, yes, but only in part. The best way to improve is not
simply to complete UCAT question after question after question, but also to thoroughly
review and reflect on your attempts. What went right? What went wrong? How can you
improve your performance next time, or avoid making the same error? Reviewing and
reflecting is a very important part of the UCAT preparation process.

Not working on your weakest UCAT subtests

It is tempting to work on your strengths, it is harder to work on your weaknesses.
However, working on your weakest areas is by far the most effective and efficient way to
prepare for UCAT. Early in your preparation, identify which UCAT subtests and types
of questions you find most difficult, and work on them. MedEntry makes this easy with
our Personalised Adaptive Learning technology, which identifies your weakest areas and
provides curated UCAT preparation, just for you.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 75

Choosing the wrong UCAT preparation
Choosing the right
provider
UCAT preparation
Choosing the right UCAT preparation provider is one of
provider is one of the most important decisions the most important
you will make this year. Unfortunately, decisions you will make
there are many UCAT providers which this year
provide outdated questions, harmful advice,
misleading information, or promise a lot and
deliver very little. It is important to choose a provider with a track record of success, run
by leading doctors and academics, and with hundreds of five star reviews: MedEntry!

76 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

How To Optimise Your UCAT Performance

In the final weeks and days before UCAT,

your focus should be on getting into top In the final weeks and
physical, emotional, psychological and days before UCAT, focus
mental condition for test day. UCAT is not on getting into top
just a test of your ability, it is also a test physical, psychological
of your concentration, focus, stamina and and emotional condition
stress management abilities.
This is not the time to cram! Instead, you should ensure you have everything you need for
UCAT test day, revise your key strategies, and spend some time looking after yourself.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IN THE FINAL WEEKS BEFORE UCAT?

In the final weeks before you UCAT, ensure that you:

w Have organised everything you need for UCAT test day

w Focus on the areas that you are weakest

w Create a ‘cheat sheet’ of UCAT strategies that work for you

w Eat well, get sufficient sleep and manage stress

WHAT SHOULD I DO THE DAY BEFORE UCAT?

This is definitely not the time to cram!
Remember, UCAT is a skills rather than a The night before UCAT,
knowledge-based test. UCAT skills need to do something you enjoy
be developed over time, and cramming on and avoid the temptation
the day before UCAT is likely to be harmful to cram
rather than helpful.
We suggest that you take the day off. Do something that you enjoy, and something that is
going to take your mind off the test – exercise, have dinner with friends, watch a movie.

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 77

If you wish, you could review your UCAT ‘cheat sheet’, focussing on how well prepared
you are and how ready you are for UCAT test day.
Organise everything you need for the test, including:

w Valid identification (usually a passport or driver’s licence)

w Your Pearson VUE confirmation email

w A snack (such as a muesli bar or piece of fruit) if necessary, to eat before you
go into the testing venue

w Reading glasses (if required)

Know how you are going to get to the venue and plan your route to avoid last minute
stress. Ensure you get a good night’s sleep to recharge your brain for UCAT test day.

WHAT SHOULD I DO ON THE DAY OF UCAT?

Ensure you eat a healthy meal with protein and complex carbohydrates to keep you
sustained. Some examples of nutritious meals are porridge with fruit, eggs on wholegrain
toast or a wholegrain tuna sandwich. Avoid too much caffeine, as it will make you want
to use the bathroom (and the timer will keep ticking if you have to go to the toilet during
UCAT!).
If you are feeling stressed, use techniques to
manage your stress and boost confidence, such as If you have
meditation and positive self-talk. Psychological undergone
techniques to optimise performance and manage MedEntry’s
stress are discussed in detail in MedEntry UCAT program, you
Courses. should feel
confident that you
Leave home with a support person if possible
(such as a parent, sibling or friend), aiming to
are ready to ace
arrive about 30 minutes before your scheduled UCAT!
start time.
Finally, show ‘em what you’re made of! If you have undergone MedEntry’s preparation
program, you should feel confident that you are ready to ace UCAT. Good luck from all
of the MedEntry team!

78 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook

Get a taste for UCAT and see where you stand
with MedEntry’s free Diagnostic mock!

Access it at:
https://www.medentry.co.uk/resources/free-resources#free-ucat-mock
or Google “MedEntry Free UCAT Mock”

UCAT Handbook Part:2 UCAT | 79

80 | Part:2 UCAT UCAT Handbook
 The Medical Interview
3
UCAT Handbook Part 1: How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 81
Importance of Medical Interviews

WHY ARE INTERVIEWS USED TO SELECT STUDENTS FOR ENTRY

INTO MEDICINE?
Medical interviews form one of three major criteria used by most universities to select
students into medicine (the other two being UCAT/BMAT and academic grades). Aside
from personal statements, medical interviews are the only way that universities can assess
your non-academic (non-cognitive) personal qualities.
Interviews are a unique opportunity to showcase your personality, skills and passion for
studying medicine.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE MEDICAL INTERVIEWS?

Medical interviews are a critical, yet often
underestimated part of the medical admissions Medical interviews
process. At most universities, they are the sole are a critical, yet
criterion used to select students for a medical
underestimated part of
place, once academic thresholds have been
the medical admissions
met.
process
Be under no illusions – medical interviews are
vitally important!

