Getting the Best Score with iCanMed UCAT Resources

 With the tremendous increase in the number of medical candidates, it has become extremely difficult for the institutes to select the appropriate candidates from the crowd. Thus, the system of having a common medical entrance test was introduced. This entrance test came to be known as the UCAT or The University Clinical Aptitude Test which is now mandatory for getting admission into the reputed medical institute in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The UCAT is a comprehensive examination that assesses every aspect of the individual's aptitude for medicine & is hence difficult to crack or get a good score in it. To help candidates in enhancing their UCAT scores, several UCAT resources have been developed to prepare the students for the pre-eminent medical examination.

UCAT Practice Exams

There are several UCAT practice tests free or paid that help the candidates to prepare them thoroughly for the forthcoming UCAT exam. The important features of the UCAT practice tests by iCanMed are –

1) The free UCAT papers usually comprise forms & papers of the previous UCAT exam.

2) The UCAT practice books also comprise extended subsections of each of the five categories, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Situational Judgement, and Verbal Reasoning. The UCAT practice test includes all the UCAT questions that are expected or even unlikely to appear in the UCAT exam.

3) Usually, the candidates can get the UCAT questions and answers from the UCAT past papers offered by iCanMed. We also offer free UCAT papers online.

4) The UCAT preparation courses for practice UCAT questions are usually available with solution sets or answers to the questions, which is of huge benefit for the candidates.

5) UCAT practice tests are available in both formats, i.e. online version & paper version.

Need for UCAT Practice Tests

Taking the iCanMed’s UCAT practice tests is of utmost importance if the student wishes to get admitted to a reputed medical university. The advantages of solving the UCAT practice tests by iCanMed are as follows –

• The most important advantage is that it prepares the candidates to     handle each kind of question & equips them with the best solutions for     every possible problem that may arise in the UCAT exam.
• Since the UCAT practice tests include the UCAT questions from the     previous UCAT question papers, the candidate has enough time to get used     to the format & difficulty level of the UCAT exam.
• Solving different UCAT practice papers allows the candidate to     notice the changes in the UCAT format that might have occurred over the     years. This prepares the candidate to expect any kind of changes in the     forthcoming UCAT examination.
• The advantage of solving UCAT practice papers is that it allows the individual to take the test anytime in any format of his choice. This provides great convenience to the candidates.

These are some of the major features & advantages of iCanMed’s UCAT resources. These resources play a huge role in enhancing the UCAT scores of the candidates.

How to Choose the Best UCAT Preparation Material for Obtaining Top UCAT Results?

When you are preparing for the UCAT exam, it might seem somewhat overwhelming to determine which UCAT resources are going to help you best. iCanMed provides different kinds of UCAT preparation online. This article aims to guide you with all the vital UCAT resources.

UCAT Preparation Courses – One of the most valuable UCAT preparation materials is UCAT preparation courses. These UCAT resources are available in a variety of formats & at several prices, options both online & offline. When picking for a UCAT prep course, you need to think what are the right alternatives available for you. There are a few UCAT tutoring materials that offer in-person options though in our experience all such options are rushed & one-size-fits-all modes. Instead, you have to opt for a course i.e. UCAT test online offered by iCanMed.

UCAT Preparation Books – There are a variety of different UCAT preparation books out there. These books not only offer a helpful way of tackling each UCAT section but also a wide variety of UCAT practice questions. iCanMed offers the UCAT prep books in their online UCAT preparation courses that will be most useful to add to your UCAT preparation resources. Some books just offer lots of practice questions, whereas others help with the theory part behind the test. So, it is key to know what the books cover before you purchase.

UCAT Practice Tests – Get a good combination of the UCAT sample questions and UCAT question-solving tips by doing our UCAT Practice Tests. Whether you are exploring UCAT Verbal Reasoning Questions, UCAT Decision Making Exam Practice, or a UCAT Quantitative Reasoning Practice Test, iCanMed’s UCAT practice tests have got you covered! There are various UCAT Practice Questions which are split into a series of mini-tests so that, you can practice your UCAT questions timings.

UCAT Questions – When searching for UCAT resources for your UCAT preparation, you will certainly come across a large number of UCAT question banks. There are some available on iCanMed’s online platform or you might be given access to them when you sign-up for their online UCAT preparation course. When using the UCAT question bank, the best method is to work through one section of the UCAT test using just one resource at a time. It will allow you to set clearer goals & should prevent you from getting confused by differing advice from different resources. A further option is to search through older UCAT sample questions. Although the UCAT sections are slightly different, abstract, verbal, and quantitative reasoning UCAT question styles have remained unchanged. Thus, these can offer an alternative if you are struggling to explore more UCAT questions to practice on. 

