UCAT · Medicine and dentistry admission in the UK
UCAT Tutors: Subtests, Timing, 2026 Dates and a 10-Week Plan
UCAT tutors help applicants to medicine and dentistry practise the four UCAT subtests, Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement, and learn to work quickly under time pressure. This page explains the format, the 2026 key dates, a 10-week plan and how to request a tutor from Trinity Tutors.
A tutor cannot know the questions of a particular sitting and cannot promise a score or a place. What a tutor can do is teach the content, build speed and accuracy, and show where marks are being lost. The facts below were read on the UCAT website on 15 October 2026, and each section links to the official page so you can check it again.
What Is the UCAT?
The UCAT is an admission test used by a consortium of universities in the United Kingdom, and by others, when they select applicants for medicine and dentistry. It is taken on a computer.
It does not test school science. It tests how you reason with passages, information and numbers, and how you judge situations, under time pressure.
Which universities require it, and how they use the score, differs. Read the admission policy of each course on your list before you plan.
No approved tutor is listed for this exact search right now. Send us a request and we will say honestly whether we can help; we do not promise a match.
UCAT Syllabus: The Four Subtests
There is no content syllabus to memorise. The test has four timed subtests, set out on the UCAT test format page. The table below copies the figures from it.
Three subtests are cognitive and are scored on a 300 to 900 scale each. The fourth, Situational Judgement, is reported in bands.
| Subtest | Questions | Time | Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 44 | 22 minutes | 300 to 900 |
| Decision Making | 35 | 37 minutes | 300 to 900 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 36 | 26 minutes | 300 to 900 |
| Situational Judgement | 69 | 26 minutes | Bands 1 to 4 |
UCAT Verbal Reasoning: skills to practise
You read short texts and answer questions on them. Practise reading fast for the point, and checking each statement against the passage.
- Skimming for the claim and the evidence
- Telling what is stated from what is only implied
- Not bringing in outside knowledge
UCAT Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning
Decision Making asks you to evaluate arguments and information, and Quantitative Reasoning uses data and calculations. Both reward a steady method.
- Logic, arguments, probability and diagrams
- Percentages, ratios, rates and unit conversion
- Reading tables and charts quickly
- Using the on-screen calculator without losing time
UCAT Situational Judgement
You judge what is appropriate or important in a short scenario. Practise by thinking about professional behaviour and patient safety, and why a response is better or worse.
UCAT Timing, Total Length and Access Arrangements
UCAT describes the standard test as just under two hours. Its test timings page gives 117 minutes 30 seconds, including 6 minutes 30 seconds of instructions.
Extra time is available as an approved access arrangement: 25%, 33% or 50%. The applications have their own deadline, so read that page early if you may need it.
- Standard test: 117 minutes 30 seconds including instruction sections.
- Total cognitive score is 900 to 2700, from three subtests.
- Situational Judgement is reported separately as a band.
- An online proctored version is mentioned on the UCAT eligibility pages, so check whether it is open to you.
UCAT 2026 Dates and Deadlines
UCAT lists these dates for the 2026 cycle on its test dates page, read on 15 October 2026. Registration and booking for 2026 have closed, and the page says instructions for UCAT 2027 will be published later.
The page states that deadlines are not extended for any reason. When the 2027 dates appear, plan from the booking deadline backwards.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration, bursary and access arrangement applications open | 20 May 2026 |
| Booking opens | 23 June 2026 |
| Testing starts | 13 July 2026 |
| Access arrangement application deadline | 10 September 2026 |
| Booking deadline and registration closes | 16 September 2026 |
| Last test day | 24 September 2026 |
| Bursary scheme application deadline | 24 September 2026 |
| UCAS deadline | 15 October 2026 |
| Results delivered to universities | Early November 2026 |
What to Expect on UCAT Test Day
The UCAT is taken on a computer, in a test centre or, where it is open to you, through the online proctored option described on the UCAT eligibility pages. Check the exact rules for your option before you book.
Each subtest begins with an instruction section, and these are included in the 117 minutes 30 seconds of the standard test. Use them to settle, not to rush.
You can flag a question and return to it within the same subtest, so use that tool. Do not leave a question blank, and move on when a question has taken far longer than its share of time.
