Maximising Your Prep: Make the Most of UCAT Question Bank and Resources
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Written By Team MedView
Reviewed By Thomas Nicolson (Currently studying Doctor of Medicine - MD at the University of Queensland)
If you’re gearing up for the UCAT, question banks are about to become your best friend. The most straightforward way to approach UCAT preparation is through practice questions and exams and this is where question banks come in handy.
From gaining experience with the types of questions on offer to understanding their structure more thoroughly, using these tools can seriously enhance one’s performance on exam day! With this in mind, let's dive into all things UCAT question banks.
What is a UCAT question bank?
UCAT question banks are essential to ensuring effective preparation for the exam, covering all sections and types of questions as well as presenting UCAT scenarios in a similar format to those on the real test.
Through practising with these resources, which often offer thousands of practice questions, students can become familiarised with answer choices (such as correct and incorrect ones) for each type of inquiry. This is especially important when it comes to tackling Verbal Reasoning, deemed to be the toughest area in the UCAT.
A UCAT question bank will include practice questions across all 5 sections, which are Verbal Reasoning (VR), Decision Making (DM), Quantitative Reasoning (QR), Abstract Reasoning (AR) and the Situational Judgement Test (SJT).
The role of a UCAT question bank in effective exam preparation
Question banks for the UCAT are great aids in helping students prepare for their exams, since they can provide a more focused form of practice and allow them to assess areas of strength or weakness.
Working through question banks in the lead up to the UCAT can help boost confidence, help you apply strategies and techniques successfully and reinforce learning that has already taken place.
Practising UCAT questions under timed conditions is also a great way to work on your time management and gives you an idea of how quickly you need to move through questions in order to complete them all before the end of the 2-hour exam.
Engaging in this type of practice using mock tests allows you to look for mistakes that could have been avoided and working on those corrections, which can help lead to higher UCAT scores needed for medicine.
Navigating the official UCAT Consortium's resources
The UCAT ANZ Consortium provides various resources to assist with exam preparation such as question banks and practice tests. These can be accessed from the official website, which is curated by those creating the exam.
Utilising official UCAT practice tests and questions in your studying routine can be incredibly helpful as you familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam and the types of questions you can expect for each subtest.
The UCAT ANZ Consortium offers a numbers of free UCAT questions you can work through as well as 4 practice tests, which you can find here:
It's important to note that these practice tests are intended to be completed on a desktop versus a mobile phone so you replicate the live UCAT experience. And, while the free UCAT practice test will show correct and incorrect answers, this isn't the case during the official exam.
Enhancing scores with UCAT resources
While working through the offical UCAT question bank is a great place to start, there are a number of other quality resources at your disposal. That's where MedView comes in — we’re the leading medical school admissions support and we have the most advanced UCAT learning platform on the market!
With practice questions and exams, a personalised study plan, a UCAT testing environment that replicates the actual exam, and progress tracking all developed by current med students, MedView Spark is sure to help you succeed.
Our learning platform includes the following:
Personalised study plans
Based on your practice results, our MedView team of medical school students and medical professionals can see what you most need to work on and create a plan based on this.
Progress tracking
Using our unique algorithm, we can accurately predict your UCAT score, which helps you focus your study time and turn weaknesses into strengths.
Practice questions
We have over 4,500 practice questions ready and waiting for you to try your hand at. Plus, we have practice exams you can work on, helping to make you lightning fast at answering questions while also building your confidence to become exam-ready.
UCAT-friendly interface
We have created our platform to mimic the UCAT experience — right down to the keyboard shortcuts and calculators — so things will feel comfortable and familiar when it comes time to sit the real thing.
Simply set up your free account, complete the short 20-minute diagnostic to create your very own personalised UCAT study plan and start practicing.
Your personalised UCAT study plan will appear with recommendations for which sections of the UCAT you need to practice and when to sit simulated practice exams.
This way you can study the UCAT and rest assured you’re progressing towards the benchmark scores you need for your dream med school, without having to stress about it yourself. You can start your 60-day trial today!
Types of UCAT questions
Before diving into the question banks, you might want to explore a little more about the types of questions you'll encounter in each subtest.
Verbal Reasoning
There are 2 styles of questions you can expect in the VR subtest.