82 | Part:3 The Medical Interview UCAT Handbook

DO I NEED TO PREPARE FOR MY Preparation will ensure
MEDICAL INTERVIEW? you come across
Yes! It is vitally important that you prepare as confident, calm,
for your interview. genuine and motivated,
rather than nervous or
Medical school aspirants often overlook panicked
interviews, as they assume that interview
skills are inherent: you either have them or
you do not. Others believe the myth that you should not prepare for interviews. Still
others assume that the interview is just a ‘chat’, and the questions will be straightforward.
This could not be further from the truth.
Interviews are challenging and stressful. You will need to engage face to face with
interviewers and provide interesting, eloquent and insightful answers.
However, there are specific, proven and reliable strategies that you can use to boost
your performance significantly. Having a solid understanding of interview questions and
technique will give you an enormous advantage over others vying for a medical school
place.
Although you may be an ideal medical school candidate, unless you can present your
skills and attributes effectively in an interview situation, you will not gain admission to
your dream course. It is therefore vital that you do not try to ‘wing’ your interview.
Preparing for your interview will ensure you come across as confident, calm, genuine and
motivated, rather than nervous or panicked.

WHY ARE MEDICAL INTERVIEWS DIFFICULT?

There are a number of reasons why medical interviews are difficult. You will be required
to think in novel ways, under time pressure and may be faced with complex scenarios
that you have not considered before. Many people find interview situations stressful,
particularly if you understand how important they are to the admissions process.
Furthermore, even though you may have a breadth of valuable life experiences and
possess the qualities that the interviewers are looking for, it can be difficult to convey
these in an interview situation.
If you want to make a good impression and give yourself the best chance of success, you
must become familiar with the format and types of questions that are likely to arise, and
understand how to best present yourself.

UCAT Handbook Part:3 The Medical Interview | 83

Interview Offers
WHAT DETERMINES WHETHER
Once interviews have taken
OR NOT I WILL RECEIVE place, most university
offers are based solely on
AN INTERVIEW OFFER FOR interview performance
MEDICINE?
Most universities assess candidates’ applications and provide a numerical score using
various systems. Two main parts of the application are considered in selecting candidates
for interview:
• Academic grades: GCSE Score + predicted or achieved A-levels
• UCAT/BMAT, with or without consideration of a personal statement
Universities then invite the top scoring students for an interview. The emphasis universities
place on these criteria depends on the particular university.

WHEN ARE INTERVIEW OFFERS FOR MEDICINE RELEASED?

The interview offer release date varies depending on the university. Some universities
begin sending out offers from November. Some continue inviting candidates to interview
until all places have been filled, for example, at Birmingham University.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF I HAVE RECEIVED AN INTERVIEW OFFER

FOR MEDICINE?
If you have received an interview offer for medicine, you will be contacted by the
university directly or you will receive your interview decision in Track on UCAS.

HOW ARE FINAL MEDICAL SCHOOL PLACES SELECTED?

Most universities no longer consider academic grades or scores in UCAT/BMAT once
your interview has taken place. Interview alone is used to offer medical school places to
the top performing candidates.
At some universities, borderline candidates are assessed using UCAT/BMAT and personal
statements.

84 | Part:3 The Medical Interview UCAT Handbook

Timing of Medical Interviews
WHEN DO MEDICAL INTERVIEWS TAKE PLACE?
Medical interviews take place at various times depending on the particular university
and course. Most interviews take place between November and March each year. You
should keep this in mind when planning holidays, as universities will require you to
attend the interview in person.

IF I RECEIVE MULTIPLE INTERVIEW OFFERS, SHOULD I ATTEND

THEM ALL?
MedEntry strongly suggests that you attend all interviews. This is because there is always
an element of subjectivity when it comes to interviews. Attending all interviews will
maximise your chances of obtaining a place at medical school.

UCAT Handbook Part:3 The Medical Interview | 85

Structure and Types of
Medical Interview
WHAT TYPES OF MEDICAL INTERVIEW ARE THERE?
There are broadly three types of interview used to select students for entry into medicine
and dentistry:

MMI (MULTIPLE MINI STRUCTURED PANEL SEMI-STRUCTURED

INTERVIEW) INTERVIEW PANEL INTERVIEW
candidates rotate traditional style of traditional style of
through various interview, where all interview, where
themed ‘stations’, each candidates are asked interviewers do not
addressing a particular the same or similar have to adhere tightly
topic presented as a questions to a ‘script’, and can ask
scenario follow up questions

MMIs are the commonest type of interview.

WHAT TYPES OF MEDICAL INTERVIEW ARE USED AT EACH

UNIVERSITY?
MMIs are used at most universities. Some universities use a structured panel interview.
Semi-structured panel interviews are rare.

WHAT KINDS OF MEDICAL INTERVIEW

Each medical
QUESTIONS CAN I EXPECT? school varies
Each medical school varies in the types of questions that in the types of
are posed to candidates. No two medical interviews are questions posed
the same. It is therefore important to know the types of to candidates
questions that are likely to be asked at each university.

86 | Part:3 The Medical Interview UCAT Handbook

WHO CONDUCTS MEDICAL INTERVIEWS?
WHAT IS THEIR BACKGROUND?
The background of the interviewers depends on the particular
university. However, interview panels are generally composed of:

w Academic staff from the medical faculty

w Medical professionals

w Medical program students or graduates

w Laypeople from the wider community

In addition, actors are often used to role play interview scenarios.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON THEMES THAT ARISE IN MEDICAL

INTERVIEWS?
Each university differs in the types of questions asked, and has
a different emphasis on various themes. Some common themes
that arise include:

w Motivation to study medicine

w Current issues in health

w Recent news from the NHS

w Ethics

w Empathy

w Critical thinking

w Teamwork and leadership skills

w Self-awareness

w Understanding of the university and medical program

Universities will sometimes ask you to discuss matters mentioned

in your personal statement during interviews.

