The Student Room Group
I'd say 3-5 weeks in advance, 15-20 hours a week. :smile:
Reply 2
Hey there :-) We usually tell our students that 4-5 weeks of preparation is about right for the UKCAT. In terms of hours, you really want to train your mind and body to get used to the intense time pressure of the two hour exam therefore we suggest about 2 hours a day. However, to get the most out of your preparation, these two hours must be really focused i.e. no phone, no Facebook, no mum bringing you snacks etc. This doesn't necessarily mean of course that you practice all of the sections of the test every day, prioritise the parts you find the most difficult.

If you would like any more specific UKCAT advice feel free to ask away on here/DM or check out our courses and free online resources https://6med.co.uk/

Best of luck,

Alex, 4th year UCL medic
6med
Hey guys,

I did the UKCat and I'm now in year 1, studying dentistry. Any questions or queries, feel free to message me :smile:
Original post by studentboss1
Hey guys,

I did the UKCat and I'm now in year 1, studying dentistry. Any questions or queries, feel free to message me :smile:


Hey there, did you attend any courses for UKCAT or did you revise by yourself? Also are there any resources you'd recommend getting? :smile:
Courses are largely pointless - you can find most of the content in YouTube videos/advice websites. I recommend using medify in the 2 weeks before the exam, but start doing some free questions online and researching tips and tricks (and the structure of the test) earlier on. I got 780 band 1 so if you have any other questions fire away :smile:
Original post by COYS...TTID
Courses are largely pointless - you can find most of the content in YouTube videos/advice websites. I recommend using medify in the 2 weeks before the exam, but start doing some free questions online and researching tips and tricks (and the structure of the test) earlier on. I got 780 band 1 so if you have any other questions fire away :smile:


Please give tips for each sections. I took the test (crammed the night before) got 590 and band 2. Planning on retaking and reapplying for medicine in a gap year. Any tips would be appreciated especialy for verbal reasoning. Honestly understand how they can expect you to do well on that section of the test :/ it's too hard imo
Original post by COYS...TTID
Courses are largely pointless - you can find most of the content in YouTube videos/advice websites. I recommend using medify in the 2 weeks before the exam, but start doing some free questions online and researching tips and tricks (and the structure of the test) earlier on. I got 780 band 1 so if you have any other questions fire away :smile:


Thanks for your advice. Are there any specific websites you’d recommend for practice questions and how long did it take you to practice for the exam? Also, is it worth getting medify for two months and starting early?
Reply 8
Original post by shohaib712
Please give tips for each sections. I took the test (crammed the night before) got 590 and band 2. Planning on retaking and reapplying for medicine in a gap year. Any tips would be appreciated especialy for verbal reasoning. Honestly understand how they can expect you to do well on that section of the test :/ it's too hard imo


You cant revise for the UKCAT. You have to practise and make mistakes. Its more about technique than memory, and your luck on the day. I recommend you start to practise two weeks before your booking date.
Original post by HateOCR
You cant revise for the UKCAT. You have to practise and make mistakes. Its more about technique than memory, and your luck on the day. I recommend you start to practise two weeks before your booking date.


But how on earth do they expect you to read essays under 2mins and answers questions about them
Original post by shohaib712
But how on earth do they expect you to read essays under 2mins and answers questions about them


You dont. When i sat it i read the question and skim read the text to pin point the information i need
Original post by HateOCR
You dont. When i sat it i read the question and skim read the text to pin point the information i need


All the questions where worded completely different to the text lol. It was impossible imo
Original post by shohaib712
All the questions where worded completely different to the text lol. It was impossible imo


The average for VR across the country is much lower than all the subtests. I rather you focus on the other sections and not worry too much about VR. As long as your VR is over 520 you should be fine. Aim for 620+ in all other sections and 650+ for QR since that tends to be the subtest where most people excel.
Original post by shohaib712
Please give tips for each sections. I took the test (crammed the night before) got 590 and band 2. Planning on retaking and reapplying for medicine in a gap year. Any tips would be appreciated especialy for verbal reasoning. Honestly understand how they can expect you to do well on that section of the test :/ it's too hard imo


a) do as much as you can be ars*d (gets very boring very quickly)
Tips:

b) VR - read question then skip through text. Do questions with numbers/capitalised acronyms which are easy to spot in the text first. Revise from passukcat.com (has very long passages so good practice)
AR - practice, you will end up learning the common patterns
QR - practice common questions (conversions, speed calculations) and skip any that look really long
DM - can’t really practice for this tbh, you’re just good or you’re not
SJT - answer how the gmc would want you to answer. Read GMP to get the general idea

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