- True/False/Can't Tell questions: After reading a passage of text, you'll have to choose from 3 options.
- Single best answer question: You'll be presented with a question or incomplete statement and 4 response options. From here, you're required to pick the best or most suitable option (keep in mind you can only select one).
Decision Making
There are 2 types of questions in the DM section.
- Multiple choice: You'll have 4 answer options and only 1 is correct.
- Yes/No statements: Select 'yes' or 'no' based on the question.
Quantitative Reasoning
There are 6 common types of questions in the QR section.
- Averages: This question will ask you to calculate the average from a set of data.
- Percentages: You can be asked percentage-based questions, including what is the percentage difference.
- Diagrams, tables and charts: Expect to encounter questions based around these elements.
- Median/mode: These questions are often similar to the questions about averages.
- Conversion: These questions will often include proportions, fractions or percentages and measurements like metres, kilometres and miles.
- Volume, area and perimeter: These questions often include a diagram.
Abstract Reasoning
There are 4 types of questions you can expect to see in the AR subtest. These are:
- Choose the set questions (A, B or Neither)
- Choose which belongs questions (Sequence and series)
- This is to that questions (Analogies)
- Complete the sequence questions (Best fit)
Situational Judgement
The SJT involves 2 styles of questions.
- Appropriateness: You'll be asked to rate how appropriate a behaviour or action was.
- Importance: After each scenario, you'll be given actions and asked to rate them on how important they are within the specific context.
Realistic test simulation: Full-length UCAT practice tests
Gradually increasing the duration and intensity of practice sessions is a great way to build mental endurance in order for you to be better prepared when it comes time for the UCAT exam.
This method of scaling up from mini-tests to full exams allows an accurate simulation, helping one assess their abilities within a realistic setting that pinpoints weaknesses as well as strengths.
Effective UCAT preparation involves practicing realistic test simulation, and full-length practice tests can help assess your readiness for the exam. We recommend completing at least 10 timed mock exams before you sit the UCAT to give yourself the best chance of success.
Regularly taking complete length UCAT practices offers various advantages such as pinpointing areas that need improvement, honing strategies, boosting confidence in abilities, improving timing management skills, plus preparing more thoroughly for when it counts most — on the day!
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of using question banks for UCAT preparation?
Question banks help you practice and become accustomed to the style of questions you'll encounter in the exam. These resources can be utilised to pinpoint weak areas so that you may better hone the skills needed for success on this test.
What is the best UCAT question bank?
MedView Spark offers over 4,500 practice questions and exams for you to work through as you prepare for the UCAT.
Based on your practice results, our team of top Med School students and medical professionals identify what you need to work on and create a personalised study plan for you.
How else can I prepare for the UCAT?
If you're looking for a more customised approach, MedView Education takes med school admission to a new level through personalised admission support, application review, entrance exam and interview tutoring, and extracurricular mentoring for students in Australasia.
We understand that each student is different, so the services we provide are always personalised to your individual needs. Not sure where to start? Book a free consultation with our MedView advisors if you'd like more guidance on this process.
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The UCAT
The UCAT, or the University Clinical Aptitude Test is the medical school admission test required for many universities in Australia and New Zealand. The UCAT is designed to assess applicants for the aptitude, attitudes and beliefs required of a doctor. In order to defeat the UCAT - we should understand what it is. First off, it’s a two hour computer based exam. There are 5 separately timed subtests - Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Situational Judgement. In this blog we break down each of the sections and offer guidance on how to prepare for this important exam.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning is meant to assess your ability to read something and draw appropriate conclusions. You can see why this would be important to a doctor - you’re part of a multidisciplinary team and will have to communicate effectively. In addition, doctors have to keep current with new research and draw reasonable conclusions from published findings. Decision making involves 11 text excerpts with 4 questions each, meaning this section has 44 questions in 21 minutes - that means an average of 29 seconds per question. That doesn’t even take reading the stem into account!
Decision Making
Decision Making is essentially data interpretation from graphs, tables, text and charts. You don’t need to have background knowledge on any subject, because part of what they’re testing is your ability to understand new information. Can you think of a time a doctor might have to do the same? This section has 29 questions in 31 minutes - an average of 64 seconds per question. Compare the timing of section to verbal reasoning, it’s more than double. Consider the length of time per question as an indication of how much the test writers want you to analyse.
