Useful
|
Useful for preparation- when I was taking the test it was the only book with any practise questions which were very valuble as they teach you technique in answering which seems to be more important than the answers themselves.
My only complaints are that it was overpriced and the BMAT part was not necassary for those only takig UKCAT.
|
|
Use it only for reference
|
|
This was a good book to start off your practice I would not recommend anyone to use it solely on its own, I would suggest that people use other psychometric testing practice books with it. It has a comprehensive guide to the test, but to be honest, just a little more than what is already on the website, and I did feel that the section the BMAT was not needed since the BMAT has it own official book- the section of the UCAT would have been covered better I feel if it had not been included. Also there is not a single full length practice paper in the book- which makes working out how much time you take on everything quite difficult. I think thus that my rating is justified
|
|
Brilliant.
|
I'm currently in my second year of A-Levels, and managed to find the time to use this book for about an hour per day in the weeks leading up to my UKCAT. Come test day, despite my nerves I was able to get an average of 745/900 over all the sections - higher than most undergraduates!
About the UKCAT section:
The mini-tests contained within this book contain questions which get progressively harder until they reach the point where they're harder than those you get in the actual test. Once you're able to answer the final questions correctly and confidently, you know you've mastered the very techniques at the heart of the section, and can move on.
The walkthroughs after each mini-test were the biggest help to me personally - the answers to every question and rationale behind them are given, which enable you to understand *why* your answers were correct or not.
The sections preceeding the UKCAT and BMAT guides are also brilliant. The personal statement section was particularly helpful, and there is also information regarding all aspects of your application in general - crucial knowledge.
However, and this is important, *DO NOT* buy this book for its BMAT section - you're much better off getting The Official Guide to the BMAT (which can also be found on this site).
In conclusion - buy this book. Almost all medical school applicants will be applying to at least one school requiring the UKCAT, and for that this book is vital. The additional information is a very good aide, and the BMAT section at least serves as a supplement to any other material you choose to use.
|
|
Awful
|
As i needed to prepare for the UKCAT i thought it would be a good idea to buy a book containing practise questions. Although this book does contain questions written in the style of the UKCAT they are disproportionately harder than the real exam was.
After completing the UKCAT i got a total mean score of 580/900 with 600/900 being the average. After completing the practise tests i was shocked to find scores as low as 25%. The questions, which i'd imagine many people buy the book for, were ridiculously hard and created a large amount of unnecessary stress.
Even the section on personal statement writing and interveiw techniques repeat basic knowledge any medical applicant will have been told previously.
A waste of money, actually hindering preperation for UKAT due to stress caused by over-challenging exam style questions.
|
|
|
Really?
|
Far be it for me to point out the obvious, but how can a person who has not read a book review it? I think people like yourself should firstly read the book before jumping to conclusions. The 2007 edition of the book was not written before the test came about.
There are very few UKCAT specific training materials available at the moment which is understandable hence anyone who is serious about medicine or dentistry should buy it. £12.99 for an increased chance of being made an offer, is this too high a price to pay? I think not
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada