3rd October 2020
UCAT is different from School tests
I am sure you know kids who don’t do so well in school, yet somehow manage to ace tests like UCAT. And you probably know other students who do really well in school, yet when it comes to UCAT, they don’t do nearly as well – and sometimes even bomb the test completely. Why do so many bright students have so much trouble on the UCAT? Because taking the UCAT is nothing like ...
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3rd October 2020
Do girls do better in the UCAT?
Girls in general get better grades in school and university in general than boys - so come on guys, get your act together! But here’s a surprise: boys in general outscore girls in aptitude tests. There may be several reasons for this such as: Boys treat aptitude tests as a game to be beaten and strategise Boys are less likely to be risk averse: an advantage in aptitude tests ...
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3rd October 2020
Is UCAT a fair test?
Every year, debates continue about UCAT. Is it fair? Is it biased? Is it an achivement test or an aptitude test? Is it good? Is it evil? Does it measure intelligence? Does it measure anything? Does it measure how well you will do in medical school? Does it predict whether you will be a ‘good’ doctor? When a test of similar nature was introduced in the USA in 1926 debates raged o ...
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3rd October 2020
UCAT and careers teachers
Careers teachers knowledge of and interest in UCAT Preparation varies quite markedly. There are those who go to the trouble of inviting UCAT MedEntry to come and deliver a course in-house at their school. At the other extreme, there are those who do not have time to research UCAT Preparation, and may be critical of its value for various reasons. If you are in a school where the careers te ...
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3rd October 2020
Does UCAT coaching work?
Psychometric tests such as UCAT have been in use in Australia for the last 25 years, but in the US numerous such tests have been in use for well over a century. Coaching organisations are therefore well established there. The officials at the Educational Testing Service (ETS) at Princeton say that they have no objection to the coaching because what is important is that students learn the ski ...
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3rd October 2020
Time management in UCAT
Timing is perhaps the most stress-inducing factor of the UCAT exam. If the UCAT were at take-home test, you would all score well. Managing time is the key. Most of your MedEntry UCAT practice will include timed sections, allowing you to become more familiar and comfortable with the pacing of the exam. The UCAT is not a test of intelligence. Although it is used as a predictor for success in ...
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3rd October 2020
UCAT Prep: Establish your personal scoring goals
Your main goal should be to maximise your potential on the actual UCAT test. Very few students get every question right. You have to be realistic. Strive to work within your own abilities. Students often ask: How does my practice test performance translate to how I will perform on the actual UCAT test? Questions are “graded” for difficulty throughout the MedEntry UCAT prep ...
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3rd October 2020
UCAT Tips: Learn to make intelligent guesses when necessary
Another tip in scoring well in the UCAT test is to try to eliminate as many responses as you can. Here’s why it is important to eliminate at least some choices when you’re guessing. If you get to a question and you’re not sure of the answer, of course you’ll have to guess. Whether you’re guessing among all four choices or you’ve eliminated a couple of obvi ...
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3rd October 2020
UCAT: Speed Reading
The following reading efficiency techniques can boost your reading rate. But even if your rate is fine, these techniques will help you boost comprehension and concentration. (i) Mechanical Approach You’ve probably seen speed-readers moving their hands down a page as they rapidly read the material, the theory being that their eyes follow their hands. The problem with this approach ...
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3rd October 2020
Why do universities need UCAT scores? Isn’t my ATAR enough?
Good university admissions officers will use your UCAT scores to help them assess your readiness to do tough medical school work. Although the UCAT does not assess broad subject knowledge, it provides a universal benchmark that your high school transcript can’t. It assesses skills that are essential to succeed in a competitive Australian medical school: problem solving, data interpreta ...
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