The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is a standardized
examination for prospective students seeking places in United
Kingdom medical and dental schools. The UKCAT covers
Verbal
Reasoning,
Numerical Reasoning,
Abstract Reasoning and Decision Analysis. The test is 2
hours long and all sections are multiple choice. It is wise to
always be aware of the time and not spend too much time on harder
questions as this will have an impact on the later questions in
the test.
There is also a version of the UK CAT called the UK CATSEN
(Special Educational Needs) designed for those that have special
arrangements for a medical condition or disability.
Verbal Reasoning
You will be given a piece of literature to read as the
assessors are looking for your aptitude in reading information and
being able to draw an analysis or conclusion from it. There may be
several pieces of literature to read, each with a few
verbal
comprehension questions that must be answered. These questions
will be statements of information and you will have to mark on
your answer sheet whether you believe the statement to be true,
false or that the answer cannot be determined. Although some
questions may seem slightly ambiguous, there is always a correct
answer.
This test is administered onscreen. There are 11 passages to read
and 4 statements that correspond with each passage. Underneath
each statement will be three options; True, False or Can’t Tell.
You will be given 22 minutes to complete the test.
The passages that you will be given to read are usually factual
and are extracted from books, magazines and newspapers. All of the
information you need to answer the questions will be given to you,
no other knowledge is required. The extract is there to convey
information to you or attempt to persuade you to a certain
viewpoint. You should answer ‘True’ if there is definitely
information in the passage that corresponds with the statement,
either there in black or white or can be logically deduced.
Selecting ‘False’ as your answer would suggest that the statement
given is in direct conflict with the passage or it is distinctly
implied that it would be a contradiction. You should select the
‘Can’t Tell’ option if there is not enough information given to
you in the passage to be able to make a firm judgement.
Quantitative Reasoning
This portion focuses on your numerical abilities. Information is
provided in the form of tables, charts or graphs. There will be
four separate questions for each piece of information given to you
and four or five answer choices.
It is assumed that you studied a Maths GCSE to a fairly high level
in this test, but the test is not measuring your mathematical
ability, simply your ability to
reason
mathematically and to make sense of numbers and patterns. You
will need to be able to perform simple equations, such as
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division without the use
of a calculator.
Abstract Reasoning
The purpose of an
abstract reasoning test is to measure your general
intelligence without the influence of your social and education
knowledge thus far. It gives a clear indication of your capacity
for learning. You are only given basic knowledge with which to
answer a question so it tests how well you are able to use this
logic and consists of sequences of shapes or patterns.
Firstly, the shapes must be identified. How big are they, what
colour are they, how many are there, what is their shape, etc.
Then, you are able to look at the bigger picture and see if there
is any pattern in the shapes. The shapes could be mirrored (i.e.
flipped over), the colours could reverse or the shapes could
follow a pattern. Once you have grasped the pattern you should be
able to decide which symbol should fit in next.
Decision Analysis
This portion is testing how well you are able to make sense of
coded information and if you can trust your own judgement enough
to make a decision that may not be completely logic based. You
will be given one situation together with some coded information
and must use it to make sense of the terms that are then given to
you. The terms and questions in relation will get progressively
harder.
You are being assessed on your ability to make decisions which
will look at how well you can make sense of information, analyse
facts and put everything together to make a decision when you may
not have all of the relevant information.
The test will be onscreen and there will be one scenario with 26
related items following. There will be four or five responses
available for each item and in some cases, there may be more than
one correct answer. If a multiple response is required it will be
stated so be sure to read all of the information.
The UKCAT must be taken by all applicants applying to study
medicine or dentistry at the following university medical and
dental schools:
University of Aberdeen
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Cardiff University
University of Dundee
University of Durham
University of East Anglia
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
Hull York Medical School
Imperial College
Keele University
King's College London
University of Leeds
University of Leicester
University of Manchester
University of Newcastle
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford Graduate Entry Medical Degree
Peninsula Medical School
Queen Mary, University of London
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of St Andrews
St George's, University of London
Queen's University Belfast
Warwick University Graduate Entry
Go to
psychometric tests
Home page |
