University Entrance Exams: Preparation Advice

Getting to know Entrance Exams

Certain degree programmes require students to take an admission test as a compulsory part of their application to university.

Students in the US will be more familiar with this process as they are often required to take either the SAT® or ACT® before applying to college, regardless of the course they study. In the UK there isn’t an overarching entry test for all subjects.

Degrees like medicine or dentistry do require standardised tests as a crucial part of the application process. 

One of the most popular admissions tests (with an average of over 36,000 test-takers a year) is the UCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test). This test is required for application to study medicine and dentistry in the UK and is required by 31 UK medical schools.

As the BMAT is being discontinued in 2024 then it is possible that the six BMAT universities will switch to UCAT.

Popular entrance exams: What to expect

The UCAT is very different to the knowledge-based exams that you do for GCSEs and A-levels.

They are multiple-choice aptitude tests that assess critical reasoning, problem solving and quick calculation skills within tightly timed conditions. 

The UCAT is a bit unusual as it’s a computer-based test. 

Structure, Timing and Scoring

The UCAT is 2 hours long and includes 5 sections. See below for the structure, timing and scoring of each test. You must work very quickly in each section, as there is little time per question.

Testing Timeline

Registration for these tests can be made via the UCAT Consortium website.

It’s important to be aware of the registration and testing timelines for these tests, in addition to their required registration fees (£70 for UK candidates and £115 for overseas students).  People usually take the UCAT in the summer of year 12 and the beginning of year 13, so knowing the timeline is invaluable:

The dates for the year are released every January. Please note below are examples and they may vary slightly year on year. 

16 May: UCAT account creation, bursary and access arrangement applications open

20 June: Booking opens

10 July: Testing starts

19th September: Access Arrangement application deadline

21 September: Booking deadline and UCAT account creation closes

28 September: Last test day

29 September: Bursary Scheme application deadline

16 October: UCAS deadline

Early November: Results delivered to universities

Entrance exam preparation 

There is no negative scoring on these tests, so one key tip is to feel free to make intelligent guesses on difficult questions. If you get a question wrong you will not have marks deducted from your overall score. 

Each question is worth one mark, and you don't get extra marks for more challenging questions. Avoid spending too much time on questions that you struggle with. You can flag them for review, and move on to more approachable questions.

To learn more about these tests you can visit the UCAT website to access free resources including practice tests, quizzes, fact sheets and visual timelines. You can do practice tests and look up the test tools. 

US undergraduate admissions tests - SAT and ACT

If you’re looking to apply to university (college) in the US, then you’ll need to sit the SAT or ACT. Just like the UCAT, these are standardised aptitude tests.  Most colleges in the US accept either exam, but it is advisable to check whether a college prefers one over the other. 

Structure, Timing, and Scoring

The SAT is a 3 hour exam, though if you select to take the optional essay section of the test it will take 3 hours 50 minutes. The test measures knowledge of reading, writing and maths, and is scored between 200 - 800 points per section area.

Testing timeline

The test is administered throughout the year all around the world, though it is advised that students take the tests in the spring of year 12. One reassuring thing to note is that the test can be taken more than once, so if you fail the first time, you can take the test again!

Registration can be done online at College Board, and you will need to pay a fee between $46 - $60 upon registration, with an additional $40 fee for Non-US registrations.