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The University Clinical Aptitude Test or UCAT ® is a standardised computer-based test used as a criteria by many Australian universities for entry into undergraduate medical, dental and clinical science programmes. The two-hour long exam is delivered at Pearson VUE test centres and assesses a range of abilities and behaviours that these programs have identified as important towards practicing medicine and dentistry. It should be noted that the UCAT ® exam is just one cog in the various components of a medical school application which typically includes academic qualifications and an interview process.
The ultimate rationale for the UCAT ® exam is to assist in identifying the best applicants out of the already extremely competitive cohort of medical or dental school candidates. The testing cycle typically runs between 1 July to 5 August, and candidates select a date within this time period to sit the test at one of the Pearson VUE testing centres.
The UCAT ® ANZ exam is needed for entry to undergraduate medical and dental schools in Australia and New Zealand. There are very limited universities which do not take the UCAT ® examination into consideration, such as Bond University, or University of Sydney’s undergraduate high achiever’s program.
Hence, it is essential to sit the exam to maximise your chances for the 9 undergraduate medical schools across Australia, and 2 undergraduate medical schools in New Zealand.
The UCAT ® stands for the University Clinical Aptitude Test. The UCAT ® exam is also often referred to as UCAT® ANZ. This is because there’s a UCAT® test designed for students who want to apply to UK universities, and another UCAT ® test for students who want to apply to Australian and New Zealand universities. UCAT ® ANZ is the one that you’ll need to take if you are applying to Australian medical schools . For convenience, unless specifically noted otherwise, any mentions of the UCAT ® throughout the GradReady website will be in reference to UCAT ® ANZ.
UCAT ® Exam
(University Clinical Aptitude Test)
Cognitive
Verbal Reasoning
Decision Making
Quantitative Reasoning
Non-Cognitive
Situational Judgement
The UCAT ® exam is just under two hours, and is a computer based exam comprising 184 multiple choice questions (MCQs), with 10% unscored ‘trial questions’ that do not contribute towards the final score. These questions are divided into three cognitive subtests (VR, DM, QR) and the Situational Judgement Test - each designed to assess different skills. These subtests follow in a specific order and are described in further detail in the table below:
| Section | Description | Time Allocated* (mins) | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | Assesses the ability to critically evaluate information presented in a written form. | 22 minutes | 11 passages and 44 questions |
| Decision Making | Assesses the ability to make sound decisions and judgements using complex information. | 37 minutes | 35 questions |
| Quantitative Reasoning | Assesses the ability to critically evaluate information presented in a numerical form. | 26 minutes | 9 sets and 36 questions |
| Situational Judgement | Measures the capacity to understand real world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviour in dealing with them. | 26 minutes | 21 scenarios and 69 questions |
| * Before each subtest there is 1 minute of instructions - As such the total time is 115 minutes or 1 hour and 55 minutes. | |||
Each of the three cognitive subtests is scaled 300–900; summed total is 900–2700. UCAT Situational Judgement is reported in Bands 1–4.
The first three subtests are considered cognitive subtests whereas Situational Judgement is often separated as a non-cognitive subtest. As such, the first three scores are often added up to give a final score out of 2700 with the score of the situational judgement test being left separate for universities to determine whether or not they will allow the score to contribute towards their application process. For further information head to our comprehensive guide on UCAT ® Structure
The UCAT ® is an extremely time-pressured examination, and the total time is just under two hours. Although it may seem like a lot of time, there are a total of 184 questions, leaving on average ~36 seconds per question!
In addition, each section has varying lengths in terms of UCAT ® questions, with some sections being even faster where you are completing 2 MCQs every minute.
The following table summarises key dates for the UCAT ® .
| Key Events | Dates |
|---|---|
|
Concession Scheme opens
Access Arrangements open |
16 February 2026 |
| BOOKING OPENS | 4 March 2026 |
| Concession application deadline | 11 May 2026 |
| Access Arrangements application deadline | 15 May 2026 |
| BOOKING DEADLINE | 15 May 2026 |
|
Late booking deadline
Late Access Arrangements application deadline |
29 May 2026 |
| FINAL late booking deadline | 5 June 2026 |
| Cancellation deadline | 12 June 2026 |
| Testing begins | 1 July 2026 |
| Last testing date | 5 August 2026 |
| Results delivered to universities | Early September 2026 |
For 2027 entry into medicine, the UCAT ® registration opens on the 3rd March 2026. Concession and Access arrangements open on the 16 February 2026.
