UCAT practice questions and exam techniques
Verbal Reasoning practice question
Decision Making practice question
Quantitative Reasoning practice question
Abstract Reasoning practice question
Situational Judgement practice question
Why attempt more UCAT questions?
The UCAT is notoriously difficult. Do you have your strategy in place yet?
Once you’ve learned from the worked examples below, you’ll find a link to our free UCAT practice test towards the bottom of the article. This will give you a feel for the exam, so you know what you’re up against.
Finally, use this information in conjunction with UCAT preparation tips to create your revision plan.
Below you'll find a breakdown of each UCAT section with practice questions.
If you're just starting your UCAT preparation, going through these practice questions can help you get an idea of what each section is like, as well as learn about effective techniques for improving your performance.
Time yourself reading the text and answering the question below.
Before you start, consider:
Fast fashion is a contemporary term used by fashion retailers to express how designs quickly move from the catwalk to capture current fashion trends. Fast fashion clothing collections are based on the most recent fashion trends presented at Fashion Week in the spring and the autumn of every year. Emphasis is on optimising certain aspects of the supply chain for these trends to be quickly and inexpensively designed and manufactured allowing the mainstream consumer to buy current clothing styles at a lower price. This philosophy of quick manufacturing at an affordable price is used in large retailers such as H&M, Zara, Peacocks, Primark and Topshop. It particularly came to the fore during the vogue for ‘boho chic’ in the mid-2000s.
This has developed from a product-driven concept based on a manufacturing model referred to as ‘quick response’ developed in the USA in the 1980s and moved to a market-based model of ‘fast fashion’ in the late 1990s and first part of the 21st century. Zara has been at the forefront of this fashion retail revolution and their brand has almost become synonymous with the term, but there were other retailers who worked with the concept before the label was applied, such as Benetton. Fast fashion has become associated with disposable fashion because it has delivered designer products to a mass market at relatively low prices.
The slow fashion movement has arisen in opposition to fast fashion, blaming it for pollution (both in the production of clothes and in the decay of synthetic fabrics), shoddy workmanship and emphasising very brief trends over classic style. Fast fashion has also come under criticism for contributing to poor working conditions in developing countries. The Savar building collapse in Bangladesh in 2013, the deadliest garment-related accident in world history, brought more attention to the safety impact of the fast fashion industry.
Attribution: Wikipedia
Fast fashion is:
A. Based on the quick response concept of the 1990s.
B. A response to the slow fashion movement.
C. A concept of bringing designs quickly from the catwalk to the stores.
D. Designed by Zara.
The correct answer is C.
How long did you take?
In the test there is little time to return to a passage more than once – saving time is key.
The Verbal Reasoning section has many ways to catch you out, and sometimes answers aren't explicit in the text so have to be inferred.
Remember: without regular timed practice and realistic questions, it's hard to get through this section in time.
Get more UCAT Verbal Reasoning tips
Before you start, consider:
Make a note, if needed, when you exclude an answer (you don’t want to lose track of your thought process).
Zara, Mo, Jill, Gwen, and Owen all use different coloured pens to take notes in lessons. Their pens are either fountain pens or ball-point pens, and each pen has either black, gold, or red ink.
Which of the following statements is true?
A. Jill has a pen that uses black ink.
B. Zara has a ball-point pen.
C. Owen has a pen that uses gold ink.
D. Both Mo and Gwen have pens that use red ink.
The correct answer is 'A. Jill has a pen that uses black ink’.
The statement tells us that ‘two of the pens are ball-point pens and the rest are fountain pens’, and that ‘Jill and Owen do not have fountain pens’.
Thus, Jill must have a ball-point pen. As it states ‘all ball-point pens have black ink’, Jill must have a ball-point pen that uses black ink.
No direct numerical data is given in the question that needs to be interpreted or calculated to come to an answer.
Get more UCAT Decision Making tips
Before you start, consider:
James has been working on renovating his bungalow. Below are the blueprints for the building. Recently, James has built a conservatory in his garden to replace the flowerbed. All walls are 3m high. The image is not to scale.
James wants to replace the floor in the kitchen. However, flooring can only be purchased in 1 m squares. How many squares does James need to purchase?
The answer is deduced by calculating the area of the kitchen i.e. the product of the length and width.
In the blueprints, we are given the width of the room as 4.5m, but the length of the kitchen must be calculated using the lengths of the corridor and WC.
We can see from the blueprints that the length of the kitchen is equal to the length of the corridor and WC (5.5m) minus the length of the corridor (2m), so 5.5m − 2m = 3.5m.
The area of flooring required can be calculated as the area of the room: length × width = area 3.5m × 4.5m = 15.75 m2.
Therefore James must buy 16 squares.
Did you use a calculator? Guesstimation is critical, but so is efficient calculator use. Check out 8.5 tips to master the UCAT calculator.
Get more UCAT Quantitative Reasoning tips
Before you start, consider:
Images often include distractors – not all shapes will necessarily mean something.
Are the arrows playing a role or are they just distractors? In this instance, it is unlikely that the arrows are distractors as there is a frame with just arrows.
