UCAT Format 2026: Sections, Timing and Question Counts

UCAT sections and timing at a glance

The UCAT is a computer-based, multiple-choice test taken at Pearson VUE test centres. The standard test is just under 2 hours and, once it has started, it cannot be paused. Each subtest has its own timed instruction section before the questions begin.

Add the instruction sections and the subtests together and the standard test runs to 117 minutes 30 seconds. The time-per-question column is simply the subtest time divided by the number of questions, which is a handy pacing target. Notice how different the subtests are: Situational Judgement gives you less than half the time per question that Decision Making does. Our pacing calculator can turn any section length into a per-question target for your practice.

What changed: Abstract Reasoning is gone

In late 2024 the UCAT Consortium announced that Abstract Reasoning would be withdrawn from 2025 and that some minor changes would be made to the remaining cognitive subtests. Its 2025 statistics page confirms that Abstract Reasoning was removed from the UCAT in 2025, so 2025 scores are not directly comparable with earlier years.

The 2026 test kept the same four-subtest structure. In practice, that means the total score is now out of 2700 rather than 3600, a change the University of Oxford also highlights in its Medicine admissions statistics. If you're using older books or videos, skip any Abstract Reasoning material and check that question counts and timings match the table above.

What each UCAT subtest tests

None of the subtests needs medical knowledge. Here's what the UCAT format page says about each one, with a practice link for every section.

• Verbal Reasoning (44 questions, 22 minutes). Eleven passages of text, each with four questions. You decide whether conclusions can be drawn from the passage, without using outside knowledge. Practise with our UCAT Verbal Reasoning questions.
• Decision Making (35 questions, 37 minutes). Logic, evaluating arguments and statistical information. Some questions are standard multiple choice; others ask you to answer 'yes' or 'no' to five statements. Try our UCAT Decision Making practice.
• Quantitative Reasoning (36 questions, 26 minutes). Problem solving with numbers, usually from charts, tables and graphs. UCAT says the questions are more about problem solving than about numerical speed. Practise with our UCAT Quantitative Reasoning questions.
• Situational Judgement (69 questions, 26 minutes). Hypothetical scenarios set in a clinical setting or during medical or dental training, with up to six questions per scenario. It looks at integrity, perspective taking, team involvement, resilience and adaptability.

On-screen tools and test-centre rules

Knowing the tools in advance saves time on the day. UCAT's test tools page lists what you get:

• Calculator: a basic on-screen calculator in Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning only. It cannot do scientific functions, and it opens in a separate window, so click back on it if it stops responding.
• Note-taking: an A4 laminated notebook and pen instead of scrap paper.
• Flag for review: mark questions to come back to if you have time left at the end of a subtest.
• Timer: each subtest and instruction section is timed separately, and the countdown turns yellow when less than five minutes remain.
• Navigation: mouse and keyboard shortcuts (Alt plus the underlined letter). Some actions, such as drag-and-drop answers, need the mouse.
• Display: you can zoom with Ctrl +/- and change the colour scheme.

Two rules catch people out. When time runs out on a section, a pop-up asks you to continue: UCAT advises pressing OK straight away or you'll lose time from the next section. And you can leave the room for a break, but the test keeps running unless you've been approved for pause-the-clock breaks. Nothing goes into the testing room except the clothes you're wearing, your photo ID and approved items, and food and drink (including water) aren't allowed.

How the UCAT is marked

The UCAT is marked on the number of correct answers, and there is no negative marking. Your performance on one question doesn't change which questions you see next. That means you should never leave a question blank: flag it, guess and move on.

• Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning: 1 mark per question.
• Decision Making: 1 mark for single-answer questions and 2 marks for the five-statement questions, with 1 mark for a partly correct response.
• Raw marks are converted to a scaled score of 300–900 for each cognitive subtest, for a total of 900–2700.
• Situational Judgement: full or partial marks per question, reported as Band 1 (highest) to Band 4.

For the 2026 averages, deciles and how medical schools use these numbers, read our UCAT scores explained guide.

UCAT 2026 dates, fees and what happens next

The 2026 test cycle is now over. These are the official UCAT 2026 dates, for students applying for 2027 entry or deferred 2028 entry.

The test fee for 2026 was £70 for tests taken in the UK and £115 outside the UK, paid by card when booking. A UCAT bursary, open to UK candidates who meet the criteria, waives the fee.

If you're planning to apply in the next cycle, UCAT says that instructions for UCAT 2027 registration and booking will be published in March 2027. A few rules carry over from year to year: you can only sit the test once in a test cycle, UCAT asks candidates not to sit it early as a 'practice run', and the test is the same difficulty throughout the testing window, so choosing an early or late date is a personal choice. The test is delivered at Pearson test centres across the UK and in 130+ countries; online proctored testing (OnVUE) is only for people for whom travel to a centre is difficult because of distance, pandemic, war, civil unrest or natural disaster.

How to practise the UCAT format

The UCAT Consortium recommends working through its free materials in order: the Tour Tutorial, the Question Tutorials, the Question Banks and finally the timed Practice Tests. It also says that the only official preparation materials are free on its website.

1. Learn the tools first. Go through the Tour Tutorial so the calculator, flagging and keyboard shortcuts feel automatic.
2. Practise one subtest at a time, untimed, until you understand each question type.
3. Add the time pressure. Use the per-question targets in the table above and practise moving on when a question is taking too long.
4. Sit full timed tests, then review every mistake. Our guide to reviewing a practice test shows how to turn errors into a plan.

When you're ready, try our free UCAT practice test, or start from the UCAT test hub for an overview of the test.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Every source below was accessed on the listed date. Pages — especially department admissions pages — change without notice; the links go to the live versions.

1. UCAT Test Format and Scoring — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
2. UCAT Test Dates — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
3. Test Tools and Functionality — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
4. UCAT Consortium home page (UCAT 2025 announcement) — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
5. Test Statistics 2025 — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
6. UCAT Frequently Asked Questions — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
7. Eligibility: Do I need to sit the UCAT? — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
8. Booking your Test — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
9. Access Arrangements — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
10. Medicine: Shortlisting Process and Admissions Statistics — University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Division. Accessed 2026-10-01.

Related guides

• UCAT Scores 2026: Averages, Percentiles and What's Good
• LNAT 2026: Dates, Deadlines, Universities and Fees
• LNAT Essay Guide: Questions, Structure and Word Limit
• UK Admissions Tests for International Students: TMUA, ESAT