UCAT is an admissions exam that is used to select candidates for their medical degree programs. This admissions test is used in different countries around the world and it is said that it is one of the most challenging ones. Candidates need to be ready to put in a lot of time and effort if they want to pass it with flying colors.
In this article, we are going to talk about the preparation process for the UCAT test, and what you need to do to make sure you pass it on your first try. Continue reading if you want to learn how many hours you should study for the university clinical aptitude test.
How to prepare?
The first thing we are going to talk about is how to prepare for the UCAT test. Candidates say that if you have any experience in the field, and that if you’ve had the chance to experience things first hand it is going to be much easier to go over the lectures and remember them faster.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that you have no chances of passing it if you don’t have any practical experience. You just need to focus and put your effort into it. You should be able to fully prepare for it in about two weeks, as long as you are ready to fully focus and put your mind into it.
Note that UCAT practice exams are really helpful, so you should use them to your advantage. Note that you can find these tests for free and you can take them when you want. They are going to help you determine your current knowledge and see what you need to focus more on.
The preparation depends on your preferences and the method you use to study. So, find something that works for you and know that having a study partner can be really helpful for some candidates.
How many hours do you need to study?
When it comes to how many hours you’d need to study if you want to pass this exam, the short answer is that it depends on the person. If you try to focus and put all of your attention into it, then you can cover the material much faster.
On the same note, if you need to go over each part over and over, and if you’ve noticed that you cannot keep your focus on what you are studying, you are going to need a much longer time. Experts suggest that the best thing you can do is find your own way of remembering things if you want to do it faster.
Some people learn better when they create notes while reading, others focus better when they are music playing in the background, and there are those who say that when they read things out loud, they are more likely to remember them.
Find your way of remembering things, and just because your peers use one method, it does not mean that that will work for you. The main thing is to forget about measuring time, and not rely just on the hours. Your goal is to pass the UCAT test and not wait for the time to pass.
According to MedicMind, if you want to make sure you are prepared for the exam, you should take the UCAT practice test that will help you see if you are on the right track, or if there is part of the exam that you need to focus on more.
If you are interested in knowing how many hours you will need to spend reading and going over the material, it is said that you should cover it in less than two weeks. Most students need to study for at least four hours in the course of 15 days if they want to pass this exam, so if you can do that, then you should be able to learn everything in about two weeks.
However, it is said that the best thing you can do is read for about two hours every day in the course of one month. This will give you enough time to prepare, learn everything, and not spend too much time being stressed about it. Once again, it all depends on your personal preferences and abilities. There are students who can keep their focus for six, and even eight hours per day, and they can finish the material in less than a week.
How many points do you need to pass?
Now let’s talk about the thing that everyone is wondering about – how many points are enough for you to pass this exam and to avoid failing. Just like every other test, the bigger and better score you have, the higher your chances are of getting administered. So, you should not focus just on studying and getting the bare minimum to pass, and instead, you should focus on perfecting your skills and understanding the material you are going over.
The short answer to this question is that any score that is lower than 600 points is bad, and if you want to make sure you pass, you should have a score that is as close to 700 as possible. There are five main parts that need to be passed, and the scores that you can get vary between 300 and 900.
They include decision-making, verbal reasoning, abstract reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. There is also the situational judgment part, and here you can get a band that varies between one and four. Your total score will vary between 1200 and 3600 when you combine all the parts together if you are not counting the bands. These are some of the things that you need to know about the UCAT test.
As you can see, you don’t need much time to prepare, and the only thing you need to do is be determined, go over the material several times, and try to relax as much as possible. The UCAT practice exams can help you a lot, and if you need, you can follow tutorials, collaborate with a tutor, or have a partner that you can go over the material together.