SHOULD I GET A TUTOR FOR UCAT OR ATTEND WEEKLY UCAT CLASSES?
4 years ago by Robert
Some students who are preparing for UCAT wonder if they should get a private tutor for UCAT or attend weekly UCAT classes. Often this is because that is what they are used to doing in high school. But UCAT is very different to school and therefore requires a different approach. Here we suggest a much more effective (and much cheaper) way of preparing for UCAT: group study.
The benefits of group study are well known: it is more social, more enjoyable and more effective, particularly for tests such as UCAT. Extensive pegagogical research has shown that group study is far more effective for developing higher order cognitive skills (such as those needed for high stakes tests such as UCAT), compared to passive learning via tutoring or didactic teaching.
Students aiming for medicine are truly a unique group. They are highly motivated and highly intelligent. Forming a UCAT study group with such people will enable you to motivate and learn from each other. For example, you can learn new strategies for approaching UCAT questions and learn how others think. Often the process of simply discussing a UCAT problem with other students will help clarify your own thought processes, which is a valuable learning tool. It is important not only to know the right ways of reasoning but also the likely wrong ways of reasoning for a question, because that is what test designers think about when they formulate answer alternatives. Each student will bring to the group their own approach, strengths and weaknesses, thereby enhancing the learning of all group members.
Anecdotally, many MedEntry students who achieve 99th percentile in UCAT attribute group study as a key factor in their success. Starting group study early for UCAT preparation also helps you develop teamwork skills, which is important for success in the study and practice of medicine.
Group study is also a far more active study tool than didactic teaching. Weekly UCAT classes and private tutoring encourage passive learning, which is less effective. Active learning involves engaging with the UCAT content and persisting when a difficult problem is encountered. Instead of simply being told how to solve the problem (which is more likely to make you a cognitive miser in your thinking), spending time trying to understand a UCAT question helps you develop new strategies that are effective for you. This will leave you well equipped to face similar questions in UCAT – where you will not have your tutor or teacher present. This ability to persist is one of the skills UCAT tests. Active group learning also encourages independent learning and life-long continuous development, which are qualities required to succeed in the study and practice of medicine.
Group learning is also social and fun. This should not be underestimated in the difficult and often stressful year that is the final year of schooling. Sharing your UCAT difficulties, worries and fears with others will help you become more confident and reduce stress – both of which are vital to success in UCAT.
In summary, we strongly recommend that you form a study group, rather than get a UCAT tutor. Remember, group study is effective and fun, and helps you develop important skills for your future life as a medical student and doctor!
MedEntry offers substantial discounts for students who enrol as a group.
However, we do recognsie that there are students who need motivation and encouragement that comes with having a Tutor and/or weekly classes, so MedEntry does offer these services to those seeking them. We suggest though that such students do at least half the work on the LMS before attending weekly classes or seeking the services of a Tutor (available to those who purchase Diamond package). By doing this, they will get maximum value from such additional services that UCAT MedEntry offers.