General UKCAT Questions

When do I sit the UKCAT?
What happens if I apply to study medicine or dentistry at a UKCAT-participating university Medical or Dental School but fail to take the test in time?
I will be travelling or working abroad on a 'gap year' when the UKCAT starts. What do I do?
I am not from the UK. Should I still take the UKCAT?
I am applying for deferred entry. Should I still take the UKCAT?
I am a graduate who wants to take dentistry or medicine as a second degree. Should I still take the UKCAT?
Are there any exemptions from the UKCAT?
How can you guarantee that the UKCAT is fair?
In admission decisions, what weight is given to the UKCAT in relation to A-level results?
What is the pass mark for the UKCAT?

When do I sit the UKCAT?

There is no single date for sitting the UKCAT, but candidates intending to apply in 2010 for entry to the participating universities in 2011 or for deferred entry in 2012 are required to take the UKCAT before the 8 October 2010 deadline. The UKCAT results are only valid for applications to universities in the year in which the test is taken. If your application to medical school is not successful and you re-apply the following year, you will be required to re-sit the UKCAT.

What happens if I apply to study medicine or dentistry at a UKCAT-participating university Medical or Dental School but fail to take the test in time?

If you fail to take the test in time, your application will be rejected. You will have to apply again the following year and take the UKCAT then.

I will be travelling or working abroad on a 'gap year' when the UKCAT starts. What do I do?

Even if you are abroad, you must still take the UKCAT unless you are based in an exempt country. If you will not be at home before the relevant deadline, you can register to take the UKCAT in the country where you are working or travelling. There are test centres all over the world.

I am not from the UK. Should I still take the UKCAT?

Yes. The UKCAT is required for all overseas applicants unless they are living in and being educated in an exempt country. There are test centres all over the world.

I am applying for deferred entry. Should I still take the UKCAT?

Yes. Since you are applying in this UCAS admissions round, you must take the UKCAT.

I am a graduate who wants to take dentistry or medicine as a second degree. Should I still take the UKCAT?

Yes, if it is required by one of the courses to which you have applied.

Are there any exemptions from the UKCAT?

Candidates living and being educated in certain countries may be exempt from the test. In extreme cases, an exemption may be granted to an individual candidate.

For example, if there is no test centre in your country, or if war or civil unrest or natural disaster makes it dangerous to reach a test centre before the deadline, or if your unplanned hospitalisation makes it impossible for you to attend a test centre before the deadline, you should contact the UKCAT Administrator to ask if your requirement to sit the UKCAT can be waived.

This discretion will not be exercised in favour of candidates who miss a deadline by mistake (e.g. because they did not find out about the UKCAT in time, or because they forgot to register).

Candidates from the following countries must take the UKCAT

How can you guarantee that the UKCAT is fair?

The UKCAT is designed to be a test of aptitude rather than educational achievement.

The need to create a 'level playing field' for applicants from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds has been paramount in the development of the UKCAT, and we monitor outcomes to ensure that groups of candidates are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged significantly by the test.

In admission decisions, what weight is given to the UKCAT in relation to A-level results?

There is no fixed weight given to either the UKCAT or the A-level. Different UKCAT-participating university Dental and Medical Schools weight the results of the UKCAT in different ways.

Every university uses the UKCAT result as part of a well-rounded admissions policy in which several other factors also carry considerable weight.

The UKCAT and A-levels (or equivalent qualifications), AS-levels and GCSEs will be assessed in combination with other elements, such as the personal statement and reference on the UCAS form and, in certain cases, performance at interview.

What is the pass mark for the UKCAT?

There is no pass mark for the UKCAT. As mentioned above, performance in the UKCAT will be considered in conjunction with a number of other factors, so that no one element will determine whether or not an offer of a place can be made.