UCAT Handbook Part:3 The Medical Interview | 87

WHAT TYPES OF QUESTIONS WILL COME UP IN MY MEDICAL
INTERVIEW?
Each university varies in the types of questions they pose to candidates. Some questions
involve hypothetical scenarios. There are hundreds of potential interview questions that
may arise.
Some sample questions are provided below:

w Why do you want to study medicine? Why not another profession that involves
caring for others?

w Describe a setback or disappointment that occurred in your life. How did you
cope?

w Tell us about a time when you worked in a team and things did not go well.
What did you learn from the experience?

w What volunteer work have you engaged in?

w If you were Health Minister, how would you attract doctors to work in rural
areas?

w A patient, who is a Jehovah’s witness, urgently needs a blood transfusion to

save their life after an accident. Their beliefs prevent them from agreeing to a
blood transfusion. What would you do?

Role plays are also often used to assess candidates.

88 | Part:3 The Medical Interview UCAT Handbook

WHAT CRITERIA ARE USED TO ASSESS MEDICAL INTERVIEW
PERFORMANCE?
In general, medical interviews are designed to assess qualities considered important in
both the study and practise of medicine.
Each university differs in their marking criteria for medical interviews.

However, common assessment criteria use the NHS values:

w Compassion

w Commitment to Quality of Care

w Respect and Dignity

w Everybody Counts

w Improving Lives

w Working Together for Patients

The following criteria are also used:

w Communication skills

w Critical thinking

w Decision making

w Social responsibility

w Empathy

w Moral and ethical reasoning

w Self-awareness

w Maturity

w Awareness of health / NHS issues

w Teamwork and leadership

w Quality of motivation to study medicine

UCAT Handbook Part:3 The Medical Interview | 89

 Example question and marking criteria
Activity:
Consider the question, ‘Why do you want to be a doctor?’
Try to speak for at least two minutes about this topic.
Once you have completed this activity, read on to view examples of outstanding and
unsatisfactory answers, and an example of a marking sheet relating to this question.

Example of an outstanding answer:

There are many factors that have attracted me towards becoming
Personal,
a medical practitioner. At a young age, I had to come to terms engaging and
with the harsh unpredictability of life with the passing of my genuine story
grandmother. The sudden death that could have been prevented
with adequate health care services marked a crucial turning
point in my life. Since then, striving to assist others and providing Altruistic mindset,
necessary lifelong services to disadvantaged people of Australia focussing on how
in a skilful and holistic manner has been an aspiration of mine. candidate can
Furthermore, I have always had an inquisitive mind about the help others
functioning of the human body and its applications in the care of
illnesses fascinates me. Having a keen interest in research, I would
like to work in a profession of continuous learning. Through my Work experience
shows
work experience at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, I was
motivation and
able to watch the dedication, leadership and teamwork surgeons understanding of
utilise while dealing with patients in trauma and emergency the profession
units. This further inspired me to pursue medicine as a career.

Example of an unsatisfactory answer:

I would like to be a doctor because
Cliched answer, which is too brief
I want to help people, and I am
interested in science. I was first inspired
Mentioning parents suggests motivation
to study medicine from watching Grey’s is external, mentioning Grey’s Anatomy
Anatomy when I was younger. My suggests unrealistic understanding of the
parents are both doctors and they also profession
encouraged me to pursue the career. I
like the idea of specialising in the field Focuses on why medicine is beneficial for
of Paediatrics, and the job security also candidate rather than what candidate can
appeals to me. do for community

90 | Part:3 The Medical Interview UCAT Handbook

 Feedback:
Example marking criteria

Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Outstanding answer

Somewhat apathetic attitude Generally displays interest Displays genuine enthusiasm

towards a career in medicine; and eagerness for a career for a career in medicine with a
little evidence of sense of in medicine; displays some very strong sense of service to
service to care for others sense of service to care for care for others
others
Very little or reluctant Actively participates in a wide
participation in work Has participated in work range of work experience and
experience or volunteer experience or volunteer volunteer work
activities activities, or displays a
willingness to do so Has a realistic understanding
Does not have a realistic view of medicine as a career
of medicine as a career Has a generally realistic
understanding of medicine as
a career

UCAT Handbook Part:3 The Medical Interview | 91

Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)

WHAT IS AN MMI (MULTIPLE MINI

INTERVIEW)?
An MMI or Multiple Mini Interview is a
particular type of interview used at most
universities to select students for entry into
medicine. It involves a series of ‘mini interviews’
conducted in separate rooms, booths or
stations. Each station has a specific theme, and
there are usually 6-8 stations which are each
separately timed.
In a typical station, the applicant receives a written scenario or excerpt, and then a series
of pre-determined questions are posed. The number of questions asked and the duration
of each ‘station’ varies between universities.

Why are MMIs used?

MMIs are considered a fairer and more reliable
MMIs are used at most way to assess candidates. MMIs involve more
universities to select interviewers, therefore potentially minimising
students for entry into bias. They give the university a broader, more
medicine holistic evaluation of your non-academic
qualities.

What makes MMIs difficult?

MMIs can be challenging. As well as having to present interesting, insightful, concise and
cohesive responses to questions, you will need to manage time, remain composed and
establish rapport with the interviewers quickly.

92 | Part:3 The Medical Interview UCAT Handbook

What types of medical interview questions and scenarios arise in MMIs?
Most MMIs are mini panel interviews covering a specific theme. Students may be provided
with a written prompt, and then interviewers pose pre-determined questions. You may
be given a hypothetical situation, excerpt from a research paper or other passage to
analyse or debate.
Some stations may involve other tasks, such as evaluating videos, acting as a doctor to
explain something to a patient, or completing a practical task. Some MMI stations test
your reasoning, problem solving skills, values and mathematical abilities.