We will start with the top-right frame of Set A, which has no other shapes. This suggests the shapes are likely to be distractors.
We then look at the number of arrows and their direction. It is unlikely that they are specifically pointing to anything, such as another shape, as there are no other shapes to point to.
The top-right frame of Set A has seven arrows, although other frames have different numbers. The middle left, for example, has five, while the middle right has eight. As such, it is not purely about the total number of arrows or an odd number of arrows.
Now we consider the direction the arrows are pointing. We can see the majority of arrows in every frame point to the right. There are five such arrows in the top-right frame, and two pointing to the left.
We can compare this to other frames and find there are always five arrows pointing to the right, while other directions do not follow a pattern. This is likely to be our rule for Set A.
In Set B there are four arrows pointing to the left each time.
We finish off by making sure there are not any other rules, but without any other shapes it is difficult to have any other rules.
Get more UCAT Abstract Reasoning tips
Before you start, consider:
Patient-centred care is central to working in medicine. Don’t forget to demonstrate professionalism and empathy.
Emily is a medical student on placement at a GP surgery. She has been asked to call the next patient in, when she sees Mr Jones, one of the regular patients at the surgery, yelling at the receptionist about his appointment.
The other patients in the waiting room seem distressed, but too apprehensive to speak. As soon as he sees Emily, Mr Jones turns to her and exclaims that the receptionist made a mistake and that he has been waiting for 3 hours as a result.
How appropriate are the following responses by Emily in this situation?
1. Berate the receptionist for making a mistake.
2. Explain to Mr Jones that mistakes sometimes happen.
3. Tell Mr Jones that the doctor won’t see him if he does not calm down.
4. Ask Mr Jones to explain what happened.
5. Promise Mr Jones the doctor will see him immediately.
The answers are:
1. Very inappropriate.
2. Inappropriate, but not awful.
3. Very inappropriate.
4. Very appropriate.
5. Very inappropriate.
Get more UCAT Situational Judgement tips
Stress is almost unavoidable on exam day, and reducing your cognitive load is essential. Taking more mocks under exam conditions helps you familiarise yourself with the test, and familiarity means less stress.
Want to learn to deal with stress better? Explore our UCAT mindset mastery guide.
With every question answered, you learn more about the tiny details of the exam. This could be tricks for types and subtypes of questions, or how you personally respond to certain sections.
Some UCAT candidates can't translate their hard work into good results. This is often due to making mistakes or slip-ups – moments of inattention when rushing can often cause you to lose marks in this way.
The good news is that the more questions you do... the more mistakes you make. What better way to learn than from getting it wrong once?
Plus, with our review function, you gather data about your performance as you practise, so you can gradually hone your skills.
In the UCAT, everyone has the same arch-enemy: the time limit. It can be difficult even for academically gifted candidates to get the maximum possible marks.
Verbal Reasoning, for example, requires candidates to read 250-400 word articles and respond accurately in an average of 28 seconds. Lingering on a question will mean losing marks later in the test.
As you attempt mock exams, you learn time management strategies that will save you valuable seconds on the day.
All UCAT candidates’ scores are divided into a percentile ranking, which represents the proportion of students you have outperformed. For example, 85th percentile means you've scored better than 85% of the test-takers. This system compares your score to the other students in your year.
By attempting UCAT mock questions on a regular basis and rectifying any mistakes, you will see your score increase against the average. We even have a graph to show you where you stand (needless to say, your confidence grows along with your position).
Oh, and one important thing: 2 in 3 UCAT ANZ takers use Medify, so our data is the most accurate and complete available.
Trying to piece together the exam from free questions all over the internet is unlikely to give you a competitive edge over the majority of UCAT test takers who use our platform.
Did you know that 2 in 3 prepare for the UCAT ANZ with Medify? Our students have the advantage of:
If you need help preparing for the UCAT, check out our award-winning UCAT preparation course.
In addition to the above, it provides 24 unique full mock exams, 40+ mini-mock exams and question walkthroughs. We've also upgraded our UCAT mock exams 13-24 and revised our practice question bank to enrich your preparation journey.
Got unresolved queries? We answer 38 top questions about the UCAT ANZ here
Keep practising! A month sounds like a long time, but time will quickly vanish. Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals such as reaching a certain score by a certain date or time.
Niche down even further on your weaknesses – by this stage you should just be focusing on what you find hardest. Make sure you factor in breaks and days off into your schedule, as well as any important events which you need to attend.
Read the 'Good medical practice' by the Medical Board of Australia if you haven’t already. It will inform you about the different duties of healthcare professionals and how they should respond to different scenarios, which is essential for the Situational Judgement Test section of the UCAT.
Try Medify's Skills Trainers, such as inference scanning for Verbal Reasoning, to maximise your score (these are included in our UCAT ANZ Online Course). Make sure you've also completed plenty of UCAT practice tests.
The UCAT exam is two hours with no breaks in between, so practise at least two hours each time to build your mental stamina. You should also simulate the exam environment as closely as possible – this means treating every mock test as if it were a real one.
