Contents Contents... 1 Introduction... 2 The Test... 2 Candidates required to sit the UKCAT.... 3 Registration, Booking and Fees... 4 Special Arrangements... 6 Preparation... 6 Timing... 7 Results... 7 Scaled Scores... 8 How the results are used for admissions... 9 University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine... 12 Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry... 13 University of Birmingham, School of Medicine... 14 Brighton and Sussex Medical School... 14 University of Bristol, Faculty of Medicine... 14 University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine... 15 Cardiff University, School of Medicine... 15 University of Dundee, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing... 15 University of Durham... 17 University of East Anglia Norwich Medical School... 17 The University of Edinburgh, The Faculty of Medicine... 18 University of Exeter Medical School... 18 University of Glasgow, Faculty of Medicine... 19 Hull York Medical School... 20 Imperial College School of Medicine, London... 20 Keele University, School of Medicine... 21 King's College London School of Medicine... 22 University of Leeds, School of Medicine... 23 University of Leicester, Leicester Medical School... 23 University of Liverpool, Faculty of Medicine... 24 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine... 24 University of Manchester, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences... 25 University of Newcastle, The Medical School... 27 The University of Nottingham, Faculty of Medicine... 27 University of Oxford... 27 Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry Peninsula Medical School... 28 Queen's University Belfast, Faculty of Medicine... 28 University of Sheffield, School of Medicine... 29 University of Southampton, School of Medicine... 29 University of St Andrews, Faculty of Medical Sciences... 30 St George's, University of London... 32 Swansea University, School of Medicine... 32 University College London, University College Medical School... 32 University of Warwick, Warwick Medical School... 33 Appendix I UKCAT Countries... 34 Appendix II s and Bibliography... 34 Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 1
Introduction The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is an entrance test used as part of the admissions process by a consortium of UK Medical and Dental schools and was introduced in 2006. The consortium membership currently comprises 10 (of 18) dental schools in the UK and 26 (of 37) medical schools. The Test The test consists of 5 sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning, decision analysis and the recently introduced situational judgement questions. The test is delivered online, at a range of test centres throughout the UK and worldwide in almost 100 countries The situational judgement questions are designed to assess professional attributes and characteristics that contribute to success in either medicine or dentistry careers. The UKCAT does not contain any curriculum or science content and is designed to be a test of innate aptitude and the driving force behind it in a desire to ensure that candidates of all educational backgrounds are provided with a level playing field. Each section of the UKCAT is separately scaled and reported to candidates and schools. In addition, a total scaled score, based on the sum of the four section scaled scores is provided to schools. New test questions under development are tested by inclusion in the ongoing tests, questions being tested are not included in the scoring, each year all the questions and answers provided by candidates are analysed and adjustments are made where certain questions are found to produce skewed results in previous years there have been adjustments both up and down most commonly in the Abstract Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections candidates who are affected are notified of their new scores by email and by letter and the relevant universities are also notified. The entire test will take 2 hours. Each section will be timed separately. A breakdown of the timing for each section is given below: Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 2
Duration Information Test Items VERBAL 22 minutes 11 passages, 4 questions 44 REASONING about each passage. QUANTITATIVE 25 minutes 9 Tables / charts / graphs, 36 REASONING 4 questions about each. ABSTRACT 14 minutes 11 sets of shapes, 5 test 55 REASONING shapes associated with each set. DECISION 32 minutes 1 set of information. 28 ANALYSIS SITUATIONAL 27 minutes 14 scenarios each with 4-6 68 JUDGEMENT TEST potential response options. TOTAL 120 minutes 231 Candidates required to sit the UKCAT. All applicants to a UKCAT Consortium Medical or Dental School are required to sit the UKCAT, where a university uses the UKCAT and a candidate does not hold a valid exemption, applications without a UKCAT score will usually be rejected. If you live AND are educated in a country not listed in the UKCAT country index (see Appendix I) then you do not have to take UKCAT. Your application will be assessed by the medical or dental school without a test score and it will not affect your application in any way. If you believe that you meet the requirements for exemption from UKCAT, you must contact the UKCAT Administrators for permission to be exempted; you can do this by email at ukcat@nottingham.ac.uk. If you are granted an exemption from UKCAT then you will be sent a unique exemption number. All requests for exemption from UKCAT must reach the UKCAT Administrators by 22nd September 2015. Any applications received after this date will not be considered. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 3