UCAT Handbook Part:3 The Medical Interview | 93

Preparing for Medical Interviews
How should I prepare for my medical interview?
Just like UCAT, there is an effective and systematic way you can prepare for medical
school interviews. To best prepare for your interview, you should follow these three steps:

Step Step Step

1 2 3
Understand Develop interview Practice & seek
interview technique feedback

Step 1: Understand your interview

You need to have a good understanding of the specific interview(s) for which you have
received an offer. This involves understanding the types of questions that are likely to
arise, and what qualities and skills the interviewers are looking for.

Step 2: Develop solid interview technique

It is important to understand how to best present yourself during the interview. This
includes:

w Your manner (including voice, body language, eye contact, confidence, passion)

w The content of your answer (including level of insight, length, clarity, use of
interesting anecdotes/examples)

You should also develop an understanding of:

w Current issues in the NHS

w The particular university’s course

94 | Part:3 The Medical Interview UCAT Handbook

Step 3: Practice and seek feedback
It is important to practice the specific questions that will arise in each university’s interview.
It is also important to practice answering questions within time limits, particularly for
MMIs. You should seek expert feedback on your performance and take steps to improve.
It is also extremely valuable to act as an interviewer yourself, and listen to other people
answering the same question. This will give you an invaluable insight into what makes
an outstanding answer, and poor answer traps to avoid.
MedEntry provides all students with an
Interview Guide, which covers interview It is important to seek
strategies and common questions that arise. expert feedback on your
Students also have the opportunity to enrol interview responses
in Medical Interview Training sessions which
and technique, and take
cover all of the three preparation steps.
steps to improve
The sessions provide invaluable training
and practice that will not only be useful for
medical school interviews, but for all interviews you will face in your future career.
With the right preparation, interviews are a wonderful opportunity to showcase your
unique life experiences, achievements and skills, giving you a significant advantage over
other candidates.

Why do some universities say I should not prepare for my interview?

Just like with UCAT, there is a common misconception that you should not prepare for
interviews, or that you do not need to prepare for interviews. Some people may feel that
preparing for your interview will mean that your responses are not natural and authentic.
However, preparation does not mean you should memorise your answers word for word
– in fact, this is a terrible strategy. Preparation means knowing the types of questions,
knowing how best to present yourself and understanding the features of an excellent
response. Quality preparation will allow you to formulate genuine, interesting and
effective answers. In fact, many universities coach their own graduates for job interviews!
It is essential that you prepare for your medical interview to give you the best chance of
securing a place in medical school.

UCAT Handbook Part:3 The Medical Interview | 95

96 | Part:3 The Medical Interview UCAT Handbook
 University Admissions
4
UCAT Handbook Part 1: How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 97
Important Notes:
• The information is accurate at the time of printing. For the latest information, you
are advised to download the latest electronic version available at:
https://www.medentry.co.uk/resources/free-resources#ucat-handbook
• Please note that universities change their entry requirements frequently, so it is best
to check the relevant university website for up-to-date information.

HOW UCAT IS USED

University UCAS Course Code How UCAT is used

University of Aberdeen A100 UCAT scores considered alongside actual and

A201 predicted academic achievement for interviews. SJT
is not scored but may be used in offer making if there
are candidates of similar scores.
Anglia Ruskin University A100 Interviews are awarded based solely on UCAT once
academic threshold met. If in SJT Band 4, will not be
invited to interview.
Aston University A100 Consider UCAT alongside other required
qualifications.
University of Birmingham A100 Separate candidates into UCAT deciles and award a
A101 score. Award interviews by: 45% academic (GCSE)
A200 + 30% UCAT + 25% contextual. SJT is used at the
interview stage.
University of Bristol A100 Interviews are awarded based solely on UCAT once
A108 academic threshold met.
A206
A208
D108
Brunel University London A100 Applicants are invited to interviews based on their
UCAT score. Applicants scoring in Band 4 of the SJT
will be rejected.
Cardiff University A100* UCAT is used as part of the selection process, along
A200 with personal statement and academic grades.
University of Chester A101 UCAT threshold needs to be met to be considered for
an interview.
University of Dundee A100 Award interviews based on UCAT + academic ability.
A104
A200
University of East Anglia A100 After successful primary screening, interview offers
A104 are based entirely on UCAT scores. After interviews,
offers are based on a combination of SJT, UCAT and
interview performance.
Edge Hill University A100 Once the minimum academic grade is met, interview
A110 offers are made entirely on UCAT scores. Candidates
in SJT band 4 will not be invited to interview. Offers
are made on a combination of UCAT score and
interview performance.
98 | Part:4 University Admissions UCAT Handbook
University UCAS Course Code How UCAT is used

University of Edinburgh A100 Separate candidates into UCAT deciles and award a
score. Also score SJT. Use this along with academic
ability to award invitation to Assessment Day. If in SJT
Band 4, will not be invited to interview.

University of Exeter A100* Use UCAT overall score and academic profiles to
award interviews.

University of Glasgow A100 Interviews are allocated according to UCAT score

A200 (once minimum academic requirements and
satisfactory personal statement and reference are
met). The SJT subtest is not taken into account.

Hull York A100 Interviews are awarded based on UCAT Cognitive

A101 Subtests (40 points) + SJT (15 points) + GCSE results
(30 points) + Contextual data (15 points). Candidates
in SJT Band 4 will not be invited to interview.