Results are delivered to universities in early November for the 2026 cycle, so plan your application around what each university requires.
- Check the rules of your test option before booking.
- Use the instruction sections to settle down.
- Flag hard questions and return to them.
- Answer every question before time runs out.
How UCAT Tutors Help
Good UCAT tutors teach method and speed, since the content is skills, not facts. Lessons usually combine these parts:
- A first lesson built on a timed practice test, to find the weakest subtest.
- Teaching of a method for each question type, with a plan for when to guess and move on.
- Calculator and mental-arithmetic drills for Quantitative Reasoning.
- Reasoning about Situational Judgement answers, so the logic becomes clear.
- A mistake log that sorts errors into reading, method, careless and time.
A 10-Week UCAT Practice Plan
This is a sample plan to discuss with your tutor. Fit it to your booked date.
Weeks 1 to 2: diagnose and learn the format
Do one short set per subtest, untimed, then timed. Learn the on-screen tools, including the calculator and the flag-for-review feature.
Weeks 3 to 6: build method
Work on one subtest per week. Keep short daily sessions of 30 to 45 minutes instead of one long weekend session.
Weeks 7 to 9: full mock tests
Take a full test each week on a computer. Review every wrong question and decide what the faster method would have been.
Week 10: polish and rest
Repeat only the weakest question types, check your booking and ID, and keep the last two days light.
Common Mistakes That Cost Marks in the UCAT
These are patterns that UCAT tutors describe often. Your tutor can tell which of them applies to you.
- Stopping on one hard question instead of flagging it and moving on.
- Practising on paper, then meeting the computer interface on the day.
- Ignoring Situational Judgement because it has no score in the cognitive total.
- Using outside knowledge in Verbal Reasoning instead of the passage.
- Booking late and finding no convenient centre.
How to Choose a UCAT Tutor
Tutors on this site list the subjects and levels they teach, and our team approves a profile before it appears. What each tutor offers, where and at what fee differs, so read the profile and ask about a short trial lesson before you book.
Lessons can be online, or at your home in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore where a tutor is approved there. Our A Level online tutors page explains how online lessons work. Compare tutors with these questions:
- Do they teach the current four-subtest UCAT, not an older version with Abstract Reasoning?
- How do they teach timing and flagging, and how do they use mock tests?
- Can they help with Quantitative Reasoning speed and Situational Judgement?
- Do they offer a short trial lesson, and what are the fee and schedule?
Related Pages for UCAT Preparation
If you need subject help for your A Level courses, see A Level Biology tutors and A Level Chemistry tutors. Law applicants can read about LNAT tutors. The catalogue entry for the UCAT lists the tutors who teach it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are UCAT tutors?
They are tutors who help applicants practise the UCAT subtests and learn to work quickly. Send a request with your booked date and we will say honestly whether we have a suitable tutor.
What is in the UCAT?
Four subtests: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement. See the UCAT test format page.
How long is the UCAT?
The standard test lasts 117 minutes 30 seconds, including 6 minutes 30 seconds of instructions, according to UCAT's timings page.
How is the UCAT scored?
The three cognitive subtests are each scored from 300 to 900, giving a total of 900 to 2700. Situational Judgement is reported in bands 1 to 4, with Band 1 the highest.
When are the UCAT dates?
For the 2026 cycle, testing ran from 13 July to 24 September 2026, with the booking deadline on 16 September 2026. UCAT 2027 dates will be published on the test dates page.
Can I get extra time?
UCAT offers access arrangements, including 25%, 33% and 50% extra time. The application has a separate deadline, so read the timings page early.
Is there a content syllabus to study?
No. The UCAT tests reasoning and judgement skills, so preparation means practising question types under time pressure.
Do you offer UCAT preparation online?
Yes, where a tutor is approved for it. Home lessons are arranged in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Can a tutor guarantee a UCAT score or an interview?
No. Universities decide how they use scores. A tutor can teach method, build speed and show where marks are lost, but cannot promise a score or a place.
Related Pages
Last reviewed 2026-10-15. Check your exam board's website for the current syllabus and dates.
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Tell us the board, level and the topics that lose marks. We will say honestly whether we have a tutor; we do not promise grades.