UCAT Preparation for UK Medicine and Dentistry
The UCAT tests how fast you can reason, not what you know. Almost every student who underperforms on it could answer the questions — just not in the time. Preparation is therefore mostly about speed, method and composure.
Short answer
UCAT preparation is offered online, one-to-one.
One-to-one lessons are 90 minutes long and start at USD 95 per lesson; lessons are booked singly or in packages.
No group class runs for this exam.
From USD 95 per lesson
Your lessons are taught by Onur Şahin, Ceren Yalçın and James Whitfield, who teach UCAT.
- Four subtests in just under two hours
- Abstract Reasoning removed
- Cognitive scores 300–900 each
- Sat at a Pearson VUE centre
What the UCAT is for
The University Clinical Aptitude Test is used by most UK medical and dental schools to shortlist applicants. It is taken once per admissions cycle, in a summer testing window before the UCAS deadline for medicine in October, so the result is known before the application goes in and can shape which schools a student applies to.
For students across Africa taking A Levels, the IB or another qualification recognised by UK medical schools, the UCAT is often the deciding factor between a strong academic record that gets an interview and one that does not. International places in UK medicine are limited, and schools that rank heavily on the UCAT can be very selective.
The 2026 UCAT format
| Subtest | Questions | Time | Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 44 | 22 minutes | 300–900 |
| Decision Making | 35 | 37 minutes | 300–900 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 36 | 26 minutes | 300–900 |
| Situational Judgement | 69 | 26 minutes | Band 1–4 |
Source: UCAT Consortium, test format, checked 22 September 2026. Abstract Reasoning is no longer part of the test, so the cognitive total now runs from 900 to 2700. Each subtest is separately timed; there is no moving time between them.
What the lessons work on
Verbal Reasoning at half a minute a question
Reading every passage in full is not possible in the time. Lessons build a keyword-first method and the discipline to guess and move on.
Decision Making
Syllogisms, logic puzzles, Venn diagrams and probability arguments — the subtest with the most question types, and the most points available to students who learn each type’s method.
Quantitative Reasoning with the on-screen calculator
The maths is not hard; the calculator is slow. Knowing when to calculate mentally and when to use it is worth several questions.
Situational Judgement
The SJT rewards knowing how UK medical professionalism frames a situation — patient safety, honesty, scope of competence. That framework is teachable, and it is often unfamiliar to students educated outside the UK.
Sitting the UCAT from Africa
The UCAT is delivered by Pearson VUE on computer, and Pearson VUE test centres operate in many African countries. Booking opens before the summer window and popular dates fill; the UCAT Consortium’s own site lists the current window, fees and centres, and is the only source to rely on.
Because the test is short and on screen, preparation should be too: timed subtests on a computer, with the same on-screen calculator and the same navigation, from the first weeks.
How UCAT preparation works
Every lesson is live, online and 90 minutes long, scheduled in your own time zone. Lessons are taught in English, the language the exam is sat in.
Free intro call
Fifteen minutes with an advisor, at no cost and with no obligation.
Starting point
Your starting point is reviewed before the study plan is finalised. The exact method depends on the programme and is agreed on the intro call — for some students that means a timed section, for others it means reading a recent score report or a piece of marked work. We will tell you which applies to you before you book anything, rather than describing a process here that may not be the one you get.
Written plan
You receive a written plan built from your starting point and your test date: which UCAT sections come first, how many lessons that realistically takes, and when full practice tests enter. Nobody is sold a fixed number of lessons before the gap is known.
Lessons and review
Each lesson ends with set work and a target for the next one. Families receive progress notes, and the plan is re-read against every new score rather than followed blindly.
Ways to prepare for UCAT, with prices
The full breakdown, including instalment options, is on the pricing page.
One-to-one lessons
From USD 95 per lesson on the largest package (20 lessons). A single lesson can be booked first, to meet the tutor before committing.
Official practice material
There is no TestPrep mock for UCAT. Tutors work from the official past papers and practice material the awarding body publishes, which is the right material for this exam.
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UCAT tutoring from USD 95 per 90-minute lesson. Compare lesson packages and included materials.
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UCAT Preparation: reviews from our students
Students and parents who prepared with us write these reviews themselves. We check each one before publishing it and never change its words or its star rating.
Nobody has reviewed this programme here yet. If you prepared with us, tell other students across Africa how it went.
Frequently asked questions
Short, direct answers. If yours is not here, ask us.
Planning a UK medical application?
Tell us your grades, your target schools and your UCAT timing. We will tell you where the preparation time is best spent.