What you need to know about getting into Medicine through the UCAT

The Undergraduate Medicine Admissions Test:

What you need to know about getting into Med via UCAT® Exam

Getting into Medicine is the dream of many young students; the promise of a rewarding yet challenging career where a real difference is made to people's lives attracts the interest of many. Because of this, getting into a med course can be a long and difficult process. Here's all you need to know about the UCAT® Exam, one of the main pathways into medicine in Australia.
 

What is the UCAT® Exam?

The UCAT, or University Clinical Aptitude Test is an exam administered yearly on the last Wednesday of July by ACER, the Australian Council for Educational Research. Registrations typically close in early June, and results are released in September. Passing the UCAT® Exam is a requirement for entry into many Australian university medicine courses.

The UCAT 2026 consists of three main content areas: Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving (Section 1), Understanding People (Section 2), and Non-verbal Reasoning (Section 3). The question types are tested together in the exam and the question order is mixed, rather than divided into clear sections. However, the sections are marked individually.

Overall, the exam is 134 multi choice questions over three hours.
 

How does it fit with my studies?

UCAT® Exam is undertaken by most students during their final year of schooling, although it is available to tertiary students as well. Hence, studying for the UCAT® Exam must happen side by side with the other academic pressures which are brought about by schoolwork, which means that many people feel overwhelmed, and as though they have no time to prepare for the UCAT® Exam. Thus, getting started early is critical to success. Maximizing time available to study for the UCAT® Exam, and doing so during the start of term period or the holidays when there are no exam or assignments due can help to balance UCAT® Exam study with other work, allowing you to focus on other things during busy exam periods. It sounds like a lot, I know, and no one likes giving up their holidays, but when you have a spot in the medicine course you desire, it will all be worth it!
 

Can I prepare for the UCAT® Exam?

Absolutely! The three sections of the UCAT® Exam can all be prepared for in order to maximize your chances of getting a high score.  Sections 1 and 2 both have a lot of reading, so training your speed reading skills is a huge benefit. Doing practice questions also increases your speed and familiarity with the questions.

Section 3 involves abstract reasoning, which many people find very challenging. There are specific strategies which can be learnt, which break down these questions and make them very solvable. The human brain is incredibly adept at visualizing and recognizing patterns, and this ability, with practice, can be trained.

What else do I need to know?

For many universities, a good UCAT® Exam score will need to be coupled with an interview in order to gain entry to medicine. It is wise to prepare for an interview along with UCAT preparation.

The UCAT® Exam is a lot of work; you can't fluke it. HOWEVER, if you know how to approach it, a good score is very achievable.

Finally, make sure you have a plan as to how you will approach the day itself.

If not UCAT® Exam, then what?

If UCAT® Exam isn't your thing, then don't panic: there are several other pathways into medicine courses in Australia other than the UCAT® Exam. The most important of these is the GAMSAT® Exam, which is for graduate entry into medicine. Some universities also administer their own admissions processes, and don't take a UCAT® Exam score into consideration.