You can sit the UCAT ® exam across a number of Pearson VUE test centre locations in Australia and New Zealand. Most capital cities will have multiple testing centre locations. The following table shows which city/town you can take the test in Australia:
| State | Cities / Towns |
|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Canberra |
| New South Wales |
Armidale
Newcastle Orange Parramatta Port Macquarie Sydney Wagga Wagga |
| Northern Territory |
Alice Springs
Darwin |
| Queensland |
Brisbane
Bundaberg Cairns Gold Coast Maroochydore Rockhampton Toowoomba Townsville |
| South Australia |
Adelaide
Bordertown Port Augusta |
| Tasmania |
Hobart
Launceston |
| Victoria |
Ballarat
Bendigo Churchill (near Traralgon) Geelong Melbourne Mildura |
| Western Australia |
Bunbury
Geraldton Perth |
In addition, you can also sit the UCAT ® ANZ overseas at any Pearson VUE testing centre worldwide. The full list internationally can be found on the booking systems when bookings for the test open in March.
You can register for the UCAT ® ANZ online via the Pearson VUE website .
There are two steps to the process - creating your account and booking your test date. You should aim to create your account in advance, and book the test dates as soon as possible when booking opens in March, as limited spots are available at each testing centre on each day. This means you may miss out and have to travel further to sit the UCAT ® ANZ examination.
The UCAT ® costs 325 AUD for registration and testing in 2026.
The UCAT ® exam is scored based on the number of correct answers with no negative marking for incorrect answers. In other words, your performance on one question won’t affect the marking of any other question. With each of the three cognitive subtests having different amounts of sets and questions, the raw marks are converted to a scaled score ranging from 300-900.
The total score is composed of the sum of each of the individual scale scores which creates a total scale score ranging from 900 to 2700.
| Cognitive Subtest | Questions | Scale Score Range | Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 44 | 300 - 900 | Questions are worth 1 mark each. |
| Decision Making | 35 | 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. |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 36 | 300 - 900 | Questions are worth 1 mark each. |
| Total Score | - | 900 - 2700 | |
| Situational Judgement | 69 | Bands 1–4 | Full marks are awarded for a question if your response matches the correct answer. Partial marks are awarded if your response is close to the correct answer. |
Upon sitting the exam, results are emailed to you within 24 hours with instructions on how to find your score report via your Pearson VUE online account. These results are only valid for one year (i.e. 2026 UCAT ® exam results are only valid for 2026 applications/entry into university in 2027). Note that there is no need to provide your results to the universities you are applying to as the UCAT ® ANZ Consortium will communicate your test results to universities by early September.
What constitutes a competitive UCAT ® score depends on a variety of factors such as the difficulty of the test in any given year, which universities you’re planning to apply for, as well as other admissions factors like your academic scores and interview performance.
The average total score (50th percentile) in 2025 was 1930, which provides a fair approximation of what the average candidate would score. Broadly speaking, a competitive UCAT ® percentile is the 90th percentile, which essentially means you’ve placed in the top 10% of applicants. In the 2025 testing cycle, this equated to a score of 2310. As the Situational Judgement Test scores are counted separately from the cognitive subtests, the mean Situational Judgement Test score was 593 in 2025.
The exact dates of the UCAT result release often varies year by year. However, you will immediately receive your raw score a few minutes after you complete the UCAT ® ANZ at the Pearson VUE testing centre.
The percentile is often released in Early September. A preliminary result which shows the raw score to centiles conversion eg. 9th centile (90th percentile) will be released in late August.
UCAT ® ANZ test results are only valid for 1 year, for admission into undergraduate medical school the following year you take the examination.
For applicants from metro areas, a decent UCAT score for entry usually sits above 90th percentile (which translated to a raw score of 2310 in 2025), which will allow you entry into your local state medical school eg. Monash in Victoria.
If you’re from NSW, you’ll typically need a UCAT ® score around the 95th percentile or higher (translating to a raw score of 2380), as medical schools in this state are very competitive. This will also depend on a number of other factors, such as your ATAR/GPA, and your medical school interview performance, and your place of residence (rural vs metro).
Applying to interstate programs can also be more challenging, since out-of-state applicants often require higher entry score requirements than the local students. For example, Queensland University will only offer an interview for medicine to out-of-state applicants in 2025 if they have scores 98th percentile or higher.
For rural applicants, the standard for entry is often much lower. A decent score usually sits around the 60th percentile, however it also depends on your rurality based on the Remoteness Area (RA) scale or Modified Monash Model (MMM) scale.
The UCAT ® ANZ exam is a different style of examination to the usual medical admissions test such as the GAMSAT or the old UMAT ® . It is difficult in the sense that applicants need to be adaptive, quick thinking, and tests for a core set of skills such as comprehension, arithmetics and logical reasoning.
