What is the UCAT?
The UCAT ANZ (University Clinical Aptitude Test for Australian and New Zealand) is a computer-based test consisting of 4 separately timed subtests, each containing questions in a multiple-choice format.
Why Do Universities Use the UCAT ANZ?
Universities in Australia and New Zealand use the UCAT ANZ to help them achieve greater fairness in candidate selection for their medicine, dentistry and other health science programs, as the test assesses a range of abilities identified as important to practicing in health care and clinical sciences.
You can sit the UCAT in your final year of high school and any year afterward.
What’s on the UCAT ANZ?
Each year several test forms are created and drawn from the UCAT’s large question bank. The test form you receive is selected at random and within each subtest questions are presented randomly. This ensures that everyone’s test experience is different.
The UCAT takes a total of approximately 2 hours and the introduction screen for each section is timed separately. There are a total of 184 questions in UCAT ANZ, with the questions divided among subtests:
Verbal Reasoning – 44 questions, 22 minutes, 11 passages
The Verbal Reasoning subtest assesses your ability to read and think carefully about information presented in passages and to determine whether specific conclusions can be drawn from information presented. You’re not expected to use prior knowledge to answer the questions.
Decision Making – 35 questions, 37 minutes, associated with diagrams, text, charts or graphs
The Decision Making subtest assesses your ability to apply logic to reach a decision or conclusion, evaluate arguments, and analyze statistical information.
Quantitative Reasoning – 36 questions, 26 minutes, associated with tables, charts and/or graphs
The Quantitative Reasoning subtest assesses your ability to use numerical skills to solve problems. It assumes familiarity with numbers, e.g. ratios, percentages, averages, fractions, etc. Questions are less to do with numerical facility and more to do with problem solving.
Situational Judgment – 69 questions, 26 minutes, various scenarios (with up to 6 associated questions)
The situational judgement test (SJT) measures your capacity to understand real-world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviour in dealing with them. It assesses the key traits of integrity, perspective-taking and team involvement, resilience, and adaptability.
The UCAT ANZ is marked on the number of correct answers you give. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers. Your performance on one question does not influence which other questions are presented.
What Happens After the Test?
After you have completed your test, you’ll receive an email from Pearson VUE with instructions to access your UCAT ANZ Score Report. Your results will automatically be sent to the university on your behalf.
Where Do You Take UCAT?
Pearson VUE test centres deliver the UCAT ANZ worldwide. Locations can be viewed in the UCAT booking system. Registration is a two-step process of creating an account and booking a test.
How to Get Ready for the UCAT
You’re encouraged to familiarize yourself with the UCAT ANZ testing policies and exam rules, so you know what to expect and what to do if there is a problem before or during the test. Here’s what the UCAT ANZ Consortium recommends:
- Learn about the Photo ID Policy
- Read UCAT ANZ Examination Rules
- Find out what to expect on test day
- Learn about the UCAT ANZ test content
- Prepare for your test using the official (and free) UCAT preparation resources and practice tests
When Should You Take the UCAT?
You should book your sit date when registration opens at the beginning of March. You can only take the UCAT ANZ once in any test cycle. Visit the UCAT ANZ Booking Your Test page to review test cycle dates.
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