UCAT 2027 dates and registration
In Year 12 now? You sit in summer 2027 and start in September 2028; nothing to book yet. The 2027 UCAT dates are not published: UCAT says 2027 registration and booking instructions will follow in March 2027. In 2026, registration opened on 20 May and testing ran from 13 July to 24 September.
Work back from your test date
The 2026 timetable, as a guide to 2027
You sit the test in the summer before you apply, and start a year after that: test in 2027, apply in autumn 2027, start in September 2028. Until UCAT publishes the 2027 dates, the 2026 timetable shows roughly when each step falls.
| Confirmed 2026 milestone | Official date, UK time where specified |
|---|---|
| Registration opened | 20 May 2026, 14:00 |
| Booking opened | 23 June 2026, 14:00 |
| Testing began | 13 July 2026 |
| Booking and registration closed | 16 September 2026, 15:00 |
| Last test day | 24 September 2026 |
These are 2026 dates from UCAT's official timetable. They are not templates for 2027. Registration and booking for the 2026 test are closed. Check the live source before acting.
Which sitting is yours?
Worked example Match the test to the start year
A Year 12 student in October 2026 wants to start medicine in September 2028. A search result says 'UCAT for 2027 entry closed in September 2026'. Has the student missed their test?
Why this works: No. A September 2028 start means applying in autumn 2027, so the student sits the UCAT in summer 2027. That sitting's dates are published in March 2027; nothing can be booked yet.
Why the tempting route fails: Reading '2027 entry' as 'the 2027 test' puts the student a year early: 2027 entry was the 2026 sitting.
What you can do before new dates appear
- Record your intended entry year beside the course code.
- Keep any unconfirmed test date labelled provisional.
- Check the official booking, ID and access-arrangement guidance when your cycle opens.
- Begin with question tutorials and a small practice set rather than building a calendar around guessed deadlines.
In Year 12 and not booked yet: your Year 12 UCAT plan
A provisional plan now, with the month you expect to sit: the free UCAT study planner
Booking, and working back from it: when UCAT booking opens
One sitting a year: can you retake the UCAT
The fee: how much the UCAT costs
Where you sit it: UCAT test centres
If you are a Year 13 applying now
UCL's 2027-entry MBBS page requires UCAT in the application year, so 2027 entry needed the 2026 test. '2027 entry' and '2027 test' are not interchangeable when you read search results. Deferred entry has its own course rules; confirm them directly.