UKCAT Preparation - How Much Time Do I Need?
The UKCAT consortium recommend that you spend between 21 and 30 hours preparing for your UKCAT exam. We would normally recommend more than this, spread out over two or three weeks. In this blog we discuss why we have come to this answer.
We can't tell you how long you as an individual comfortable with setting your own speed for studying, will need to get ready for a completely new type of test. Some of you will feel comfortable after 21 to 30 hours, but some of you will need longer. Giving yourself two or three weeks to play with means that you can work out what time you need.
The most important consideration is that you give yourself enough time to prepare without rushing or cramming in the final few topics. To help you out with this, we have drafted a set of study schedules, with a two week plan for those of you who need less time, and a three week plan for those of you who feel they need longer.
The importance of “enough time”
- The UKCAT is made up of five subtests that aren't the same as your GCSE or A-level tests. You are being tested on a set of skills that you may need time to master rather than a volume of knowledge. In your UKCAT preparation you are learning how to do something rather than information as you would normally learn.
- If you give yourself enough time to prepare you will be able to go into the test confident and relaxed and secure in the knowledge that you have done all you can. This will help you believe that you will get the score that you deserve, and as such create a cycle where you do well.
- Even before you get into the serious preparation, you can start doing a little bit every day as an introduction. This background work will be invaluable in your later preparation, allowing you to hit the ground running and get to the more valuable concentration on areas of weakness.
- When you have enough time ahead of the test you can afford to plan your time effectively, you can make sure you get a balance in your days and don’t panic, allocating unrealistic 16 hour days to preparing. You can schedule in time each day for eating, sleeping, showering, walking or getting out a bit, all of which help you keep a healthy perspective and prepare better for the test.
Even without being able to give you a clear answer, we at JobTestPrep would recommend that you start your preparation early so that you can assess the time you need and plan it accordingly. We would also suggest that the guideline of 21 to 30 hours is a starting point, and you should give yourself more time to cut down if necessary.