UCAT to IQ at a glance

A UCAT total of 2300 points to an IQ of about 122, with a likely range of 109–135. A 1900, near the 2025 average of 1891, points to about 112, and a 2100 to about 118.

The UCAT has no published link to IQ, only to how applicants perform at medical school. The estimate here is built on assumptions and the range is wide, so use it for a rough sense of scale and not to judge ability.

Notable UCAT scores and the IQ they point to
UCAT score	Percentile among test-takers	Estimated IQ	Likely range
1500	9th	103	90 to 116
1700	23th	107	94 to 120
1800	37th	110	97 to 123
1900	53th	112	100 to 125
2000	68th	115	102 to 128
2100	80th	118	105 to 130
2200	88th	120	107 to 133
2300	93th	122	109 to 135
2400	96th	124	111 to 137
2500	99th	128	115 to 141

UCAT to IQ conversion chart

Every row below comes from the same model as the calculator. The likely range covers about four in five people at that score. The last column shows what the IQ would be if the UCAT were a perfect measure of IQ, which is the number many other converters publish.

UCAT to IQ chart (Three cognitive subtests scaled 300 to 900 each (total 900 to 2700), plus Situational Judgement in Bands 1 to 4)
UCAT score	Test-taker percentile	Estimated IQ	Likely range	If a perfect measure
1500	8.8	103	90 to 116	96
1550	9.6	103	91 to 116	96
1600	12	104	91 to 117	98
1650	17	106	93 to 119	101
1700	22.5	107	94 to 120	103
1750	28.7	108	95 to 121	105
1800	36.7	110	97 to 123	108
1850	45	111	98 to 124	110
1900	52.9	112	100 to 125	113
1950	60	114	101 to 127	115
2000	68.3	115	102 to 128	118
2050	74.4	116	103 to 129	120
2100	80	118	105 to 130	122
2150	84.2	119	106 to 131	124
2200	88.3	120	107 to 133	126
2250	91.1	121	108 to 134	128
2300	92.9	122	109 to 135	130
2350	94.7	123	110 to 135	131
2400	96.5	124	111 to 137	134
2450	98.3	126	113 to 139	137
2500	99.2	128	115 to 141	141

IQ to UCAT: what score to expect

Going the other way, this table shows the UCAT score people at each IQ typically get. Scores at the same IQ vary widely, so the range matters more than the middle figure.

Typical UCAT score by IQ
IQ	Typical UCAT score	Likely range	How rare is this IQ
90	1640	1030 to 1900	1 in 4 at or below
100	1750	1260 to 2010	1 in 2 at or above
110	1860	1600 to 2140	1 in 4 at or above
115	1920	1660 to 2200	1 in 6 at or above
120	1980	1710 to 2290	1 in 11 at or above
125	2030	1770 to 2360	1 in 21 at or above
130	2100	1820 to 2420	1 in 44 at or above
135	2160	1880 to 2450	1 in 102 at or above
140	2220	1940 to 2480	1 in 261 at or above

One IQ, several tests: UCAT next to other scores

The same IQ shows up as very different numbers on different tests. This table shows the typical score at each IQ on UCAT and on the tests closest to it. Read across a row to compare, for example, what an SAT and an ACT would each be for the same person.

Typical score by IQ across UCAT, MCAT, GRE, SAT, ACT
IQ	UCAT	MCAT	GRE	SAT	ACT
100	1750	492	298	990	17
110	1860	498	306	1140	21
120	1980	504	315	1280	25
130	2100	510	323	1410	30
140	2220	515	332	1530	33

These are typical scores, not guarantees. Every test has its own likely range, shown on its page.

What the UCAT is, and what it is not

The UCAT is used by UK universities to help choose between the many applicants for medicine and dentistry. From 2025 it has three timed cognitive subtests, Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning, and a separate Situational Judgement test reported in bands from 1 to 4. Abstract Reasoning, which used to be the fourth cognitive subtest, was dropped.

It is designed to limit how much subject knowledge you need, but it is heavily time-pressured, and so practice matters a great deal. There is a large commercial market in UCAT preparation. A high score reflects ability plus weeks of practice at working fast on unfamiliar question types.

Published research on the UCAT is about prediction: how well scores predict performance in medical school. Studies find the relationship modest but real. Nobody has published a comparison of UCAT scores with an IQ test, so the link used here is an assumption.

Why applicants score above the general population

UCAT test-takers are sixth-formers and graduates who are applying to medicine or dentistry, and many have very high predicted or achieved grades. That group is well above average in academic ability, so the model assumes a mean IQ of about 112 for test-takers, and a narrower spread than the general population.

This is the assumption that matters most. It means the average UCAT score corresponds to an estimated IQ well above 100, and it also means that a low UCAT score for a medical applicant is still a decent result relative to the general population.