Registration, Booking and Fees Registration for the UKCAT is only available online, via the website www.ukcat.ac.uk In previous years there have occasionally been difficulties booking online and it has for limited periods of time been possible to book via the customer service desk at Pearson Vue on 0161 855 7409. It is also possible to contact customer services by email at ukcatcustomerservices@pearson.com Registration opens on the 1 st May 2015 and closes on the 22nd September 2015. Testing slots can be booked for dates between the 1 st July 2015 and the 6th October 2015 (please note that the deadline to register for the UKCAT is before the UCAS application deadline of the 15 th October 2015.) It is advisable to book an early test slot as testing slots towards the end of the testing period attract a higher test fee. Some of the questions on the online registration form will inquire about your social background i.e. the occupation of your parents, your ethnicity and nationality. This information cannot be used by the medical schools in the selection process and they will not be able to access it. When registering on the UKCAT website please ensure you enter your full name as it appears on your birth certificate and/or passport. You should also do this when completing your UCAS application so that matching your test results to your UCAS application can be done correctly. After registering an account, you will be sent further instructions on booking an actual test date via the Pearson VUE website. The test cost will need to be paid at the time you book a test slot. The payment card you use to pay for your test online will need to have the same billing address as the address you give in the registration page. The cost of the test varies by the region in which you sit your test and the date: Prices for 2015 are as follows. EU candidate before August 31st: 65 EU candidate after September 1st: 80 Candidate outside EU at any time: 100 Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 4
UKCAT provide bursaries under which the test fee is waived for cases of hardship. Candidates will need to apply online for a bursary before registering for the UKCAT. Eligibility criteria for the UKCAT bursary are as follows: Candidates in receipt of 16 to 19 Bursary or Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Candidates in receipt of Discretionary Learner Support (or equivalent for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) Candidates in receipt of Free School Meals Candidates in receipt of Full Maintenance Grant or full Special Support Grant (or equivalent for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) Candidates living with a family member in receipt of Income Support, Jobseeker s Allowance, or Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit Candidates in receipt of an equivalent means tested benefit to one of the above if they are outside the UK but in the EU Candidates living with a parent / guardian in receipt of Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance or Income-based Employment and Support Allowance Candidates who live with a parent / guardian in receipt of Universal Credit if the household income as stated on the aware is less than 35k. Candidates who live with a family member in receipt of Child Tax Credit where the candidate is named on the award and the household income as stated on the award is less than 35k. Full details of the process, supporting documents required and a link to the application form can be found here: http://www.ukcat.ac.uk/registration/bursaries/ If your bursary application is accepted you will be sent a voucher number by email. This email will constitute your bursary voucher. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 5
Special Arrangements Standard additional time arrangements for students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dysorthographia, attention deficit disorder, or working memory deficit can also be arranged as part of the online registration system. When you book a test slot, the system will offer the option of extended test timing when you book a test slot. In these circumstances you do not need to supply the UKCAT Administrator or Pearson VUE with evidence of your medical condition. However, the UKCAT-participating universities, to which you apply, will ask you to send the clinical evidence to them later in the admissions cycle. Your UKCAT result may be declared void if you do not present adequate supporting evidence when it is asked for by one of the universities. For any other special arrangements you can contact Pearson Vue customer services by email at ukcatcustomerservices@pearson.com or by telephone as follows: In the UK: 0161 855 7409 International number: +44 161 855 7409 Preparation The test is designed as an aptitude test and the official position of both the UKCAT consortium and of Person VUE who administer the test is that it cannot be revised for. It is essential to use the familiarisation questions on the UKCAT website at http://www.ukcat.ac.uk/ to ensure that you are aware of the format of the questions and the timescales involved. Although there may be a threshold beyond which it is not possible to improve your score on an aptitude test practice and strategy are very important factors in ensuring that the score you achieve on the day is a true reflection of the full extent of your ability. Understanding the scoring system and question formats will help you to maximise the efficiency with which you collect marks as these tests are not negatively marked it is important to develop an understanding of the time allowed for each question so that you pace yourself correctly, ensuring that you answer as many questions as possible every question you leave blank when you run out of time is a mark you definitely didn t get. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 6
Anecdotal evidence suggests that many candidates prepare quite extensively for the UKCAT and that practicing questions produces a marked improvement. There are a range of practice materials available books and online sources and different methods will suit different people but there is a definite argument in favour of practicing on a computer to mimic the experience of sitting the UKCAT which is itself administered electronically. Timing Timing is a real factor in the UKCAT and it is important to practice under timed conditions and to not spend too long on any one question during the test. This is especially pertinent as the Verbal, Quantitative and Abstract Reasoning sections all contain a set of questions which are subject to quality testing and are not marked. All questions in the Decision Analysis section carry marks. Results At the test centre you will receive a printed copy of your results immediately after completing the test. Once you have submitted your UCAS application you need to tell us your 10-digit UCAS Personal Identification Number (PID) and both the University name and UCAS course code (e.g. A100) of all your choices that require the UKCAT. We will use this information to help deliver your results to your chosen Universities. We will email you in mid-september asking you to provide this information. Please ensure you have your log-in details to your Pearson Vue UKCAT account as you will need these to complete the process. It is your responsibility to provide us with this information by the 16 October 2015. If you fail to supply this information correctly it may delay the processing of your application to your chosen UKCAT Universities. Once we have details of your chosen Universities we communicate your test result directly to them, usually during the first week of November. For clarity, we do not and cannot pass your mark onto any Universities outside the Consortium. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 7
