Which UCAT Book Is Best For Your Preparation?

A UCAT preparation book can be one of the most useful resources when preparing for the UCAT. But with such a large selection available it is difficult to know which one is best for you. This article covers some of the UCAT books that we think are the most useful to help boost your UCAT performance.

It may be the case that using a combination of books may be the best option for you. Or that you may try one book and find it too difficult to manage by itself. This is why careful consideration is key before making your purchase. Try checking your school or local library for these books if you aren’t able to purchase them new. You can also purchase them second-hand.

Before we delve into the top UCAT books for exam preparation, it is important to note that there have been changes to the structure of the UCAT in 2023. More information can be found here but candidates must be prepared for changes in timing, question number and even format. Most notably, the SJT section now includes a new format of questioning that may not be reflected in the following books. However, skills gleaned from practicing other SJT question types will remain useful in tackling the new format.

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Our Recommendation: Master The UCAT

Medic Mind is proud to present a new and up-to-date UCAT Guide Book ‘Mastering the UCAT’ for 2023 Entry.

‘Master the UCAT’ Guide is the most detailed UCAT Book currently available and is published by the UK’s Award-Winning Medical Admissions Tutoring Company. Written for the 2023 Entry, it contains effective time-saving techniques that will enable you to complete challenging questions within the allocated time, a massive 2000+ Practice Questions written in the format and level of the real exam, as well as 100+ vital UCAT theory lessons and advice from experts on the field of medicine. Fully Worked Solutions are provided for every question, and they walk you through the simplest, most effective way to find the correct answer. Professional doctors who have thousands of hours of UCAT tutoring expertise are the book’s authors. Dr. Kunal Dasani, a co-author and UCAT scorer with a 900, is one of the authors.

The UCAT Book by Medic Mind covers all of the areas in great detail that are necessary to achieve good UCAT scores. The UCAT book is a great resource since it prepares you to recognise strategies to learn, pitfalls to avoid, and approaches to perfect for the actual exam. This is your Ultimate companion to the UCAT and a MUST-BUY for individuals wishing to do well in the exam, with contributions and guidance from expert UCAT Tutors.

Master The UCAT

Price: £14.99

From: Medic Mind

Buy now!

Download Free UCAT Questions

    ISC 1250 UCAT Book

    The book contains 1250 practice questions, including a mock exam, with in-depth explanations for each section of the test. One of the best things about this UCAT book is the breadth and depth of the questions it includes

    One of the criticisms of this book is that some of the questions are actually much harder than those you’ll find in the test itself. There is also a lack of theory throughout the book. It unfortunately does not include many tips and techniques to help you to optimise your score.

    UCAT book cover
    ISC 1250 UCKAT Book

    Price: £15.00

    From: Amazon

    Score Higher on the UCAT 

    This UCAT book is currently in its seventh edition and has been a useful tool for many successful students since it was first published. The book itself contains 1500 questions with access to more online question banks.

    One limitation of this book, however, is the lack of tips and techniques to help you master the questions. This UCAT book may be good for gaining access to a great number of questions. However, this is not useful unless you have learnt and understood best techniques to use. This isn’t covered in the book so you may need to use other resources first.

    Score Higher On The UCAT Book – Kaplan

    Price: £13.62

    From: Amazon

    UCAT Study Guide

    If you are struggling with the fundamentals of the test and not quite ready to face large blocks of questions yet, then this book may be a good option.

    This UCAT book has a step-by-step guide to take you through proven exam strategies, tips and preparation advice.

    However, it is limited by an significant lack of questions.

    UCAT book study guide
    UCAT Study Guide

    Price: £14.99

    From: Amazon

    Summary

    Overall, we recommend the Medic Mind Book – You can purchase it for just £14.99 here or on Amazon. It covers both volume of questions and also tips – It was written by Dr Kunal who scored the maximum in the UCAT (900).

    UCAT books can be one of the most useful things to add to your UCAT resources. So, choosing the right one is key as all books have different strengths and weaknesses.

    Many students find that these books are best used in combination with other resources. Or, as with the UCAT study guide, as a reference tool to help them through online question banks. So hopefully this article has given you further insight into which one will be the most helpful for your UCAT preparation. 

    Frequently Asked Question

    📘 What is the best UCAT book to buy?

    There are many UCAT books on the market and each have their own strengths and weaknesses. For the UCAT practice is key, so any book with a good amount of questions will help you improve your timing and technique. However, some books (such as the 1250 Q book) tend to be more difficult than the real exam so bear this in mind when purchasing.

    💡 How should I study for the UCAT 2024?

    There are lots of different ways to prepare for the UCAT. You should focus on both your technique and timing to do well. We recommend a mix of:

    • UCAT Question Banks
    • UCAT Tutorials e.g. YouTube videos or UCAT online course
    • UCAT Mock Exams
    • UCAT Tutoring
    • UCAT Books

    🧰 What UCAT 2024 resource is best?

    The best way to improve your UCAT score is to practice! Have a look at our free question bank and consider investing in a UCAT book to get access to more questions. However, there is no point practicing questions unless you have got to grips with your techniques and timing. Other resources such as tutoring or an online course will help you with this.

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    Post as “Anonymous”

    366 Comments

    AnonymousMedic Mind Tutor

    26 June 2021

    hi there! how long before the exam , and how much should i be revising for the UCAT per day/week ?

    KatherineMedic Mind Tutor

    25 March 2022

    How about the ISC 1300 UCAT book? Is it better than the 1250 UCAT one?

    Anna CharlotteMedic Mind Tutor

    23 July 2022

    Both will be useful but the 1300 book will be more up-to-date with newer style questions, however you can see these using online question banks too so the newer book may not be essential.

    ReginaMedic Mind Tutor

    28 January 2023

    Hi there, My son is intending to take UCAT in 2024. I am preparing him to start revising for UCAT. Do you advise to join tutorial classes now or next year when he will actually take the exam?

    Anna CharlotteMedic Mind Tutor

    7 February 2023

    Hi Regina, it’s great that your son is so motivated to get ready for the UCAT!
    We recommend spending 40-50 hours on our UCAT course plus additional time to complete extra practice exams and learning to put those skills into action under such a strict time limit.
    Your son has plenty of time to prepare so it may be a little early to start looking at exam material. However, this doesn’t mean he can’t start preparing in other ways. There are lots of key skills that will help him in the UCAT and now might be a good time to start developing these so that when he has an easier time when he comes to look at the exam questions next year.

    Skills that would be useful to develop include:

    • Speed reading and skim reading
    • Reading comprehension
    • Mental arithmetic under time pressure
    • Estimation and approximation in simple calculations
    • Logic puzzles
    • Pattern recognition