If you are here for the University Clinical Aptitude Test (previously UkCAT), visit our UK page to see its complete preparation guide.
The Universal Cognitive Aptitude Test was created by Criteria Corp. and it's based on the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT). But as opposed to the CCAT exam, the UCAT is a language-independent test and does not include the verbal reasoning and verbal ability questions.
This pre-employment test assesses your critical thinking, problem-solving, analysis, and mathematical reasoning skills. It has 40 questions that must be answered within 20 minutes.
These questions involve making adequate spatial judgments, visualize solutions, and solve problems. Spatial tests aren’t reliant on educational and cultural background, so individuals are assessed at an equal level.
Evaluates your math reasoning by using arithmetical concepts and solving numerical problems.
Assesses your judgment and cognitive abilities to resolve problems and comprehend data. Analytical skills are highly linked to general cognitive aptitude and mental compatibility with the job.
Measures your ability to identify differences between a set of abstract and geometric figures.
Different professions require your score to fall within different percentiles. Here are just a few examples:
When taking the UCAT, you will want to aim towards receiving a grade that’s on the upper end of your desired profession’s required score, as this will give you a significant advantage over your competition.
Here are some of our example questions so that you will get a feel of the test format and types of questions asked.
Let's start with an easier one:
Look at the pictures in this matrix. They go together in a specific way. Something belongs in the empty box. Choose the picture that belongs in the empty box.
Ready for a more challenging one? Choose the picture that belongs in the empty box.
Sample Question 3
A lock contains four 0-9 digits.
How many optional combinations are there for this lock?
1. Review the four basic functions, which are: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Take time to go over fractions, ratios, and percentages as well.
2. Working with distractors. “Distractor” is the name given to the incorrect choices in a list of multiple-choice options. All the UCAT tests are multiple-choice, so working well with distractors is crucial to your UCAT success.
3. When looking at the sets, consider what each shape has in common. This can include the size, shape, number of items, shading, color, direction, position, etc. Taking these things into consideration will also help you to identify the patterns in the sets.
4. Make sure to manage your time wisely. As each question provides different data, and you will only have about one minute per question. When taking the UCAT test, it is advised to bring in a stopwatch to help keep track of time by calculating the longest amount of time allowed per question.
Online tests depend largely on the amount of time provided, so it’s important not to stay stuck on a difficult question since easy and hard questions have the same score. Your goal should be to answer as many questions correctly as possible.
5. You should get used to conceptualizing the answers. It’s probable that you won’t be able to take notes in an official cognitive ability test. For this reason, you should conceptualize your answers, and put yourself in realistic test situations to mimic the real test environment you will face.
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