You may only sit the UKCAT once each year. If you try to sit it twice in the same test cycle, the later sitting will be automatically invalidated and the first result will be used. Your result is only valid for one year and if you need to reapply to read Medicine or Dentistry you would need to re-sit the UKCAT in the next admissions year. If you did not notify UKCAT about any special arrangements that were needed so that provision for any access requirements could be made in advance or if you sat the test in adverse circumstances such as at a time of illness or distress, any allowances in the interpretation of your UKCAT result is at the discretion of the University to which you have applied, neither the UKCAT Consortium or Pearson VUE will make any adjustments to your scores. Scaled Scores The UKCAT result that is given to a candidate at the end of their exam is a scaled score rather than a raw score or percentage; this is because there are several versions of the UKCAT test and there is inevitably some variation in the level of difficulty of the different versions of the UKCAT test. A scaled score which has been statistically adjusted to account for this variation is issued and is then considered directly comparable to the scores of other candidates regardless of the version of the test sat. The UKCAT consortium publish the mean and standard deviations of each subtest and overall test score. The 2014 data is shown below. Test Total N Mean Standard Deviation Minimum Maximum Verbal Reasoning 23884 570.55 76.65 300 900 Quantitative Reasoning 23884 684.30 96.77 300 900 Abstract Reasoning 23884 635.97 88.31 300 900 Decision Analysis 23884 613.95 71.03 300 900 Total Scale Score 23884 2504.77 251.76 1220 3380 : UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) Consortium, UKCAT Examination Technical Report Executive Summary - Testing Interval: 1 July 2014 3 October 2014, published February 2015. Percentile rank indicates a candidates ranking relative to other candidates in the same group and is used by some universities to select for interview. A candidate s percentile rank on a norm-referenced test such as the UKCAT tells us what proportion of candidates in the group scored the same or lower than the candidates in question. For example, a student with a percentile rank of 75, did as well or better Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 8
than 75 percent of the students in the norm group for the test. The mean score is the score at the 50 th percentile and the standard deviation given above has been used below to work out where the 25 th and 75 th percentile will lie as some universities use percentile rankings as a means of selection. The table below is also compiled with 2014 data. Test 25th percentile mean - 1SD 50th percentile mean 75th percentile mean + 1SD Verbal Reasoning 495 570 645 Quantitative Reasoning 590 685 780 Abstract Reasoning 545 635 725 Decision Analysis 545 615 685 Total Scale Score 2175 2505 2835 UKCAT scores vary considerably from year to year. The two tables below demonstrate this. It is important to consider any score within the context of that year s cohort rather than any other years. This information is published by UKCAT soon after the testing cycle ends. Preliminary data is often published before this. Verbal Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning Abstract Reasoning Decision Analysis Total Score 2014 mean 571 684 636 614 2505 2013 mean 557 655 661 771 2643 2012 mean 580 656 633 646 2515 Decile Total Score 2014 (end of testing) Total Score 2013 (end of testing) Total Score 2012 (end of testing) 1 st 2180 2230 2150 2 nd 2310 2390 2300 3 rd 2380 2500 2390 4 th 2450 2590 2470 5 th 2510 2670 2530 6 th 2570 2740 2600 7 th 2630 2820 2670 8 th 2710 2910 2750 9 th 2820 3030 2850 10 th 2830 or higher 3040 or higher 2860 or higher : UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) Consortium, Test Statistics 2012-2014 Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 9
How the results are used for admissions How the UKCAT-participating universities use the results varies from university to university and a full breakdown of this is provided in the next section. Where a university operates a policy that includes a cut-off score for the UKCAT it is important to note that this will vary from year to year as it will depend on the applicants and UKCAT scores specific to that admissions cycle. Universities will not be able to access any scores until the testing period is over for that year and the UCAS submission deadline has passed. Any cut-off scores will be agreed at this point. There are a number of sources that claim to know a cut-off score for the current admissions cycle. It is important to note that not only is this information is very unlikely to ever be released outside of a university s admissions selection committee during an active recruitment cycle, most Universities review the thresholds each year in light of applications received. Universities are notified of the UKCAT scores of their applicants after the end of the testing round usually around mid November. It may be possible to estimate a range for a particular university based on information from previous cycles but this should be done with caution. Each round of admissions is self contained and applicants are only competing against other applicants in the same cycle, so cut-off scores from previous cycles have no bearing on future cycles. It is possible for cut-off scores to go down as well as up and there is no real way to predict the direction of movement. There are occasionally changes to a university admissions policy based on applications in a particular year, for example in 2011 the University of Southampton used a cut off score for the first time and the University of Leicester changed their ranking system from a 5 point scale to a 10 point scale over the summer and have announced that the processing system is subject to change. Both these changes were announced on the University websites and it is advisable for candidates to check the websites of the relevant Universities for up to date information. Most universities use the UKCAT to decide which candidates to interview following an initial assessment based on the UCAS application using a ranking or points based system or to decide between two very similar candidates. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 10