Quantitative Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning is a straightforward mathematics section - there are nine scenarios each with four questions. You’ll have access to an on screen calculator - which is functional but pretty clunky! You’ll have to strike a balance between using mental maths to be quick, and keeping your wits about you, and staying accurate. This section has 36 questions in 24 minutes - an average of 40 seconds per question. It’s not a lot of time to question your maths abilities!
Abstract Reasoning
Abstract Reasoning is used to evaluate your ability to locate patterns and understand logic, separate from your language abilities. If you’ve seen the guides online with pictures asking you to find a pattern - that’s abstract reasoning. This section is sometimes hard for students to grasp, because it’s such a different set of skills. It’s also probably the biggest struggle with time management. This section has 55 questions in 13 minutes - that’s only 14 seconds per question. Don’t even think about going into this section unprepared!
Situational Judgement
Situational Judgement assesses your judgement and character in different situations - the situations are usually clinical or education based. Either situations you’ve likely been in, or a situation you could be involved in future. Then you’ll have to evaluate the appropriateness, importance or consequences of the situation. It’s one way for universities to evaluate the characteristics that are important for future doctors! Situational Judgement has 69 questions in 26 minutes - an average of 25 seconds per question.
With so much to do - how can I set myself up for success?
Prepare
This sounds like a no brainer, but preparation is the most important thing you can do if you want to succeed on the UCAT. Going over questions is one thing but the most effective thing you can do is to practice under exam conditions. That means doing computer based exams - so when you get to test day, you know what to expect. Luckily MedView has a bank of questions.
Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Time is a precious resource when you’re preparing for medical school admissions - you have to continue doing well in your studies, prepare yourself for an interview, and master a new exam. There’s not infinite time - so you have to learn how to study smarter, not just harder. So many students waste their time by continuing to drill skills that they’ve already mastered. It’s important to identify the weak points that need more TLC.
Learn Skills
Each type of question requires a specific psychometric approach to understand and answer so quickly. Skills and strategies to identify the problem and solve the challenging question are essential for success. MedView has a range of 1:1 tutoring, group workshops, practice exams and questions alongside our spiral learning curriculum to help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in time conditions. Our UCAT students are 5x more likely to receive an interview offer.
Sitting full-length practice exams under simulated conditions is the most effective preparation for developing UCAT skills. As this will familiarise yourself with the extreme time pressures, as well as allowing you to practise concentrating on psychometric skills for two hours. It is also important to practice using the computer-based platform that will be used when you sit UCAT as well.
Seek Help
Find friends that have taken the test before and ask for their experience. Better yet, schedule a free Academic Assessment with MedView today! When you start your journey as a MedView student, you are allocated an Education Coordinator who has experience helping hundreds of students get into med school. They’ll help you stay on track with your goals, offer you support, and help you succeed on your path to medical school.
Next Steps
The UCAT is an important exam that is key to medical school admission for undergraduates. We recommend starting your UCAT preparation early and integrating it into your study load to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. If you’d like to learn more about the UCAT or how to get into Medical School, check out our free eBooks and blogs!
- What is the UCAT?
- How Universities use your UCAT Results
- A Quick Guide to Australia Medicine eBook
- A Quick Guide to New Zealand Medicine eBook
- How to Prepare for the UCAT
- What UCAT scores will get me into med?
MedView offers a range of UCAT preparation courses as well as personalised 1:1 tutoring with our expert team. If you would like to know more about the UCAT and how MedView can help, get in touch today.
What can you do before the year starts?
Before the year starts, it is vital that you understand that the journey to becoming a doctor is a long and arduous process. Medicine is a life-long commitment whose pathway extends beyond the 6 years of study. It includes a progression from a house officer to a registrar, and application onto training schemes if you opt for the surgical pathway.
The vast majority of people who apply for medicine, do not have a clear picture of what they want to do in the future. This uncertainty is not something to worry about now – you have plenty of time to figure out exactly what you want to do. There is something in medicine for everyone. If you are still uncertain about the medical pathway beyond the 6 years of study, I would recommend doing further research.
Another thing you can do over the summer break is to identify your motivation to become a doctor. If it’s for the money, you may not be in the correct profession - it will be at least 10-12 years until you start earning the big bucks that all doctors are known for! If you have an inherent nature to help people and seek to make our society healthier, then you are on the right track.