Keele University A100* Academic scores are used to invite candidates to

A104* interview. UCAT is used in borderline cases and as a
cut off score (candidates with UCAT scores less than
the second decile or SJT Band 4 are excluded).

Kent A100 UCAT threshold is used in inviting candidates to

interview.

King’s College London A100 Overall UCAT score given more consideration than
A101 individual subtest scores. SJT also taken into account.
A102 All entry requirements considered for awarding
A202 interviews.
A205
A206

University of Leicester A100 Interviews awarded by 50% UCAT + 50% academic

A199 ability.
If in SJT Band 4, will not be invited to interview.

University of Liverpool A100* Candidates are ranked for interview using a

A200 combination of UCAT and GCSEs. Candidates in SJT
band 4 will not be invited to interview.

University of Manchester A104 If UCAT is in approximately top 1/3 of results nationally

A106 and in Bands 1 or 2 in SJT, will be invited to interview
A204 (once academic threshold met). Other candidates may
A206 be invited as part of a holistic assessment well based
on all information available. If in SJT Band 4, will not be
expected to be invited to interview.

University of Newcastle A100 Interviews are awarded based solely on UCAT once
A101 academic threshold met. If in SJT Band 4, will not be
A206 invited to interview.

UCAT Handbook Part:4 University Admissions | 99

University UCAS Course Code How UCAT is used

University of Nottingham A100 Each cognitive subset and SJT is scored, with more
A10L value placed on Verbal Reasoning. UCAT + GCSE is
A108 used to invite candidates for interview. Candidates in
A18L SJT band 4 will not be invited to interview.

Plymouth University A100* Interviews are awarded based on UCAT and academic
A206* ability.

Queen Mary, University of London A100 Interviews awarded based 50% on UCAT and 50% on
A101 academic ability. Will not be considered for interview
A110 if UCAT score is below the third decile.
A200

Queen’s University Belfast A100 UCAT and GCSE grades are used to rank for interviews.
A200* SJT will not be considered except for borderline
applicants.

University of Sheffield A100 Interviews are awarded based solely on UCAT

A101 once UCAT and academic threshold met. The SJT
A200 considered for applicants who attend an interview.

University of Southampton A100 Interviews are awarded based solely on UCAT once
A101 academic threshold met. SJT is not considered.
A102

University of St Andrews A100 Interviews are allocated according to UCAT score

A990 (once minimum academic requirements and
satisfactory personal statement and reference are
met). The SJT is used in interview process.

St George’s, University of London A100 Interviews are awarded based solely on UCAT once
academic threshold met. Candidates are required
to score 500 or above in each section. Overall UCAT
score required is calculated each year. The SJT is not
considered.

University of Sunderland A100 Scores must be within top 8 deciles of the cohort and
SJT must be within bands 1-3. UCAT is used along with
Roles and Responsibility and academic requirements
for invitation to interview.

University of Surrey A101 Applicants are invited to interviews based on their

UCAT score.

University of Warwick A101 First round uses verbal reasoning, those with lower
than national cohort mean are rejected. Those with
above this mean have points awarded for their total
UCAT score.

University of Worcester A101 If applicants pass UCAT to a requisite level they will be
asked to perform in the Casper situational judgement
test as the next step in the admissions process.

* Alternative requirements may apply to certain groups of students – see the university website for details.

100 | Part:4 University Admissions UCAT Handbook

HOW BMAT IS USED
University How BMAT is used

Oxford Your chances of being short-listed rest on a number of factors, although we

do rely heavily on BMAT scores and GCSE performance (where available)
during short-listing. You should bear in mind that as we short-list the same
number of applicants every year, and we use two variables (which carry
the same weight), there is no actual BMAT cut-off. How well you need to do
in BMAT will be entirely dependent on how well every other applicant does,
and how well you have done in GCSEs (if you have taken them). A slightly
weaker performance at GCSE may be compensated for by a very good BMAT
score, and vice-versa. However, to offer a rough guide, we would suggest
that the typical average applicant should be working towards a 6 (a 7 is still
fairly rare) in sections 1 or 2; do note that sections 1 and 2 receive greater
weighting (40% each) than section 3 (20%).

Cambridge Admissions Tutors use BMAT results in conjunction with other elements
of students’ applications to decide which candidates will be invited to
interview, and to help with deciding who should be offered places in the
course. Students who achieve higher BMAT results are more likely to be
invited to interview but there is not a ‘pass’ mark for the BMAT at Cambridge.

UCL BMAT scores used alongside UCAS application. No cut-off but high scores
in each section will strengthen an application; Section 3 essay used as
discussion in interview.

Imperial BMAT cut-off scores are calculated each year, as a result of ranked candidate
BMAT scores versus number of expected interview sessions. As a result, the
absolute BMAT cut-off changes each year. However, the BMAT cut-off scores
from previous admissions cycles may be used as a guide. For last year’s
entry, the minimum scores required were: a score of 4.1 in section 1; a score
of 4.2 in section 2; a score of 2.5 and grade C in section 3.

Brighton and Sussex BSMS scores the BMAT out of 28 (9 marks for Section 1, 9 for Section 2 and 5
marks for each element of Section 3) we then rank all applicants according
to their total score out of 28 and work down the rankings to fill our interview
places. The cut off score will vary each year.