For instance, you should sit mock exams at the same time of the day as your actual UCAT exam and ensure there are no distractions. By mirroring the test conditions, not only will it prepare you for what to expect on test day, it should also help to decrease any anxiety leading up to the exam. Otherwise, your brain has to process the ‘new’ way of completing the test.
At this point, you'll know the format of the exam inside out and will have practised the questions enough times to get used to UCAT timings. Don’t give up – keep preparing in an environment where you cannot be interrupted.
Remember, a lot of your preparation will have been done in the weeks and months before this final week, so be careful not to overdo it and become too fatigued. Your motivation may drop or you might ‘peak’ before the test. Your body needs rest too.
Now is a great time to introduce or increase self-care in your regime. Whether it’s watching Netflix, gaming, or just running a bath, it’s important to detach yourself from UCAT revision from time to time to avoid the risk of burnout.
In this week you should also prioritise your nutrition and sleep. Eat well, do not miss meals and keep hydrated. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep in the days before the test by avoiding late night cramming or staying awake into the early hours.
If it puts your mind at rest, you can check last year’s UCAT scores, but remember that this is all about your personal journey and performance, so don't get hung up on that information!
We do not advise doing a mock this close to the exam. Revision won't help you much at this stage and can actually leave you worse off. Instead, use this time to wind down and get yourself into a relaxed state. This will enable you to perform at your best on test day.
Try to get to bed early and avoid things that can affect sleep, such as looking at your phone before bed. If you think that you will struggle to sleep on time, you could try doing some exercise during the day to tire yourself out.
Exercise can boost your brainpower by oxygenating your brain, helping you learn and aid sleep. Plus, activity makes your body release endorphins, which can reduce anxiety and stress levels.
Make sure you double check your UCAT test centre information, the travel route to the test centre, the time of your UCAT exam, and so on, so you’re well prepared for test day. If someone else is giving you a ride to the test centre, it’s worth reminding them.
You should start the day off with a nutritious breakfast and give yourself enough time to arrive early to the test centre to avoid feeling flustered, rushed or stressed.
Remember that buses and trains can be late and that traffic may be heavier than you had hoped, so allow extra time whichever way you are travelling. Find out how to choose a UCAT test centre.
Make sure you know how to get to the test centre – for instance you could consider taking a map with you. If you’re using your phone for directions, make sure it’s sufficiently charged and that you have spare data (otherwise you can download the map ahead of time to use offline).
On test day you will be expected to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled test time to complete the check-in process.
You need to bring:
When you arrive at the test centre, it’s likely that you’ll be experiencing a heightened sense of adrenaline. his is completely normal, but it could be helpful to learn some strategies for adopting a winning mindset on test day to reduce your stress levels, and enable you to perform at your best. For instance, you could focus on your breathing to help you relax.
Don’t forget, during your test there are one minute introductions between each subtest. You can skip these, but we recommend using the time to mentally refresh yourself.
If you’ve stuck to your revision plan, and followed our advice above, the best thing you can do on test day is to try and keep as calm as possible. Take solace in the fact that you have prepared for weeks/months to get to this point, and channel any nervous energy into doing the best you can during your UCAT test.
You should think about your diet well ahead of UCAT test day. Focus on foods that release energy slowly (that is, which have a low glycaemic index, or GI) which will stop you from feeling hungry. These are ideal for UCAT preparation, as well as on test day itself.
Try eating protein and low-GI carbohydrates, such as meat or baked beans, brown (whole grain) rice or pasta, or wholegrain breakfast cereals or muesli. However, do not stray far from your usual diet on the day of the test in case you feel sick. You may want to try these foods out at the same time of day a few weeks in advance.
Be wary of energy drinks and coffee. If you’re not used to them then don’t drink them, especially in large quantities. Caffeine can acutely increase anxiety, and the sugar rush of an energy drink is soon followed by insulin slamming on the brakes, leaving you feeling worse than before. These products are no substitute for a good night’s sleep, eating properly and exercising.
No food or drink is allowed in the test room so eat a healthy meal before your UCAT test and ensure you’re hydrated. While you should make sure you’re drinking enough water, do not overdo it, otherwise you might need the toilet while the timer is ticking.
Please note, access arrangements are available if you have a disability, learning difficulty or long-term medical condition. You may be entitled to extra time and/or rest breaks, and allowed certain items, such as water, at your test centre workstation.
This image shows a typical UCAT test environment:
There is no audio element to the test, but you can request earplugs to block out any noise that might disrupt your concentration.
You will have access to a basic onscreen calculator which may be useful for the Quantitative Reasoning and Decision Making sections.
You will be given a laminated notebook and marker pen. Consider using these for:
If you require an additional notebook and pen, you can raise your hand and ask the invigilator. Although the invigilator will check that your pen is working before the test, we advise double-checking this to avoid seeking assistance during the test.
Do you need help preparing for the UCAT ANZ? Head over to our UCAT ANZ Online Course and we’ll get you signed up to guide you through the whole process.
We provide a huge bank of 20,000+ questions, 24 unique full mock exams, 40+ mini-mock exams, 50+ hours of video tutorials, and performance feedback. We've also upgraded our UCAT mock exams 13-24 and revised our practice question bank to enrich your preparation journey.
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