Current research that suggests that the UKCAT is a successful tool for widening participation and reducing the relative disadvantage faced by some underrepresented groups and may account for the fact that reliance on the UKCAT seems to be growing; at St Andrews University the UKCAT has been given a weighting of 15% of an applicant s final score up from 10% previously and Keele University have introduced a cut off score based on the UKCAT mean score where previously it was only used in deciding between borderline candidates. Sheffield University have previously used a policy in which no minimum score for the UKCAT is specified but have now changed this to exclude from further consideration any candidates whose score falls below the 20 th percentile. The following section provides a breakdown arranged alphabetically by university where all the information has been collated from the official University websites or from published admissions policies. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 11
University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A201 UKCAT Essentials 2015 Candidates' UKCAT scores are considered in our selection for interview but are not the sole indicator for selection. They are considered alongside actual and predicted academic achievement in deciding who will be selected for interview. A minimum UKCAT cut-off score is NOT used. A score is allocated based on the applicant's overall performance in UKCAT compared with all other applicants to Aberdeen. We do not have a cut off for the UKCAT. The score allocated is based upon an applicant s overall performance in the UKCAT compared with the performance of all other applicants to Aberdeen. Achievements are ranked in octiles and allocated the appropriate score. Applicants to Aberdeen offer a broad range of UKCAT scores. For 2015 entry the lowest total score for an applicant was 1750 and the highest 3290. The range for offers made will be published on the website but is not available at the time of printing. For 2014 Entry the lowest total score for an applicant was 1490 and the highest 3470. The lowest total score for successful applicants who were made offers was 2390 and the highest 3440. For Dentistry: Candidates' UKCAT scores are considered in our selection for interview (40%) alongside actual and predicted academic achievement (60%). Both indicators are considered together in deciding who will be selected for interview. A minimum UKCAT cut-off score is NOT used. The score allocated is based upon an applicant s overall performance in the UKCAT compared with the performance of all other applicants to Aberdeen. Achievements are ranked in deciles and allocated the appropriate score. Applicants to Aberdeen offer a broad range of UKCAT scores. For 2015 entry the lowest total score for an applicant was 1780 and the highest 3020. The average score for all applications was 2440. The lowest total score for applicants who were invited to interview was 2260 and the highest 3020. The range for offers made will be published on the website but is not available at the time of printing http://www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/medicine/ukcat.php http://www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/dentistry/ukcat.php Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 12
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A101, A200, A201 UKCAT Essentials 2015 A100 (Undergraduate Entry) - We receive well over 2,500 applications for entry and interview about 800 candidates. Approximately 440 offers are made, and 253 students will be admitted in September to the five-year course (A100). Applications are firstly reviewed within the Admissions Office to check that they meet the minimum academic requirements. Any applications which do not meet the minimum academic requirements will be rejected at this point. For school-leavers/gap year students, you must achieve at least 2400 overall in the UKCAT. We are not able to give you advice on the minimum score we require, since it varies from year to year; however, it is unlikely that you would be offered an interview if you obtained a TOTAL UKCAT score below 2400; although there is no guarantee you will be offered an interview if you score above this. Graduates who apply for the 5 year programme will be assessed to ensure they meet our minimum academic criteria. Applicants who meet these criteria will then be ranked against the other graduate applicants applying in that year according to their overall UKCAT score to determine which applicants to short-list for interview. A101 - (Graduate Entry) We receive well over 1500 applications for entry and interview about 200 candidates. Approximately 60 offers are made, and 40 students will be admitted in September. A range of criteria is used to assess candidates. Candidates must meet the minimum academic requirements outlined in the section on entrance requirements and have taken the UKCAT. Graduates will be assessed to ensure they meet our minimum academic criteria. Applicants who meet this criteria will then be ranked against the other graduate applicants applying in that year according to their overall UKCAT score to determine which applicants to short-list for interview. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 13
A200 applicants (not including graduates) who achieve at least 2400 overall in the UKCAT and meet our minimum academic entry criteria will be given a score for their UCAS tariff based on achieved/predicted grades for all tariffable criteria. Candidates will be expected to have achieved or be predicted a UCAS tariff of 410 or more. 410 points must be achieved from the main scoring Academic acceptable criteria. 50% of the weighting will be on Tariff and 50% on the UKCAT score. s http://www.smd.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/a100/index.html http://www.smd.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/a200/index.html University of Birmingham, School of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A200 Specific entry requirements for 2016 are currently being written and will be published on this website as soon as they are available. http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/med/medicine.aspx Brighton and Sussex Medical School UKCAT Consortium Member: No UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not Applicable BSMS asks all applicants to take the BMAT test, not the UKCAT s http://www.bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying/about-admissions/ University of Bristol, Faculty of Medicine UKCAT Consortium Member: NO UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not Applicable We select applicants on the basis of the UCAS form and then interview approximately the top 20% of applicants for undergraduate entry and the top 10% for graduate entry. s http://www.bristol.ac.uk/medical-school/prospective/application/faqs/ Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 14
