Final UCAT UK 2026 Test Statistics Available!

The UCAT consortium has developed a UCAT score to percentile calculator that will help you to convert your 2026 UCAT scaled scores into an estimated percentile ranking. You can find the percentile calculator and the final statistics on the UCAT UK test statistics page.

After sitting UCAT, you will have received an email from Pearson VUE confirming that your scores are ready to be viewed. You should log into your Pearson VUE account to access your score report.

The UCAT Situational Judgement subtest is scored separately. You will be given a ‘band’ which ranges from 1-4, with band 1 being the highest.

The data is based on 42,359 tests taken in the UCAT UK 2026 testing cycle.

This drop is a standard trend every year. In recent cycles, UCAT UK scores have fallen by around 50-60 points between the preliminary and final statistics. This is generally because the preliminary data only includes candidates who tested early in the window, who tend to have prepared over a longer period. Candidates who test later include more students with less preparation time, which pulls the final figures down. This is why preliminary statistics should always be treated with caution.

• 15% of UCAT candidates achieved band 1 (highest)
• 40% of candidates achieved band 2
• 34% of candidates achieved band 3
• 11% of candidates achieved band 4

UCAT UK scores rose in 2026. The mean total cognitive score increased from 1891 in 2025 to 1918 in 2026, a rise of 27 points, and every decile threshold moved up. The cohort also grew slightly, from 41,354 tests in 2025 to 42,359 in 2026.

The smallest rise was at the bottom of the distribution (+10 at the 1st decile), while the middle and upper deciles rose by 30-40 points. For students, this means a higher score is now needed to reach the same decile as in 2025, with the biggest increases in the score range where interview decisions are typically made: the 7th and 8th decile thresholds both rose by 40 points.

UCAT Verbal Reasoning was unchanged, while UCAT Decision Making and UCAT Quantitative Reasoning both increased. The entire 27-point rise in the mean total score therefore came from Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning. These shifts may reflect where students directed their preparation effort, alongside natural year-on-year variation in cohort performance and test difficulty calibration. Verbal Reasoning remains the lowest-scoring subtest on average, so it continues to be the area where many students have the most room to improve.

Compared to last year, the proportion of students achieving band 1 in the UCAT Situational Judgement subtest fell sharply (from 21% to 15%), while the proportion achieving bands 2, 3 and 4 increased. Band 1 was harder to achieve in 2026, so a band 2 result compares more favourably against the cohort than it did in 2025. Note that some universities reject or deprioritise band 4 applicants, so check each university's SJT policy before applying.

The 9th decile threshold has risen steadily because medical entry is getting more competitive every year, and because of greater preparation by each year's cohort of UCAT students. Since Abstract Reasoning was removed in 2025, students have also had more scope to focus their preparation on the remaining three cognitive subtests. This is likely why the threshold has risen faster under the current format.

UCAT 2026 has now concluded. These are likely to be the final results.

You will find the following blogs useful:

• What is a good UCAT UK score?
• Using your UCAT score strategically when applying to medical school

If you have achieved a high UCAT score, it is advisable to apply to universities that weigh UCAT significantly when determining entry into medicine. If you have achieved a low UCAT score, it is advisable to apply to universities that place less emphasis on UCAT.

Some universities use personal statement as a criterion for determining whether students will obtain an interview offer for medicine. If this is the case for your preferred universities, it is important to craft an effective and powerful personal statement. You can find some tips here.

Interviews are a vital criterion for entry into medicine, yet their importance is often under-recognised. Just like UCAT, the skills you need to succeed in interviews need to be developed over time. Check out our blog for tips on how to start preparing.