Furthermore, for the UCAT ® exam, it is difficult to achieve a high percentile score, which is often needed for entry into most undergraduate medical schools. There is little room for mistake, as every question and mark can be almost a 1 percentile difference in the results.
You can retake the UCAT ® ANZ as many times as you need. The testing cycle runs every year.
Before 2019, UMAT ® was the exam that students have to take if they want to be accepted into a medical school. In 2019, UMAT® was replaced by the UCAT ® . There are significant differences in the UCAT ® compared to the old entry examination UMAT ® . The key difference between UCAT ® and UMAT ® , is that UCAT ® is a computer based examination and has a different format and structure. The following table explores this in more detail:
| UCAT | UMAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 3 cognitive subtests, 1 situational judgement | 3 sections |
| Modality | Computer based | Paper based |
| No. of Questions | 184 | 134 |
| Timing | ~2 hours | 3 hours |
The UCAT ® ANZ is significantly more time pressured, and requires a good understanding of computer skills to be able to perform well in the examination.
The UCAT ® and GAMSAT are two completely different exams for different purposes. The UCAT ® ANZ is an admissions test aimed at assessing applicants for undergraduate medical schools. The Graduate Medical Schools admission test (GAMSAT ® ) is an admissions test aimed at assessing applicants for post-graduate medical schools.
The key differences can be explored more in the following table:
| UCAT | GAMSAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 3 cognitive subtests, 1 situational judgement | 3 sections + 2 essays |
| No. of Questions | 184 | 137 and 2 essays |
| Timing | ~2 hours | 4 hours 10 minutes |
| Testing Dates | Once a year (July–August) | Twice a year (March & September) |
| How long are results valid? | 1 year | 4 years |
| Cost | 325 AUD | 560 AUD |
| Number of applicants (2025) | ~17,000 | ~10,000 |
| No. of medical schools using test | 9 universities | 13 universities |
The UCAT ® is a different style of examination compared to the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT ® ). The MCAT ® is the American version of the test you undertake for application to medical school. It consists of 4 sections, and runs for 7.5 hours, covering a wide range of content from biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, sociology, and even reading comprehension through the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) section.
In comparison, the UCAT ® is a very time-pressured examination running for only 2 hours, with a timing of on average 36 seconds per multiple choice question. It is difficult to prepare for as the test focuses more on cognitive ability rather than knowledge.
In short, the answer is it depends on each applicant. If you find yourself with difficulties adapting to a fast paced examination, you may find the MCAT ® easier. If you find it difficult to understand science and mathematical concepts, then the UCAT® may be easier for you.
There’s no doubt that the UCAT ® is a challenging exam, designed to differentiate the already competitive pool of medical and dental school applicants. However, one of the main reasons that students find the UCAT ® exam difficult is not always the questions themselves, but rather the sheer number of questions - 184 questions in 2 hours, or to put it another way, a question every 39 seconds!
Many students fail to finish the exam at all due to the intense time pressure, needing to complete 2 MCQs every minute. In addition to a high level of concentration and strong cognitive skills, the UCAT ® exam requires exceptional time-management to do well.
As such, preparation is key and preparing for the UCAT ® exam requires consistent practice over time and a targeted approach towards identifying strengths and weaknesses. Preparation can be broken down into a few key steps:
In order to properly prepare for the UCAT ® exam, it is important to first understand its importance in the medical school applications process. For many universities, the UCAT ® score carries as much weight in your application as your ATAR. To put this into perspective, the total sum of Year 12 examinations and the intense hours of study behind these scores has as much importance as the score from the nearly 2 hour long UCAT ® exam. Even with a phenomenal ATAR or even a star performance at the interview, a poor UCAT ® score could potentially outweigh these achievements.
The UCAT ® is quite a nuanced exam with specific question types and various levels of difficulty between each question type. Thus, it is important to understand the different formats of each section as well as the unique strategies and shortcuts you can use to select the correct answer and save yourself time. It’s important to acknowledge as well that students will often have varying strengths and weaknesses and it’s important to work out early which sections are going to play to your strengths, and which sections will require the most improvement.
Whilst the UCAT ® consortium provides a small pool of questions and tests , their explanations are often short and poorly explained. Practice is essential towards working faster and increasing your accuracy for the UCAT ® exam. GradReady’s MCQ bank provides students with the opportunity to assess themselves and evaluate their weaknesses with our detailed explanations and test-accurate question types.
