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This UCAT students guide is a practical starting point for school leaver UCAT applicants planning undergraduate medicine or dentistry. Whether you are searching for a UCAT guide for students or wondering how to start UCAT prep, this page walks through registration, the current four-subtest exam format, scoring, preparation steps and test-day logistics.
The University Clinical Aptitude Test or UCAT ® ANZ is a standardised computer-based test used by many Australian universities for entry into undergraduate medical, dental and clinical science programmes. The exam lasts just under two hours at Pearson VUE test centres. It is one component of a medical school application — alongside academic qualifications and interviews — designed to help universities identify strong applicants from an already competitive cohort. For a broader overview, see what is the UCAT ®?
To sit the UCAT ® ANZ, register and book on the official UCAT ANZ website through Pearson VUE. Create your UCAT ANZ login before bookings open, then select your test date, time and centre when the booking window opens.
Registrations and bookings typically open in March, with a standard deadline in May, a late booking window with surcharges, testing across July–August, and results sent to universities in early September. Exact dates change each cycle.
For the full 2026 timeline — registration windows, booking deadlines, concession application dates and result release — see our UCAT ® 2026 dates and fees page.
The standard test fee for tests taken in Australia or New Zealand is $335 AUD in the 2026 cycle. A concession fee of $240 is available to eligible Australian Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card holders. Tests taken overseas cost $405. Late booking surcharges of $85 or $185 apply depending on when you book.
Candidates can only take the test once per cycle. You may reschedule before the deadline, or cancel for a partial refund — see the UCAT ® 2026 page for current rules.
University Clinical Aptitude Test
Verbal Reasoning
Decision Making
Quantitative Reasoning
Situational Judgement
The current UCAT ® ANZ exam has 184 multiple-choice questions across four subtests in a fixed order. Abstract Reasoning is not part of the live exam — older five-section guides are outdated. Subtests always run: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, then Situational Judgement. For the full breakdown, see our UCAT structure guide.
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| Section Section |
Description Description |
Time Allocated* (mins) Time Allocated* (mins) |
Questions Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning Verbal Reasoning |
Assesses the ability to critically evaluate information presented in a written form. Assesses the ability to critically evaluate information presented in a written form. |
22 minutes 22 minutes |
44 (11 passages × 4) 44 (11 passages × 4) |
| Decision Making Decision Making |
Assesses the ability to make sound decisions and judgements using complex information. Assesses the ability to make sound decisions and judgements using complex information. |
37 minutes 37 minutes |
35 35 |
| Quantitative Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning |
Assesses the ability to critically evaluate information presented in a numerical form. Assesses the ability to critically evaluate information presented in a numerical form. |
26 minutes 26 minutes |
36 36 |
| Situational Judgement Situational Judgement |
Measures the capacity to understand real world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviour in dealing with them. Measures the capacity to understand real world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviour in dealing with them. |
26 minutes 26 minutes |
69 69 |
| * Before each subtest there is a short timed instruction section — total test time is about 111 minutes plus instruction screens (just under two hours). | |||
The three cognitive subtests (VR, DM, QR) are each scored 300–900. Situational Judgement is reported in bands and scored separately. Around 10% of questions are unscored trial questions that do not count towards your final score.
For subtest-specific strategies, see our guides on Verbal Reasoning , Decision Making , Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement.
The UCAT ® exam is scored based on correct answers with no negative marking. Raw marks for each cognitive subtest are converted to a scaled score of 300–900, giving a total cognitive score of 900–2700. Situational Judgement is reported separately in bands. For full percentile tables and university context, see UCAT scores.
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| Cognitive Subtest Cognitive Subtest |
Questions Questions |
Scale Score Range Scale Score Range |
Marking Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning Verbal Reasoning |
44 44 |
300 – 900 300 – 900 |
Questions are worth 1 mark each. Questions are worth 1 mark each. |
| Decision Making Decision Making |
35 35 |
300 – 900 300 – 900 |
Questions with one correct answer are worth 1 mark. Questions with multiple statements are worth 2 marks. One mark is awarded to partially correct responses on the multiple-statement questions. Questions with one correct answer are worth 1 mark.
