UCAT 2026 Curriculum

Full Consortium syllabus — public sources only · in-app viewer · per-topic progress & quizzes

18d
L14
AS
Testing window
13 Jul – 24 Sep 2026 (UK)
Duration
~111 min UK · ~106 min ANZ
Questions
184 total
Scoring
Cognitive 300–900 per section · Total 900–2700 · SJT UK Band 1–4 · SJT ANZ 300–900
Abstract Reasoning: Withdrawn in 2025 — Consortium cited lower predictive validity and high coachability

Four highest-leverage tutoring targets

DM syllogism partial-credit recovery
+8–12 marks
Detectable in <50 attempts
VR Can't Tell vs False discrimination
+5–8 marks per sitting
Detectable in ~30 items
QR unit conversion + irrelevant-data filtering
+4–7 marks
Detectable in ~40 items
SJT competing-principles framework
Lifts Band 3 → Band 2
Detectable in ~60 items
Section · VR

Verbal Reasoning

11 passages of 200–400 words, 4 questions each. The most time-pressured cognitive section and consistently the lowest-scoring. Passages are deliberately non-medical to avoid rewarding subject knowledge.

Questions: 44
Time UK: 22 min · ANZ 22 min
Per Q: ~30 s
2025 mean: 602 (lowest)
True / False / Can't Tell (~16 items per sitting)Best-answer MCQ — 4 options (~28 items per sitting)
  • Sub-topics
    • Two-pass reading: scan for structure, then question-led return
    • Anchor words: dates, proper nouns, units, numerals
    • Skip strategies for opinion-heavy paragraphs
    • Building a 250 wpm scan rhythm
    High-leverage traps
    • Re-reading the full passage for every question
    • Losing place in long ethical passages
    Learning resources · curated + AI-suggested · saved to your account
    • SkillsYouNeed·Article·8 min
    • BBC Bitesize·Guide·10 min
    • Medify (free)·Guide·12 min
    YouTube — top videos for "Speed Skimming & Keyword Scanning"
    Searching YouTube…
    AI study notes & key takeaways

    Get an exam-focused summary, key takeaways, common traps, and a study plan based on this module's curated resources.

Section · DM

Decision Making

After the 2025 reweighting (29→35 Qs, 31→37 min UK), DM carries the largest absolute mark allocation among cognitive subtests. The only section with partial credit. Most marks-per-prep-hour for a prepared student.

Questions: 35
Time UK: 37 min · ANZ 32 min
Per Q: ~63 s UK
2025 mean: 628
Single-best-answer (1 mark)Drag-and-drop Yes/No across 5 conclusions (2 marks, 1 partial)
  • Sub-topics
    • Quantifier hierarchy: All → Most/Majority → Many/Some → Few → None
    • Yes/No drag-drop on 5 conclusions per item
    • Partial-credit recovery rule: evaluate each conclusion independently
    • When a stronger quantifier than premises support → always No
    High-leverage traps
    • Drag-dropping all 5 conclusions without checking each (leaves 1-mark partials)
    • Quantifier inflation (treating 'some' as 'most')
    Learning resources · curated + AI-suggested · saved to your account
    • Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy·Article·18 min
    • Medify (free)·Guide·12 min
    • 6med (free)·Guide·15 min
    YouTube — top videos for "Syllogisms & Quantifier Logic"
    Searching YouTube…
    AI study notes & key takeaways

    Get an exam-focused summary, key takeaways, common traps, and a study plan based on this module's curated resources.

Section · QR

Quantitative Reasoning

9 data-set scenarios × 4 questions, GCSE-level only (no calculus, no trig identities, no quadratics). On-screen 4-function calculator with memory (Alt+C). The most 'learnable' section — bounded content.

Questions: 36
Time UK: 26 min · ANZ 25 min
Per Q: ~43 s
2025 mean: 661 (highest)
Single-best-answer (4 options) tied to data sets
  • Sub-topics
    • Straight percentages
    • % increase / decrease
    • Reverse percentages
    • Compound percentages
    • Tax brackets (progressive vs flat)
    High-leverage traps
    • Applying flat-rate logic to progressive tax brackets
    Learning resources · curated + AI-suggested · saved to your account
    • BBC Bitesize·Guide·10 min
    • Khan Academy·Video·12 min
    • BBC Bitesize·Guide·8 min
    YouTube — top videos for "Percentages"
    Searching YouTube…
    AI study notes & key takeaways

    Get an exam-focused summary, key takeaways, common traps, and a study plan based on this module's curated resources.

Section · SJT

Situational Judgement

Scenario-bundled items (up to 6 questions per scenario). UK reports Bands 1–4 — Edinburgh, Keele and Sunderland auto-exclude Band 4. ANZ reports a 300–900 scaled score (not added to the cognitive total). Items map to GMC Good Medical Practice (2024) for UK and to the Medical Board of Australia / AHPRA standards for ANZ.

Questions: 69
Time UK: 26 min · ANZ 27 min
Per Q: ~23 s (highest density)
2025 mean: Band 2 (39%)
Appropriateness rating (Very appropriate · Appropriate but not ideal · Inappropriate but not awful · Very inappropriate)Importance rating (Very important · Important · Of minor importance · Not important at all)
  • Sub-topics
    • Domain 1 — Knowledge, skills & development
    • Domain 2 — Patients, partnership & communication
    • Domain 3 — Colleagues, culture & safety
    • Domain 4 — Trust & professionalism
    Learning resources · curated + AI-suggested · saved to your account
    • General Medical Council·PDF / Official·45 min
    • TheMedicPortal·Guide·12 min
    • BMA·Guide·25 min
    YouTube — top videos for "GMC Good Medical Practice 2024 — Domain Mastery"
    Searching YouTube…
    AI study notes & key takeaways

    Get an exam-focused summary, key takeaways, common traps, and a study plan based on this module's curated resources.

Cross-cutting skills

Skills that recur across multiple sections — your AI coach personalises drills across them.

Reading comprehension under time pressure
VRDM (Interpreting Info)QR scenarios
GCSE-level quantitative reasoning
QRDM Probability/VennVR % claims
Logical reasoning with quantifiers
DM SyllogismsVR T/F/CT
Inference under uncertainty
VR Can't TellDM ProbabilitySJT most-appropriate