What Is the UCAT? The University Clinical Aptitude Test Explained
The UCAT is the admissions test for UK medicine and dentistry: four timed sections, total scores of 900-2700, and no more Abstract Reasoning since 2025.
Dr. Russell T. WarneChief Scientist
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The UCAT, or University Clinical Aptitude Test, is a computer-based admissions test used by dozens of UK medical and dental schools, with a parallel UCAT ANZ version serving Australia and New Zealand. Around 37,000 candidates sit it each year at Pearson VUE test centres. The current test has four separately timed sections, three cognitive subtests scored 300 to 900 each for a total of 900 to 2700, plus a Situational Judgement section reported as a band. One recent change matters more than anything else for anyone using older prep materials: Abstract Reasoning was removed from the test starting with the 2025 cycle. This article covers the current format, scoring, dates and fees for 2026, and how the UCAT relates to IQ testing.
The 2026 format: four sections, just under two hours
• Verbal Reasoning: 44 questions in 22 minutes. Reading passages and judging what follows from them.
• Decision Making: 35 questions in 37 minutes. Logic puzzles, probability judgments, and argument evaluation.
• Quantitative Reasoning: 36 questions in 26 minutes. Applied numerical problem solving of the kind covered in our numerical reasoning guide.
• Situational Judgement: 69 questions in 26 minutes. Professional-judgment scenarios, a classic situational judgement test.
Each section is preceded by a short timed instruction screen, the whole test runs just under two hours, and there is no negative marking, so never leave a question blank.
What happened to Abstract Reasoning
Through 2024 the UCAT had a fifth section of shape-pattern problems. In December 2024 the consortium announced that "Abstract Reasoning will be withdrawn from the test and some minor changes will be made to the remaining cognitive subtests." Any prep resource describing five sections or a total score out of 3600 is out of date; the cognitive total is now 900 to 2700 across three subtests. The format itself lives on elsewhere in testing, and our guide to abstract reasoning tests explains what those items measure and why admissions bodies have debated them.
Scoring, dates, and fees for the 2026 cycle
Each cognitive subtest is scaled from 300 to 900, and Situational Judgement is reported separately as Band 1 through Band 4, with Band 1 highest. Universities combine UCAT results with academic record and interviews in ways that vary by school, so a "good" score is always relative to a particular program's cohort.
For the 2026 UK cycle: registration opens May 20, booking opens June 23, testing runs from July 13 to September 24. The fee is 70 pounds for tests taken in the UK and 115 pounds elsewhere, with a bursary scheme that can waive it. Testing happens at Pearson VUE centres in more than 130 countries. UCAT ANZ candidates test between July 1 and August 5, 2026 for 2027 entry.
Common misconceptions about the UCAT
• "The UCAT has five sections": Outdated since the 2025 cycle. Abstract Reasoning is gone; four sections remain.
• "The total score is out of 3600": That was the old five-subtest scale. The current cognitive total runs 900 to 2700.
• "Situational Judgement counts toward your total": It is reported separately as a band from 1 to 4 and never enters the 900-2700 total.
• "Wrong answers are penalized": There is no negative marking, so an educated guess always beats a blank.
Is the UCAT an IQ test?
The three cognitive subtests are g-loaded reasoning measures, verbal, logical, and numerical, and general cognitive ability is among the best-documented predictors of training performance. But the UCAT is built for selection, sat once per cycle under high stakes, and it reports a ranking tool for admissions rather than a normed ability profile. There is a small irony in the 2025 change: the section closest to a pure fluid-reasoning measure is the one that was dropped. If you want to understand your underlying abilities before test day, the Reasoning and Intelligence Online Test from RIOT IQ measures six cognitive domains with real norms, and you can take a free IQ test to see your profile across them.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four sections of the UCAT?
Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, and Situational Judgement. Abstract Reasoning was removed from the 2025 cycle onward.
What is the UCAT total score?
The three cognitive subtests are each scaled 300 to 900, giving a total of 900 to 2700. Situational Judgement is reported separately as a band from 1 to 4.
How much does the UCAT cost in 2026?
70 pounds in the UK and 115 pounds outside it. A bursary scheme can cover the fee for eligible candidates.
Is there negative marking on the UCAT?
No. Incorrect answers are not penalized, so answer every question.
Who has to take the UCAT?
Applicants to dozens of UK medical and dental schools, plus programs in the UCAT ANZ consortium and several international partner universities. Check each university's admissions pages for the current list.
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