The UKCAT consortium recommend that you spend between 21 and 30 hours preparing for your UKCAT exam. We would normally recommend more than this, spread out over two or three weeks. In this blog we discuss why we have come to this answer.
We can't tell you how long you as an individual comfortable with setting your own speed for studying, will need to get ready for a completely new type of test. Some of you will feel comfortable after 21 to 30 hours, but some of you will need longer. Giving yourself two or three weeks to play with means that you can work out what time you need.
The most important consideration is that you give yourself enough time to prepare without rushing or cramming in the final few topics. To help you out with this, we have drafted a set of study schedules, with a two week plan for those of you who need less time, and a three week plan for those of you who feel they need longer.
The importance of “enough time”
- The UKCAT is made up of five subtests that aren't the same as your GCSE or A-level tests. You are being tested on a set of skills that you may need time to master rather than a volume of knowledge. In your UKCAT preparation you are learning how to do something rather than information as you would normally learn.
- If you give yourself enough time to prepare you will be able to go into the test confident and relaxed and secure in the knowledge that you have done all you can. This will help you believe that you will get the score that you deserve, and as such create a cycle where you do well.
- Even before you get into the serious preparation, you can start doing a little bit every day as an introduction. This background work will be invaluable in your later preparation, allowing you to hit the ground running and get to the more valuable concentration on areas of weakness.
- When you have enough time ahead of the test you can afford to plan your time effectively, you can make sure you get a balance in your days and don’t panic, allocating unrealistic 16 hour days to preparing. You can schedule in time each day for eating, sleeping, showering, walking or getting out a bit, all of which help you keep a healthy perspective and prepare better for the test.
Even without being able to give you a clear answer, we at JobTestPrep would recommend that you start your preparation early so that you can assess the time you need and plan it accordingly. We would also suggest that the guideline of 21 to 30 hours is a starting point, and you should give yourself more time to cut down if necessary.
~ JobTestPrep Team ~
JobTestPrep is proud to introduce a new practice pack for candidates who were invited to the Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB). The pack focuses on the mental ability/ aptitude testing part of the assessment centre.
Army Candidates who wish to become regular officers and have passed medical examinations will have to go through the two-day AOSB assessment centre. Among many physical and practical exercises that will measure leadership competencies, mental abilities will also be evaluated.
The AOSB ability testing unit consists of the following tests:
- Verbal reasoning (40 questions in 15 minutes)
- Numerical reasoning (36 questions in 15 minutes)
- Abstract reasoning (70 questions in 12 minutes)
- Memory and Attention (20 minutes)
JobTestPrep's practice pack mainly focuses on the first three areas with over 900 practice questions, but also provides some general memory exercises that are also given to RAF candidates. Practice tests follow the same formats and principles of the real AOSB tests and include a scale of difficulty levels where needed.
In addition, the pack includes a personality test that could give candidates a chance to learn more about themselves.
~ JobTestPrep Team ~
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| RAF poster, 1918 |
A few interesting and fun facts about the British armed forces recruitment tests and practices from history until now.
Recruitment in the British Armed Forces 1800’s-1950’s
Up until the late 1800’s the British army was a bad job prospect, with soldiers being forced to serve for their lifetime and military practices being based upon punishment with no mutual respect between officer and private and a pay scale of 7 shillings per week, which compared to a dockworker of 28 shillings per week made for one of the worse jobs you could financially choose, even with the promise of promotion and looting.
Up until the early 1900’s when demand for soldiers was higher and people began being conscripted, Most soldiers didn't receive adequate training or selection testing, this goes especially for the Royal Navy who practised forcible conscription for merchant sailors, pirates and anyone with any experience working with ships, sometimes people without experience would be trained on the job.
During both world wars, soldiers were trained to the very basic levels a soldier could be trained however the navy were adamant about finding skilled seamen and the Royal Air Force (RAF) applied a more difficult recruitment test (eyesight test, medical test, fitness test and a look at the educational background of each candidate) only after 1941 were army recruits tested and placed in corps that closely aligned with their abilities.
Post-war recruitment and the ability for Britain to be the best
After the wars ended, national service continued for the cold war but finally in 1957 conscription was abolished and thus the urgency for recruits was lessened, the armed forces could then tighten their requirements and brought about a rigorous recruitment process. Not everyone was to be accepted and this gave England a more capable force of soldiers prepared for the future.
In present day
The appeal of an armed forces career has increased due to pay ranges, survivability, community and patriotism during an uncertain time, the forces employ stringent recruitment tests (Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Critical Thinking, Mechanical comprehension...) along side their physical tests, medical tests, interview and the educational requirements, also known as aptitude tests.
Aptitude tests are implemented by an ever increasing number of organisations and are proven to aid in the assessment of potential recruits, more effectively than previous forms of testing, they’re a branch of psychometric tests, tests that determine a candidate's abilities and match them to specific roles.
With the forces employing these psychometric tests alongside all previous testing it’s never been more difficult to join up and spaces are limited due to it’s effectiveness. A big step from previous conscription methods don’t you think? This is one of the many reasons why the British Armed Forces (namely the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (RAF)) remain some of the most recognised men and women on the planet and why our armed forces customer base is increasing rapidly.
We are there to help you
So you've seen how recruitment has changed and how you need to be prepared. We offer practice packages for the Royal Air Force (RAF) Aptitude Test and the Royal Navy Recruitment Test. The links provided will give you much more in-depth information about which tests each force is using for their recruits.
Good Luck!
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~ JobTestPrep Team ~
This includes hundreds of practice questions by topic, including exclusive coverage of the workrate and spatial reasoning sections!
The pack also includes a full-length mock aptitude test, study guides and explanations as well as score reports, solutions and solving tips.
Also check our our free Royal Air Force (RAF) Aptitude test – start practicing now!
~ JobTestPrep Team ~
About two months ago we announced our new project – developing practice materials for the RAF aptitude test. Our test team is working hard on producing top-level questions that will mirror RAF's test content and allow hundreds of candidates to prepare for one of the most important parts of the RAF selection process.
The short free practice session that was just aired is in PDF format and includes some test-level examples of the spatial reasoning section of the test. This section requires orientation skills in 2D and 3D spaces. All questions are followed by solutions and explanations. Throughout August we shall add more free practice questions from other test sections, and hopefully, the entire pack will air September 1st.
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