UCAT Timings: Learn to Manage Your Time Efficiently
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Written By Team MedView
Reviewed By Thomas Nicolson (Currently studying Doctor of Medicine - MD at the University of Queensland)
Understanding UCAT timings and how much time you have for each section, and each question, is crucial for success. Time management should be a focus of your preparation and there are a few ways to tackle this.
In this article, we'll break down the timings you have for each subtest in the UCAT and time-saving techniques to use in the exam. Let's dive in!
Understanding UCAT timings: Section breakdown
Managing your time efficiently in the UCAT requires mastering the timings for its 5 sections, as each has different question counts and allocated times.
While these question counts and times differ, you are given 1 minute worth of reading time per section so you can quickly familiarise yourself before diving in.
Now, let's have a look at how much time you have for each subtest and how many seconds this works out to be for each question. For more information on preparing for each individual subtest, check out our comprehensive UCAT guide.
Verbal Reasoning timing
The Verbal Reasoning (VR) subtest includes 44 questions and a 21-minute test time. This works out to be an average of 28 seconds per question. There are 11 sets of 4 questions, which means that you should be expecting to read a passage and answer four questions on it in just under two mintues.
To do well, one must have a high level of speed reading proficiency and be able to quickly scan keywords in order to discern what information is necessary from written text.
Focus on retaining essential elements when interpreting passages as this should save time while answering questions efficiently. It’s important not to forget that practice is integral here.
With consistent honing, you can develop the skills of speedy comprehension and pinpointed keyword detection so that it becomes more like second nature during tests.
Decision Making timing
For the Decision Making (DM) section, you have a total of 29 questions to solve within 31 minutes — this works out to be around 64 seconds per answer.
However, expect to be spending a varied amount of time on questions, with syllogisms often taking more time than average, whilst recognizing assumptions can be done faster than average.
To do well in this section and get optimal results with probability problems and syllogisms, it is advised that you familiarise yourself thoroughly with such tasks through practice. When practicing, keep track of any recurring patterns or strategies so your skills are honed for rapid decision making based on synthesised data at hand.
Use your notebook and pen during problem solving as trying to do mental maths could slow you down in certain areas. This should also help visualise complex topics easier while speeding up the process overall.
Quantitative Reasoning timing
In Quantitative Reasong (QR), you have 36 questions to answer in 25 minutes — this is about 41 seconds per question.
In order to maximise the allotted time, it is crucial that you become well-versed in how to utilise your on-screen UCAT calculator effectively. But, be sure to work on your mental maths skills as these are also necessary for solving questions and means less reliance on the calculator, which can help you save a few seconds here and there.
In the QR subtest, questions within the same set are often based on previous answers. If you do any complicated calculations, such as long summations or averages, in previous questions, make sure to write these down so you don't have to repeat the same step again!
Abstract Reasoning timing
For the Abstract Reasoning (AR) section, you have 50 questions to answer in 12 minutes. This works out to just 14 seconds per question.
Preparing for the AR subtest might feel daunting given the time crunch but there are ways to sharpen your abstract reasoning skills. One way is to note down and become familiar with patterns you see in order to increase how quickly you are able to answer questions. Strategies like SCANSS can also prove helpful.
Dive into our guide on preparing for Abstract Reasoning for more information!
Situational Judgement Test timing
The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) contains 69 questions to answer within 26 minutes — this is 22 seconds per question.
The SJT evaluates your capacity and capability when faced with actual scenarios as well as determining appropriate behaviour while looking into significant factors.
Each question is centred around a moral dilemma — for example, patient safety versus patient confidentiality — so use practice questions to build a hierarchy of these morals and commit them to memory
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Time-saving techniques for UCAT success
It is crucial to begin practicing time-saving methods, such as keyboard shortcuts, intelligent guessing and question flagging, so that you can make the most out of your UCAT timings.
By doing regular practice with these approaches during preparation for the exam, they will become second nature when taking it, helping you better manage your allotted minutes. Accordingly, don’t miss this chance to maximise success on UCAT by incorporating them into your study process now!
Keyboard shortcuts
While keyboard shortcuts might not seem overly impactful, there are 228 questions in the UCAT, and saving just a second per question can give you nearly 4 minutes over the length of the entire exam!
Be sure to familiarise yourself with these shortcuts, which include Alt + C (to bring up the on-screen calculator) and Alt + F (to flag a question to return to).
