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Thinking about sitting the UCAT ® Exam in 2023? The UCAT ® is a mammoth exam many students spend months preparing for. It’s a key hurdle for entry into undergraduate medicine and an exam that only becomes available in your final year of high school - You’ve got to balance all your high school studies and assessments with finding the time to prepare for the UCAT exam. To give yourself the best chance of success at this key junction, it’s crucial that you get up to speed and learn as much as you can about sitting the UCAT ® exam in 2023.
This guide to sitting the UCAT ® Exam in 2023 will help you plan for the UCAT ® key dates, help you set some expectations around the exam and more. The topics covered are:
An important list of UCAT ® 2023 dates can be found below:
Concession Scheme opens
Access Arrangements open |
1 February 2023 |
Booking Opens | 1 March 2023 |
Concession application deadline | 10 May 2023 |
Access Arrangements application deadline | 17 May 2023 |
Booking Deadline | 17 May 2023 |
Late booking deadline | 31 May 2023 |
FINAL late booking deadline | 5 June 2023 |
Cancellation deadline | 10 June 2023 |
Testing begins | 3 July 2023 |
Last testing date | 11 August 2023 |
Results delivered to universities | by early September 2023 |
For 2021, the UCAT ® testing period was extended from 1st of July to 20th of August due to unforeseen lockdown public health orders across Australia. Some applicants had to sit their exam in early September in NSW due to the special circumstances involving extensive COVID-19 cases. UCAT ® in 2022 was set in July-August, with available testing centres bookings ranging from the 1st of July to the 12th of August.
UCAT ® 2023 will be set in July - August 2023 with available testing centres bookings ranging from 1st of March to 17th of May. Late bookings are accepted until the 31st of May and final late booking until the 5th of June, but additional fees will apply.
UCAT ® registration 2023 can be done online via the official UCAT ® website. UCAT ® bookings in 2023 are generally managed and carried out by Pearson Vue Testing Centres.
For 2023, the UCAT ® registration deadline is the 17th of May 2023.
It is important you keep track of UCAT ® registration dates, as late bookings are often charged a ‘late fee’.
The UCAT ® ANZ Test Fees for 2023 are as follows:
Tests taken in Australia or New Zealand | $325 |
Concession Fee (Australia only) | $199 |
Tests taken overseas / outside Australia and New Zealand | $395 |
Late fee | Additional $85 |
Final late fee | Additional $185 |
Refund fee | $50 of the test fee deducted |
Candidates with a current Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card , issued by Centrelink, will be eligible for a reduced testing fee (concession fee - $199). An application is required to be submitted.
Concession Scheme Opens: 1st February 2023
Concession Application Deadlines: 10th May 2023
To lodge an application, follow the steps outlined on the official UCAT ® website
There are 4 key steps you’ll need to take to apply for the UCAT ® exam:
Register online via Pearson VUE by creating a new account
Book a UCAT ® test date
UCAT ® Test Day
UCAT ® Results + Medical School Interview Offers
The following table showcases important information that details each step of the UCAT ® application process. It is important to note that the earliest you are able to sit the UCAT ® exam is in your final year of high school.
Steps to take | Details |
1. Register online via Pearson VUE by creating a new account |
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2. Booking a UCAT ® test date |
|
3. UCAT ® Test Day |
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4. UCAT ® Results & Interview Offers |
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If you decide to cancel your exam, you will receive a refund, but $50 will be deducted from what you have paid. This does not include the late fee, which is non-refundable. You can cancel your exam up until 10th of June 2023. After the 10th of June, your refund request will not be accepted.
Rescheduling can be done up to 24 hours before the test appointment time. You can reschedule your test through your Pearson VUE account. There are several steps after you select a new location/date/time. Ensure you receive a confirmation email after you have completed the steps.
If you miss the rescheduling deadline, you will not receive a free reschedule or a refund. You will need to pay the exam fee again, but you can still reschedule your test by calling Pearson VUE customer services. The helpline is available from 9 AM to 6 PM local time, from Monday to Friday. This means if you would like to reschedule your Monday booking, it needs to be done before Friday.
