What Subtests Remain in UCAT 2026?
UCAT 2026 now consists of three cognitive subtests and one non-cognitive subtest. The cognitive subtests are Verbal Reasoning (VR), Decision Making (DM), and Quantitative Reasoning (QR). The non-cognitive subtest is the Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which remains unchanged in purpose and format. Verbal Reasoning retains its structure of 11 passages with four questions each, giving you 21 minutes to complete 44 questions. That equates to roughly 28 seconds per question — tighter than most students expect. Quantitative Reasoning retains its 36 questions in 24 minutes format, with a permitted on-screen calculator. Decision Making is the section that has changed most substantially: it now contains 36 questions across 37 minutes, an increase from the previous 29 questions in 31 minutes. This makes Decision Making the longest and arguably the most demanding section of the 2026 exam. SJT remains at 66 items across 26 minutes, and its band scoring (Band 1 being highest, Band 4 lowest) is unchanged. The SJT does not contribute to the main cognitive score; it is reported separately.
How the New Score of 2700 Works
With three cognitive subtests instead of four, the maximum possible score is now 2700. Each subtest contributes 900 points to the total, on a scale of 300 (minimum) to 900 (maximum). This matters enormously when interpreting raw scores and comparing yourself to university thresholds. A score of 2400 out of 2700 is broadly equivalent to performance that would previously have earned around 2900 out of 3600, in terms of percentile positioning. However, the percentile distributions will shift over the first two to three years as the new format becomes established. For 2026, universities are still calibrating their cutoffs. Many have published provisional thresholds, but you should always check directly with each institution's admissions page for confirmed figures. The practical implication: do not compare your 2026 mock scores against 2024 or earlier target scores you find online. They are measuring different things on different scales.
“With three cognitive subtests instead of four, the maximum possible score is now 2700”
Your Revised Preparation Priority Order
Given the new format, here is how you should rank your preparation time by subtest. Decision Making should receive the most time — it is the longest section, has the most question variety (syllogisms, Venn diagrams, probabilistic reasoning, figure interpretation), and is where students lose the most marks through poor technique. Quantitative Reasoning should be your second priority, particularly if you are not strong in data interpretation under time pressure. Verbal Reasoning is third — the technique is learnable and transferable, but the time constraints are brutal without practice. SJT preparation is often underestimated. Students who read the medical ethics frameworks and understand the principles of professional behaviour systematically outperform those who rely on instinct. Do not leave SJT as an afterthought. MediSpoon's structured approach covers all four subtests with technique-first learning designed specifically for the 2026 format.