Universal Cognitive Aptitude Test (UCAT) Preparation & Free Practice Questions– 2025
What Is Universal Cognitive Aptitude Test?
Criteria’s Universal Cognitive Aptitude Test (UCAT) is a common entrance exam that companies use to assess a candidate’s cognitive abilities and general aptitudes. Test takers will need to understand and analyze the given information and think logically to solve the various problems that the test presents.
The test consists of 40 questions that you must answer within a 20-minute time limit. Questions on the exam fall into four different categories:
Professions that Use the UCAT
Because the skills assessed on the UCAT are general and apply to different areas, several professions use the test as an entrance exam, including:
- Accountants
- Analysts
- Engineers
- Graphic Designers
- Human Resources
- IT Consultants
- Programmers
- Sales
Spatial Reasoning Questions
The spatial reasoning questions will examine your ability to visualize solutions, solve problems, and make spatial-based judgments. These questions are non-verbal and do not require a specific background or skillset, so it is possible to evaluate candidates who answer these questions at an equal level.
To do well on this portion of the test, you will need to think about objects in two and three dimensions and visualize how those objects might move or look from different angles.
For example, you may be presented with a stack of blocks in a specific configuration and will need to choose how those blocks would look if you were seeing them from a different vantage point.
Attention to Details Questions
The following section will assess your ability to pay attention to details. You will need to execute various exercises and tasks while avoiding mistakes.
You must be careful not to rush through this section. Though you will be working under a time limit, it is easy to make mistakes in this section if you are hurrying through it.
Below is an example of a question that you may encounter in this section:
How many differences are there between Column A and Column B?
| Column A |
Column B |
| 5 |
5 |
| 8 |
0 |
| 3 |
3 |
| 7 |
7 |
| 0 |
8 |
| 1 |
7 |
| 9 |
9 |
Logical Reasoning and Analysis Questions
It is essential to many employers that candidates are able to use their judgment and cognitive abilities to solve problems and comprehend data. This section assesses your analytical skills as well as your general mental aptitude.
Numerical Reasoning Questions
The last section you will encounter is numerical reasoning. Here you will need to use mathematical operations and concepts to solve numerical problems. In this section, you may encounter questions related to number series or word problems.
Here is an example of a question you may encounter during this portion of the test:
Suppose you have a bag with 10 dice. 5 of the dice are blue, 3 of the dice are yellow, and 2 of the dice are red. What is the probability of pulling out a blue or red die?
- 1/2
- 3/10
- 7/10
- 8/10
You’ll need a basic understanding of fractions and probability to solve this problem. First, you’ll need to figure the probability of pulling a blue die, which is 5/10 , and the probability of pulling a red die, which is 2/10. Then, simply add those fractions together: 5/10 + 2/10 = 7/10 , answer choice C).
UCAT Scoring
The score for the UCAT test is measured in four ways:
- Raw Score: The number of answers that you got correct
- Sub-Score: The score for each test segment
- Percentile: Your score compared to all other test-takers
- Score Range: Your score range as it relates to your given profession
The score you will need to pass the test will depend on your specific profession. However, it is always best to score as high as possible.
How to Prepare for the Universal Cognitive Aptitude Test?
To get that high score, you will want to be sure that you prepare for the UCAT. Taking the time to prepare for the test will allow you to perform to the best of your ability, increasing your chances of scoring well.
There are practice tests online that allow you to work through sample problems, similar to the ones you will find on the UCAT. Using these tests will not only allow you to understand what the questions will be like, but it will also enable you to rehearse your timing.
Preparing for the different UCAT sections ahead of time will significantly increase your chances of doing well on the test.
