The Delivery and Development of the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

The UCAT test is an aptitude exam, designed to measure innate cognitive abilities in addition to individuals’ judgement regarding situations encountered in a target role. The test is used in selection by a consortium of UK universities for entry to medical and dental training. The current exam consists of five separately timed subtests - Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and the Situational Judgement Test. Items (questions) include those developed from operational items used in previous administrations and new items trialled in previous years. The Consortium owns the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in existing test content. The test is currently delivered to candidates at physical test locations in the UK and internationally from July through to October. A small number of candidates take the test online. In 2022 over 36,000 candidates sat the test. Test scores are delivered to universities in early November. The delivery of the test is underpinned by a commitment to excellent customer service including candidate access to a straightforward online booking system, provision of a wide range of accommodations for candidates with disabilities, extensive preparation advice to candidates and access to freely available preparation materials, and pre-equating of the test to allow candidates immediate access to their test scores. The Consortium wishes to appoint a supplier to develop and deliver services within the UK and Internationally from January 2025 (mobilisation period to start October 2024). The supplier may also be required to provide the test for use in selection by a consortium of Australia and New Zealand universities. It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded in December 2023.