Leeds We have decided on a method similar to our previous use of UCAT using the
total score offered by each candidate which will be compared with all the other
applicants to Leeds scores. Those in the top 20% will receive the full mark
available for this part of their application and those in the bottom 20% will
receive the lowest mark available for this part of their application. From this
you can see that we do not use a pre-determined cut-off threshold. The BMAT
total score will be calculated from a sum of the scores achieved in section 1, 2
and 3 although section 3 will have half the weighting of the other sections as it
will be revisited during the interview stage of the selection process.

Lancaster Calculates the total BMAT score by combining the individual scores for
Sections 1, 2 and 3. Section 1 is scored out of 9; Section 2 is scored out of 9;
and Section 3 is scored out of 5 (for quality of content). We do not use the
quality of English score (A-E).

UCAT Handbook Part:4 University Admissions | 101

HOW PERSONAL STATEMENT IS USED
University of Aberdeen Medical Personal statement is reviewed prior to interview for evidence of preparation
School for medicine. The personal statement is assessed at interview.

Anglia Ruskin University School of Personal statement not directly used in the selection process, although parts
Medicine should be prepared to discuss at interview.

Aston University Medical School For last year’s entry, personal statements were read in conjunction with the
reference but were not scored. However, personal statements may have been
used to differentiate between borderline candidates.

University of Birmingham School Personal statement is not scored. It is expected that the statement provides
of Medicine evidence of commitment to study medicine.

Brighton and Sussex Medical The personal statement is not used in any part of the selection process.
School

University of Bristol Medical Personal statement is not assessed, but may be used to differentiate
School between applicants who have achieved the same UCAT score.

University of Buckingham Medical The medical school may consider all the information provided within
School a candidate’s application including academic qualifications, personal
statement and references before a final decision is made to interview or offer
a place on the course.

University of Cambridge School of Personal statement is reviewed prior to interview but not scored.
Clinical Medicine

Cardiff University School of Personal statements and references are used once the academic
Medicine requirements have been met to decide on interview invitations.

University of Dundee School of The personal statement is used at the interview stage.
Medicine

Edge Hill University Medical Personal statement only used to distinguish between borderline
School applicants.

University of East Anglia, Norwich Personal statement is used in the primary screening to ensure that it is
Medical School ‘satisfactory’.

University of Edinburgh Medical Personal statement is used as an important part of the assessment day.
School

University of Exeter Medical The personal statement is evaluated for details regarding mitigating
School circumstances. The statement is not ranked or scored as part of the selection
process.

University of Glasgow School of Reviewed prior to interview but not scored.

Medicine

Hull York Medical School The personal statement is screened before offer but not scored. All available
information, including the personal statement, may be used when assessing
applicants who are borderline at selection for offer or selection for interview.
At interview the personal statement may also be used to check claims made
on your personal statement.

102 | Part:4 University Admissions UCAT Handbook

Imperial College London School of Last year, personal statement was used as evidence of motivation to study
Medicine medicine, understanding of medicine as a career, community activities,
leadership qualities, ability to work in a team and general interests.

Keele University School of Personal statement is used in one of the interview stations. A separate
Medicine Roles and Responsibilities (R+R) form is also used in selecting students to
interview.

Kent and Medway Medical School Not used as a primary method for selecting applicants for interview, although
may be used to differentiate applicants who are holding the same qualifica-
tions and have the same UCAT. During the multiple mini-interview process the
personal statement may form the basis of a discussion at one of the stations.

King’s College London School of Personal statements are used as part of the interview shortlisting process.
Medical Education They are not able to consider applicants whose personal statements are not
focused on Medicine.

Lancaster University Medical Not assessed but may be used as part of the interview.
School

University of Leeds Medical School Not formally scored, but it is essential that applicants take this opportunity to
demonstrate their motivation and enthusiasm to study.

University of Leicester Medical Not routinely read although used in borderline cases and the Access to
School Medicine Qualification.

Lincoln Medical School (University The personal statement is read but not scored.
of Nottingham Lincoln Pathway)

University of Liverpool School of Personal statement will not be used in making the decision to invite to
Medicine interview but will be assessed at interview.

University of Manchester School of Personal statement not normally used. An electronic non-academic
Medicine information form will be sent to candidates ahead of the interview.

Newcastle University Medical Not used prior or at interview, read prior to offers being made but is not
School scored.

University of Nottingham School of The personal statement and reference are assessed after interview before
Medicine issuing offers. The personal statement is not scored.

University of Oxford Medical Considered by admissions tutors alongside all other aspects of the
School application. Candidates may choose to explain how they meet the selection
criteria, which encompass academic fit and personal characteristics that
relate to suitability for medicine.

Plymouth University Peninsula Not scored.

Medical School

Queen Mary University, Barts and The personal statement is assessed as part of the shortlisting process but
The London School of Medicine is not scored. It is used in the interview process for panelists to ask more
detailed questions regarding work experience.

UCAT Handbook Part:4 University Admissions | 103

Queen’s University Belfast, Personal statements are not scored as part of the selection process. There
Medical School should be evidence of commitment and motivation in the personal statement
and it should state explicitly that Medicine is their career choice.

University of Sheffield Medical Not scored. Interest in medicine, work experience/volunteering and outside
School interests are all explored at interview.

University of Southampton Faculty Selectors use the personal statement to inform interview questions related
of Medicine to the non-academic criteria if the applicant is invited to attend a Selection
Day.

University of St Andrews Medical Not scored but health-related work experience required for applicant to be
School considered for interview.

St George’s, University of London Not scored.

University of Sunderland School of Not assessed. Applicants are required to complete a post-application roles
Medicine and responsibilities form.

University College London Medical Used as part of the criteria in inviting candidates to interview.
School

University of Central Lancashire The personal statement, academic reference and transferable skills
Medical School statement are used to shortlist applicants for interview.

