Tips for UCAT Test Day and the Night Before
11 months ago by Rob
The day before UCAT
Ensure that you have everything you need for UCAT test day: importantly, acceptable photographic identification (there are specific requirements that must be met, detailed on the UCAT ANZ website. Also ensure that you know where your UCAT testing centre is, and how you are going to get there.
If you are ill or have extenuating personal circumstances, you can reschedule your UCAT test. You can do so at least 24 hours before your test appointment by contacting Pearson VUE directly.
The night before UCAT
This is not the time to cram for UCAT! Remember that UCAT tests your skills, not your knowledge, so cramming at this stage is unlikely to be helpful. It is likely to have the opposite effect, stressing you out and exhausting you when you need to recharge.
Instead, forget about UCAT, and do something you enjoy: go for a run, head out for dinner with your friends, watch mindless TV and so on.
Ensure you have a good evening meal and go to bed early. If you are having difficulty sleeping, get up and do something boring, meditate, or write out your thoughts on a piece of paper, and then return to bed.
The day of UCAT
Make sure you have a good meal, with plenty of complex carbohydrates to sustain you during the 2 hour UCAT. Porridge, muesli or a wholegrain sandwich are good options. If you are used to drinking coffee or tea, go for it, but don’t consume too much – they are diuretics which will make you want to use the bathroom (something you definitely do not want to be doing while the UCAT clock is ticking!).
Before you leave home, ensure you have:
- Photo identification
- The UCAT test centre address and phone number
- A printout of your UCAT confirmation email from Pearson VUE
- A water bottle and healthy snack
- Anything else you need, such as reading glasses
You will need to arrive at the UCAT testing centre 30 minutes before your scheduled start time to complete the check-in process. Note that candidates who arrive more than 15 minutes after their scheduled appointment time will not be allowed to take their UCAT test.
Ensure that you have a drink of water and a healthy snack (such as a muesli bar or piece of fruit) before you go in – you do not want to be distracted by hunger pangs!
We wish you the best of luck for UCAT test day!
