Getting ready for Test Day
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Think of the time from now until Test Day as consisting of three time periods:
- Your UCAT revision period, divided into weeks
- The final week before Test Day
- The day before Test Day
You can plan and prepare to make the most of your efforts in each time period.
To plan for effective UCAT revision, create a structured weekly schedule that you can follow consistently.
At the start of each week, make a specific plan for the week ahead:
- Start by writing out your section and question type goals for your weekly plan. Initially, this might be in the form of a list in your notebook or on your device.
- Next, decide on your revision slots each day during the week and block these out in a diary or calendar.
- Finally, break this down your weekly goals into daily tasks and allocate them to revision slots. This ensures you have a realistic plan for each day during the week.
If you are unable to revise as scheduled on a certain day, adjust your plan and reallocate those tasks to a new slot on another day.
With this approach, you will always know what and when to revise each day. You can be ready for each revision slot and make an efficient start.
UCAT revision is not a marathon – it’s a series of short sprints, mixed in with pacing practice (mini-mocks) and endurance practice (full mocks).
Your brain processes and retains information better when you study regularly rather than in sporadic bursts.
Shorter, focused revision sessions are more effective than long, intensive study days. An hour or two each day will benefit you more than an entire weekend cramming.
Once you’ve entered your UCAT test date into your Medify Online Course, use the Progress Tracker to guide your revision planning. This will help you see which areas need the most attention and track your improvement over time.
Each day, you must decide whether to focus on improving your speed or your accuracy for each UCAT section or question type. This decision should be based on your current performance.
If you’re struggling with a particular question type, build your accuracy first. This means practising questions untimed initially, reviewing the explanation after each practice session, and focusing on technique rather than speed. You may then move on to timed accuracy practice as you get the questions correct with more consistency.
Once your accuracy improves, then work on speed. This is where mini-mocks become particularly valuable. Any timed practice will help you develop the pace you need for Test Day.
Mini-mocks allow you to focus on specific sections while building speed. They’re more targeted than full mocks and less time-consuming to review properly.
If you really struggle with both accuracy and speed in a question type or format, take time to strengthen your familiarity first. This is slower and more granular than accuracy practice, allowing you to look closely at the format and logic of each question.
It may help to review every question as you complete it, to help you see how you can do certain steps at each stage of working out the correct answer.
Take one full mock UCAT each week during your revision period. You might be tempted to take them more frequently, but resist this urge.
Every time you sit a full mock, you must commit to reviewing it thoroughly afterwards. This review process takes significant time but is where the real learning happens.
As you review each question in a full UCAT mock, try to understand:
- why you selected your answer.
- if you fell for a wrong answer trap.
- how you could do similar questions differently.
- the ideal approach for answering questions like this one.
This means you will benefit from reviewing questions you got right as well as those you got wrong. Look for any opportunity to improve speed and techniques and to thereby maximise your marks.
When reviewing practice questions, consider two key questions for questions you got correct:
- Did you get it right for the right reasons? Even when you’ve selected the correct answer, the explanations can help you improve your logic, calculations or technique.
- Did you miss a step in your reasoning, overlook a faster approach, or fail to spot a technique that could save time? The explanations often reveal more efficient methods that will help your Test Day performance.
For questions you got wrong, ask yourself:
- What can you learn from your mistakes?
- Did you fall for a wrong answer trap?
- Did you make an error in calculations or using numbers from the data?
- Did you miss or misinterpret important details in the text?
Take time to understand your mistakes thoroughly. Every error you make during revision is an opportunity to avoid the same mistake on Test Day – but only if you learn from it properly.
Above all, try not to overfocus on scaled scores in your UCAT mocks.
Each UCAT mock is a chance to improve speed and accuracy, which means you must learn from your performance to do better the next time.
The only UCAT scores that matter are the scores on Test Day. Everything you do during your revision is in preparation for that main event. Ideally, you will get your highest scores in the actual UCAT.
Past scores do not limit you. They open up opportunities for success on Test Day.
Plan ahead so you can complete these essential final steps during the week before your test. Your final week should focus on consolidation rather than learning new concepts.
