What Is UCAT and Who Needs It?

The UCAT is taken on computer at Pearson VUE test centres, including centres in India. Each subtest is separately timed.

Applicants to medicine and dentistry at UCAT Consortium universities. That covers most UK medical and dental schools; since the BMAT ended, Oxford and Cambridge also use the UCAT.

Some universities outside the UK also use it. Check the UCAT universities list and each course page, since a few UK medical schools do not require it.

International applicants, including Indian students, take the same test.

For 2027 entry, registration opened on 20 May 2026, booking opened on 23 June and closed on 16 September, and tests ran from 13 July to 24 September 2026. Results are delivered to universities in early November.

The fee is £70 at UK test centres and £115 elsewhere. Bursaries are available for eligible UK candidates.

Expect a similar timetable for 2028 entry, with testing over the summer before you apply.

There is no pass mark. Each university uses the UCAT differently: some set a threshold for interview, some score it alongside grades, and some weigh the Situational Judgement band heavily.

Because universities use scores differently, a strategic applicant chooses medical schools where their score is strongest. Check how each school used the UCAT in the previous cycle.

Start six to eight weeks before your test. Use the free official UCAT practice tests and question banks, which mirror the real interface.

Timing is the main difficulty: Verbal Reasoning gives you 30 seconds per question. Practise skipping and flagging hard questions.

For Situational Judgement, learn the principles of good medical practice, such as patient safety, honesty and teamwork.