Once your head is in the right place, enjoy your summer! The year will belong, and you will have to make social sacrifices to make your studies a priority. Make the most of the time you have by seeing friends and family, as you will inevitably see less of them throughout the year. You are likely to experience burnout sometime during the year, so optimising your rest now is important.
The single most effective way to distance yourself from your competitors is to start early and hard. After you have rested throughout December and into the new year, it is time to get started and get ahead. The Flying Start Course offered by MedView was my ticket to success. It is a highly intensive programme starting in late January that covers the first 6 weeks of content for the three core papers in the first semester. The advantages of this course are numerous:
- The most valuable aspect of Flying Start is the content covered. As the first semester contains 3 out of the 4 core papers, it is so important to get a good start. An early lapse within the first few weeks can completely derail your entire year. Being exposed to similar content ahead of time builds your confidence and gives you the opportunity to begin learning before others.
- There is a radically different teaching style from high school to university. Flying Start emulates the style you are accustomed to, while simultaneously teaching university material. This eases your transition and places students into a more comfortable and familiar environment.
- You can meet other motivated people. You may have heard the horror stories of people sabotaging each other, taking their notes and hiding their bags. While these are mostly exaggerated, there will still be those who resort to other measures to gain an advantage. The people doing Flying Start will be motivated just like you, and eager to get ahead. Working together and building these strong relationships before the year starts means that you have a better support group in place. I have met several bright individuals who were passionate and together, we were able to navigate the difficult year and succeed as a group!
MedView believes in a holistic approach to medical school admissions, meaning we surround the student with a team of experts to help develop their candidacy and skills in all three major pillars in their journey to medical school, and now it’s even more accessible with the MedView Hub App!
Over the last decade there’s been a mass adoption of smartphones and a shift in the way people behave online and communicate. Australians are spending more time online, often using multiple screens, and consuming vast amounts of content each day. And it’s only going up!
Recent figures show that almost eight out of ten Australians use social media, and 87% of them use their mobile phones to access it. Fifty-nine percent of Australians access social media everyday or most days, and over a third of people check social media more than five times per day.
We often go online to chat with friends and family, share photos, or be entertained by cat videos. But the very same platforms we use to socialise can also be used to gather knowledge that we can apply in our offline lives. One of the areas where users can reap the benefits is online communities. MedView prides themselves on finding the best tutor, strategist or consultant for each student whether they be in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom and having an online community platform allows even more core benefits for our students in a shorter amount of time. Now students can access over 320 tutors, strategists and consultants and get answers to their Synapse questions, interact in exclusive workshops, and most importantly make friends. The meaningful relationships with other members of the community increases knowledge and collective wisdom.
The MedView Hub App is our own online community platform for students, parents, tutors, and alumni to create a network of opportunities to participate in smart, focused conversation on specific medical school admissions topics (unlike the Instagram and Facebook chatter).
Over the last decade there’s been a mass adoption of smartphones and a shift in the way people behave online and communicate. Australians are spending more time online, often using multiple screens, and consuming vast amounts of content each day. And it’s only going up!
Recent figures show that almost eight out of ten Australians use social media, and 87% of them use their mobile phones to access it. Fifty-nine percent of Australians access social media everyday or most days, and over a third of people check social media more than five times per day.
We often go online to chat with friends and family, share photos, or be entertained by cat videos. But the very same platforms we use to socialise can also be used to gather knowledge that we can apply in our offline lives. One of the areas where users can reap the benefits is online communities. MedView prides themselves on finding the best tutor, strategist or consultant for each student whether they be in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom and having an online community platform allows even more core benefits for our students in a shorter amount of time. Now students can access over 320 tutors, strategists and consultants and get answers to their Synapse questions, interact in exclusive workshops, and most importantly make friends. The meaningful relationships with other members of the community increases knowledge and collective wisdom.
The MedView Hub App is our own online community platform for students, parents, tutors, and alumni to create a network of opportunities to participate in smart, focused conversation on specific medical school admissions topics (unlike the Instagram and Facebook chatter).
Find out more and begin your journey to medical school by speaking with a MedView Academic Advisor for free today!
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