Emily is a 2019 Ace the UCAT student who will be studying medicine at Newcastle University from September 2020. You can contact her at emily0702ross@gmail.com.
I sat my UCAT on the 30th August 2019. This was the last week of my summer holiday and I decided to utilize my 6 week holidays in order to revise for this test.
I managed a score of 3000 with an average of 750 and a situational judgement score of Band 2. This score made it possible for me to receive interviews for 3 of the 4 universities I applied for, with the fourth university using my grades as the reason for me not receiving an interview. I managed to receive offers for all 3 of the universities I had interviews for.
I began revising by using various books provided to me by my school, I read through the tip sections in these books, noted down the ones I believed I would find most useful and had a look at a few questions to get an idea of the different sections. It was at this point that I discovered the Ace the UCAT course E-Book, so I read through this, highlighting useful information for future use. I used the tips I learned from various sources and a profile on Medify, which I would highly recommend, to revise over these 6 weeks.
I believe the time I took my UCAT was appropriate for me as it meant when I went back to school, I was able to focus again on my A-Levels straight away.
If I was to do my UCAT again I might have booked it on a slightly earlier date but only because I was away on holiday the week before my test and found it difficult to motivate myself in this situation. You have to ensure every bit of practice is to done to the best of your ability, so make sure you have a quiet space to work.
My first tip for taking the UCAT would be to make a revision timetable and stick to it. Throughout my summer I did various activities but making time for at least 2 hours of revision a day ensured that I was able to be fully prepared when the exam time came.
The second tip is one I picked up from the E-Book and a tip that helped me achieve a higher score than I had achieved on any practice test. That is to note down every single abstract reasoning pattern you come across. Initially it may seem like this is not that useful, but once you have come across enough patterns you will begin to see the patterns more easily allowing you to save time for harder questions, ensuring you can complete the subtest in the time given. I also ensured to note down why I was getting questions wrong in subtests, whether this was due to timing or technical difficulties.
My final tip would be to utilize the timed section on Medify. Every bit of practice I did was timed, this ensured you are prepared for the time constraints. Also make time for complete mock tests, I did at least one a week, I found these on the official UCAT website and Medify. These will help with overall timing, so you know what you are going in for on the day.
Finally, on the day of the test, whether your test is morning or afternoon ensure to relax beforehand, giving yourself time to clear your mind so it can be completely focused for those 2 hours and make sure to celebrate after the test for all your hard work and dedication.
Click here to view the Ace the UCAT Course e-book which Emily used as part of her preparation.