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Understand the UCAT5 min read

UCAT ANZ format and scoring: four subtests, 300 to 900 each

The UCAT ANZ has four timed subtests: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement. The three cognitive scores add to a total from 900 to 2700, and the Situational Judgement score is reported on its own.

Last checked against the official sources.

The UCAT ANZ has four separately timed subtests with 184 questions in 111 minutes. The three cognitive subtests are scaled 300 to 900 and added for a total of 900 to 2700. Situational Judgement is scaled 300 to 900 and reported separately. There is no negative marking.

The table below restates the format from the official test format page in our own wording and layout (Source: UCAT ANZ), checked on 7 October 2026. This is the 2026 format. No change for 2027 has been announced, but the Consortium has not yet published 2027 details, so check the official page again when booking opens.

What each subtest asks

In plain terms, the four subtests are:

  • Verbal Reasoning: reading written passages and judging what can and cannot be concluded from them.
  • Decision Making: working through logic, arguments and information to reach sound judgements.
  • Quantitative Reasoning: using numbers, charts and tables to solve problems.
  • Situational Judgement: deciding how to act in realistic situations, which tests how you weigh the factors involved.

The Consortium's own one-line descriptions are on the test format page.

A simple on-screen calculator is available in Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning, and you are given a marker pen and a laminated notebook for workings. The official test tools page explains them, and the official tour tutorial is on the preparation page. Learn the tools before you practise questions.

How the scoring works

Key fact

Raw marks cannot be compared across subtests because the number of questions differs, so each cognitive subtest is converted to a scaled score from 300 to 900. The total of the three is 900 to 2700.

  • Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning: 1 mark per question.
  • Decision Making: single-answer questions are worth 1 mark. Multiple-statement questions are worth 2 marks, and a partly correct response earns 1 mark.
  • Situational Judgement: full marks if your response matches the key, and part marks if it is close.

Results come as a score report in your Pearson account within 24 hours of the test. The Consortium sends results to the universities in early September, and you do not pass them on yourself. See the official results page.

Abstract Reasoning was part of the test until 2024 and does not appear in the Consortium's 2025 or 2026 statistics, so older books, videos and totals may describe a different format. Compare the 2024, 2025 and 2026 statistics to see the columns.

Percentiles are official

The Consortium publishes summary statistics and a percentile look-up for the total score on its test statistics page. We link to it rather than copy it. Some universities also work out their own percentiles from their own applicants, so a university's rule may differ from the official one.

Extended versions

Candidates who receive exam adjustments at school or university can apply for extended versions of the test with extra time or rest breaks. The timings are on the official extended tests page, and our fees and access arrangements page explains how to apply.

We are run alongside a tutoring business (see about us). The official free materials come first; see free versus paid preparation.

ExamExplained is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the UCAT ANZ Consortium or any university.

Test format

Computer-based, multiple choice, sat in a Pearson test centre

Sections, questions and timing
SectionQuestionsMinutes
Verbal ReasoningScaled score 300 to 900. 1 mark per question. 1 minute 30 seconds of instructions first.4422
Decision MakingScaled score 300 to 900. Single-answer questions are worth 1 mark, multiple-statement questions 2 marks with part marks. 1 minute 30 seconds of instructions first.3537
Quantitative ReasoningScaled score 300 to 900. 1 mark per question. 2 minutes of instructions first.3626
Situational JudgementReported as its own scaled score from 300 to 900, not added to the total. Part marks for answers close to the key. 1 minute 30 seconds of instructions first.6926
Total time111

111 minutes of testing across 184 questions. With the timed instruction sections the official extended tests page gives 117 minutes 30 seconds. The three cognitive scores add to a total from 900 to 2700. No negative marking. Source: UCAT ANZ, test format page.

Official source, checked 7 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there negative marking on the UCAT ANZ?
No. The test is marked on the number of correct answers, and there is no penalty for a wrong answer. That means it is always worth giving an answer, even a best guess, before a subtest ends.
How is the total UCAT ANZ score worked out?
Raw marks in Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning are converted to scaled scores from 300 to 900, then added. The total therefore runs from 900 to 2700. Situational Judgement is a separate scaled score from 300 to 900 and is not added in.
How long does the UCAT ANZ take?
The four subtests add up to 111 minutes of testing across 184 questions. With the timed instruction section before each subtest, the official extended-test page gives 117 minutes 30 seconds. The Consortium describes it as just under two hours.
Can I pause the test?
Not in the standard test. The Consortium says that once the test has started it cannot be paused, although each subtest is preceded by its own timed instruction section. Candidates approved for a rest-break version get pause-the-clock rest breaks; see our fees and access arrangements page.

Sources