How to Prepare for Your UCAT Test Day

Getting ready for exam day?

The UCAT not only tests your mental aptitude, but also your grit. Two hours is a long time to focus, especially when using so many different thinking styles.

We recommend creating a thorough UCAT revision plan when preparing for the UCAT. This can make the difference between success and failure. 

But what about the test day itself and the days leading up to it? 

Read on to find out what our advice is for one month, one week, and one day before your UCAT, as well as how to best prepare yourself on the day of your UCAT test.

What’s covered in this article?

What should I do:

• One month before my UCAT?
• One week before my UCAT?
• One day before my UCAT?
• On the day of my UCAT?

What should I eat and drink leading up to the UCAT?

‍What is the UCAT test environment like?

What if I experience a problem during my UCAT?

What should I do one month before my UCAT?

Keep practising! A month sounds like a long time, but time will quickly vanish. Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals such as reaching a certain score by a certain date or time. 

Niche down even further on your weaknesses – by this stage you should just be focusing on what you find hardest. Make sure you factor in breaks and days off into your schedule, as well as any important events which you need to attend.

Read 'Good medical practice' by the GMC if you haven’t already. It will inform you about the different duties of healthcare professionals and how they should respond to different scenarios, which is essential for the Situational Judgement section.

Try Medify's Skills Trainers, such as inference scanning for Verbal Reasoning, to maximise your score (these are included in our UCAT Online Course). Make sure you've also completed plenty of UCAT practice tests.

The UCAT exam is two hours with no breaks in between, so practise at least two hours each time to build your mental stamina. You should also simulate the exam environment as closely as possible – this means treating every mock test as if it were a real one. 

For instance, you should sit mock exams at the same time of the day as your actual UCAT exam and ensure there are no distractions. By mirroring the test conditions, not only will it prepare you for what to expect on test day, it should also help to decrease any anxiety leading up to the exam. Otherwise, your brain has to process the ‘new’ way of completing the test.

What should I do one week before my UCAT?

At this point, you'll know the format of the exam inside out and will have practised the questions enough times to get used to UCAT timings. Don’t give up – keep preparing in an environment where you cannot be interrupted.

Remember, a lot of your preparation will have been done in the weeks and months before this final week, so be careful not to overdo it and become too fatigued. Your motivation may drop or you might ‘peak’ before the test. Your body needs rest too. 

Now is a great time to introduce or increase self-care in your regime. Whether it’s watching Netflix, gaming, or just running a bath, it’s important to detach yourself from UCAT revision to avoid the risk of burnout.

In this week you should also prioritise your nutrition and sleep. Eat well, do not miss meals and keep hydrated. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep in the days before the test by avoiding late night cramming or staying awake into the early hours.

If it puts your mind at rest, you can check the average UCAT score, but remember that this is all about your personal journey and performance, so don't get hung up on that information!

What should I do one day before my UCAT?

We do not advise sitting a mock exam this close to your UCAT. Revision won't help you much at this stage and can actually leave you worse off. Instead, use this time to wind down and get yourself into a relaxed state. This will enable you to perform at your best on test day.

Try to get to bed early and avoid things that can affect sleep, such as looking at your phone before bed. If you think that you will struggle to sleep on time, you could try doing some exercise during the day to tire yourself out. 

Exercise can boost your brainpower by oxygenating your brain, helping you to learn, and it can also aid sleep. Plus, activity makes your body release endorphins, which can reduce anxiety and stress levels.

Make sure you double check your UCAT test centre information, the travel route to the test centre, the time of your UCAT exam, and so on, so you’re well prepared for test day. If someone else is giving you a ride to the test centre, it’s worth reminding them.

‍What should I do on the day of my UCAT?

You should start the day off with a nutritious breakfast and give yourself enough time to arrive early to the test centre to avoid feeling flustered, rushed or stressed.

Remember that buses and trains can be late and that traffic may be heavier than you had hoped, so allow extra time whichever way you are travelling. Find out how to choose a UCAT test centre.

Make sure you know how to get to the test centre – for instance you could consider taking a map with you. If you’re using your phone for directions, make sure it’s sufficiently charged and that you have spare data (otherwise you can download the map ahead of time to use offline).

On test day you will be expected to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled test time, so you have time to check in at the reception.

You need to bring:

• Your test confirmation email
• Photographic ID from the approved list

When you arrive at the test centre, it’s likely that you’ll be experiencing a heightened sense of adrenaline. This is completely normal, but it could be helpful to learn some mindfulness tricks to reduce your stress levels. For instance, you could focus on your breathing to help you relax.

Don’t forget, during your test there are one minute introductions between each subtest. You can skip these, but we recommend using the time to mentally refresh yourself.

If you’ve stuck to your revision plan, and followed our advice above, the best thing you can do on test day is to try and keep as calm as possible. Take solace in the fact that you have prepared for weeks/months to get to this point, and channel any nervous energy into doing the best you can during your UCAT test. 

What should I eat and drink leading up to the UCAT?

You should think about your diet well ahead of UCAT test day. Focus on foods that release energy slowly (that is, which have a low glycaemic index, or GI) which will stop you from feeling hungry. These are ideal for UCAT preparation, as well as on test day itself.

Try eating protein and low-GI carbohydrates, such as meat or baked beans, brown (whole grain) rice or pasta, or wholegrain breakfast cereals or muesli. However, do not stray far from your usual diet on the day of the test in case you feel sick. You may want to try these foods out at the same time of day a few weeks in advance.

Be wary of energy drinks and coffee. If you’re not used to them then don’t drink them, especially in large quantities. Caffeine can acutely increase anxiety, and the sugar rush of an energy drink is soon followed by insulin slamming on the brakes, leaving you feeling worse than before. These products are no substitute for a good night’s sleep, eating properly and exercising.

No food or drink is allowed in the test room so eat a healthy meal before your UCAT test and ensure you’re hydrated. While you should make sure you’re drinking enough water, do not overdo it, otherwise you might need the toilet while the timer is ticking.

Please note, access arrangements are available if you have a disability, learning difficulty or long-term medical condition. You may be entitled to extra time and/or rest breaks, and allowed certain items, such as water, at your test centre workstation. 

What is the UCAT test environment like?

This image shows a typical UCAT test environment:

It may be familiar if you have taken a UK driving theory exam, which can take place in the same test centres. There is no audio element to the test, but you can request earplugs to block out any noise that might disrupt your concentration. 

You will have access to a basic onscreen calculator which may be useful for the Quantitative Reasoning and Decision Making sections.

You will be given a laminated A4 notebook and pen. Consider using these for:

• Quantitative Reasoning: Noting down numbers during multi-step workings
• Abstract Reasoning: Writing down mnemonics for pattern recognition
• Decision Making: Drawing diagrams and noting calculations

If you require an additional notebook and pen, you can ask the invigilator by raising your hand. Although the invigilator will check that your pen is working before the test, we advise double-checking this to avoid seeking assistance during the test.

What if I experience a problem during my UCAT?

If you experience any problems affecting your ability to complete the test, immediately raise your hand.

The administrator will try to resolve the problem straight away. If this isn’t possible, it will be recorded that you had a problem during the test. Hardware or software problems, noise, sudden illness, or other distractions can all be reported.

You will be given a reference number to quote when contacting Pearson VUE, the test providers. You will need to contact them after you leave the examination room (or as soon as possible). 

Don’t wait until the next day as Pearson VUE ‘will only consider incidents reported after the day of testing in exceptional circumstances’. They will then investigate and report their findings to you. Make a note of the reference number as you might need it again.
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