5 TOP TIPS FOR SOLVING UCAT QUESTIONS FROM SECTIONS 1-5
We’ve all heard that the UCAT plays a critical role in getting into medicine/dentistry but to what extent? Well, to tell you the truth, it can count for up to a third of the final program offer and it’s also the main screening factor used for interview offers.
So to prepare for something as important as this, you really want to make sure that everything you do and every technique you use is actually effective and helps you score those top marks that will help you get in.
After talking with students about UCAT strategies during my free consults (feel free to book one in using the “Let’s Talk” button below), many express extreme frustration regarding their progress despite practising question bank after question bank of questions. Even after tackling 4,000 to 6,000+ practice questions over 6 to 18 months (plus 50+ mock exams), many don’t see improved speed and accuracy in solving questions for the UCAT exam.
And yes… it’s absolutely heartbreaking to realise that all that time, effort, blood, sweat and tears amounted to next to no gains.
Despite their dedication, they’re missing two vital ingredients during their practice:
Before solving a question: Learn a step-by-step technique—it’s essential for effective practice, or else, what are you exactly familiarising through practice?
After solving a question: Reflect on each step to identify what went right or wrong and why. This helps refine your approach for the next try so that you can legitimately improve after each attempt.
Following this approach improves accuracy and speed gradually, leading to consistent progress. Without these steps, practice won’t lead to improvement, let alone mastery.
So, what does this look like in practise?
Free Holiday Webinar:
Why Term 1 Break Is Your Final Opportunity to Get Onto UCAT Prep
STREAM 2: Mon 11 April, 2022 (8pm AEST)
Australian med/dent schools typically only invite students with a UCAT score of 93rd+ percentile for an interview opportunity… which means 90%+ of students fail to even pass the first barrier (UCAT) that stands between them and med/dent schools.
Due to the competitive nature and difficulty of the UCAT, most top students start their prep up to 2 years before their actual test date, and on average spend 250 hours (based on the assumption that they work with effective and efficient methods) on prep in total.
For a Year 12 student who is yet to start on UCAT prep, your two biggest opportunities to catch up on the workload will be your Term 1 and Term 2 holidays.
Register for this free UCAT webinar to organise your timeline and learn the most efficient ways to prepare!
iCanMed is a team of high-calibre assessment writers, coaches and interviewers, ensuring that the advice we give works at every stage of the UCAT preparation and test-taking process. Over 1,800 students have already chosen to use iCanMed to help them achieve UCAT success on the 2022–23 exam. As the thought leaders in UCAT preparation and teaching, the free workshops we offer are designed to help every candidate gain the necessary insights to achieve their best results and gain entry into their dream course.
In this 1.5-hour webinar, we will:
- Identify the most common mistakes that cause students to waste valuable UCAT time
- Outline optimal methods for preparing for the UCAT (minimum time, maximum return)
- Sit a short mock test, followed by live step-by-step teaching of the most commonly asked questions
- Provide a detailed timeline to complete UCAT prep between now and July
- Identify the most common mistakes that cause students to waste valuable UCAT time
- Outline optimal methods for preparing for the UCAT (minimum time, maximum return)
- Sit a short mock test, followed by live step-by-step teaching of the most commonly asked questions
- Provide a detailed timeline to complete UCAT prep between now and July
Results:
iCanMed’s UCAT Pro course has been a real game-changer for thousands of students. In 2021 and 2022, our cohorts dominated the UCAT with an average 90th percentile score. That’s not all, over 1000+ students nailed admission to some seriously tough medical and dental programs all around Australasia.
Here’s what our student Shreyas Thakkalapally (UCAT 2023 candidate) has to say after scoring a potentially nation-topping score of 3410:
“iCanMed has been tremendously helpful in its aim to provide students with the sound knowledge and structure required for sitting the UCAT. The lessons are indeed very helpful in the long term, accurately targeting both the logical/theoretical aspects of UCAT knowledge as well as the correct mindset required for each of the different sections. It taught me a lot of things, and I would especially be grateful to the teachers – especially Andrew, who helps students out tirelessly and is a very knowledgeable and inspirational person – just like the rest of the iCanMed teachers. Highly recommend!”
Haven't registered for Part 2 yet?
This webinar is the first session in a two-part series. Don’t forget to also register for PART 2!