104 | UCAT Handbook

 What Makes MedEntry
5
Different?

UCAT Handbook Part 1: How to get into Medicine/Dentistry | 105

Quality Education That
Delivers Results

There are many companies offering UCAT

preparation, and it can be difficult to decide Choosing the right UCAT
which organisation to trust. However, choosing preparation provider
the right UCAT preparation organisation is an can be very important in
important decision and can determine your determining your success
success in entering medicine.
Over the last two decades, MedEntry has been the trusted medical entry preparation provider,
chosen by the best prospective medical students. MedEntry has become synonymous with
‘Medical Entry’.
Here’s why:

Our Unrivalled Expertise

MedEntry is the only organisation run by specialist, practicing doctors and academics, with
expertise in test development, measurement and analysis. We are the only organisation
that has been helping students enter medicine for two decades, and we have helped over
20,000 students to become doctors across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and
New Zealand. Over that time, we have developed unrivalled expertise regarding entry into
medicine.

Our Obsession with Quality

We understand how important quality UCAT and interview preparation is for our students,
having been through the process ourselves. Our focus is therefore on providing the highest
quality and most comprehensive program available.
Working with our IT engineers, we have developed the most advanced, comprehensive
and personalised online UCAT platform available. It exactly replicates the live UCAT,
provides comprehensive, personalised feedback, offers innovative, exclusive services, and
even makes preparing for the UCAT fun! Our workshops have become famous over the
years due to their interactive, engaging and enjoyable nature.

Our Unique Approach

MedEntry’s aim is not just to help you prepare for UCAT and interviews. Our aim is to
help you develop important life skills, such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence and
likeability, which will be useful to you throughout your life. It is not uncommon for past
students to describe our courses as life-changing.

106 | Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? UCAT Handbook

Our Unparallelled Results
MedEntry’s reputation is based on results. We are proud to have trained tens of thousands
of health professionals.
A survey of a random sample of students who have been through our full training program
showed that 92% were offered interviews, and 88% were offered places in one or more
medical schools. Feedback statistics show that 99.1% of our students would recommend
MedEntry’s services to their friends. Over 95% of our students come through word-of-
mouth referrals.

     
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% MedEntry

0% National

Above 99 Above 98 Above 95 Above 90 Above 85

Our Outstanding Reviews

MedEntry has far
Ultimately, it is easy to find the best UCAT
higher ratings preparation organisation: simply look at
than any other independent reviews on Google and Facebook.
educational MedEntry has over 3000 reviews across our
institution, including United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New
universities! Zealand offices, at an average star rating of 4.9.
This is far higher than any university!

UCAT Handbook Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? | 107

MEDENTRY QUALITY GUARANTEE
We are so confident in the quality
of our preparation that we offer 4.9
this Quality Guarantee:
4.9
Find any educational institution
>3000 reviews
with more and higher ratings
than MedEntry,
and we will offer
OUR COURSE FREE!

108 | Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? UCAT Handbook

GIVING BACK
MedEntry started with humble beginnings.
The organisation was made possible by a
generous grant from the Foundation for Young
Australians, which is a voluntary organisation
committed to helping young people achieve
their goals.
We have a strong commitment to the
community, and are particularly passionate
about widening access to education to those
from disadvantaged and under-serviced
backgrounds.

Scholarships and bursaries

MedEntry provides scholarships and bursaries
to those from disadvantaged backgrounds,
including those of low socio-economic status
and those from rural and remote areas.
We have provided over £600,000 worth of
scholarships and discounts to such students
over the years.

Charity Partnerships
Each year, MedEntry partners with a charity
in each country in which we operate. Students
have the option of donating to a charity upon
enrolment, and MedEntry matches each
donation, dollar for dollar.

Examples of previous charity partners

United Kingdom Ireland Australia New Zealand

Teenage Cancer Trust Our Lady’s Children’s Red Cross’ Disaster Relief and Make a Wish
Hospital, Crumlin Recovery (Bushfire Relief)

UCAT Handbook Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? | 109

Our Services

MedEntry provides three main packages and a number of optional extras that can be
purchased.

Main Packages
The most popular package is the Platinum package, and a group discount is available for
two or more students.

Packages
Online Platinum Diamond
Online Learning Platform   
Smartphone App   
Personal Support   
University Admissions Guide   
2-day Online Workshop  
One-on-one tutoring 
Personal Statement Review 

MedEntry also offers UCAT Weekly Classes.

110 | Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? UCAT Handbook

ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM
Our Online Learning Platform is the most advanced, personalised and comprehensive
platform available. It is included in all our UCAT packages.
It includes:

w >20,000 High quality practice questions

in 20+ practice exams, 40+ subtest mocks and our massive QBank. These
questions are delivered on a platform that exactly replicates the live UCAT

w A Structured Curriculum
that guides students through effective strategies and techniques for each UCAT
subtest and type of question, complete with interactive video instruction

w Exclusive Skills Trainers

that help students develop the skills required to succeed in each subtest, and
prepare for UCAT in a fun and efficient manner

w Comprehensive Feedback
including percentile rankings, predicted scores and feedback on timing

w Personalised Adaptive Learning

which means the platform learns from you and suggests resources to help you
prepare for UCAT efficiently and effectively

w Much more
including an interactive UCAT study planner, community page and resources
section

UCAT Handbook Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? | 111

2-DAY ONLINE UCAT WORKSHOP
Our workshops have become famous over the years – they are carefully crafted to cover
the key strategies to UCAT success in a fun, engaging and interactive environment.
Workshops are run by expert doctors who have each taught tens of thousands of students.
Workshops are included in all Platinum and Diamond packages.
Workshops include:

w Discussion of each UCAT subtest with strategies on how to answer questions

quickly and accurately

w Question and answer sessions with students who have recently excelled in
UCAT and are currently studying medicine

w Short mini-tests to provide students with hands-on experience

w Formal instruction and group learning

w Medical Entry interview advice

112 | Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? UCAT Handbook

MEDENTRY SMARTPHONE APP
MedEntry’s exclusive UCAT preparation App allows
you to practise for the UCAT anytime and any place. MedEntry is the only UCAT
The App is included in all MedEntry packages. preparation organisation
MedEntry is the only UCAT preparation organisation with a dedicated UCAT
with a dedicated UCAT preparation App. preparation App.

