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UCAT-ANZ for New Zealand — Auckland vs Otago

2027 Entry · 3 cognitive subtests + SJT · July sitting

The University Clinical Aptitude Test for Australia and New Zealand (UCAT-ANZ) is the cognitive admissions test used by New Zealand's undergraduate medicine programmes. The single most important thing to understand is that Auckland and Otago use it in opposite ways: Auckland counts UCAT-ANZ as a weighted 15% of your selection ranking, while Otago uses it only as a pass/fail threshold gate. This guide explains how each school uses the test, walks through the current subtests, covers the July sitting window, and shows you how to prepare differently depending on where you are applying — plus the major change coming at Auckland, which is replacing UCAT-ANZ with CASPer from 2028 entry.

How New Zealand schools use UCAT-ANZ

This is the part candidates most often get wrong. The same UCAT-ANZ score does very different work depending on the school — so your preparation strategy should follow your target school, not a generic plan.

Auckland (MBChB)

Weighted · 15%

For 2027 entry, UCAT-ANZ is a weighted 15% component of the final selection ranking, sitting alongside your GPA and other selection elements. A higher cognitive total and a stronger SJT band both lift your composite — so the score is genuinely worth maximising.

Changing from 2028 entry → replaced by CASPer (weighting not yet published).

Otago (MBChB via HSFY)

Threshold gate

For 2026 entry, UCAT-ANZ is pass/fail only: Verbal Reasoning at or above the 20th percentile and SJT above the 10th percentile. Clear both and your score adds nothing further — selection runs on your Health Sciences First Year academic rank.

Otago BDS (dentistry) removed UCAT-ANZ from the 2025 intake — it is not required for dentistry.

Strategy implication. If Auckland is your target, treat UCAT-ANZ as a score to push as high as possible. If Otago is your target, treat it as a gate to clear safely, then pour your remaining effort into your HSFY papers. If you are applying to both, you must clear Otago's threshold and want a competitive weighted score for Auckland — so prepare to the higher Auckland standard.

The subtests and how UCAT-ANZ is scored

UCAT-ANZ is a roughly two-hour computer-based test delivered through Pearson VUE on behalf of the UCAT ANZ Consortium. From the 2025 cycle it has three cognitive subtests reported as an aggregate cognitive total out of 2,700, plus a separately-banded Situational Judgement Test. (Abstract Reasoning, part of the older format, was removed.)

Verbal Reasoning (VR)

Reading passages quickly and judging what the text does and does not support. The most under-prepared subtest — speed and disciplined skim-reading matter more than background knowledge. It is also the subtest Otago gates on (20th percentile for 2026 entry), so NZ applicants cannot afford to neglect it.

Decision Making (DM)

Logic puzzles, syllogisms, probability, Venn-diagram interpretation and evaluating arguments. The most varied subtest — practise across every question type because the mix shifts each sitting.

Quantitative Reasoning (QR)

Applied numeracy — percentages, ratios, rates, unit conversions and graph or table interpretation, with an on-screen calculator. The maths itself is no harder than mid-secondary level; speed of arithmetic is what is tested.

Situational Judgement Test (SJT)

Scenarios about professionalism, teamwork and ethics, scored on Bands 1–4 (Band 1 best) and reported separately from the /2,700 cognitive total. Otago gates on SJT (above the 10th percentile for 2026 entry); Auckland folds it into the weighted ranking. Prepare with the relevant New Zealand professional-conduct framing rather than UK regulator material.

Exact question counts and per-subtest timings are periodically adjusted — confirm the current cycle's structure at ucat.edu.au before you book.

Test window, booking and results

Booking opens: typically March each year, closing around May. Book early — the most convenient dates and centres (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin) fill quickly after booking opens.

Test window: a single multi-week window in July. You select one date and slot within it; there is only one sitting per cycle, so you cannot re-sit in the same year.

Validity: your score counts for that one application cycle only — there is no rollover to a future year. If you reapply next cycle, you sit UCAT-ANZ again.

Results: your individual result is available on the Pearson VUE candidate portal shortly after sitting, and universities receive results through the official channel. Confirm the current fee, bursary eligibility and exact dates on the official UCAT ANZ website at the time you book.

How to prepare — by target school

UCAT-ANZ is heavily speed- and pattern-based. Three months at around 10 hours per week is a realistic plan for most NZ applicants; beyond roughly 120 hours of focused practice, returns flatten. What changes between schools is how high you need to push.

If you are applying to Auckland

  • Treat every mark as ranking points — UCAT is 15% of your composite, so maximise the cognitive total and the SJT band.
  • Balance preparation across all three cognitive subtests; do not let a weak subtest drag your aggregate /2,700.
  • Invest properly in SJT — it is banded and folded into your ranking, not just a gate.
  • If you are targeting 2028 entry or later, check whether CASPer (the replacement from 2028) should be your focus instead.

If you are applying to Otago (HSFY)

  • Your job is to clear the threshold safely — comfortably above the 20th percentile in Verbal Reasoning and the 10th percentile in SJT — not to maximise the score.
  • Prioritise Verbal Reasoning and SJT specifically, since those are the gated components.
  • Once you are confident of clearing the gate, redirect effort to your HSFY papers, which actually determine your rank.
  • Remember Otago BDS does not require UCAT-ANZ at all (removed from the 2025 intake).

