Low ukcat score help

Original post by erinls2

Hi erinls2

Firstly don't stress, you still have time, I'm sure you'll be fine.

Hoping I can offer you some advice...

For QR, get familiar with the on screen calculator and use the calculator with the keyboard for speed. Really practice this.

Look for hard questions and skip these immediately, there is no point in wasting valuable time. If the question is hard to understand, the data you need is complex or there are many stages to the calculation, then it is a hard question.

If moving on, just guess an answer and flag for review in case you get extra time later. There is no negative marking so always worth a guess as you just might get it right!

I hope that is useful.

Do let me know if there is anything else... always happy to help!

UniAdmissions

Reply 22

Original post by UniAdmissions

Hi UniAdmissions - thanks for your reply!

I've just got the hang of using the keyboard for QR and that seems to really help. I think my biggest problem is silly mistakes under the time pressure and I kick myself every time I see what I did wrong!

Reply 23

Original post by LightAtTheEnd

omg your QR is insane!!! Congrats, that's such a good average as well :smile:

Where will you be applying??

Reply 24

Original post by erinls2

You're welcome!

That's great that you have got the hang of the keyboard.

It really is a case of just keep on practising. Stick with it, you still have time to practise between now and your test... I am sure you will improve and you;ll be just fine!

Good luck!

UniAdmissions

Reply 25

Original post by UniAdmissions

Thanks, I just did a 40 question timed session (28 minutes) and got 33 out of the 40 correct which is much better than I've been getting! :smile:

Reply 26

Original post by erinls2

Thanks, I just did a 40 question timed session (28 minutes) and got 33 out of the 40 correct which is much better than I've been getting! :smile:

That's fantastic!

Really well done... keep going at it!

UniAdmissions

Reply 27

Hi my daughter sat her Uk cat this week and was disappointed with her score

VR 500
QR 670
AR 610
SJ Band 2
Average 593

She wanted to apply to Edinburgh Aberdeen Dundee and St Andrews.

She has 4A's and 1C national 5
4 A's and 1B highers
Studying 3 advanced highers

Any advice please would be greatly appreciated thanks.

Reply 28

Original post by scottishmum

Your daughters application to medicine will be difficult with a UKCAT score of less than 600 and SJ band 2. She will also lose points for a C at nat 5 and a higher at B with some of the Scottish universities. Edinburgh like a SJ band 1. Although difficult not impossible. Does her school take part in REACH ( Glasgow west and south Scotland) LEAPS ( Edinburgh)? This allows pupils at poor performing schools improve their medicine application. She needs to write a brilliant personal statement and have had relevant work experience. Her advanced Highers must be all predicted A's otherwise she'll lose points there as well. Although she'll only need to achieve B's. Might be worth looking at Medical Sciences at Dundee and take long route now Nicola Sturgeon will pay fees for anyone doing medicine as a second degree. If unsuccessful this year don't despair blast her Advanced highers , take a gap year, most people score higher 2nd time at UKCAT plus achieved highers score higher than predicted..
Very stressful time for parents. Good Luck

Reply 29

Hi thanks for your reply. She has been part of Reach Edinburgh and has had work experience in a hospital for one week and care home for elderly for one week.

She went to Tanzania this summer and raised money to help build homes for orphans.

She has Duke of Edinburgh bronze and silver awards.

Hope this makes her application better.

Thank you 😃

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 30

Original post by scottishmum

Hi thanks for your reply. She has Bern part of Reach Edinburgh and has had work experience in a hospital for one week and care home for elderly for one week.

She went to tantalizing this summer and raised money to help build homes for orphans.

She has Duke of Edinburgh bronze and gold awards.

Hope this makes her application better.

Thank you 😃

Being part of Reach Edinburgh will certainly help her application. They should have a session to tell her how to write a strong personal statement stating what she gained from her work experience. I would also consider applying to Glasgow instead of St Andrews because it's the largest medical school in Scotland and therefore more places available. They also take Reach program into account. If daughter serious about medicine doesn't matter where she studies only that she does. Have a look at admission statistics for previous cycles search UKCAT A100 Edinburgh. A quick search of statistics confirm students with low UKCAT do get accepted. Edinburgh don't interview so personal statement must be strong and strongly state her passion for medicine. Until statistics come out for this years UKCAT you'll not know if result below or above average. Most students on TSR score high and the rest are too scared to state theirs. Your daughter should make full use of REACH Edinburgh its there to help her get into medicine. Only needs one offer. Hope her school has a good guidance department and also write a strong reference saying she'll get all A's. We had to fight to get school to predict all A's because they thought predicting B's would take pressure off. While phoning medical schools for their opinions school had went ahead and sent UCAS application predicting B's. After meeting with deputy head school then had to email each university saying they had wrongly predicted results. All turned out well in end got 2 offers and one waiting list. Don't give up.

Reply 31

Hi thank you so much for your reply 😃 daughter has a reach meeting next Friday to discuss personal statements.

Would Glasgow consider reach students from Edinburgh?

Thanks

Reply 32

Original post by scottishmum

Hi thank you so much for your reply 😃 daughter has a reach meeting next Friday to discuss personal statements.

Would Glasgow consider reach students from Edinburgh?

Thanks

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter which area you attend reach because it's there to help students of poor performing schools get into medicine. To confirm this you could always phone Glasgow medicine admissions. Nicola Sturgeon created 50 Scottish medicine places last year for students that fulfill certain criteria like poor postcode poor school, neither parent ever been to university all giving students with these backgrounds more points on their application. I say extra but really only returning number of medicine places to what they were before SNP took over. My previous post was altered to remove name of website whatdotheyknow usefull for finding previous admission statistics.

Reply 33

Sigma-Freud

Original post by Astar24

I'm a graduate just about to start medicine as a second degree - how do I get Big Nic to pay my fees?! :colone:

Reply 34

Need to be a Scottish applicant and promise to spend your working life as a doctor in Scotland. Apply through SAAS as normal. If in doubt contact SAAS direct. Might not be implemented until 2017 entry.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 35

Sigma-Freud

Original post by Astar24

Excellent, I'll take a look. Thanks!

Reply 36

Thanks for your informative information will have a look at all this thanks again 😃😃

Reply 37

My UKCAT is in 2 hours! eeeeeekkk! Fingers crossed it goes well :s-smilie:

Reply 38

Original post by erinls2

My UKCAT is in 2 hours! eeeeeekkk! Fingers crossed it goes well :s-smilie:

Good luck with it! Remember, walk in confident, stay calm and you'll do great!

UniAdmissions

Reply 39