Situational Judgement is the UCAT ANZ subtest people prepare for least, and for Otago Medicine it's one of the two that has a threshold. For 2027 entry, Otago required a Situational Judgement result at or above the 10th percentile. In the 2026 test that line was a scaled score of about 486. If Otago measures that line against all UCAT ANZ candidates, about nine in ten clear it, but it's easy to underrate SJT because it feels like common sense, and a low score here can stop an Otago application on its own.
Here's how the subtest works and how to think through it the way the test expects, with a New Zealand lens.
The format
You get 69 questions in 26 minutes, so about 23 seconds per question. The official description says the scenarios are hypothetical clinical situations with up to six questions each, and that the subtest assesses integrity, perspective taking, team involvement, resilience and adaptability.
Most questions ask you to rate how appropriate an action is, or how important a consideration is. Check the official question tutorials for the exact formats, since they're the best guide to how the real questions are worded.
In UCAT ANZ, SJT gets its own scaled score from 300 to 900, separate from the cognitive total. In 2026 the median was 589 and the 90th percentile was 664, according to the 2026 test statistics. The scoring rules give full marks when your answer matches the correct one and partial marks when it's close. So if you're not sure whether something is "very" or just "fairly" appropriate, getting the direction right still earns something.
What the test rewards
SJT scenarios are usually about medical students or junior doctors. The answers tend to follow a consistent set of priorities, and they line up well with what the Medical Council of New Zealand expects of doctors in Good Medical Practice.
- Patient safety comes first. If a patient could be harmed, acting to prevent it outranks almost everything else, including awkwardness with a senior colleague.
- Honesty. Don't cover up mistakes, yours or anyone else's. Being open is the expected response.
- Respect and confidentiality. Patients' information is private, and their choices about their own care should be respected.
- Work within your role. A medical student shouldn't do things they're not trained or authorised to do, even with good intentions. Ask for help instead.
- Deal with things directly and proportionately. Usually that means speaking to the person involved first, then going to a senior if it isn't resolved or the issue is serious.
The four principles from health ethics, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice, sit underneath a lot of this. You don't need to name them, but they help explain why an answer is right.
A worked example
Here's a scenario we've written for practice.
Mere is a medical student on a ward placement. She sees a junior doctor about to give a patient an injection without checking the patient's wristband, which is the ward's usual safety check.
How appropriate are these responses by Mere?
| Response | Our answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Politely ask the doctor whether they've checked the wristband, before the injection is given. | Very appropriate | It prevents possible harm right now, and it's direct and respectful. |
| Say nothing, because the doctor is more senior. | Very inappropriate | It puts the patient at risk. Seniority doesn't outweigh safety. |
| Say nothing at the time, and mention it to the consultant at the end of the day. | Inappropriate | Raising it is reasonable, but the risk is immediate, and waiting means the injection is already given. |
| Ask the doctor about it privately after the injection. | Inappropriate | Better than saying nothing, but too late to protect this patient. |
How important are these for Mere's decision?
| Consideration | Our answer |
|---|---|
| The patient could be given the wrong medication. | Very important |
| The doctor might be embarrassed. | Of minor importance |
| Mere's own placement assessment. | Not important at all |
The pattern to notice is that safety and acting in time come first. Feelings matter, which is why "politely" is part of the best answer, but they don't decide what Mere does.
How to practise
- Use the official material. For SJT more than any other subtest, the official practice questions on the UCAT ANZ website are the best guide to the expected reasoning. Some third-party SJT questions use different logic, and that can teach you the wrong instincts.
- Review every answer, including the right ones. For each question, say in one sentence why the official answer is correct. If you can't, that's the gap.
- Read the NZ standard once. Reading Good Medical Practice gives you a feel for the expectations behind the answers, especially on honesty, safety and raising concerns.
- Practise at pace. 23 seconds a question is quick. Don't overthink. Once these priorities are automatic, your first answer is often the right one.
If you're planning when to fit SJT practice in, our post on when to start UCAT ANZ prep has a month-by-month plan, and what your 2026 score means covers the thresholds.
FAQ
Does Situational Judgement count for Otago Medicine?
Yes, as a threshold. For 2027 entry, Otago required SJT at or above the 10th percentile. Once you clear the thresholds, UCAT scores aren't weighted in Otago's ranking.
Can you prepare for UCAT Situational Judgement?
Yes. Learning the priorities the test rewards and practising with official questions makes a real difference, especially to speed.
Should I use the UK's GMC guidance?
The principles are similar, but for a New Zealand application it makes more sense to read the Medical Council of New Zealand's Good Medical Practice.
If you want timed SJT practice that works like the real test, see how Cutline UCAT practice works.
Cutline is not affiliated with or endorsed by the UCAT ANZ Consortium, the Medical Council of New Zealand or the University of Otago. UCAT is used here only to describe the test. Format and statistics are from ucat.edu.au, checked 8 October 2026. The scenario and answers above were written by Cutline for practice and reflect our reading, not official answers.