The final stage of revision is about bringing together everything you’ve practised and ensuring you’re mentally and physically prepared for Test Day.
Make a final effort to improve challenging areas based on your struggles in your most recent practice. However, don’t expect dramatic improvements at this stage. Instead, focus on reinforcing techniques you’ve already learned.
At this point, you will refine your approach rather than building new skills from scratch:
- Work on consistency in your technique for each question type.
- Find places where you can eliminate answers more quickly or otherwise save time.
- Shave off a few seconds here and there, and you will improve your pacing – even at this late stage in your revision.
Brush up on your strengths, particularly if you’ve neglected your stronger areas while focusing on weaknesses. You will likely benefit more from reinforcing your strengths than obsessing over weak areas in the final week.
Strong performance in your best question types can compensate for weaker areas. Building confidence through your strengths is often more valuable to your overall score than marginal improvements in your weakest areas.
Take your final mock in the first part of this week, ensuring you have enough time to review all the explanations thoroughly. This should be your last full-length practice test before Test Day.
Use this final mock to practise your Test Day routine – test tools, pacing and stress management techniques. Treat it as a dress rehearsal for the real thing, ideally with:
- A desktop computer with keyboard and mouse.
- Scrap paper and pen (not a pencil) to simulate the notebook and pen.
- The onscreen calculator only – do not use another device.
Keep to your normal eating and sleeping patterns throughout the final week. You won’t perform well on Test Day if you’re tired from staying up late or if your body is disrupted from irregular eating.
Start establishing the routine you’ll follow on Test Day. This includes meal times, sleep schedule, and even when you have breaks during study sessions.
Preparing your body for the rhythms of sleep, work and meals in that final week is just as essential as your months of revision. Look after your body and mind so you are ready to do your best on Test Day.
As you wrap up your UCAT revision, take some time to reflect on what you’ve achieved. You’ve made a good plan and followed it through – don’t second-guess your choices now.
Trust in the work you’ve done. Last minute doubts about your revision strategy are normal – everyone has them – but counterproductive at this stage.
The last few days before the UCAT are the most crucial time to be ready for stress management so you can make the most of your revision in your Test Day performance.
Focus on strengths more than weaknesses in your final UCAT preparations. Your strengths will drive your performance more than your weaknesses will limit it.
Allow some time to practise areas where you perform well, as this builds confidence along with your scores. Confidence is a crucial component of Test Day success.
Avoid excessive mocks in the last days before the UCAT. It’s too late to benefit from sitting multiple mocks now. It’s more important to wind down revision and shift to a Test Day mindset.
Your remaining revision time should focus on quality over quantity.
For any practice questions in those final days before the UCAT, take time to review explanations thoroughly. Make sure you’re selecting the right answer for the right reasons. Watch out for any wrong answer traps and any tips for avoiding them.
Understanding your thought process is more important than simply getting questions correct. This attention to detail will serve you well on Test Day.
On your last full day before the UCAT, resist the urge to cram. Heavy revision on the day before Test Day is unlikely to improve your score and may increase your anxiety levels.
Your brain needs time to consolidate what you’ve learned. Cramming can actually interfere with this process and make you feel less confident.
Instead of intense studying, prioritise relaxing activities the day before the UCAT.
Avoid activities that might increase stress or tire you out. This isn’t the time for intense physical exercise, emotionally demanding activities or a wild night out with friends.
Go to bed on time and ensure you get a good night’s sleep. This is perhaps the most important thing you can do the day before the UCAT.
Being well-rested will help enormously with stress management and give you the mental endurance needed for the full UCAT exam.
Poor sleep will affect your concentration and decision making ability, making it tough to keep up the pacing required for UCAT success.
Prepare everything you need the night before Test Day.
Pack your bag completely the evening before so you’re not rushing in the morning. Include any layers of clothing you might need and avoid bringing unnecessary items.
Eat a good breakfast on Test Day. It’s not the day for a full fry-up, so don’t overeat: you don’t want to be sluggish after a massive meal. Try to include servings of protein and carbohydrates to keep yourself energised, along with a banana for potassium.
