Maximising Your Prep: Make the Most of UCAT Question Bank and Resources

Written By Team MedView
Reviewed By Thomas Nicolson (Currently studying Doctor of Medicine - MD at the University of Queensland)

If you’re gearing up for the UCAT, question banks are about to become your best friend. The most straightforward way to approach UCAT preparation is through practice questions and exams and this is where question banks come in handy.

From gaining experience with the types of questions on offer to understanding their structure more thoroughly, using these tools can seriously enhance one’s performance on exam day! With this in mind, let's dive into all things UCAT question banks.

What is a UCAT question bank?

UCAT question banks are essential to ensuring effective preparation for the exam, covering all sections and types of questions as well as presenting UCAT scenarios in a similar format to those on the real test.

Through practising with these resources, which often offer thousands of practice questions, students can become familiarised with answer choices (such as correct and incorrect ones) for each type of inquiry. This is especially important when it comes to tackling Verbal Reasoning, deemed to be the toughest area in the UCAT.

A UCAT question bank will include practice questions across all 5 sections, which are Verbal Reasoning (VR), Decision Making (DM), Quantitative Reasoning (QR), Abstract Reasoning (AR) and the Situational Judgement Test (SJT).

The role of a UCAT question bank in effective exam preparation

Question banks for the UCAT are great aids in helping students prepare for their exams, since they can provide a more focused form of practice and allow them to assess areas of strength or weakness.

Working through question banks in the lead up to the UCAT can help boost confidence, help you apply strategies and techniques successfully and reinforce learning that has already taken place.

Practising UCAT questions under timed conditions is also a great way to work on your time management and gives you an idea of how quickly you need to move through questions in order to complete them all before the end of the 2-hour exam.

Engaging in this type of practice using mock tests allows you to look for mistakes that could have been avoided and working on those corrections, which can help lead to higher UCAT scores needed for medicine.

Navigating the official UCAT Consortium's resources

The UCAT ANZ Consortium provides various resources to assist with exam preparation such as question banks and practice tests. These can be accessed from the official website, which is curated by those creating the exam.

Utilising official UCAT practice tests and questions in your studying routine can be incredibly helpful as you familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam and the types of questions you can expect for each subtest.

The UCAT ANZ Consortium offers a numbers of free UCAT questions you can work through as well as 4 practice tests, which you can find here:

• UCAT Practice Test A
• UCAT Practice Test B
• UCAT Practice Test C
• UCAT Practice Test D

It's important to note that these practice tests are intended to be completed on a desktop versus a mobile phone so you replicate the live UCAT experience. And, while the free UCAT practice test will show correct and incorrect answers, this isn't the case during the official exam.

Enhancing scores with UCAT resources

While working through the offical UCAT question bank is a great place to start, there are a number of other quality resources at your disposal. That's where MedView comes in — we’re the leading medical school admissions support and we have the most advanced UCAT learning platform on the market!

With practice questions and exams, a personalised study plan, a UCAT testing environment that replicates the actual exam, and progress tracking all developed by current med students, MedView Spark is sure to help you succeed.

Our learning platform includes the following:

Personalised study plans

Based on your practice results, our MedView team of medical school students and medical professionals can see what you most need to work on and create a plan based on this.

Progress tracking

Using our unique algorithm, we can accurately predict your UCAT score, which helps you focus your study time and turn weaknesses into strengths.

Practice questions

We have over 4,500 practice questions ready and waiting for you to try your hand at. Plus, we have practice exams you can work on, helping to make you lightning fast at answering questions while also building your confidence to become exam-ready.

UCAT-friendly interface

We have created our platform to mimic the UCAT experience — right down to the keyboard shortcuts and calculators — so things will feel comfortable and familiar when it comes time to sit the real thing.

Simply set up your free account, complete the short 20-minute diagnostic to create your very own personalised UCAT study plan and start practicing.

Your personalised UCAT study plan will appear with recommendations for which sections of the UCAT you need to practice and when to sit simulated practice exams.

This way you can study the UCAT and rest assured you’re progressing towards the benchmark scores you need for your dream med school, without having to stress about it yourself. You can start your 60-day trial today!

Types of UCAT questions

Before diving into the question banks, you might want to explore a little more about the types of questions you'll encounter in each subtest.

Verbal Reasoning

There are 2 styles of questions you can expect in the VR subtest.

• True/False/Can't Tell questions: After reading a passage of text, you'll have to choose from 3 options.
• Single best answer question: You'll be presented with a question or incomplete statement and 4 response options. From here, you're required to pick the best or most suitable option (keep in mind you can only select one).

Decision Making

There are 2 types of questions in the DM section.

• Multiple choice: You'll have 4 answer options and only 1 is correct.
• Yes/No statements: Select 'yes' or 'no' based on the question.

Quantitative Reasoning

There are 6 common types of questions in the QR section.

• Averages: This question will ask you to calculate the average from a set of data.
• Percentages: You can be asked percentage-based questions, including what is the percentage difference.
• Diagrams, tables and charts: Expect to encounter questions based around these elements.
• Median/mode: These questions are often similar to the questions about averages.
• Conversion: These questions will often include proportions, fractions or percentages and measurements like metres, kilometres and miles.
• Volume, area and perimeter: These questions often include a diagram.

Abstract Reasoning

There are 4 types of questions you can expect to see in the AR subtest. These are:

• Choose the set questions (A, B or Neither)
• Choose which belongs questions (Sequence and series)
• This is to that questions (Analogies)
• Complete the sequence questions (Best fit)

Situational Judgement

The SJT involves 2 styles of questions.

• Appropriateness: You'll be asked to rate how appropriate a behaviour or action was.
• Importance: After each scenario, you'll be given actions and asked to rate them on how important they are within the specific context.

Realistic test simulation: Full-length UCAT practice tests

Gradually increasing the duration and intensity of practice sessions is a great way to build mental endurance in order for you to be better prepared when it comes time for the UCAT exam.

This method of scaling up from mini-tests to full exams allows an accurate simulation, helping one assess their abilities within a realistic setting that pinpoints weaknesses as well as strengths.

Effective UCAT preparation involves practicing realistic test simulation, and full-length practice tests can help assess your readiness for the exam. We recommend completing at least 10 timed mock exams before you sit the UCAT to give yourself the best chance of success.

Regularly taking complete length UCAT practices offers various advantages such as pinpointing areas that need improvement, honing strategies, boosting confidence in abilities, improving timing management skills, plus preparing more thoroughly for when it counts most — on the day!

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of using question banks for UCAT preparation?

Question banks help you practice and become accustomed to the style of questions you'll encounter in the exam. These resources can be utilised to pinpoint weak areas so that you may better hone the skills needed for success on this test.

What is the best UCAT question bank?

MedView Spark offers over 4,500 practice questions and exams for you to work through as you prepare for the UCAT.

Based on your practice results, our team of top Med School students and medical professionals identify what you need to work on and create a personalised study plan for you.

How else can I prepare for the UCAT?

If you're looking for a more customised approach, MedView Education takes med school admission to a new level through personalised admission support, application review, entrance exam and interview tutoring, and extracurricular mentoring for students in Australasia.

We understand that each student is different, so the services we provide are always personalised to your individual needs. Not sure where to start? Book a free consultation with our MedView advisors if you'd like more guidance on this process.