Nordstrom Christopher - Mastering the UKCAT

Mastering the UKCAT

MASTERING

Mastering the UKCAT: Second Edition

Dr Christopher Nordstrom, George Rendel, Dr Ricardo Tavares 2018

Mastering the BMAT

Dr Christopher Nordstrom, George Rendel, Luke Baxter 2016

Mastering the UKCAT

Second Edition

Dr Christopher Nordstrom

George Rendel

Dr Ricardo Tavares

CRC Press

Taylor & Francis Group

6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300

Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742

2018 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business

No claim to original U.S. Government works

Printed on acid-free paper

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-1385-9446-3 (Hardback)

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-1385-8847-9 (Paperback)

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint.

Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.

For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.

Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com

and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com

Contents

Dr Christopher Nordstrom graduated from University College London with a prize-winning degree in medicine and a first-class honours degree in neuroscience. He undertook medical training in London and now works as a senior doctor in emergency medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Christopher has been involved in medical education for over 10 years, completing a PgCert in Clinical Education and gaining a Fellowship in the Higher Education Academy. He has received written praise for his teaching from hospitals and universities, including Imperial College London and University College London. His academic achievements include publications in world-renowned journals, published original research and regular presentations and national and international conferences. He has also peer-reviewed for the British Medical Journal and is one of the UKs leading UKCAT and BMAT experts, regularly speaking at national events including the Royal Society of Medicines Career Day.

George Rendel graduated from the University of Leeds with a prize-winning, first-class degree in English. He has used his academic understanding of the English language and his experience in journalism and publishing to become a leading expert in the verbal reasoning and essay writing components of the UKCAT and BMAT examinations. He has worked in educational publishing for Pearson and in consulting for Accenture.

Dr Ricardo Tavares completed his prize-winning Medical Sciences Masters undergraduate degree at Oxford University and went on to finish his medical MBBS training at University College London Medical School. He carried out his foundation training within the Imperial College Deanery before starting specialist registrar training in radiology. Ricardo has several years of experience teaching medicine, both as part of a select group at Imperial College and as a clinical methods teaching tutor for Imperial College medical students. He has been published in leading international journals, spoken at numerous national conferences, and teaches on the clinical MD programme for the University of Buckingham Internal Medicine degree.

Background

The United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) was first introduced in 2006. Since its introduction, it has been widely used by medical and dental schools across the UK to aid in the selection of future doctors and dentists. Unlike the traditional A-Level and International Baccalaureate examinations, the UKCAT tests aptitude, rather than knowledge. By focusing on innate skills, it is designed to reduce the inequality which may arise between applicants from different backgrounds. This helps to widen access into medicine and dentistry.

The UKCAT consists of a 2-hour computerised test that is administered in test centres across the UK. For international applicants, there are now official test centres in over 135 countries, ensuring almost all candidates have easy access to a testing centre.

You can choose when you sit the examination. Testing dates are available annually from July to the start of October. Each student who takes the examination during this three-month window will get different combinations of questions in each section. This prevents students who sit the examination later from finding out which questions will come up.

Top Tip: We recommend booking your test early, even if you wish to sit it at the end of summer, as test dates fill up quickly and the price increases.

The UKCAT examination consists of five sections, each testing a different skill set. These sections are:

Verbal Reasoning (VR)

Decision Making (DM)

Quantitative Reasoning (QR)

Abstract Reasoning (AR)

Situational Judgement Test (SJT)

The Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections are logical tests. They assess a candidates ability to evaluate, problem-solve and draw conclusions, based on written and numerical information.

Abstract Reasoning tests both spatial awareness and pattern recognition. This helps to identify your aptitude for constantly developing and modifying hypotheses. Situational Judgement focuses on presenting students with real-world situations and dilemmas. These are designed to identify how you react and behave in challenging circumstances and cover topics similar to those you will encounter in an interview.

The newest section of the UKCAT, Decision Making, was introduced in 2017. It introduces complex and abstract information and tests your skills of logic and reasoning when making decisions.

Booking Your Test

The UKCAT is not sat in schools or colleges, but at regional Testing Centres. As such, it is best for you to book a test date in a suitable location. Initially, you will need to register online for the test. Registration opens 2 months before the first test date. You can book, reschedule or cancel your appointment through the online system. The price varies depending on the date you choose. In 2018, dates in July and August cost 65; subsequent dates cost 87. The price at international Test Centres outside the UK is higher and the number of available testing dates more restricted.