The App includes:

w Access to thousands of questions from

each of the five UCAT subtests

w Detailed guides and solutions which show

you exactly how to approach each question

w Features to keep you in touch with other

MedEntry students via our community page

With MedEntry you’ll be able to access your UCAT materials anywhere, anytime and
any place. Whether you’re at home, at school or on the bus you can access and use the
online platform from your laptop, smartphone, tablet or desktop. All you need is an
internet connection and you’re good to go!

UCAT Handbook Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? | 113

PRIVATE UCAT TUTORING
This service is included in the Diamond package. It can be added on to the Platinum
Package and some Online Packages. It involves one-on-one, online, personalised tutoring
to help guide students through the medical entry process.
Personalised UCAT coaching is provided by an experienced tutor/mentor who has
performed exceptionally well in UCAT, interviews and school.
MedEntry tutors are the best of the best - they have come through a very stringent
vetting process, and are continually assessed to ensure they meet the highest quality that
is expected of the MedEntry brand.

MEDENTRY INTERVIEW TUTORING

We passionately believe that all young people have a fascinating and individual life
experience. Our role is to help these experiences and the passion you have for medicine
shine through in a potentially stressful interview setting.
MedEntry’s personalised interview tutoring will:

w Reduce stress - you should not go into your interview unaware of the questions
that you will be asked

w Help you communicate effectively to help present your ‘best-self’ to the

interview panel

w Provide strategies on how to succeed

Sessions are conducted one-on-one, online, allowing personalised feedback and

interaction to occur.

114 | Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? UCAT Handbook

MEDENTRY INTERVIEW GUIDE
You should not go into your interview unaware of the questions that you will be asked.
The guide includes:

w common questions asked in medical and dental interviews throughout the UK

w how to approach answering common and difficult questions

w what interviewers are looking for

w invaluable information on interview technique

w how to manage stress and perform at your best in the interview

This guide was written by a team of experts on interview technique, students who have
been successful in interviews and those who have been on interview panels.

PERSONAL STATEMENT REVIEW

Personal statements are a required part of your UCAS application. It is important that
these are completed effectively and in a manner that will maximise your chances of
gaining a place.
This service enables you to gain feedback from expert application reviewers, who will
check your statement and make detailed suggestions. You will also gain access to a
comprehensive personal statement guide that will provide strategies to craft an effective
and powerful personal statement
This service is included in the Diamond Package, or can be purchased as an add-on.

UCAT Handbook Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? | 115

Free Resources
MedEntry is pleased to offer free, comprehensive and high-quality resources to students,
parents and teachers to help with the medical entry process.
To access these resources, please visit the MedEntry website and click on ‘Free Resources’
along the top navigation bar.

FREE RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS

Full UCAT Practice Exam Bootcamp

Attempt a free, full length diagnostic An Online UCAT Bootcamp session
exam covering all five UCAT subtests, (two hours duration) is available for
on an advanced platform that exactly viewing on the MedEntry website.
replicates the live UCAT. Receive This session is invaluable for anyone
detailed feedback including predicted who is serious about getting into
scores and worked solutions. medicine.

Complete UCAT Guide UCAT Sample Questions

A complete guide to UCAT, which covers Get a feel for UCAT with sample
everything you need to know about questions which cover each type of
UCAT, sample questions, and strategies UCAT question across the five subtests.
to approach each type of question.

UCAT Blogs
Hundreds of articles on a variety
of topics including UCAT, medical
interviews, medicine, dentistry,
secondary school and much more!

116 | Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? UCAT Handbook

Resources For Teachers
MedEntry understands how important teachers are in guiding students through the
medical entry process. We provide valuable resources for teachers which are outlined
below.
If you are unsure of the answer to any of your student’s questions, please ask them to
read this Handbook or contact us. Medical entry is a complex and constantly changing
area and we realise you are busy with other important work for the benefit of your
students. Leave it to the experts: ask them to email [email protected].

Resources that teachers can pass on to students:

w Free Diagnostic UCAT exam

w Free UCAT online bootcamp (2 hours duration)

w Free UCAT guide

Information about UCAT

MedEntry is pleased to be able to provide teachers with information about UCAT,
including answers to common questions.

Discount Codes
MedEntry has a commitment to helping as many students as possible access our quality
resources. As a valued teacher, you can help nominate them for discounts.

UCAT Handbook Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? | 117

 We look forward to helping you on your
journey to becoming a doctor!

Have a question?
If you have any questions about UCAT, interviews or the medical entry
process, please do not hesitate to contact the MedEntry team.

+44 (0) 203 137 1050 www.facebook.com/MedEntryUK.UCAT

RRP £5 [email protected] @medentryucat_uk
www.medentry.co.uk Date of Publication: 1 September 2022
118 | Part:5 What Makes MedEntry Different? UCAT Handbook