You usually need to register and complete the exam by a specific date. Check with the university you want to apply to which admissions test they use, which is likely to be one of the following:

• UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) - used in the selection process by a consortium of UK university medical schools
• The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) – a subject-specific admissions test for certain medicine and related courses
• The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) - used by a small number of graduate-entry medical schools

Revising for admissions tests

The tests are designed so you can’t really revise for them. It can help to work through some practice tests online, so you know what to expect.

The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) website has tips and practice material available in their Candidate Preparation Toolkit. This includes their official guide, which has vital information, key dates and more than 100 test items.

Their YouTube channel has advice from past candidates as well as a playlist collecting admissions videos from the majority of their consortium universities.

GradMed also offers preparatory courses for medical admissions tests. You can buy books or even go on courses to practice, but some medical schools feel the courses aren’t really worth the money.

You can practice general aptitude tests for free on our Recruitment Tests page, which you might find helpful for certain sections of the admissions test.

Bursaries for admissions tests

Check with individual courses, but it is extremely rare for any of them to offer financial support due to the large volume of applicants. The UKCAT offers bursaries, but eligibility criteria apply.

UKCAT scores and shortlisting

Newcastle University never reveals the UKCAT threshold. The threshold changes every year, as the performance of the applying cohort as a whole changes every year.

Also, while the UKCAT score is the main criteria used to shortlist for interview, it is not the only criteria. Other factors are taken into account.

The UKCAT website states that the UKCAT is not negatively marked.