The University Clinical Aptitude Test is a required test for students applying to medical schools in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It is a two-hour computer-based test.
Here are 5 tips to ace the UCAT:
1. Start preparation well ahead of time
Each student needs a varied amount of time to prepare for the UCAT. Procrastinating prevents you from having enough time to acquire the necessary skills. Students usually get overwhelmed and spend hours answering the same questions with no improvement. Because of this, careful preparation with clear goals is essential.
2. Tackle each section on its own
A key component of effective UCAT preparation is making sure you have adequately prepared for each section. This starts with researching the skills that are examined in each section and then organising your curriculum to concentrate on these skills. As you revise, you’ll see that, for instance, how you approach quantitative reasoning and how you approach decision-making are very different. Each component evaluates a certain set of skills.
3. Work on your time management
The notoriously tight time restrictions are the primary complaint students have with the UCAT. For instance, a few of the sections allow only about 15 seconds per question. Therefore, it is essential to start managing your time right away. To get a good grade, you need more than just the ability to answer the questions. You need to be able to react to them instantly. Practice managing your time well.
4. Familiarise yourself with medical ethics
The component of the exam that tests students’ ability to interpret real-world situations, identify key elements, and respond appropriately is called “Situational judgement,” and it is frequently the most challenging part. However, you should strive to be knowledgeable about this topic because the scenarios and cases in this part of the UCAT usually discuss medical ethics. Knowing medical ethics will also help you navigate the moral dilemmas you’ll face during MMI interviews.
5. Avoid perfectionism
While it’s true that practice makes perfect, perfectionism may hinder your preparation for the UCAT. Both simple and complex questions are worth the same number of points, so you would want to score as many as you can in the allotted time.
Despite what might seem like a paradoxical strategy, going to the test with optimism rather than stress will almost likely boost your performance.
Prepare for UCAT with Rostrum Education:
With small class sizes, one-on-one lessons, and bespoke coaching, our course is designed to completely prepare students for the UCAT exam and instil the confidence needed to pass it. We provide customised need based revision sessions and mock exams. Contact us for a free consultation today!
