Description: In this blog article, expert tutor Josiah shares key strategies and essential insights to help students and parents confidently prepare for the UCAT 2025
If you’re preparing for the UCAT this year, or supporting someone who is, this guide is for you.
Whether you’re a student aiming for medicine or dentistry, or a parent trying to help behind the scenes, navigating the UCAT can feel quite overwhelming.
The good news is that the UCAT is a skills-based test, not a memory one.
That means it’s less about cramming facts like in the BMAT and more about thinking quickly, logically, and under pressure.
With a big change in 2025, the removal of Abstract Reasoning, it’s the perfect time to refresh your prep strategy.
Remember all medical and dental schools for undergraduate admission use the UCAT including Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL and Leeds.
What’s Changed in the UCAT 2025?
The test now includes four sections:
- Verbal Reasoning (44 questions, 22 minutes)
- Decision Making (35 questions, 37 minutes)
- Quantitative Reasoning (36 questions, 24 minutes)
- Situational Judgement (69 questions, 26 minutes)
Abstract Reasoning has been removed, giving students more time and space to focus on the core skills the UCAT is testing.
Section-by-Section Tips
1. Verbal Reasoning
This section tests how well you can understand and interpret written information. It’s tight on time, with under 30 seconds per question, so you need to work smart.
Tips:
- Read the question first. Then scan the text for key words or phrases.
- Be literal. If the passage doesn’t directly support a statement, the answer might be “Can’t Tell”.
- Don’t overthink it. Use only the information in front of you, not your own knowledge.
Practice makes a huge difference here, especially if you’re not a naturally fast reader. Try reading newspapers or journals and summarising the information learnt.
Decision Making
Here you’re tested on logical reasoning, interpreting data, and drawing conclusions. These are skills you’ll use daily as a future doctor or dentist.
Tips:
- Flag tough questions. Don’t let one problem eat up your time. Come back to it later.
- Use the whiteboard. Diagrams, flow charts or quick notes can really help simplify tricky logic puzzles.
- Recognise patterns. The more you practise, the more familiar common question types will feel.
Quantitative Reasoning
This one is all about solving math problems under time pressure.
Don’t panic if maths isn’t your strongest subject.
The maths itself is usually quite basic, covering percentages, ratios and averages, but the time pressure is real.
Tips:
- Brush up on your basics. Focus on accuracy and speed.
- Use the calculator wisely. But don’t rely on it for everything. Estimating can often be faster.
- Eliminate answers. If you can’t solve something exactly, rule out the wrong ones.
Timing tip: Aim for about 40 seconds per question.
Situational Judgement
This section asks how you’d respond in ethical or professional situations, similar to real-life clinical settings.
Tips:
- Understand NHS values. Respect, honesty, teamwork, and patient safety are key themes.
- Ask yourself what the safest and most respectful choice is.
- Band 1 is ideal but most universities are fine with Band 2/3. Work towards consistency in your judgment.
General Time Management Advice
- Do regular full-length mocks (2 hours) to build stamina.
- Don’t dwell too long on one question. Flag it and move on.
- Use official UCAT practice tests. They’re the most realistic prep available.
- Track your mistakes. Ask yourself what tripped you up and how you’ll handle it next time.
The UCAT rewards consistency. Even 20 to 30 minutes a day, if done well, can lead to big improvements over a few weeks.
How Parents Can Support
Parents play a crucial behind-the-scenes role and your support can really make a difference.
Here’s how you can help:
- Provide structure. Help your child stick to a revision routine with minimal distractions.
- Handle logistics. Double-check UCAT test dates, ID requirements and travel plans in advance.
- Encourage breaks. Rest is just as important as hard work. A well-rested brain performs better.
- Stay positive. Remind your child that the UCAT is just one step and they can absolutely improve with practice.
Final Thoughts
The UCAT can feel daunting at first but it’s completely learnable.
Remember, it doesn’t test how much you know but how you think under pressure.
Stay calm. Practice regularly. Build strategies that work for you. Trust that you’ll improve because you absolutely will.
If you’re starting your UCAT journey this summer or simply brushing up your skills, we’re here to help.
At Telios Tutors, we’ve guided hundreds of students through this process and we know what works.
By tutor Josiah
