Why Full Exam Mocks are the Best UCAT Preparation
3 months ago by Chris
Be under no illusions: the UCAT is the single hardest and most important test you will ever sit. This is a scary (and for some maybe terrifying) thought. So, what can you do to make it less daunting? The answer may seem counter-intuitive: the best way to make UCAT seem do-able is to face it over, and over, and over again. How? By completing high-quality, full-length UCAT exam mocks under timed conditions.
UCAT is scary because it is so different to any other test you have done in school – it is much harder, much longer and much more time-pressured, not to mention completely different in terms of content. But what if you could make it seem like part of your normal life? Get up on a Saturday morning, have breakfast, and do a 2 hour UCAT full exam mock? Well, that’s exactly what you should do between now and UCAT. Make doing a full length UCAT exam mock part of your weekly routine.
You can use MedEntry’s Interactive Calendar to remind yourself and keep yourself accountable. Or you can set an alarm at a particular time on a Saturday. Or ask / beg / bribe a family member or friend to remind you. The main thing is to regularly practice doing those UCAT exam mocks! If you do this, when it comes to the day of UCAT, it will not seem as scary or difficult.
Remember, MedEntry’s full exam mocks are the best possible preparation for UCAT. They contain the most difficult questions and are created to accurately simulate the most recent UCAT tests. As UCAT draws nearer, full exam UCAT mocks are the most efficient, targeted and effective preparation you can do for UCAT.
The most common feedback we get every year from MedEntry students is that they wish they did not ‘save up’ their UCAT exams, or leave them to the last minute. UCAT cannot be crammed for; the best way to improve is through consistent practice, reflection and discussion.
Keep in mind that completing a UCAT full exam mock doesn’t just take 2 hours – it takes several hours in addition to that, to re-attempt the questions you got wrong and review the solutions in detail. Remember that reviewing UCAT questions in detail is what helps you to develop your skills and improve. It helps you to examine what you did and why you did it, and then decide whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in the future. Ensure you make time for both the UCAT exam mock and reviewing. If you complete the mock UCAT exam on a Saturday for example, you can plan to review it on the Sunday.
Here are some tips for completing UCAT full exam mocks:
- Complete the exam under strict time conditions!
- Do not give yourself any extra breaks
- Complete the full exam mock in a quiet room, without distractions
- Use only the materials that are allowed on test day (no dictionaries, highlighters or food, for example)
- Use the same or similar equipment that you are will be using on test day
Doing a full length UCAT exam mock may seem scary, but think about how much more scary it will be if the first time you completed a UCAT exam under strict conditions was the day of the live UCAT! Practice exposing yourself to UCAT test conditions over and over, and it will start to become like second nature. You can then walk into the UCAT relaxed and confident.
Feedback over the years suggests that the MedEntry exam mocks are at least as hard (if not slightly harder) than the live exam.
If you haven’t already, start working through the MedEntry UCAT full exam mocks. Get a taste for the subtleties of every type of question. Get used to the strict time conditions! Make doing a full length UCAT exam mock part of your weekly routine so that when it comes to the day of UCAT, you will be well prepared!
