4 Things You Should Know Before Sitting in UCAT Exam

 

UCAT stands for University Clinical Aptitude Test. UCAT exam is the major criteria used by most universities in the United Kingdom when selecting students for high demand health-related careers like medicine & dentistry. The UCAT exam is a two-hour computer-based test that assesses a variety of mental capabilities acknowledged by the universities in New Zealand and Australia. Thus, proper UCAT training is important if you want to get into the field of medicine & dentistry. This exam consists of five independently timed subtests and each of them contains a variety of questions in a multiple-choice question (MCQ) format. iCanMed offers extensive UCAT tutoring which helps you to ace the exam with confidence. Apart from UCAT coaching, you should follow these tips before sitting in the UCAT exam –

• It is important to practice UCAT questions online

There is a vast range of online UCAT prep courses that replicate the exact format & style of UCAT questions which you will face in real assessment! Practicing the mock UCAT test on the computer & under timed conditions is a better way of preparing for the UCAT exam as compared to solving UCAT question books. You can familiarize yourself with navigation between sets, format & layout of UCAT questions, so nothing will faze you on the actual day of your UCAT exam. At iCanMed, you will have access to a huge selection of online UCAT prep material which is far better and time-saving than flipping through physical question books.

• The time restrictions for Verbal Reasoning subtest makes UCAT exam the most difficult

During UCAT preparation, you should be focused on identifying patterns in the Abstract Reasoning subsection. Most of the students assume that this is the easiest section in the UCAT test. However, the Verbal Reasoning section is the most challenging and time-consuming. Students are pressed for time & find themselves having to re-read sections of passage when selecting the appropriate answers. It is vital that students practice to learn to scan each passage quickly to look for key information and make sure you practice the Verbal Reasoning questions under strictly timed conditions.

• Using guess & flag technique

In the UCAT exam, the level of difficulty varies from question to question in each section. Thus, it is vital that you are prepared for this & factor it into your question reading approach. For instance, some questions in the Quantitative Reasoning subsection will need more time & various steps to arrive at a particular answer. Some students will spend extra time on these types of questions at the cost of being unable to answer the simpler questions further down the line. You should remember all questions are worth the same mark, so if you identify the question that is multi-step; it is better to guesstimate & flag it up and then return to it if you have time. This same rule applies to all other sections as well.

Ultimately, the best way to improve your UCAT ranking is by acquiring the exact UCAT strategies, & practicing them. iCanMed’s UCAT courses are packed with effectual UCAT strategies, subtest mocks, drills, & full-length UCAT exams which simulate the actual UCAT exam. This is why you should enroll in iCanMed’s UCAT courses and get closer to your dream of making a career in medicine or dentistry!

5 Types of Music To Enhance Brain Power

If you know what the UCAT is and how challenging it can be, you know that you need to do more than just the regular UCAT preparation. Your brain needs to evolve constantly, so that it can tackle even the toughest questions during the exam. For this, certain types of music can be highly useful.
Some of the benefits of listening to music during UCAT prep include an increase in productivity, creativity, efficiency during repetitive tasks and release of dopamine, which uplifts the mood.
But, the efficacy depends on the genre of music that you choose to listen to. Research has shown some types of music are better at enhancing cognitive abilities. Here’s a look.

Classical Music

Music from genius composers, such as Mozart, Beethoven and Bach, can help improve focus while working on UCAT preparation material. This is supported by research done by the University of Helsinki, which revealed that classical music can alter gene functioning, leading to better brain function.

Your Kind of Music

Personal preferences can also help in increasing the ability of music to enhance brain function. The songs you like can evoke positive emotions that can drive you to perform better. However, remember to steer clear of any music that might be associated with painful memories. After all, you don’t want to end up feeling sad or angry, rather than motivated to work hard.

Sounds of Nature

Remember the feeling that washes over you when you hear the sound of leaves rustling in the wind? Or the calmness that ensues on listening to water babbling down a stream? There are a number of studies that point to the restorative qualities of nature sounds on our psyche. These sounds alter the connections in the brain and decrease the fight or flight response of the body. To get these benefits, download such sounds online and listen to them as you solve UCAT practice questions. When your mind is relaxed, your performance can reach its peak levels.

Instrumental Music

If you feel distracted by lyrics, turn to purely instrumental tracks. This will act as white noise to shield you from the surrounding environment while providing peaceful study conditions.
Despite all the benefits associated with music, some students prefer to work in complete silence. That’s completely fine too, as long as you are able to focus and learn.
Also, to clear any doubts on how to prepare for UCAT, seek professional help from a reputed coaching institute, such as iCanMed, which not only acquaints you with what UCAT is but provides a wide variety of resources and interview guidance.