University of Buckingham UKCAT Consortium: No UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not Applicable The University of Buckingham is an independent medical school University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine UKCAT Consortium Member: NO UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not Applicable All applicants for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine are required to take the BMAT in an approved centre, after making their application and before interview. http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/admissions-tests/bmat Cardiff University, School of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A104, A200, A204 For Medicine: All undergraduate applicants must sit the UKCAT test, which can be sat in a local testing centre. Visit UKCAT for further details. There is no minimum score or threshold required for Cardiff in the UKCAT so no matter what you apply with, we will still consider your application. We only use the results of an applicant s UKCAT test if we are at the end of the process with two applicants in a tiebreak situation, at which point we may refer to the test results to make a decision. If you are applying as a graduate, you will need to sit GAMSAT instead of UKCAT. For Dentistry: All applicants are required to sit the UK Clinical Aptitude Test in the year of application. The UKCAT is taken in addition to A-Levels (or alternative academic qualifications) and is intended to be an additional selection tool for screening UCAS applicants. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/undergraduate/applying/admissionscriteria/medicine/entry-requirements.html http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/undergraduate/applying/admissionscriteria/dentistry/entry-requirements.html Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 15
Central Lancashire (University of) UKCAT Consortium: Yes UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: 8J68 This programme is for International Students. UK HE fee regulations prevent UK/EU students applying for this programme. "Designed to meet the learning outcomes as laid down by the General Medical Council (GMC)" but not currently listed as an accredited awarder of a UK Medical degree. The University of Liverpool is listed as a contingency school to award the medical degree is Central Lancashire are not able to meet the accreditation requirements, however one of the requirements in place from their last inspection is that the two schools must bring their curriculum learning outcomes into alignment - this requirement is still being monitored. UKCAT: We require all entrants to the programme to have a UKCAT test score prior to entry. This will be used to map student progression through the programme. There is no minimum threshold requirement for the UKCAT score. http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/bachelor_medicine_bachelor_surgery.php University of Dundee, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A104, A200, A204 All applicants must undertake the UKCAT during the summer prior to application. There is no pass-mark in this test but analysis has shown that the average score of those who applied in 2014 was 2650. Dundee Medical School is supportive of the introduction of situational judgement tests within the UKCAT. We are aware that a number of evaluations are currently underway which we hope will inform our use of the SJT scores within the 2014-2015 admissions cycle. As the findings will not be available in the immediate future and because the attributes tested by the SJT broadly parallel elements of our multiple mini interview process we will NOT be using this score to select for interview. If the evidence suggests it is appropriate, we shall include the SJT score as an element of our interview process. If not, we shall not use it until further information on reliability and validity is available. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 16
For Dentistry: All applicants will be expected to undertake the UKCAT test. Information on this test can be found at the UKCAT website. Excellent performance in Higher or A-Levels, and at interview, remain the key parameters used in the admissions process. http://www.dundee.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/medicine.htm http://www.dundee.ac.uk/study/ug/dentistry/#!info-entry-requirements University of Durham UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A190, A191 Both Durham University and Newcastle University use UKCAT scores following the initial academic screening process. Candidates who achieve the UKCAT cut-off Score or above are invited for interview (please note the UKCAT cut-off Score may vary for applicants who fulfil the university widening participation criteria). We are unable to determine the Cut-off Score until after we receive all applications but see below for previous thresholds for both Durham University Queens Campus (DUQC) and Newcastle University. In 2014 the threshold was 2980. It has been steadily getting higher since 2009 https://www.dur.ac.uk/school.health/phase1.medicine/entrancerequirements/ukcat/ University of East Anglia Norwich Medical School UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A104 We do not set a minimum cut-off score for the UKCAT, but consider the component scores within the academic screening processes. Whilst a high UKCAT score may be advantageous a low score, in an otherwise strong application, will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration. For 2015 entry, we will not be using the SJT component. From our experience, it is unusual for an applicant with a UKCAT score of less than 2400 to be invited to interview. http://www.uea.ac.uk/study/admissions-info/a100faq#q8 Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 17