Knowing what UCAT resources are the best for preparing you for the UCAT exam can be difficult & confusing. The most vital thing when using UCAT resources is consistency. Working through each set of questions methodically & diligently will help you to get the best UCAT results. iCanMed offers some of the UCAT Practice Questions for absolutely free. We have compiled the questions by topic so you can accompany UCAT theory from our UCAT Resources & apply it to the UCAT questions.

Surprising Ways in Which Sleep Helps You Score Well in Exams

According to the Ninth Annual Relaxation Report, more than 51% of adults worldwide do not get the right amount of sleep and about 80% say that they sleep through the weekends to compensate for the loss of sleep during the week. As someone who is preparing for a difficult medical school entrance exam, spending hours on end solving all the free UCAT papers, at least six to eight hours of sleep each night is important for the smooth functioning of your brain cells.

Importance of Adequate Sleep During Exam Preparation

Good sleep goes a long way in helping you prepare effectively for the UCAT paper. It is as important as your diet and exercise. Here are a few benefits of sound sleep during exam preparation.

Ø  Clears Your Mind

Good sleep helps flush out all the toxins from the brain. Studies have revealed that these toxins are removed faster when you are asleep than when you are awake. A clear mind helps to channel your thoughts well and helps you to grasp information from the UCAT books easily.

Ø  Helps You Concentrate

Uninterrupted sleep is known to improve cognitive abilities. Getting adequate sleep can speed up thinking capabilities and help you focus on the UCAT sample questions and remember information better. It gives both your mind and body a good boost and refreshes you. This, in turn, helps you concentrate better on your studies.

Ø  Relives Stress and Anxiety

Exam season is undoubtedly a stressful time, particularly when you are trying to answer those free UCAT practice tests. To add to that, reduced hours of sleep can often boost stress levels and result in negative thoughts and depression. A well rested mind and body often negate all the stress and help you stay calm. When you are relaxed and composed, you can focus better on the online UCAT papers.

Ø  Enhances Your Memory

Our mind work the best when it has received enough time to slow down and rest. But did you know that while you sleep, your mind continues to recall all that you have learnt, so that you can remember it in future?

Ø  Maintains and Improves Your Health

To maintain a healthy immune system, you must sleep for seven to nine hours, without which you could be vulnerable to many ailments. Enough rest will keep your immune system strong and will protect you from falling ill during your exam days.

Apart from optimal sleep, enroll yourself in a trusted coaching institute, like ICanMed, to ensure the best preparation with workshops, free UCAT papers and qualified teachers.

Importance of Recreation and Leisure During UCAT Preparation

TED Talks speaker Julian Treasure, who is also the chairman of The Sound Agency, claims that music helps boost productivity to a significant extent. Not only music, taking time out to take care of yourself helps reduce stress and anxiety, ensuring a happy and fulfilling life. All those who have made recreation a priority in their lives tend to be more satisfied in general, as compared to those that do not take time out for recreation, according to an American Coalition Study.

 An average of 25,000 students appears for the medical entrance in New Zealand every year, for whom rigorous UCAT coaching becomes a need. However, the constant pressure of preparing for an intensely competitive exam can become very stressful. High levels of stress can have an adverse impact on your ability to deal with the UCAT questions and answers. But, recreational activities can prove immensely helpful in this regard.

How Recreation Helps in Better UCAT Preparation

Our generation is such that we hardly spend any time outdoors. This can affect both psychological and physiological health adversely. Leisure can sometimes result in idleness, but recreation requires activity. All the tension and monotony of continuous hours of studying and even attempting those free UCAT practice tests can be easily relieved through recreation.

Any activity that entertains you can be mentally as well as physically beneficial, apart from improving the quality of your life. An hour of running or cycling can be refreshing. Taking in the fresh air can change your mood positively and help calm down the anxiety associated with the upcoming exam.

How Recreation Improves Mental Health

Mental health is essential to keep yourself physically well! Painting, cooking, music, etc., could be channeled to release pent up tension and anxiety. UCAT questions and answers can be really difficult at times, taking a toll on your emotional health. To keep up the mental agility and peace of mind, both outdoor and indoor recreation can be helpful. 

