Part 7: How your UCAT Score is calculated

In Part 7 of the UCAT Guide, we explain how your UCAT score is calculated.

How is your UCAT score calculated?

The UKCAT is the UK version of UCAT and, for the moment, the best representation of how marks may be allocated for UCAT.

Process for calculating UCAT Score

The process for calculating UCAT score is outlined below

  1. Your UCAT mark is calculated based on the number of questions you answer correctly.
  2. Your mark will be a scaled mark as each section of UCAT has a different number of questions. Raw marks won’t translate between the sections.
  3. Your score is then calculated by adding together your scaled score from each section.

 

Misconceptions about UCAT Score Calculation

Two common misconceptions about UCAT Score calculation are outlined below:

  • The questions will change based on the answers you provide. This is not the case.
  • Making mistakes will not result in you receiving a negative mark. Instead, you just won’t receive a mark.

 

Marks for Cognitive Subtests

There are a different number of questions in each of the four cognitive subsets (please see below) hence you cannot directly compare the raw marks between them. Instead, they are translated into scaled marks that share a range between 300 – 900. The individual scales of each subset generate a total scaled mark that ranges from 1200 to 3600.

All questions are worth one mark each except in decision making – the questions in this subset with multiple statements are worth 2 marks.

  • 1 mark is given to partially correct response.
  • 2 marks allocated for a fully correct response.

Cognitive Subtests

The table outlines the scale score range for different cognitive subtests.

Cognitive SubtestsQuestionsScale Score Range
Verbal Reasoning44300 – 900
Decision Making29300 – 900
Quantitative Reasoning36300 – 900
Abstract Reasoning55300 – 900
Total Scale Score Range1200 – 3600
Source: Table from UKCAT website

Not sure how to prepare for UCAT?

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Marks for the non-cognitive subtest – Situational Judgement Test

For the Situational Judgement Test, you receive full marks for a correct answer and partial marks for answers that are close to the most correct answer.

Results

Pearson VUE will release reports that allow you to see what the average performance of the cohort is. This report gives the averages for each subject and will also compare the current year’s cohort to the previous year’s.

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