NOTE: Let's mention our keyboard article here once it's live so we don't repeat the content?
Educated guessing
Educated guessing can be helpful in the UCAT, given how much of a time crunch you're under. This strategy involves using logic and reasoning to eliminate certain answer choices before making an informed guess from the remaining options — thus increasing your chances of getting a correct answer.
You're marked on the number of correct answers you give, which means there is no negative marking for incorrect answers, so it's worth taking an educated guess if you're unsure.
Flagging and reviewing
When taking the UCAT subtest, flagging is an invaluable technique that can help save precious time. It allows you to recognise questions which look more challenging and come back to them later on in order for your efforts to be focused where they will likely provide the most successful results.
Start by taking an educated guess (so as to not lose out on potential points) then flag the question and come back to it, if you have time.
Try not to rush
A common mistake students encounter is simply going too fast through the exam — and, it's unsurprising that this happens given how tight timings are.
When practising, try to reach a mid point between reading too fast and skipping over important words, and reading fast enough to finish on time.
An example of going too fast is often seen in the VR subtest, where students miss small words like 'not' or 'don't', which can dramatically change the answer of a question. As difficult as it is to do when you feel under the pump, try to stay measured and don't rush through the test.
Preparing for UCAT timing challenges
In order to tackle the UCAT timing challenges and optimise your performance on the exam, it is important to get adequate practice. This means taking mock exams, honing in any weak areas and staying consistent with your studies.
Keeping up with these goals will help ensure that you reap all of the benefits of thorough UCAT preparation for success on assessment day!
Mock exams and timed practice
The UCAT does require a lot of practice and while telling you to practice and prepare seems simple, there really is no substitute for dedicated, quality study.
Taking mock exams under timed conditions can help you sharpen your time management skills and become more adept at working quickly.
Perfect practice makes perfect, in our books. And that looks like focused, dedicated practice with mock exams, which will have a tangible impact on your speed. MedView Spark is a great resource for this — our learning platform has over 4,500 practice questions as well as practice exams you can work through to become exam-ready.
Plus, our interface is designed to mimic the UCAT experience, right down to the keyboard shortcuts and calculator, so there are no surprises and it'll help you feel comfortable for the real deal.
Targeting weak areas
When you set out to study for the UCAT, it's important that you have a dedicated goal, such as improving a certain aspect of a subtest, or improving your skills in a mock test environment.
Identifying the areas that need the most work during UCAT preparation is key for improving your overall performance and practice tests are a great way to discover what your strengths and weaknesses are.
After you've identified where support needs to increase, modify your studies accordingly or engage outside help if needed.
This is where MedView comes in — we understand the process of studying for the UCAT, achieving a high UCAT score and applying to medical schools is not only complex and confusing but it’s more competitive than ever before!
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.
Our dedicated team and personalised support helps students get the results they need, with our UCAT students 5 times more likely to receive an interview and 4.5 times more likely to gain admission to an Australian medical school.
Focusing on your areas of weakness and working on improving these will help increase your speed when it come to exam time.
Summary
While this process can be extremely complicated, understanding the UCAT score you need for admission to the medical school of your choice is crucial when planning for your future.
But, you don't have to do it alone. If you'd like extra support from industry professionals or to catch more UCAT updates, sign up for our monthly newsletter. Stay ON THE PULSE by being the first to catch UCAT and medical school admissions news.
STAY AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION!
Frequently asked questions
What is the time limit for the UCAT?
The UCAT runs for 2 hours and includes 228 multiple choice questions across 5 categories. The exam, which is taken on a computer, has 1 minute of allotted reading time at the beginning of each section.
The exam can't be stopped once it begins, so we recommend using the bathroom prior to the test.
Why is UCAT so time pressured?
The UCAT is intended to assess how candidates measure up against other applicants — it puts an emphasis on rapid, accurate problem-solving within a short period of time, which helps to differentiate students.
What are some effective time-saving techniques for the UCAT exam?
The UCAT exam demands effective utilisation of your time, and there are a few techniques that can help you accomplish this.
Keyboard shortcuts coupled with educated guessing as well as strategically marking questions to go back to later on will help you move through the exam as quickly, and successfully, as possible.
We know that navigating the complex world of UCAT study, university cut-off scores and medical school applications can be challenging! If you'd like extra support from industry professionals with years of experience, we can help — sign up to our newsletter and STAY ON THE PULSE with the latest admissions, UCAT and other medical school admissions news!
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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.
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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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