The University of Edinburgh, The Faculty of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100 Once all the scores are received we rank them, divide the groups into octiles and allocate a score. The points are then added to your total score to contribute towards your final ranking. Due to the introduction of the Situational Judgement section of the test, we will be assessing this as part of our non-academic requirements and not alongside your overall UKCAT score. We will consider all scores and no applicant will be excluded from selection based on the score achieved in their UKCAT test (although applicants will be excluded if they have failed to take the test and not gained an exemption). The score an applicant achieved may be looked at again when final decisions are being made and there is a number of applicants with the same ranked score and limited places left to offer. http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/medicine-vetmedicine/undergraduate/medicine/applying/how-to-apply/2.1312/ukcat University of Exeter Medical School UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100 Applications will be sorted according to academic profile and overall UKCAT score in order to determine which applicants will receive an offer of an interview. http://www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/medicine/medicine/#entry-requirements Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 18
University of Glasgow, Faculty of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A200 UKCAT Essentials 2015 The UKCAT results are an important part of the MBChB Admissions process. The incorporation of the UKCAT results into the admissions process is reviewed on an annual basis. For entry in September 2015 the Medical School will interview approximately 600 applicants. An interview or entry is not guaranteed. Applicants should note that they will be considered within their year of application and by the standard presented during that admissions cycle alone. We consider UKCAT with all other aspects of the application. All aspects are considered in equal measure. The range of scores we consider changes each year as the performance of each admissions cohort varies. Applicants who have not sat the UKCAT and who have not received a UKCAT exemption will not be considered for entry. s http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/medicineadmissions/ukclinicalaptitudetestukcat/ Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 19
Hull York Medical School UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100 UKCAT Essentials 2015 You must take the UKCAT in the year you apply. For 2015 entry, we award you a number of points depending on your UKCAT score and add this to your academic score from your top 8 GCSEs. This will give you a total score which we will use to rank you against other applications when deciding who to invite to interview. We have been informed by the UKCAT consortium that due to a scoring error in the Situational Judgement Test part of the UKCAT this year, the bands cannot be used in making selection decisions this year. Having examined several options, we will simply be omitting SJT bands from our scoring system this year. We do not consider your application if: 1) Your total UKCAT score is less than 2450 2) You score less than 400 in the Verbal Reasoning subtest 3) You score less than 500 in any other subtest For 2015 entry we will not be using your UKCAT score post-interview. s http://www.hyms.ac.uk/undergraduate/our-applications-process/our-selection-procedure Imperial College School of Medicine, London UKCAT Consortium Member: NO UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not applicable All candidates applying to the six-year course must take the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) in the year of application in order to be considered for interview. s https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/school-of-medicine/medicine/ Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 20
Keele University, School of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A104 UKCAT Essentials 2015 For 2014 entry, applicants who were successful in gaining an offer had total UKCAT scores in the range 1,960-3,430. While the UKCAT situational judgement test (SJT) was not used in making selection decisions, it should be noted that no student with an SJT result in band 4 was successful in gaining an offer. Analysis of 2013 and 2014 applications showed that applicants with total UKCAT scores in the lowest decile (i.e. in the bottom 10% nationally) had an extremely low probability of being successful at the personal statement and interview stages. Therefore, for 2015 entry, applicants with total UKCAT scores in the lowest decile will not be considered. The threshold for 2015 applicants is 2,180. Applicants holding offers who narrowly miss achieving the required grades in their A- levels (or equivalent level-3 qualification) may receive further consideration if there are places available. In these circumstances, the factors taken into consideration in allocating remaining places will include interview score and UKCAT score. Applicants receiving offers for 2014 entry had UKCAT total scores ranging from 1,960 to 3,430 (i.e. mean subtest scores of 490 to 858). Please note that scores in the situational judgment test (SJT) section of UKCAT will not be used in making decisions for 2015 entry. It should be noted, however, that no students with a band 4 score in the SJT received offers for 2014 entry. This may indicate that a poor score in the SJT predicts poor performance in other aspects of the selection process. s http://www.keele.ac.uk/medicine/undergraduatemedicalcourse/entryrouteshowtoapply/ Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 21
