Pupils → UCAT & GAMSAT
STEP 6 of 9
UCAT & GAMSAT
What the admissions tests involve, how to prepare, and how each university uses your score.
What is the UCAT?
The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is an entrance test you need to sit to study medicine as an undergraduate at almost every UK university. It tests critical thinking, problem-solving, numeracy, empathy and integrity – skills you can't really cram, but can definitely practise.
Booking your test
Account opens
May
Booking opens
June
Test dates
July - September
Cost (UK)
£70
Book as early as you can to get the test centre and date you want. There are centres across Scotland, and in some cases you can sit it online at home. It costs £70 at UK test centres (£115 outside the UK) – if you're eligible, a bursary voucher covers the cost.
On the day
-
Arrive early – your ID is checked before you start
-
No phones, watches or other devices; your things go in a locker
-
You're given earbuds, a pen and a laminated notebook
-
No food or drink unless you've arranged it in advance
-
If you need comfort aids or extra time, apply for access arrangements before you book
The four subtests
Subtest
What it tests
Questions
Time
Verbal Reasoning
Reading passages and judging statements
44
22 mins
Decision Making
Rules, logic, probability and Venn diagrams
35
37 mins
Quantitative Reasoning
Mental maths and data (on screen calculator)
36
26 mins
Situational Judgement
How you'd respond to workplace scenarios
69
26 mins
Total
2 hours
There's a 1-minute instruction screen before each subtest. Extra time is available if you're eligible – apply in advance.
How to prepare
The free practice tests on the UCAT website are the most realistic. Most people prepare for 1 to 1½ months, doing 1–2 hours a day rather than cramming. Tips for each subtest:
Verbal Reasoning
-
Skim for keywords rather than reading the whole passage – and keep looking, as they can appear more than once
-
Only use what's in the text, never outside knowledge
-
Use "Can't tell" confidently when the passage doesn't say
-
Watch for words like NOT and ALL
Decision Making
-
Practise every question type
-
Syllogisms: respect words like "some" and "all", and try a quick Venn diagram
-
Logic puzzles: draw a grid and only solve what you need
-
Strongest argument: ignore your own opinion and stick to the facts
-
Probability: spot the same information written differently – "lost 80%" means "won 20%"
Quantitative Reasoning
-
Read the question before the data
-
Check the units in the answers
-
Practise mental maths so you don't rely on the calculator
-
Get comfortable with tax-style questions
Situational Judgement
-
Read the GMC's Good Medical Practice
-
Remember the 3 Cs: confidentiality, capacity and consent
-
Check whether it asks for the most appropriate or the most important option
-
Notice who you are in the scenario – a medical student or a doctor
-
Put patient safety first and respect everyone in the team
-
If there's a mistake: stop harm, put it right, tell the patient and apologise
Timing
Subtest
What it tests
Verbal Reasoning
About 30 seconds / question (2 minutes per passage)
Decision Making
About 1 minute / question
Quantitative Reasoning
About 43 seconds / question
Situational Judgement
about 23 seconds / question
Scoring and results
VR, DM, and QR
300-900
per subtest, added together for your total
SITUTATIONAL JUDGEMENT
Band 1-4
Band 1 is the highest
You get your results before you leave the test centre. UCAT sends them to your universities automatically, usually in November. You can only sit the UCAT once a year, and your score only counts for that year's application.
The highest possible result is 2,700 (three subtests × 900) plus Band 1.
How universities use your score
University
How your UCAT is used
Aberdeen
No cut-off. Worth 20% of your application; Band 4 in SJ is usually not considered
Dundee
No stated cut-off; scoring method not published
Edinburgh
Cut-off 1650 (2025 entry) unless you're a Plus flag applicant. Total score is 17.5% and SJ band 7.5% of your application; Band 4 not considered
Glasgow
No published cut-off or scoring method
St Andrews
Top ~500 applicants by UCAT score are interviewed (lowest recent score about 2400). UCAT also breaks ties between equal interview scores
Policies change every year – always check each university's website.
Free help from us
UCAT Workshop - small group sessions with medical students and doctors, for eligible pupils
Our YouTube playlist - revision tutorials and tips
GAMSAT
The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) is for people who already have a degree. Everyone applying to ScotGEM, Scotland's graduate-entry medicine programme, must sit it. How it compares with the UCAT:
UCAT
GAMSAT
Who
School leavers (undergraduates)
Graduates
Cost
£70
£292
Results
Straight away
About 2 months
Length
2 hours
5 hours 15 mins
Where
Test centres across Scotland
Edinburgh (or England if full)
When
July - September
March and September
Sittings
Once per cycle
AS many as you like - best score counts
Valid for
That year only
That year and the next
The three sections
SECTION 1
Humanities and social sciences reasoning
62 questions · 100 min · passage-based, like UCAT Verbal Reasoning
SECTION 2
Written communication
2 essays · 65 min
SECTION 3
Biological and physical sciences reasoning
75 questions · 150 min · 40% biology, 40% chemistry, 20% physics
There's no negative marking and every multiple-choice question is worth the same, so don't get stuck on one. Book early – Edinburgh fills up fast. There's no bursary, and official practice papers cost extra.
Useful Links
UCAT: practice tests - free official practice
UCAT: bursary scheme - check if you can sit it for free
UCAT: access arrangements - extra time and other support
GMC: Good Medical Practice - for situational judgement
GAMSAT information booklet - official guide