If you're comparing UCAT ANZ scores from 2024 to 2026, be careful. Abstract Reasoning left the test in 2025, which cut the cognitive total from four subtests to three. UCAT ANZ 2027 is the test you sit in July 2027 for 2028 entry, and there won't be any score statistics for it until people have sat it.
How did UCAT scores change from 2024 to 2026?
The official summary PDFs report scaled means and candidate counts. This table shows the 2024 total on its own scale. It includes Abstract Reasoning and is out of 3,600, while the later cognitive totals are out of 2,700. Situational Judgement is a separate score in all three years.
| Cycle | Candidates | Mean cognitive total | Mean SJT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15,240 | 2,588 of 3,600 | 569 |
| 2025 | 16,950 | 1,941 of 2,700 | 586 |
| 2026 | 17,341 | 1,964 of 2,700 | 580 |
Sources: ucat.edu.au, ucat.edu.au, ucat.edu.au, checked 14 October 2026.
The candidate counts and the 2024 to 2025 values come from the 2024 summary and the 2025 summary. The 2026 values in the table come from the linked 2026 PDF. More people sat the test in each of these cycles, but that on its own won't tell you how competitive any one university route became.
Can you compare the 2024 UCAT total with 2025?
Not as published. In 2024, Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning all counted towards the total. In 2025 the Consortium removed Abstract Reasoning. If you subtract the 2024 Abstract Reasoning mean of 668 from the 2024 mean total of 2,588, you get 1,920. That figure is our own sum-of-means comparison, and it isn't an official converted score for any candidate. It can show you broad movement, but it can't turn a personal 2024 score into a valid 2025 one.
The remaining subtest means give you a clearer view of the change. Decision Making went from 637 in 2024 to 642 in 2025 and 655 in 2026. Quantitative Reasoning went from 667 to 679 to 691. Verbal Reasoning sat at 616, 620 and 619. A higher mean doesn't mean the test got easier for you as an individual, because score scaling and the candidate group both play a part.
| Subtest mean | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 616 | 620 | 619 |
| Decision Making | 637 | 642 | 655 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 667 | 679 | 691 |
| Abstract Reasoning | 668 | Removed | Removed |
Sources: ucat.edu.au, ucat.edu.au, ucat.edu.au, checked 14 October 2026.
The 2024 and 2026 columns come from the 2024 summary and the 2026 summary, checked 14 October 2026. The middle column comes from the 2025 source in the list under the table.
What were the 2026 UCAT percentiles?
The 2026 PDF publishes deciles, so you can compare a score with broad points in the spread of candidates. It doesn't include a complete percentile table. The website has a total score lookup tool, but we haven't verified any values between its published deciles.
| Point in 2026 distribution | Cognitive total | SJT |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 1,610 | 486 |
| Median | 1,950 | 589 |
| 90th percentile | 2,340 | 664 |
Sources: ucat.edu.au, checked 14 October 2026.
A cognitive total of 2,340 was the 90th percentile point in 2026. Don't mistake it for a medicine cut off that applies everywhere. A university may work out its own percentiles from its applicants. Otago's Medicine page for 2027 entry used Verbal Reasoning and Situational Judgement thresholds, and after that it didn't weight UCAT any further. Otago sets thresholds each year, so no 2026 decile guarantees you a 2028 offer, or even a pass on a future threshold. Keep that caveat in mind when you read how Otago uses UCAT.
What should a 2027 sitter take from these numbers?
Use the statistics to get a feel for the score scale and how scores spread. Setting a target from a different year's numbers will mislead you. In 2026 the mean cognitive total was 1,964 and the median was 1,950, and those are two different summary measures. Situational Judgement isn't part of the cognitive total. Auckland's process for 2027 entry combined all four section scores into its own final score, but it won't use UCAT for 2028 Medicine entry.
Practise the four current subtests, and wait for the 2027 format page before you assume nothing has changed. Our Situational Judgement guide and Quantitative Reasoning guide cover the methods. The UCAT ANZ 2027 guide ties scoring to the right application year.
The decile table describes the people who sat in one year. A 2026 score at a published decile doesn't turn into a predicted 2027 percentile, because the next group of candidates and the score spread can both change. The PDFs also don't break the numbers down into New Zealand candidates or Otago applicants. Be wary of comparing a mock provider's percentile label with the official UCAT ANZ deciles unless the provider tells you who it's comparing you against.
The 2025 median cognitive total was 1,930 and its 90th percentile point was 2,310. In 2026 those were 1,950 and 2,340. Those paired points show movement within the three-subtest era without mixing in the old Abstract Reasoning total. They still tell you nothing about the score Otago will set for a later admission year. Let your own weak subtests guide your practice, and don't aim at a made-up 2028 cut off.
FAQ
What was the average UCAT score in 2026?
The mean cognitive total was 1,964 out of 2,700, and the separate mean SJT score was 580.
Why is the 2024 total higher?
It included Abstract Reasoning, which was removed from the test in 2025.
Is the 90th percentile an Otago cut off?
No. The published 2026 national decile isn't an Otago 2028 admission threshold.
If you want to build speed in the current subtests, see how Cutline UCAT practice works.
Cutline is not affiliated with or endorsed by the UCAT ANZ Consortium or the University of Otago. UCAT is used here only to describe the test. Official information checked 14 October 2026. Check ucat.edu.au for the 2027 cycle when it is published.