The 2025 scale and preliminary averages

Because Abstract Reasoning was removed, a 2025 total of 2400 and a 2024 total of 2400 are different results, and older percentile tables and forum guides do not apply. This converter uses the 2025 final data: 41,354 tests, a mean total of 1891, and decile scores running from 1580 at the 10th percentile to 2220 at the 90th.

The 2026 figures are preliminary and run higher: UCAT itself warns that preliminary means overstate the final result, and the 2025 preliminary mean (1939) was above the 2025 final (1891). If you sat in 2026, expect your percentile to be a little lower than a comparison with the preliminary table suggests.

What to make of a UCAT-to-IQ estimate

Medical schools use the UCAT as one part of selection and publish their own thresholds or weightings. An IQ estimate has no role in that, and it should not change what you do. It is a way of placing your score against something familiar, with a range that says how uncertain the placement is.

If your UCAT was lower than you hoped, remember that it is a timed test of unfamiliar question styles, and that scores move with practice. That is a reason to give the estimate little weight, and it is also why a strong result on it is a compliment to your preparation as well as your ability.

What your UCAT total means

Deciles are from the 2025 final data. The estimated IQ column shows the most likely value, with the likely range in brackets.

What UCAT score bands mean
Score	Estimated IQ	What it means
900 to 1579	90 to 104	The bottom tenth of applicants. Timing pressure affects scores here, and many strong candidates score low in a single sitting.
1580 to 1819	104 to 110	Below the median (1880). The 2nd to 4th decile.
1820 to 2009	110 to 115	Around the median, from the 4th to the 6th decile.
2010 to 2219	115 to 120	Above average. The 7th to 9th decile, and a range many medical schools consider.
2220 to 2469	120 to 127	The top decile. Competitive for the most selective courses.
2470 to 2700	127 to 132	The top 1% or so. Very rare and heavily influenced by practice and timing.

Why a UCAT score is not an IQ

No published IQ linkThe relationship between UCAT and IQ has not been studied. The correlation used here is an assumption.
Speed and practice dominateThe test is short on time and rewards learning the question formats. Preparation can add a lot to a score.
The scale changed in 2025Totals from before 2025 came from four cognitive subtests and are not comparable. Use current data only.
A selected, high-attaining poolThe estimate depends on our assumption that applicants are well above average in ability. A different assumption would move every number.

The evidence behind these numbers

Evidence grade: Weak

The decile table is official and current. The only published validity evidence for the UCAT concerns medical school outcomes, so the link to IQ is assumed.

Published facts we used

2025 final statistics: 41,354 tests, mean total 1891, subtest means 602, 628 and 661 (UCAT Consortium).
Decile scores for the total from 1580 (10th percentile) to 2220 (90th).
Published validity research concerns prediction of medical school outcomes, where the relationship is modest but significant.

Assumptions we made

The SD of about 250 is our calculation from the decile table.
Mean IQ of UCAT test-takers: 112. Medicine and dentistry applicants.
IQ spread among test-takers: SD 12.
Correlation between UCAT and IQ among test-takers: .55. No published value exists.
Scores above the 90th percentile use a normal-curve tail because the consortium publishes deciles only.

Assumed test-taker IQ: mean 112, SD 12
Assumed correlation (r): 0.55
Likely range: The score at which about 80% of people with that estimate fall, from the residual spread after regression
Norms: UCAT Consortium 2025 final test statistics (decile table).

UCAT to IQ: frequently asked questions

What UCAT score equals an IQ of 130?+

People with an IQ of 130 typically score around 2100 on the UCAT total, with about four in five between 1820–2420. There is no published correlation, so this is rough.

Is a 2300 UCAT a high IQ?+

A 2300 is in the top the top 7% of 2025 test-takers. It points to an IQ of about 122, most likely within 109–135. That is a strong result in a group of high achievers.

Is the UCAT an IQ test?+

No. It is a selection test used by UK medicine and dentistry courses. It measures reasoning and judgement under time pressure, and there is no published comparison with IQ.

What is the average UCAT score?+

The 2025 final mean total was 1891 across 41,354 tests. The 2026 preliminary mean is 1970, but UCAT warns that preliminary means run higher than final ones.

Can I use a pre-2025 UCAT score here?+

No. Before 2025 the cognitive total had four subtests (1200 to 3600). The scale and averages are different, so convert only from the current three-subtest total.

Does the Situational Judgement score count?+

It is reported separately in Bands 1 to 4 and is not part of the cognitive total, so it is not used here.

References & Sources

UCAT Consortium (2025). UCAT test statistics 2025. ucat.ac.uk. https://www.ucat.ac.uk/results/test-statistics-2025/
UCAT Consortium (2026). UCAT test statistics (current year, preliminary). ucat.ac.uk. https://www.ucat.ac.uk/results/test-statistics/
UCAT Consortium (2026). UCAT test format. ucat.ac.uk. https://www.ucat.ac.uk/about-ucat/test-format/