UKCAT Courses

[ameeelia]

Last year I took the view that I would be fine on the UKCAT if I practised online and with books and that courses were expensive, taking advantage of people getting into medical school.

However despite working through all of the 600 UKCAT questions book as well as 'Succeeding in the UKCAT' and online practice questions my score was 647.5 meaning I didn't get any interviews this year.

The rest of my application is quite good so I am very keen to improve my UKCAT score next year. Can anyone recommend a course or another means to improve my score? Has anyone improved significantly from one year to the next?

Thanks

[khaa9666]

My average was 662.5 and have an offer at manchester for september. highly doubt doing expensive courses will help to be honest as its aptitude based. try getting that brain training game for the nintendo ds, it really helps with mental agility. you said your application was "quite good", maybe its a case for turning it into being the mutz nuts application and take it from there. good luck

[magpie7]

A score of 647.5 would have only been the problem if you applied to the wrong Universities with it.

Otherwise it was other areas of your application that let you down.

There's no need to spend £200 on a course that tells you what a £10 book does.

[FlippertyJibberts]

I went on the Kaplan course and I can't say it was the only reason I did well but it defo did no harm. It doesn't teach you how to answer the question more it gives you a strategy for each section and managing the time. You also get loads of practice questions and real time tests. It is expensive but I'm glad I did it.

[DLS]

A score of greater than 600 is fine. You just have to be careful which universities you apply too. I wouldn't bother wasting money on a course.

Just because you claim 'the rest of my application is fine' you don't know how it compares to everyone else's, and tbh, your bound to think that.

What uni's was it you applied to

[Traumatised]

Ameeelia

As an undergraduate your UKCAT score would have been good enough for most unis but as a graduate less so. You say you are predicted to get a first, is that in a science subject? An application that is "quite good" imo will not get you an interview next year. It has to be very good to excellent and bearing in mind the re-applicant success rate of 5% I think next year your application will need to be faultless. Probably not want you wanted to hear. I have never sat the UKCAT but I have over the years sat lots of employer tests such as critical reasoning etc and my scores have always been consistent.
Some people on this forum swear these courses can increase your UKCAT score so I am willing to defer to their experience. Every aspect of your application will need to jump up by quite a margin to secure interviews next year. The fightback starts now- if medicine is what you really want to do- by securing the first class degree.

[DLS]

oh didn't know you were a graduate. You probably do need a higher UkCAT then, however, paying an extortionate amount of money to go on one of these courses is not the answer. In my opinion, start practicing now, the more practice you get at both answering those types of question and answering them fast in the time, the higher your score will be.

With a decent amount of work it is quite easy to push up the QR and AR scores to 700+, many people can even get 800+, particularly in QR. DA will also improve along with practice, ensure you understand what is meant by the common phrases such as 'opposite' or 'personal'. Also ensure you know what the differences are between when brackets, commas and semi-colons (they DO make a big difference). VR, in my opinion, is one of the hardest to practice for. Ensure you regularly read, from a wide range of sources, as developing the skill can hopefully develop your skill. For all areas it is important that you develop the technique that suits YOU and maximizes YOUR potential.

If your really not sure if you can get your score to a good 700 average then possibly consider Cambridge or some of the GAMSAT universities (Keele/Nottingham/St Georges/Swansea?).

Your application on a whole, does need to be very strong for GEM. Give yourself plenty of time. In this time you can start writing your PS (or grad equivalent) and begin practicing for the admissions test.

[MonkeywithaMachete]

I went on the Kaplan course that FlippertyJibberts mentioned, and although I don't know how I would have done without them, I do recommend them if you don't mind the price. They would breakdown each question and analyse it with you, give you tips on how to practice and give a massive booklet on UKCAT-like questions (not sure if they're actually from the official UKCAT). In the end I came out with an average score of 730, which isn't the best, but I'm quite happy with it. I would still go for it if I had to make the decision again.

[GenericName]

Mhmmm, re-applicant success rate of 5%? Really? I find that hard to believe....unless a lot of people are re-applying who never had a hope in the first place. Erm, that UKCAT even as a grad should get you a few interviews and at least a place I would expect, I know a LOOOTT of grads with lower who got 2-3 interviews this year. All about where you apply to i'm afraid. If the rest of your app is good then you should be looking at places that either don't consider it, or weigh it very low. There's a thread knocking about somewhere with a list to that end on; can't find it though!