Take care with caffeinated drinks – don’t overload on coffee, but you may function best with your normal amount of coffee or tea.
Keep hydrated but at the same time, you may want to limit drinks in the last hour or so before the test. This will limit the risk of discomfort or an emergency restroom break during the UCAT.
Many students find it helpful to read something stimulating to activate their brain before arriving at the test centre. However, avoid doing more UCAT practice questions – you’ll have plenty of those in the actual test.
Take a few minutes to pre-select a newspaper or magazine to read the day of the test. Consider as well whether you prefer a printed or onscreen version.
This reading activity will get your mind working without creating additional pressure. The goal is mental activation, not more test preparation.
Dress in layers and wear minimal accessories. Testing rooms can vary significantly in temperature depending on air conditioning. An extra layer gives you flexibility.
Remember that you must put everything except your photo ID in a locker before the exam, including watches and jewellery. Keep your accessories to a minimum to speed up the check-in process.
Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early. This buffer will help you avoid any stress related to traffic, parking or unexpected delays.
Arriving with time to spare allows you to settle in and feel more relaxed. It’s much better to wait calmly than to arrive feeling rushed and stressed.
At the same time, be aware that the test centre staff may let you start the exam early. Be ready to take a moment to catch your breath and consider whether to use the restroom.
Be prepared for the security measures at the test centre. The check-in process includes lifting your sleeves and showing behind your ears as part of the security protocol. Items like eyeglasses may be inspected closely.
This is standard procedure, so don’t be surprised by these requirements. The process is designed to ensure fairness for all test-takers.
If you wear a permitted religious head covering like a hijab or turban that covers your ears, they may be subject to visual inspection. Test centre staff may ask you to show your ears and the area behind them. If you are uncomfortable with this, ask for a private check from a staff member of the same sex.
Use the restroom before entering the testing area. Two good options:
- Go to the restroom before you begin the check-in process.
- Ask for the restroom after checking in but before you’re sent to the invigilator.
You will lose testing time if you need a restroom break during the UCAT. It’s a practical detail that can impair your comfort and concentration during the exam. Take care of it before you go into your testing station.
It’s always perfectly fine to ask to use the restroom first, whether you are early, on time or late. It’s another way to take control of the UCAT.
Click an answer for every single question. There’s no penalty for incorrect answers. Even if you’re completely unsure, make your best guess rather than leaving a question blank.
Blank questions guarantee zero marks, whilst the most random guesses might be correct. Never leave a question unanswered, regardless of how difficult it seems.
Keep moving throughout the test – pacing is everything. The UCAT is as much about time management as it is about getting questions correct.
If you encounter a particularly difficult question or feel uncertain about your answer, make your best guess and move on rather than spending too much time on any single question.
Don’t dwell on questions once they’re done. You gain nothing from thinking about previous questions or second guessing your answers.
Stay focused on the question in front of you and keep progressing through the test. Mental energy spent on completed questions is energy taken away from current and future questions.
Remember that you are in control of the test, not the other way around. All your UCAT revision and practice has been leading up to this moment.
Trust in your preparation and show the test what you can do. If you feel the UCAT is controlling you, take a brief moment to refocus and remember that you have the skills and knowledge to tackle each question.
Take time to celebrate finishing the UCAT. In the UK, you’ll receive your score report at the test centre reception. When you unfold that paper, savour the moment – you’ve accomplished something significant.
For UCAT ANZ, your scores are sent by email within 24 hours of the test. Let yourself enjoy the moment when you open the email and see what you have accomplished.
Regardless of how you feel the test went, completing the UCAT is a major milestone in your journey towards medical or dental school.
After finishing the UCAT, you’ll need to focus on other aspects of your application to medical or dental school.
Use Medify’s Interviews Course (UK or ANZ) to explore the interview process and build your skills and knowledge with practice questions to simulate your interview experience.
Remember: The UCAT is just one step in your journey toward a medical or dental career.
With proper preparation and the right mindset, you’re well-positioned to achieve your goals.