UCAT 2025 Changes: What’s Gone, What’s New, and How to Prep Like a Pro

The UCAT has always been a moving target, but 2025 marks its biggest shake-up in a decade: the Abstract Reasoning sub-test is gone, Decision Making has expanded, and the entire scoring scale has shifted. If you rely on last year’s prep strategy, you’ll be practising for an exam that no longer exists.

This guide lays out what changed, why it changed, and—most importantly—how you should pivot your preparation starting today. Whether you’re aiming for medicine or dentistry, the advice below will save you months of guess-work and keep your study hours laser-focused on what medical schools now value most.

Summary of Key UCAT Changes

Key Changes in UCAT 2025

1. Abstract Reasoning Removed

   • The standalone shape-pattern section is gone for good.

2. Verbal Reasoning

   • Questions: still 44

   • Time: up by 1 minute (now 22 minutes)

3. Decision Making

   • Questions: up by 6 (now 35 total)

   • Time: up by 6 minutes (now 37 minutes)

4. Quantitative Reasoning

   • Questions: still 36

   • Time: up by 1 minute (now 26 minutes)

5. Situational Judgement.

   • Unchanged: 69 questions in 26 minutes, graded Band 1–4.

6. Instruction (“waiting”) time between sections

   • Verbal, Decision Making & SJT → 1.5 minutes each

   • Quantitative Reasoning → 2 minutes

7. Scoring change - No longer out of 3600

   • Each cognitive subtest remains on the 300–900 scale

   • Total cognitive score is now out of 2700 (instead of 3600)

   
   

Why the Consortium Made These Changes

1. Predictive Validity Concerns

   • Analysis of UCAT data showed that Abstract Reasoning scores correlate more weakly with subsequent performance in medical and dental school than any other subtest, making AR the least reliable predictor of university success.

2. High “Coachability”

   • In the past decade, candidates’ Abstract Reasoning scores rose even as the average time spent on each question fell—a clear sign that memorized shortcuts, rather than genuine reasoning, were driving performance. Removing AR restores a fairer assessment for all.

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What These Changes Mean for Your Preparation

1. Revise Your Pacing Strategy

   • The additional minute in Verbal and Quantitative, plus the expanded time in Decision Making, means every section now flows at a slightly more measured pace. When you run timed drills, be sure to use the exact new clocks (including the brief instruction pauses) so that the rhythm you build in practice matches test day.

     
     

2. Boost Your Decision Making Endurance

   • Decision Making now has more questions and extra time—build up longer, focused sessions on logic puzzles, data interpretation, and probability.

     
     

3. Reinvest Your Abstract Reasoning Hours-

   With Abstract Reasoning gone, channel that time into:

   • VR drills (advanced skimming & inference)

   • QR sprints (mental maths & calculator shortcuts)

   • SJT scenarios (ethical rankings & self-banding)

     
     

4. Mirror the New Format in Every MockW

   • Whether you’re doing a full-length test or a single-section run, always use the updated clocks and built-in pauses to lock in accurate pacing.

     
     

5. Track and Tackle Your Top Errors

   • Keep an “Error Log” by category (e.g., misread stem, logic slip, calculation mistake) and schedule weekly mini-drills on your most frequent slips.

     
     

6. Use Instruction Pauses to Reset

   • Deep Breathing to calm down, jot down key formulas or conversions, and mentally check your pacing targets (which question to get to by what time) before each new section.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are there official UCAT practice materials for 2025?

   Yes. The UCAT Consortium will release updated practice resources in May 2025. These include full-length practice tests that reflect the new section lengths and question counts. We recommend using these official mocks and practice questions as your primary practice—they’re the closest you can get to the real exam.

   
   

2. Can I still use older UCAT questions when preparing for 2025?

   Absolutely. Old questions are great for familiarising yourself with question styles. Just remember to time yourself using the 2025 clocks—new section lengths and built-in pauses—to build accurate pacing.

   
   

3. How should I adjust my percentile targets?

   With the total score now out of 2700 (instead of 3600), focus on achieving strong subtest percentiles rather than chasing a headline total. Aiming for the 80th percentile (around 700 per section) or above in each section will keep you competitive.

   
   

4. What UCAT score should I aim for?

   Early in the cycle, benchmarks may shift, but as a rule of thumb:

   • 2100 total (an average of 700 per section) is a very good, competitive score.

   • 2200+ total places you in an excellent range.

   
   

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