After practice, the next step is to undergo time-pressured exam simulations that evaluate a proper UCAT ® score. These mock exams allow you to assess your readiness to sit the exam under accurate conditions. This will also help to hone your exam-taking techniques such as using shortcuts, the calculator function as well as applying time-management skills.
Finally, after every practice and mock exam, it is essential to look back on what can be improved. Our detailed worked solutions provide students with the ability to quickly identify their mistakes and help reduce the chances of making the same error in the future
For further tips and advice on how best to prepare for the UCAT ® exam, refer to our comprehensive guide here: UCAT ® Exam Preparation Guide
Every person will vary in their UCAT preparation time. Some students may only need 1 month to prepare for the UCAT ® ANZ. Other students spend years practicing for the exam. However, the general rule of thumb is that approximately 1 year of preparation will allow you a solid understanding of how the UCAT ® exam works, and for you to be familiar with different tips and tricks to getting a competitive UCAT score .
The Australia and New Zealand UCAT Consortium universities require a UCAT ® score as part of their admissions process for various medical, dental, and health science pathways. Note that the results of the UCAT ® exam are only valid for 1 year - They don’t carry over to the next year.
In other words, a UCAT ® score in 2026 can only be used to apply for courses commencing in 2027.
Whilst the majority of medical schools require a UCAT ® score as a compulsory criteria there are some exceptions. Students should always check whether or not their desired programme requires UCAT ® scores before they register for the UCAT ® exam.
Below is a list of courses that currently require the UCAT ® exam as part of their selection criteria in the 2025 admissions cycle.
| Schools | Programmes/Courses | Application Dates |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Adelaide | Medicine Dental Surgery Oral Health |
SATAC applications open for 2026 on 4 August 2025. Applications will close 30 September 2025. |
| Central Queensland University | Medical Science (Regional Medical Pathway provisional entry to UQ) |
QTAC opens from early August 2025. Applications close 30 September 2025. |
| Charles Sturt University | Dental Science Medicine | Applications via UAC on 2nd June 2025 and close 30 September 2025. |
| Curtin University | Medicine |
Applications via TISC open: 3rd June 2025. Applications close: 30 September 2025. |
| Flinders University | Clinical Sciences / Medicine |
SATAC applications open for 2022 on 4 August 2025. Applications will close 30 September 2025. |
| Griffith University | Dental Health Science |
Applications are made via UAC, QTAC or directly to Griffith. Application deadline: September 30, 2025. |
| La Trobe University | Dental Science | Applications are via UAC or VTAC for multiple courses or directly via La Trobe for one course. |
| Monash University | Medicine |
Applications via VTAC open on 4 August, 2025. Applications via VTAC close 30 September, 2025 |
| The University of Newcastle / University of New England | Joint Medical Program (JMP) | Applications via UAC close 30 September, 2025 |
| The University of New South Wales | Medicine | Medicine Application Portal Deadline and UAC Applications close on 30 September 2025. |
| The University of Queensland | Medicine (provisional entry pathway) Dental Science |
QTAC opens from early August 2025. Applications close 30 September 2025. |
| University of Tasmania | Medicine |
Applications open: 1 August 2025. Applications close 30 September 2025. |
| The University of Western Australia | Medicine Dental Medicine |
Applications via TISC open: 3rd June 2025. Applications close: 30 September 2025. |
| Western Sydney University | Medicine (Joint Medical Program) |
Applications via UAC open 2 June. Applications via UAC close on 30 September. |
| The University of Auckland | Medicine | Applications close on 1 July 2026 (domestic applicants and international first year applicants) |
| University of Otago | Medicine Dentistry | Closes on 14 Aug 2025 |
The UCAT ® Consortium is the governing body that manages the UCAT ® examination in Australia. It is a group of universities in Australia and New Zealand that uses the UCAT ® ANZ to assess applicant’s suitability for entry into medical school. It is a subgroup of a wider international group known as the UCAT ® UK Consortium, which is a group of universities in the United Kingdom (UK) that uses the UCAT ® for entry into UK medical schools. The UCAT ® ANZ is a version of the UCAT ® UK, and has been adapted to entry for Australian medical schools .
Currently, the UCAT ® ANZ Consortium is partnered with Pearson VUE, to deliver the examination across Australia and New Zealand.
Now that you’ve got some background on the UCAT ® Exam, visit some of our other free resources to learn more:
A breakdown of the UCAT ® Exam, the different sections and what to expect for each one.
Everything you need to know on how to study for the UCAT ® Exam, including tips for each of the four sections.
A comprehensive breakdown for students to get them started on their UCAT ® preparation.
A comprehensive guide about what parents and guardians need to know about the UCAT ® including breakdown of test, test timeline and finances.