King's College London School of Medicine UKCAT Essentials 2015 UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A101, A102, A103, A202, A203, A205 When considering those students which will be shortlisted for interview the selectors consider the following; GCSE (or equivalent performance), predicted or achieved A- level grades (or equivalent), the personal statement, the reference and the score in the UKCAT. All of these contribute to the short listing of candidates, but examination performance and the UKCAT score are perhaps the most important. These are highlighted as they provide us with the fairest and most consistent method of comparing applicants. The university does not have a threshold UKCAT score in any particular year, but in order to provide candidates with a method of assessing their likely competitiveness we provide some guideline scores which are indicative of the competitive score required in the past years. Please note that some students with scores above this may not have been interviewed and indeed some with scores below this may have been interviewed, as this is a guideline. The guideline scores for the past four cycles were as follows: 2015 entry 630 2014 entry 735 2013 entry 695 2012 entry 685 The value varies due to three key factors; the number of applicants per place varies slightly each year, the average quality of the applicant field varies slightly each year and finally the average performance in the UKCAT varies slightly each year. Applicants should therefore think very carefully before placing too much emphasis on the precise UKCAT score in any one year. For Dentistry: Your UKCAT scores will be considered in our selection for interview. They will not be the sole indicator for selection, but will be balanced against achievement in other areas, in particular your academic performance to date. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 22
All indicators will be considered together in deciding who will be selected for interview. It is therefore important to understand that there is no universal 'cut off' score for the UKCAT when applying for 2013 entry. For example, if an applicant has an excellent academic background then the test scores will not play such a significant part in selection. For those with weaker academic backgrounds (relative to our overall applicant pool), the scores will become more important. An applicant who may not normally be considered on academic grounds could be invited to interview on the strength of strong UKCAT scores that may indicate potential. Also, if applicants are very similar in all other ways, the scores may be the determining factor in selection for interview. s https://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/medicine/applying https://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/applying/name/dentistry/alpha/d/header_sea rch/ Lancaster University UKCAT Consortium: No UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not applicable UKCAT is not part of our entry requirements. Please note, from 2016 entry onwards, all applicants will be expected to take the Biomedical Admissions test (BMAT). s http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sci-tech/undergraduate/medicine-and-surgery-mbchb University of Leeds, School of Medicine UKCAT Consortium Member: NO UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not applicable The School of Medicine at the University of Leeds no longer accepts the UKCAT, not even if you applied to us with it in prior year(s). All applicants for medicine at Leeds must sit the BMAT in the academic session in which they apply. For Dentistry: A decision will be released by the June open days as to whether or not we will be asking for the BMAT this application cycle. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/medicine/admissions/aptitude_test.html Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 23
University of Leicester, Leicester Medical School UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100 UKCAT Essentials 2015 Academic ability and UKCAT will each be scored out of 34. UKCAT will be scored according to total as follows: 3400+ = 34, 3300+ = 33, 3200+ = 32, 3100+ = 31 and so on. The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) will not be forming part of the UKCAT score for 2015 entry. Therefore, applicants will not be rejected solely on the basis of a low SJT score. We will, however, use the UKCAT SJT score as a virtual multiple mini-interview station, should an applicant reach this stage of the process. s http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/msce/undergraduate/medicine/documents/2015scoringofa pplicationsa100.pdf University of Liverpool, Faculty of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A200, A201 The guidelines are currently under review for the 2015/16 admissions cycle. Please note however, that non-graduate applicants applying to the A100 programme in October 2015 will be expected to sit the UKCAT admissions test. Graduates applying to the A100 or A101 programmes will be expected to sit GAMSAT. s https://www.liv.ac.uk/medicine/undergraduate/admissions/ London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine UKCAT Consortium Member: NO UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not Applicable London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is NOT in the UKCAT Consortium and does NOT use the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 24
University of Manchester, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A104, A106, A204, A206, B840 The following table gives the range of UKCAT scores for applicants who are being invited to interview this year, and who were invited to interview for the previous four years. UKCAT scores of applicants invited for interview for A106 Admissions cycle Applicants with a WP Plus Flag (i.e. those who meet both geodemographic and educational indicators, and/or those who have been in care for more than 3 months) Applicants with a WP Flag or no contextual flags* 2014/15 2450 and above 2560 and above 2013/14 2740 and above 2810 and above 2012/13 2560 and above 2650 and above 2011/12 2490 and above 2590 and above 2010/11 2460 and above 2610 and above *includes mature students and students applying from the EU Course A104 To help identify talented students from all backgrounds, UKCAT scores from UK candidates who come from similar educational and socio-demographic backgrounds are considered against each other. This is done by using supplemental information provided by publicly available datasets. Equal proportions of top scoring applicants from each group are then selected for interview. One of the aims of the foundation year in medicine is to widen participation. With this in mind, applicants with a contextual data flag who meet our academic and nonacademic criteria, and whose UKCAT score is below our threshold, will be given additional consideration and may be invited for an interview. We anticipate that the number of applicants that this applies to will be low. The following table gives the range of UKCAT scores for applicants who are being invited to interview this year, and who were invited to interview for the previous four years. Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 25
