The test in a minute
- The UCAT ANZ is a two-hour computer test used by most Australian and New Zealand universities to select students for medicine and dentistry. It is sat once a year, in July and early August, usually in Year 12.
- It does not test school subjects. It tests reasoning under time pressure, in four parts: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement.
- The result is used alongside the ATAR and, at most universities, an interview. A strong UCAT score rarely makes up for weak school results, so school comes first.
- Booking opens in March and the test fee is $335 ($240 with a concession card). The result counts for one year of applications only.
What is the UCAT ANZ? has the whole picture, Dates and fees has the 2026 calendar, and Universities sets out how each one uses the result.
What preparation actually involves
There is nothing to memorise. Preparation is practice: learning a method for each kind of question, then doing it faster, on a screen like the real one. Most students do well on ten to twelve weeks of steady work, about an hour on most days. The study timetable shows what a week looks like.
The official UCAT ANZ site provides free practice tests, and every student should use them. What they do not do is keep a record: no saved scores, no breakdown of where marks were lost. That record is what a preparation service is for.
What you should and should not pay for
Preparation is sold in many forms, from question banks to weekend courses and private tutoring, and prices range from under a hundred dollars to several thousand. Before paying for anything, it is worth asking:
- Is it up to date? The test has had four subtests since 2025, and Abstract Reasoning is no longer part of it.
- Does the practice screen work like the real test, including the calculator and the keyboard shortcuts?
- Does every question come with an explanation, and are results saved so progress can be seen?
- Can your child try it properly before you pay?
- Is the price shown plainly, and is there a refund if it does not suit?
What PrepForDoc is
PrepForDoc is a practice platform, not a course. It gives your child full mock exams on a screen that reproduces the layout and behaviour of the test-centre software, a large bank of original questions with worked explanations, and an analysis of where marks are being lost. Every question is answered independently a second time and its arithmetic and diagrams are verified before you see it, and a passage or data set is used only if every question on it passes.
- Free to try. A sample mock opens straight away, without an account or a card.
- One price. $199 for 12 months or $99 for 12 weeks. A single payment that does not renew, with no add-ons. See pricing.
- Your money back. A full refund if you ask within 7 days of paying.
- You can pay for your child. Sign in to their account and pay with your own card.
How to tell whether it is working
- Ask to see the analysis page. It shows an estimated score for each subtest over time. A line that rises over several weeks matters more than any single result.
- Look for full mocks in the last month. Two hours in one sitting is its own skill.
- Ask what they got wrong, not what they scored. A student who can say why they lost marks is preparing well.
How you can help
- Protect a regular hour, and a quiet two hours for each full mock.
- Check the booking deadline and the name on the booking against their photo identification. Test day explains why.
- Keep the test in proportion. It can be sat again the following year, and there are routes into medicine that do not use it.
Questions
Write to support@prepfordoc.com.au and a person will answer. Common questions covers what students and parents ask most.