UKCAT 2014 Spotlight: The Test Format

You’ve signed up for the UKCAT exam, and now you are starting to look at what exactly that means. What are the subtests, how many are there and how long do I have for the test? This blog will go through two main format features of the test.

The UKCAT contains several design features that you may want to be aware of before you start your preparation efforts.

• The UKCAT contains five subtests, each of which are distinct from the test before and assess you on different skills to each other.
• The time allocated to each question is different for each subtest.

The five subtests

The UKCAT is made up of five very different subtests. The test is 2 hours long, with no breaks allocated. If you take a break your time will continue to run whilst you are not there.

Subtest	Time per section (+ 1 min instructions)	No. questions	Time per question	Skills tested
Verbal reasoning	22 minutes	44 questions based on 11 passages	29 seconds	English; drawing inferences and critical thinking
Quantitative reasoning	25 minutes	36 questions based on 9 sets of information	40 seconds	Maths; workout correct answers
Abstract reasoning	14 minutes	55 questions	15 seconds	Identifying patterns; determining relationships
Decision analysis	32 minutes	28 questions	Just over 1 minute	Decision making; using judgement
Situational judgement	27 minutes	67 questions based on 20 scenarios	20 seconds	Response to tricky situations at work/Uni.

Once you have understood the format of the test, you can move on to the individual subtests, always working within the time constraints and requirements of each section.