Mastering the UCAT Without Stress:

One of the biggest stress points in the medical application journey is the UCAT. But with the right approach, it can be tackled efficiently and strategically. The important thing is not to skip any of the preparation steps because each one inches you closer to the top 10 or 20% of students who sit the UCAT. Usually this is referred to as the top decile or the second decile – which is where you want to be because most medical schools set their UCAT score thresholds in this region.

How to Prepare for UCAT the Right Way:

✅ Don’t start heavy UCAT practice too early – avoid rushing through the free UCAT questions on the official UCAT website. These are valuable resources that should be saved for the final weeks before your actual exam.

✅ Sign up for two UCAT question banks in June (if you are currently in S5/year 12/Northern Irish year 13) to access enough questions to practise with to gain top scores.

✅ Attend daily UCAT teaching sessions or a UCAT training course – Not all UCAT prep is equal, so choose high-quality resources. Daily teaching is best because it keeps you consistent – it is very easy to get distracted over the summer when all of your friends who are not applying to Medicine or Dentistry are out having fun!

✅ Get UCAT tutoring for 1-to-1 support when you get stuck. Everyone struggles at some point, and searching YouTube for explanations can waste time instead of solving the issue efficiently. Often students hit a score ceiling when they are only doing practice questions and a tutor can help you push through that ceiling – a bit like a personal trainer! When your time is limited, they can be a lifeline to ensure your scores keep increasing each week!

✅ Practice 150-300 questions per day for 6-8 weeks to build speed and accuracy. The challenge with UCAT is the speed at which you need to answer all of the questions. So by doing questions intensely every day, you can build the speed to get top scores in the exam. We call this a drilling technique. On average you have around 30 seconds to answer a question (that includes the time to read the question).

✅ Use the official UCAT mocks the week before your actual test date to fine-tune your performance. They are the most accurate way of assessing whether you are ready. If you score poorly in the official UCAT mocks – push your test date back so that you can do more targeted preparation.  However, the challenge is that if you try to sit the exam when you start the last year of school – school timetable commitments can make daily UCAT preparation more difficult. Discussing this with a mentor to way up the pros and cons can be helpful at this stage.

With the Platinum Pathway, all of the above is included to save you time and ensure you get access to the best resources and mentors. More students scored in the top 10% than any other decile – based on results from last year’s cohort. So preparation does make a difference – and each step has a crucial part to play in that preparation. This is why we are the only organisation that combines it all in one place – with unlimited tutoring for 6 weeks with students who scored in the top decile the previous year! 

What matters is that you follow the best strategy and stay consistent.

Writing Your Personal Statement With Confidence:

The personal statement can be another source of stress, but with the right support, it becomes a structured, straightforward process.

How to Approach Your Personal Statement:

✅ Start early and structure your content properly – Platinum students complete their first drafts during the 5-Day Medic Mentor Summer School.  Outside of the summer school the personal statement writing process usually takes 1-3 months to complete fully. The time saved by writing it at the Summer School can be put towards the UCAT exam instead!

 ✅ Work with mentors – Having access to doctors and medical students for 1-to-1 feedback ensures your personal statement highlights your strengths effectively. 

✅ Avoid common writing mistakes – Too many students waste time rewriting unnecessary sections. With professional guidance, you can ensure every character scores you points. 

✅ Trust the process – With Medic Mentor’s support, you’ll receive step-by-step guidance so that your personal statement stands out to admissions tutors. 

Crushing the Medical School Interview Without Panic:

Interview preparation can feel intimidating, but it’s actually one of the most controllable aspects of the application process when you have the right guidance.

How to Prepare for Medical School Interviews:

✅ Get comfortable with answering common questions – Platinum students receive unlimited 1-to-1 virtual mentoring sessions and attend two in-person mock interview days to practice key scenarios. 

✅ Learn to think like an interviewer – Our Medical Leadership Programme and Interview E-learning resources teaches students to approach questions from the interviewer’s perspective, making it easier to craft strong responses. 

✅ Practice consistently – The best interviewees aren’t just naturally good—they prepare well. Unlimited Zoom sessions with mentors allow you to refine your technique until you feel fully prepared. Alternatively, make sure that you have access to people who can run multiple interview sessions for you when the time comes.

By the time Ellie reached her interviews, she already had the experience of multiple mock interviews, personalised feedback, and expert coaching. This meant that her actual interviews were just another practice session, making the process feel effortless.

Follow the Best Strategy & Trust the Process:

Ellie’s experience proves that applying to medical school doesn’t have to be stressful—as long as you have access to the right resources and guidance. Whether you choose to follow the Platinum Pathway for convenience or structure your own approach, the key is to stay on track, follow a proven method, and trust the process. You are not alone – thousands of students get into medical school with Medic Mentor’s help every year, and some of them even go on to secure academic scholarships with us to excel at medical school too. 

If you’re ready to experience a stress-free medical school application journey, find out more about the Platinum Pathway today: Explore Your Pathway Options