Why do students fail the UCAT?
Although this exam has no specific ‘fail’ mark, a low score may mean your application is rejected outright or you don’t get an offer after your interview. The main reason why some students study hard for the UCAT but still do not pass is that they have a flawed understanding of what studying for this exam involves. Here are some significant reasons why we feel students get low scores in the UCAT exam.
Taking the UCAT exam at the wrong time
Unfortunately, for the UCAT exam, there is only one attempt per academic year, and you can only use that score for this year's application. If you are reapplying for medicine or dentistry, you must resit the UCAT exam for that particular year. Each attempt also has a fee, but discounts are available for low-income students.
Bookings for this exam usually open around June each year, filling spaces quickly. We advise you to book a slot at the end of August and before you start sixth form in September. Book quickly; otherwise, you may end up with a place in a site far away from home, which adds all the extra headaches associated with travel. Unfortunately, you can't just book your exam when you feel ready, but well in advance.
This gives you most of the summer holiday to revise. Trying to revise for the UCAT exam and your A-level studies together adds more pressure.
Insufficient preparation for the UCAT exam
From watching students on our UCAT courses and analysing scores, we know those who do better have spent time learning. A minimum of one hour a day for eight weeks of small learning should be sufficient for most candidates. You must be self-regulated, focus on your weaker areas, and review the strategy for dealing with each type of question for each section.
Short and productive revision sessions are better than long, unstructured ones. Reflect on what you have learned after each session. Remember, revision is not just about doing questions – all students do questions.
UCAT exam skills are not taught in most sixth forms and are separate from common A-level subjects that medical school applicants take.
Doing lots of UCAT questions
It has been the case that students score highly on common question banks and then score low on the actual UCAT exam. Not all question banks are calibrated (the questions are written to match the level of the real UCAT exam), and students can get a false sense of security when they are told that they are scoring well compared to other students.
Remember, question banks are a method of testing and not learning; you must not rely on them as the sole revision method. I don’t have specific data for specific UCAT banks, but I know from other similar exams that doctors do that some candidates who fail have answered thousands of questions.
However, they may help you identify your weaker areas. Students may also know their weak areas, which can help them plan their revision. Some students are not very good at pattern recognition, and others don’t like maths, especially under pressure.
Questions banks are also suitable for practising techniques and getting up to speed.
Start using question banks at the right time once you have read about strategies for each exam section. Educational theory states that effective learning must occur before you sit an exam.
In addition, you need to take care of the question banks you are using. It is wise to use more than one question bank. Remember, the UCAT consortium themselves have example questions that you can use, and this can be one of your question banks. Books can also be helpful, but ensure they are up to date.
Poor technique in sitting the UCAT exam
This includes not finishing the exam and not reading the questions. There are only so many question types they can give you on the UCAT exam; many of these are well-known and have strategies for dealing with them.
For some students, these can be more difficult to learn from a book alone.
For example, situational judgement has some ‘ground rules’ you can remember that will help you quickly eliminate wrong answers. In decision-making, students can get confused over wording, dealing with negative sentences and making false assumptions. In verbal reasoning, you can be presented with a huge amount of information you don’t have the time to read in full and must learn how to ‘extract’ what you need.
The exam is done on a computer, and it is vital to know the computer system before you sit this exam. This includes moving between questions, using the calculator, and the flag functions, for example. You don’t get marks removed for wrong answers, so it is ok to guess if you are stuck. You can use well-established techniques to eliminate incorrect answers and improve your chance of getting the correct answer.
Exam techniques continue the night before the exam. Ensure you eat, sleep well, prepare documents, and attend the exam centre early. Learn how to manage your nerves and read all questions carefully. Don’t review too many.
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I’ll take the UCAT and see how I get on
I’m not sure why any student would do this, as there is a cost to the exam, and you only get one attempt. From our experience, students who do not prepare for this exam do not get into medical school. You may get lucky and get a good mark, but if you don’t, the effect of failure is damaging.
Fortunately, you will know your UCAT score before you submit your UCAS application. A poor score may mean you are forced to apply for alternative courses or take a GAP year and resit the UCAT exam next year.
For students who think they will take a chance with the BMAT exam if their UCAT score is poor, our evidence shows that students who score poorly on the UCAT also score low on the BMAT. Remember, the BMAT is used by Oxbridge and some top London medical schools, so the candidate will be among the brightest. Remember, BMAT is being phased out, and current BMAT schools may choose to use the UCAT instead. Note that the BMAT is now discontinued, at least in the UK.
Unwell students sitting the UCAT exam
Concentrating for several hours is difficult at the best of times, even more so when you are unwell. You should only sit this exam when you are well. Please speak to someone at your sixth form for advice. You must also contact the UCAT Consortium for advice before you sit your test, as they have policies for dealing with students with mitigating circumstances.
Dyslexia and help for the UCAT exam
It may well be that you have been diagnosed with dyslexia or have another disability, such as an autistic spectrum disorder or problems with your vision. This may entitle the student to extra time in the UCAT exam and breaks where the clock is paused.
We have evidence from other exams that doctors with a diagnosis of dyslexia sit exams similarly to the UCAT; the additional time leads to a student getting a better score.
Dr Mannan has recorded a further detailed video explaining why students fail the UCAT exam. Please have a look below and subscribe to the channel.
