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UCAT (UKCAT) vs UCAT ANZ

UCAT vs UCAT ANZ - What are the differences?

Most medical schools include standardized tests as part of their admissions criteria and universities in different parts of the world have varying requirements for which test they prefer. If you are confused by the multitude of medical admissions tests out there, and we hope to clarify some of this jargon in this article.

So first, what is the difference between the UCAT and the UKCAT?

In a nutshell, they are exactly the same. The test makers expanded their consortium beyond the UK (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) and hence decided on a name change to UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test). There is absolutely no change in content. If you’re a student (international or local) applying to UK medical or dentistry programs, the vast majority will require that you take the UCAT. If you’d like to learn more about the content and structure of the UCAT, please refer to our guide here.

Alright, so what is the difference between the UCAT and the UCAT ANZ?

The UCAT ANZ simply refers to the Australia and New Zealand version of the UCAT. The UCAT ANZ test content will be identical to that of the UK test. Aspiring medical school students will take the UCAT ANZ when applying to universities in Australia and New Zealand.

However, do note that as an international student applying to Australia and New Zealand, you will most likely not be required to take the UCAT ANZ. Many programs instead require international students to take the ISAT (International Students Admissions Test). Do refer to each university’s medical program requirements to determine which test you should be taking.

The introduction of the UCAT ANZ requirement for Australian medical programs is relatively recent. Prior to 2019, the UMAT (Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test) was used for over 20 years to select students into medicine and dentistry courses across Australia and New Zealand. In September 2018 it was announced that the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) was to replace the UMAT (Undergraduate Medical and Health Sciences Admission Test) from 2019.