UCAT 2020 Update

Updated statement 1 June 2020 

Thank you for your patience while we investigated alternative arrangements for delivering the UCAT in 2020. We appreciate this is a difficult time for many of you and that you have been looking for certainty regarding our arrangements. The UCAT is an important criterion used in selection to medicine and dentistry by our Consortium Universities. We have been working closely with those Consortium Universities and our business partner, Pearson VUE, to arrive at a solution for 2020 that allows testing to proceed without putting our candidates at risk.

We are pleased to announce that in 2020 you will have the choice to sit the UCAT, either at home using Pearson VUE’s online proctoring service (OnVUE) or (as in the past) at a Pearson VUE Test Centre.

It is likely that test centre availability will continue to be limited internationally; some test centres remain closed and where they can be opened, social distancing requirements are being put in place. Our dual delivery approach ensures that all UK and international candidates will have the opportunity to take the UCAT.

We aim to open UCAT registration and booking on 1 July.  2020 testing will take place between 3 August and 1 October ahead of the UCAS application deadline of 15 October 2020 (please note these dates are subject to change).  Given uncertainty regarding the ongoing impact of COVID 19 in the UK and internationally we would advise candidates to test as early as possible.

Whilst our delivery model has changed, UCAT test content remains the same. There will be no difference in content between a test sat at home (we call this UCAT Online) and one taken in a test centre.

Online proctored tests are increasing in use globally as advances are made in the way in which online exams can be monitored and delivered securely. The UCAT Consortium is committed to protecting the integrity of the test, regardless of how it is delivered. UCAT Online uses artificial intelligence combined with live monitoring, to safeguard the security of the test.

Information and advice on taking the UCAT, including preparation materials are available on our website and you can now begin to prepare for your test.

We will publish detailed Candidate Guides on how to book and sit the UCAT 2020 within the next few weeks and will update our website content over the coming days to reflect the changes outlined above.

We would like to reiterate that the wellbeing of our candidates has been at the forefront of decision making and we continue to work with Pearson VUE to ensure we follow current government requirements and guidance to safeguard our candidates around the world.

As stated above we understand this is a challenging time for our candidates both personally and educationally. We are here to support you through the process of testing in 2020. We hope that many questions are answered here or within the next few weeks on our website, but please do not hesitate to contact us or ask us a question via our social media channels.

Please follow us on social media for essential updates throughout the 2020 test cycle: 

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