Why are there conflicting opinions on the usefulness of UCAT preparation?

You may find opinions expressed on forums and by some organisations that intense UCAT preparation may not help. Everyone is welcome to their opinion of course, and we agree that poor quality UCAT preparation does not help. That is why choosing high-quality, trusted preparation with a proven track record like MedEntry is important. In addition, those who believe that UCAT preparation does not work often include:

• The UCAT Consortium and Pearson VUE, which administer UCAT and therefore have a vested interest in ensuring that students don't prepare, for several reasons (for example, their job becomes harder if students prepare; possibility of legal challenges).
• Universities, which also have a vested interest in claiming that UCAT and interview preparation may not help (which could be considered hypocritical, since universities coach students for aptitude tests and interviews at assessment centres for jobs).
• Individuals who may have done a poor quality preparation course and/or may not have done the work required and therefore may not have got into medicine.
• Individuals who may have done well in UCAT without preparation. Some of these students may have obtained an even higher score with good quality preparation (even in 99th percentile, there is high end, and low end of 99th percentile), which could have enabled them to gain a scholarship to study medicine, or placed them higher in terms of ranking meaning a lower ATAR or interview score was required to enter medicine.
• Much of the 'research' published showing UCAT Preparation may not help is done by those who are funded by test producers and they don't declare this conflict of interest.

Updated on: 29/10/2025