I recently took the UCAT exam, and I have to say, it was one of the most mentally exhausting experiences I've faced. I spent my entire summer preparing for it, only to end up with an average score. This was disheartening, especially after all the hard work and dedication I put into my preparation. It wasn't just the content that was challenging, but also the conditions under which the test was administered.

Many students, like myself, feel that the current UCAT conditions are unfair. One of the main issues is the inability to use a personal calculator during the exam. UCAT tests are meant to evaluate the cognitive abilities of students aspiring to enter medical and dental schools, yet the stress of using unfamiliar calculators makes it even more challenging.

Another significant concern is the timing, especially for the verbal reasoning section. The pacing is incredibly fast, leaving little room for thoughtful analysis and response. Extending the time allowed for this section would not only relieve undue pressure but also provide a fairer assessment of a student's reasoning capabilities.

Statistics show that a more significant percentage of students perform better when they can use tools they are familiar with and have adequate time to process verbal reasoning questions. Instituting these changes would lead to a more accurate reflection of a student's abilities and potential in the demanding fields of medicine and dentistry.

Another major concern that many applicants have is the inconsistency between different UCAT test versions. Candidates are randomly assigned slightly different question sets depending on the day and time of their exam. This means some people receive significantly harder versions while others get easier ones. Although the UCAT uses “scaling” to adjust scores for harder questions, the weighting can vary widely, leading to unpredictable score differences. As a result, the UCAT may not always reflect a fair comparison between candidates, since performance can be heavily influenced by which test version a person happens to receive.

We call upon UCAT officials to reconsider the current exam environment and make adjustments that consider both the fairness and the mental well-being of all test-takers. Providing students the opportunity to bring their own calculators and increasing the timings for verbal reasoning can make a substantial difference.

Join me in urging UCAT to implement these changes and improve the testing conditions. Please sign this petition to support fairness and a more equitable testing environment for future UCAT candidates.