Impact of Recreation on Physical Health 

Recreation can provide a major boost to your physical health. It is a proven fact that when people feel good physically, they tend to operate more effectively, both professionally and personally. Activities that are enjoyable should be a part of your daily schedule to maintain a stable and stress-free lifestyle. 

Apart from recreation, education centers like ICanMed provide excellent UCAT coaching, with detailed guidance. So, if you are an aspirant and are seeking UCAT test examples and other personalized help, enroll yourself today.

How Universities Consider the UCAT

For those of you seeking entry into a medical school in New Zealand, the UCAT exam is mandatory. This is a highly-established clinical admissions test that is recognized by leading universities in other countries as well.

Different Marks for Sections

The UCAT is a computer-based test that presents 233 questions to students in the stipulated time of two hours. There are four main sections - verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and abstract reasoning, each with a different number of questions and different time allocated. It is important to choose the best UCAT coaching and practice a lot of test examples before appearing for this exam.

Since all the sections have different numbers of questions, it’s not possible to compare the absolute marks in each. Instead, the system translates your results into scaled marks between a range of 300 and 900 marks. The entire exam generates a total of scaled marks that range between 1,200 and 3,600.

You get one mark for every right answer in each of the sections, with the exception of the decision-making section. In this section, some questions may carry two marks. For these, you get one mark if your answer is partially correct. There is an additional section on the situational judgment that follows a different scoring methodology.

Apart from this, different universities follow different systems for considering your scores. Let’s have a look at this.

One Cutoff System

New Zealand universities consider the UCAT score as a significant factor for admission into medical and dental degree courses. Many of these medical schools consider the total score. They decide on a cutoff mark for offering admission and this mark could vary from year to year. You can find out about the cutoff mark for different universities on the respective website.

There are various guidelines to follow to seek admission and the best source of such information is a good UCAT coaching institute, like iCanMed, which not only prepares you with UCAT test questions but also gives you advice on other aspects of medical college admission.

Separate Cutoffs for Individual Subtests

Some universities set an individual cutoff for each subtest, rather than considering your overall score. This is tougher to meet a criterion, as you need to perform well in all sections of the UCAT questions and answers. Practicing regularly with UCAT test examples can help improve your skills in all sections.

The Band Scored in Situational Judgement

For this atypical section, the scoring is in bands ranging from 1 to 4, with 1 being the best and 4 being the lowest band. Some universities reject the application of candidates having band 3 and 4 in this section.

Look for as many free UCAT practice tests you can find online. Keep practicing to improve your chances of being selected by a New Zealand university. 

Tips on Answering the UCAT Interview Questions with Confidence

The old adage, “the first impression is the last impression,” is definitely true for all types of interview situations, whether it is for admission into a medical college or for being hired for a job. The key to making a good first impression is to appear confident. Here are some tips to help you answer the UCAT interview questions with confidence.

1.    Prepare to answer the common interview questions

In all your interviews, be it for UCAT or a job interview, you will be asked certain basic questions about your interests, personality and goals. Preparing appropriate responses for these questions is, therefore, a good idea. Be creative and make sure you communicate your point of view clearly to the interviewer. Go through the UCAT practice interview questions carefully to gain a better understanding.

2.    Showcase your strengths and achievements

It is important to realise that if you have reached the UCAT interview stage, you must have the required knowledge and skills. Now, you need to show these skills and your commitment to the course. You can check out UCAT practice books and improve your communication skills and confidence for this.

3.    Be honest

One of the most important characteristics that interviewers look for in a candidate is honesty. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the perfect answer or don’t agree with the interviewer’s opinion. What matters is that you stay honest and you take a stand (albeit politely) for what you believe in.

4.    Be a good listener

The key to good communication is to listen. Only by listening carefully will you be able to understand what the interviewers wish to see in you. This will help you frame your answers accordingly. Repeating or paraphrasing the questions will show that you are a good listener and are paying attention.

5.    Relax and smile while answering the questions

You might be freaking out inside. However, you must remain calm on the outside. Be humble and polite while answering the UCAT interview questions. Have a smile on your face when you enter and leave the room. Avoid any arguments or heated discussions. 

Practising UCAT example questions before the interview will build your confidence and boost your morale. You can also consider joining a reputed coaching institute like iCanMed to gain better insight into the exam and interview through free UCAT practice tests.