- Highest possible total
- 2,700
- Average total, 2026
- 1,964
- Top fifth
- 2,220 or more
- Top tenth
- 2,340 or more
The short answer
- Below 1,950 is the lower half of the field. A few universities use the test only as a low threshold or to separate equal applicants, and for those this can still be enough.
- 1,950 to 2,220 is above average. It keeps you in the running where the test is one part of a ranking beside school results and an interview.
- 2,220 to 2,340 is the top fifth: a strong score at most universities.
- 2,340 or more is the top tenth: competitive wherever applicants are ranked on the test, though never a guarantee on its own.
These bands come from the official 2026 statistics, when 17,341 candidates sat the test.
The score at each percentile
A percentile says what share of candidates scored below you. The 80th percentile means you did better than 80% of the field.
| Percentile | Verbal Reasoning | Decision Making | Quantitative Reasoning | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50th | 610 | 650 | 680 | 1,950 |
| 60th | 630 | 680 | 710 | 2,040 |
| 70th | 660 | 710 | 760 | 2,120 |
| 80th | 680 | 740 | 820 | 2,220 |
| 90th | 730 | 770 | 880 | 2,340 |
The full table, with Situational Judgement and a tool that turns any score into a percentile, is on Scores and percentiles.
The highest score
Each of the three cognitive subtests is scored from 300 to 900, so the highest possible total is 2,700. Situational Judgement is also scored from 300 to 900 and is reported on its own, outside the total. The official statistics give the score at each tenth of the field and do not publish the single highest score achieved. In 2026 the top tenth began at 2,340.
What each university has said
The same score can be comfortable at one university and short at another, because each uses the test differently. This table gives what each one's own pages said when last checked. Follow a name for the detail and the sources.
| University | How the test is used | Published figures |
|---|---|---|
| UNSW Sydney | A minimum of the 50th percentile (40th for the rural pathway), then ranked with ATAR and interview. Situational Judgement is not considered. | Lowest selection rank for the 2026 intake: 99.75 for local applicants, 94.25 for Gateway and 91.05 for rural entry. UNSW does not publish UCAT cut-offs. |
| Western Sydney University | Offers rest 75% on the interview and 25% on UCAT, with an academic threshold. Individual subtests may be weighted for interview selection. | None published. |
| Charles Sturt University | Required for both courses. Medicine is run jointly with Western Sydney University and uses the same interview. | None published. |
| University of Newcastle and University of New England | The three cognitive subtests set the cut-off for an invitation. Situational Judgement is not used. | The program does not publish UCAT cut-offs. There are 170 places across the two universities, and more than 3,000 applicants. |
| Monash University | Final ranking is one third each ATAR, UCAT and interview. Situational Judgement only separates equal totals. | UCAT total needed for a December-round interview, 2026 intake: 2380 for Victorian applicants (94th percentile) and 2050 for the Dean's Rural List (66th percentile). Lowest ATAR to receive an offer in 2026: 96.10 for standard entry, 95.05 for the Extended Rural Cohort and 91.25 for bonded places. |
| University of Queensland | The UCAT total decides who is interviewed. The cut-off for the 2026 medicine intake was 2290, or 1960 for the rural sub-quota. | Medicine, 2026 intake: a UCAT cut-off of 2290, or 1960 for the Rural Background Sub-Quota. Medicine, 2026 intake: median ATAR of 99.65 before adjustments. Dental Science, 2026 intake: median ATAR of 99.3. |
| Griffith University | Dental interviews are offered on the UCAT total. For Medical Science the UCAT is optional and separates applicants on the same ATAR. | Medical Science, 2026 intake: minimum adjusted ATAR of 99.90 at the Gold Coast and 99.95 at Nathan. Medical Science, 2026 intake at the Gold Coast: a UCAT total of 2240 was the minimum among applicants at the threshold ATAR. |
| Central Queensland University | Applicants are ranked for interview on the UCAT. The minimum changes each year. | None published. |
| University of Southern Queensland | Applicants are shortlisted for interview from UCAT scores. The minimum changes each year. | 2026 intake: median ATAR of 95.50 before adjustments. |
| University of the Sunshine Coast | Optional. The UCAT total separates applicants on the same ATAR. | 2026 intake: threshold ATAR of 99.90, with 99.20 under the Rural Access Scheme. |
| Adelaide University | UCAT decides interview invitations. Final ranking is 40% academic, 40% interview and 20% UCAT. | The university says it does not disclose previous years' cut-offs. |
| Flinders University | Final ranking is 90% Year 12 results and 10% UCAT, using all four subtests. | 2026 intake: median ATAR of 99.45. |
| Curtin University | Interview invitations on academic merit, Casper and UCAT (35:35:30). Final ranking on ATAR, UCAT and interview (40:20:40). | None published. |
| University of Western Australia | Interview invitations on UCAT. Final ranking is 50% interview, 30% ATAR and 20% UCAT. Situational Judgement is not used. | The university does not publish previous years' minimums. |
| University of Tasmania | Separates applicants on the same ATAR. The three cognitive subtests only. | None published. |
| University of Auckland | For 2027 entry: 60% grades, 25% interview, 15% UCAT, using all four subtests. For 2028 entry the university lists the Casper test instead. | The university does not release UCAT scores. Applications for medicine rose from 1,370 for 2025 entry to 1,718 for 2026 entry. |
| University of Otago | A threshold only: the 20th percentile in Verbal Reasoning and the 10th in Situational Judgement. No weight beyond that. | None published. |
Most universities do not publish a UCAT cut-off
Where a figure is shown, it is last year's, and it will move with this year's field. Cut-offs also differ by course and by category of applicant, such as rural background. Treat any single number as a guide to the range, never as a promise.
Does Situational Judgement count?
It is not part of the total, and universities treat it in different ways: some ignore it, some use it to separate equal applicants, some set a minimum and some include all four subtests in their ranking. Check the table above for the universities on your list before deciding how much time to give it. The Situational Judgement guide explains how it is marked.
Setting your own target
- List your universities and note how each uses the test: a threshold, a ranking for interview, or a share of the final ranking.
- Take the most demanding one as your target. If it publishes a figure, aim a little above it, because the figure will move.
- Sit a timed mock to see where you are now. The gap between that and your target tells you how much work is ahead. How to prepare sets out a plan.
- Keep your school results up. At most universities a high UCAT score does not make up for a low ATAR.
Official sources
Dates, fees and entry rules change every year. Always confirm them on the official page before you act on them.