A workable 3-month outline

  • Month 1. Sit a timed diagnostic, learn the technique for each subtest, then practise untimed for accuracy and method.
  • Month 2. Move to timed subtest blocks; build a daily SJT reading habit using New Zealand professional-conduct framing.
  • Month 3. Full timed mocks with review, lock in your subtest order and pacing, then taper in the final week.

Common NZ-specific pitfalls

  • Preparing the same way for Auckland and Otago. Auckland weights UCAT; Otago gates on it. A score that comfortably clears Otago's threshold can still be uncompetitive in Auckland's weighted ranking. Prepare to your target school's standard.
  • Ignoring the 2028 Auckland change. Auckland is replacing UCAT-ANZ with CASPer from 2028 entry. If your application is for 2028 or later, time spent maximising UCAT for Auckland may be misdirected — check the current requirement for your entry year first.
  • Neglecting Verbal Reasoning and SJT for Otago. Otago gates specifically on Verbal Reasoning (20th percentile) and SJT (10th percentile) for 2026 entry. A strong Quantitative score does not compensate — you must clear both gated components.
  • Assuming a UK UCAT score transfers. UCAT UK and UCAT-ANZ are separate cohorts and the score does not transfer. New Zealand applicants must sit UCAT-ANZ in the July window.
  • Treating SJT as a knowledge test. SJT rewards professional judgement, not recall. Prepare with the relevant New Zealand and Australasian professional-conduct framing and practise reasoning through scenarios rather than memorising answers.

Plan your NZ UCAT-ANZ strategy

Work out whether to maximise or simply clear UCAT-ANZ based on your target school, and how it fits the rest of your New Zealand application.

Compare Auckland & Otago NZ application pathway

Frequently asked questions

For medicine, both do — but they use it very differently. Auckland MBChB uses UCAT-ANZ as a weighted 15% component of the final selection ranking (2027 entry). Otago MBChB uses it as a threshold gate only — you must clear the minimum percentiles, after which it does not affect your academic rank. For dentistry, Otago BDS removed UCAT-ANZ from admissions from the 2025 intake onwards, so it is not required for BDS. Always confirm the current-cycle requirement on each university’s admissions page, as these arrangements are changing.

At Auckland, UCAT-ANZ counts for 15% of the final selection ranking for 2027 entry — a strong score materially improves your position. At Otago, UCAT-ANZ is a pass/fail threshold: once you meet the minimum percentiles it adds nothing further, and selection is driven by your Health Sciences First Year academic rank. In short, a high UCAT score is worth chasing for Auckland but only needs to clear the bar for Otago.

For 2026 entry, the Otago MBChB threshold was Verbal Reasoning at or above the 20th percentile AND the Situational Judgement Test above the 10th percentile. Meet both and your UCAT-ANZ score plays no further role in your ranking; miss either and you are ineligible for MBChB selection even with a very high academic rank. Thresholds are set annually — verify the current figures on the Otago and UCAT ANZ websites.

Yes. Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences is replacing UCAT-ANZ with CASPer from 2028 entry. The weighting CASPer will carry within the Auckland selection ranking has not yet been published. If you are applying for 2027 entry, UCAT-ANZ still applies and still counts for 15%. If you are targeting 2028 entry or later at Auckland, plan around CASPer instead — check how the change affects your timeline before committing to UCAT preparation.

From the 2025 cycle, UCAT-ANZ has three cognitive subtests — Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning — reported as an aggregate cognitive total out of 2,700, plus a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) that is banded separately (Band 1 best to Band 4 worst) and is not added to the cognitive total. It is a roughly two-hour computer-based test delivered through Pearson VUE. Confirm the exact current question counts and per-subtest timings on the official UCAT ANZ site, as these are periodically adjusted.

UCAT-ANZ runs in a single multi-week window in July each year. Booking typically opens in March and closes in May, so register early to secure a convenient date and test centre. There is only one sitting per cycle — you cannot re-sit in the same year — and the score is valid for that one application cycle only, with no rollover to future years.

No. UCAT UK and UCAT-ANZ are separate cohorts with separate test windows, and a UCAT-ANZ score cannot be used for a UK application or vice versa. If you are applying to New Zealand medicine you must sit UCAT-ANZ specifically. The format is the same family of subtests, but the results are sealed to their own cohort and the percentile benchmarks differ.

Because Auckland weights UCAT-ANZ at 15% alongside your academic GPA and other selection components, there is no single published cut-off — a higher cognitive total and a stronger SJT band both lift your composite ranking. As a rule of thumb, aim well above the median (the upper percentiles of the ANZ cohort) to make UCAT a net positive in your ranking rather than a drag. For Otago, by contrast, you only need to clear the threshold percentiles. Treat any specific number as cohort-dependent and confirm against the latest official guidance.

Related New Zealand guides

Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 6 June 2026
UCAT-ANZ for New Zealand — Auckland vs Otago, Subtests, July Sitting | NGMP