UKCAT scores of applicants invited for interview for A104 Admissions cycle Applicants with a WP Plus Flag (i.e. those who meet both geodemographic and educational indicators, and/or those who have been in care for more than 3 months) UKCAT Essentials 2015 Applicants with a WP Flag or no contextual flags* 2014/15 2200 and above 2450 and above 2013/14 2310 and above 2690 and above 2012/13 2210 and above 2480 and above 2011/12 2130 and above 2440 and above 2010/11 2270 and above 2430 and above For Dentistry: Each candidate is scored on their performance in the test. The actual raw score is not particularly important but each candidate is also given a percentile score which shows how they performed in relation to other candidates. It is this percentile score that is examined as part of the assessment of the UCAS application. Manchester Dental School does not operate a cut-off score for UKCAT results. It is merely one element of the assessment of the application. Therefore, just because you have a low UKCAT percentile score does not mean you would be automatically rejected. Similarly just because you have a high UKCAT percentile score does not mean you will be successful either. s http://www.mms.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/applicationnov2014.pdf Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 26
University of Newcastle UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A101, A206 Both Durham University and Newcastle University use UKCAT scores following the initial academic screening process. Candidates who achieve the UKCAT cut-off Score or above are invited for interview (please note the UKCAT cut-off Score may vary for applicants who fulfil the university widening participation criteria). We are unable to determine the Cut-off Score until after we receive all applications but see below for previous thresholds for both Durham University Queens Campus (DUQC) and Newcastle University. In 2014 the threshold was 2980. It has been steadily getting higher since 2009 s http://www.ncl.ac.uk/media/sites/centralsite/undergraduate/documents/application%20and%2 0Interview%20data%20External%20view.pdf The University of Nottingham, Faculty of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A108 We do not have a cut-off or threshold for the UKCAT results. We will give you a score for each of the five sections of the UKCAT test, this includes scores for the four sections in the cognitive component and a score for the SJT component. The total UKCAT score makes up 71% of the total score at this stage. The scores are added to the score we award for GCSE's (where applicable). Applicants within the highest 50% are then considered further and have their personal statement and reference read and marked. This mark is added to the previous total and applicants with the highest overall total are invited for interview. s http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/medicine/study/medicine/faq/a100faq.aspx#ukcat University of Oxford UKCAT Consortium Member: NO UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: Not Applicable All applicants to Medicine are required to take the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) in their own school or college, or in a registered test centre, as part of their application. http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/pre-clinical/requirements Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 27
Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry Peninsula Medical School UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A206 The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) threshold score applied to determine candidate selection for interview can alter each year and is influenced by overall candidate performance in the UKCAT and the number and quality of applications received. Below are examples of the score thresholds applied during the 2012 and 2013 admissions cycles. Please note that all thresholds needed to be met.2013 for 2014 entry Verbal Reasoning: 504 Quantitative Analysis: 612 Abstract Reasoning: 599 Decision Analysis: 713 Overall (with standard deviation applied): 2671 For Dentistry: The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) threshold score applied to determine candidate selection for interview can alter each year and is influenced by overall candidate performance in the UKCAT and the number and quality of applications received. Below is an example of the score thresholds applied during the 2013 admissions cycle as this was the first year that the UKCAT test was applied. Application Cycle 2013 for 2014 Entry Verbal Reasoning 350 Quantitative Analysis 410 Abstract Reasoning 450 Decision Analysis 510 Overall (with standard deviation applied) 2190 http://www5.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/bmbs-bachelor-of-medicine-bachelor-ofsurgery/bachelor-of-medicine-bachelor-of-surgery-additional-entry-requirements Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 28
Queen's University Belfast, Faculty of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A200 UKCAT Essentials 2015 For all candidates UKCAT will be scored using the overall results from four of the papers. Candidates can obtain up to a maximum of 6 additional points. Points Awarded Banding of UKCAT Scores 0 1200 1899 1 1900 2099 2 2100 2299 3 2300 2499 4 2500 2699 5 2700 2899 6 2900 3600 For all candidates UKCAT is therefore taken into account at stage 1 of the selection process. UKCAT has introduced a fifth paper called a Situational Judgement Test, but it has been agreed that the results of this will not be used for 2015 entry except, if necessary, to inform decisions on borderline applicants who have achieved a similar score at interview. The current scoring system for UKCAT will be reviewed for 2016 entry. http://www.med.qub.ac.uk/docs/admissionpolicymedicine-2015.pdf University of Sheffield, School of Medicine UCAS Course Codes for UKCAT: A100, A104, A200 All applicants applying to study Medicine at the University of Sheffield will need to undertake the UK Clinical Aptitude Test for Medicine and Dentistry (UKCAT) in order to be eligible for admission. The test must be taken prior to your application, details of test dates and how to register can be found on the UKCAT website. Please note that test results are only valid for the current admissions cycle, if you re-apply to this medical School you will need to sit the test again. In addition to the academic requirements, candidates must have achieved a score of 2510 or above to be given consideration. Candidates must meet BOTH the academic entry requirements AND the UKCAT entry requirements. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/medicine/prospective_ug/applying/entryrequire Emedica / UKCATprep.com 2015 29