Rescheduling is subject to the availability of appointments (whether there are spots available on your specified date at your specified location). Candidates should be prepared to travel if no other booking times are available at a preferred test location.
If you miss your examination for whatever reason, whether it may be illnesses, family, personal circumstances, as well as forgetfulness or lateness, you will forfeit your test fee. This also includes presenting invalid identification documents.
You will need to wait for around 24 hours for your appointment status to change to “no-show”. You will then need to book another appointment by calling Pearson VUE customer services. It is important to keep in mind that a rescheduled appointment must occur within the testing period , and if there are no available bookings, then you will need to resit next year.
A list of available UCAT ® test centre locations can be found below. Generally, all major cities in Australia will have testing centres available for UCAT ® 2023:
State | UCAT ® Test Centre |
ACT | Canberra |
ACT |
Armidale
Newcastle Orange Parramatta Port Macquarie Sydney Wagga Wagga |
NT |
Alice Springs
Darwin |
QLD |
Brisbane
Bundaberg Cairns Gold Coast Maroochydore Rockhampton Toowoomba Townsville |
SA |
Adelaide
Port Augusta |
TAS |
Hobart
Launceston |
VIC |
Ballarat
Bendigo Churchill Geelong Melbourne Mildura |
WA |
Bunbury
Perth |
Auckland |
Christchurch |
Dunedin |
Invercargill |
New Plymouth |
Wellington |
No. Candidates will not be able to sit their UCAT ® at home and are required to travel to a testing centre location.
2021 was a special year where some candidates sat their exam at home with ProctorU, however this was due to public health orders.
The Australian medical admissions process is extremely competitive, and is even more so for undergraduate applicants. For undergraduate universities, the medical applications process is split into 3 components:
Almost all undergraduate universities will require a UCAT ® medical interview. A list of undergraduate medicine universities in Australia which utilises UCAT ® in 2023 can be found below:
University of Adelaide
Central Queensland University (provisional)
Charles Sturt university (Joint Program in Medicine)
Curtin University
Flinders University
Griffith University
Monash
University of Newcastle/University of New England (Joint Medical Program)
UNSW
University of Queensland (provisional)
University of Southern Queensland (provisional)
University of Tasmania
University of Western Australia
University of Western Sydney (Joint Program in Medicine)
Visit our guide on UCAT ® Medicine to learn more about what role the exam plays in your medical school admissions journey.
Below is a summary of predicted key dates for universities with UCAT ® entry requirements.
Note: The Joint Medical Program (UoN/UNE), Joint Program in Medicine (WSU/CSU), UNSW medicine both have a separate application that is required to be submitted via their website.
Steps to take | Timeline |
UCAT ® Registration Closure | 17th May (31st May for a late-fee, and 5th of June for a final late-fee) |
Sit the UCAT ® | 3rd July - 11th August 2023 |
UCAT ® percentiles released | August/September 2023 |
UNSW Medical Application Portal + Joint Program in Medicine Application Closure | 30th September 2023 |
UAC/SATAC/VTAC/QTAC etc. preferences closure | November 2023 |
Interviews Released | Late November 2023 - Early February 2024 (depending on university) |
Offers Released | January - February 2024 |
The short answer is that it depends, and it depends primarily on each individual's background and skills. The UCAT ® is predominantly a skills-based exam. As it is not a knowledge-based exam, it can be difficult to study and practice for.
The UCAT ® requires reflective practice rather than brute-forcing questions. The questions in each UCAT ® subtest are not difficult, but rather the exam is predominantly more time-pressured. With a range between 14 seconds - 66 seconds per question depending on the section, the exam is difficult in the sense of time and stress management.
If you’re wondering how hard the UCAT ® exam is compared to the GAMSAT ® exam and other ways in which the two exams differ, check out our guide UCAT ® vs GAMSAT ® : Everything You Need to Know.
Now that you’re aware of all the key dates for 2023, make a start on your preparation with our guides and free resources: