UCAT Updates (2020)

Although the testing and question pattern remains the same as every other year for the UCAT-2020, a few key changes are:

o UCAT registration and bookings will open on 1 July. 2020 testing will take place between 3 August and 1 October, ahead of the UCAS application deadline of 15 October 2020.

o Candidates can either take the test at home or a formal testing environment. If you are choosing to take the test at home you will need a Windows or Mac personal computer or laptop, a webcam and microphone and a stable internet connection.

o Detailed information regarding the required test environment will be available in the UCAT Online Guide. You can test at home or in a private, quiet location of your choice. Wherever you test, the room must be walled, have a closed door, and be free from disruptions. Your desktop will need to be clean and you should not be within arm’s reach of books, notepads, sticky notes, papers, pens, pencils, and other writing instruments.

o If you choose to take the test at home, your test session will be monitored and recorded by a Pearson VUE Proctor, via webcam and microphone.

o If you test at home you will be able to use an erasable whiteboard during testing. In test centers you will (as previously) have access to a set of noteboards (whiteboards) and pens. All candidates will also have access to an on-screen scratchpad which is built into the official preparation materials.

The most major change in the 2020 format would be the introduction of scratchpads. You can recreate this experience during your regular practice by doing all of your rough work on the ‘notepad’ on your laptop or computer as well as using the sample scratchpad in the official practice materials. This can also be beneficial as it is way quicker, convenient and less tedious to type in data for your reference on the system and then using the whiteboard for drawing tables, Venn diagrams and figures (if any).

If you choose to do the test at home, you also get the added benefit of being familiar with the system and your environment, if that is what works best for you.

During your preparation, ensure that you do all of your online practice on a desktop or laptop. When you give mock tests, always try to mimic the ideal exam conditions to the best of your ability and get rid of all possible distractions. If you test at home, prepare and cross-check well in advance to avoid any possible technical difficulties.

All the information in this blog post has been inferred from the official UCAT website. Visit https://www.ucat.ac.uk/ for further information.