Questions with multiple statements are worth 2 marks. One mark is awarded to partially correct responses on the multiple-statement questions. |
| Quantitative Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning |
36 36 |
300 – 900 300 – 900 |
Questions are worth 1 mark each. Questions are worth 1 mark each. |
| Cognitive Total Cognitive Total
| 115 115 |
900 – 2700 900 – 2700 |
|
| Situational Judgement Situational Judgement |
69 69 |
Bands 1–4 Bands 1–4 |
Full marks for responses matching the correct answer; partial marks for close responses. Full marks for responses matching the correct answer; partial marks for close responses. |
Results are emailed within 24 hours with instructions to access your score report via your Pearson VUE account. Results are valid for one year only — a 2026 UCAT ® score can only be used for 2027 university entry. The UCAT ® ANZ Consortium communicates results to universities directly.
What counts as a competitive UCAT ® score depends on the test difficulty, which universities you apply to, and other admissions factors like ATAR and interview performance. In 2025 official test statistics, the 90th percentile cognitive total was 2310 (out of 2700) — a useful benchmark for standard medicine pathways. See UCAT medicine for university-specific context.
The UCAT ® is designed to differentiate an already competitive applicant pool. Many students find the main challenge is not question difficulty alone but time pressure — 184 questions in just under two hours. Strong time management is as important as cognitive skill.
Preparation requires consistent practice over time and a targeted approach across the four current subtests. Key steps:
For many universities, the UCAT ® cognitive score carries as much weight as your ATAR. Even with a strong ATAR or interview, a weak UCAT ® score can limit offers. Parents may find our UCAT parents guide helpful for family context.
The UCAT ® has specific question types and varying difficulty across sections. Learn formats and shortcuts for each subtest early, and identify which sections play to your strengths versus those needing the most work.
The UCAT ® Consortium provides a small pool of official practice questions , though explanations are often brief. GradReady's MCQ bank offers detailed explanations and test-accurate question types. For free starting resources, see free UCAT preparation materials.
After section practice, sit timed mock exams under exam conditions to assess readiness and hone techniques — shortcuts, the on-screen calculator, and pacing across all four subtests.
After every practice and mock exam, review worked solutions to identify recurring errors and close gaps before test day.
For further tips, see our UCAT preparation guide.
At the test centre, you check in with a printout of your Pearson VUE confirmation email and photographic ID. Personal belongings go in a locker — nothing enters the testing room except yourself and necessary clothing (and glasses if needed).
If you feel unwell before your exam, reschedule by contacting Pearson VUE Customer Services (AU: 1800 512 320; NZ: 0800 451 260) up to 24 hours before your appointment. Rescheduling depends on appointment availability and you may need to travel to another centre.
When rescheduling, give appropriate notice even though the helpline operates Monday–Friday 9am–6pm local time. For a Monday appointment, call before 6pm on the preceding Friday.
If you miss your test without rescheduling, this is a no-show with no refund. A standard test fee is charged upon re-booking.
If you feel unwell during the exam, notify the invigilator. Hardware or software problems should also be reported immediately. If you present for the test, you declare yourself fit to sit — schedule your exam early enough in the testing window to allow rescheduling if needed.
Now that you have background from this students guide, explore these related pages:
Meaning, who needs UCAT ANZ, and how the exam fits undergraduate applications.
Current four-subtest format, question counts, subtest times and scoring overview.
Booking windows, concessions, testing period and 2026 costs.
Scaled totals, percentiles, and what universities treat as competitive.
How UCAT fits undergraduate medicine admissions and typical score benchmarks.
Dentistry admissions, university requirements and score context.
Overall preparation strategy across the four current subtests.
Free practice and reading links to start without a paid course.
Timeline, costs, and how parents can support preparation.