UCAT Test Format 2026: Sections, Timings, and Question Numbers Explained

The 2026 UCAT consists of four separately timed sections. Each section is preceded by its own one-minute instruction screen — this one-minute introduction is timed separately and does not eat into your working time for the section itself. Section 1 — Verbal Reasoning (VR): 44 questions in 21 minutes. Questions are based on 11 reading passages, with four questions per passage. You have approximately 28–29 seconds per question. Format: primarily True/False/Can't Tell, with some free-text matching questions. Score range: 300–900. Section 2 — Decision Making (DM): 36 questions in 37 minutes. The longest section in both question count and time. Questions span six types: syllogisms, Venn diagrams, probabilistic reasoning, argument interpretation, recognising assumptions, and figure/table interpretation. You have approximately 61 seconds per question on average, though times vary by type. Score range: 300–900. Section 3 — Quantitative Reasoning (QR): 36 questions in 24 minutes. Questions are based on numerical data presented in tables, graphs, or charts. An on-screen calculator is available. You have approximately 40 seconds per question. Score range: 300–900. Section 4 — Situational Judgement Test (SJT): 66 items in 26 minutes. Presented as scenarios with associated response items. Scored on a band scale (Band 1–4) rather than a numerical scale. Band score is reported separately and does not contribute to the total cognitive score.

The total UCAT cognitive score is the sum of your Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, and Quantitative Reasoning scaled scores. Each subtest is scaled to a range of 300–900, giving a total possible range of 900–2700. Your raw score (number of correct answers) is converted to a scaled score through a psychometric process that ensures comparability across different test versions and testing dates. The SJT score is reported as a separate band and does not affect the total cognitive score. Band 1 is the highest and Band 4 is the lowest. Some universities actively use SJT bands — Manchester, for example, automatically rejects Band 4 applicants regardless of cognitive score. Others do not consider SJT in their initial shortlisting. There is no negative marking. Every unanswered question is marked as incorrect, so it is always in your interest to provide an answer — even an educated guess — for every question. Never leave blanks.

At the end of each section, you have a 60-second break before the next section's instruction screen begins. You cannot extend this break or return to a completed section. Use this 60 seconds to breathe, reset mentally, and remind yourself of the key technique for the upcoming section — do not spend it reviewing what went wrong in the previous section. The on-screen tools available throughout the exam are: a flag button (to mark questions for review within a section), an on-screen calculator (available only in QR), and a scratch pad (physical laminated sheet provided by the test centre). The interface is mouse-click operated — not keyboard-operated. If you have been practising with keyboard shortcuts, practise at least two full mocks using mouse-click navigation before your exam date.