Rules
Can you resit the UCAT ANZ?
4 min read · Facts checked 19 October 2026
In short
You can sit the UCAT ANZ only once in any test cycle, and a second sitting inside one year counts as misconduct by the candidate. You can sit again in later years, but a result from one cycle does not roll into the next.
On this page
"What if it doesn't go well? Can I just do it again?" It is a natural question, and one the Consortium answers directly. The rules are firmer than many students expect.
The rule
The Consortium's FAQ answers the question directly: you get a single UCAT ANZ sitting per test cycle, a repeat attempt in that year is misconduct, and a later year gives a new opportunity.
The eligibility page says the same: one sitting per cycle, with repeat testing inside a year classed as misconduct and every result cancelled.
In plain terms:
- One sitting per cycle. If you sit in July 2026, that is your 2026 attempt.
- Another year, another chance. You can sit again in a later year, if you are still eligible.
- No second go within the year. Booking another slot to try to improve on a first attempt would be misconduct, with all results cancelled.
Results do not carry over
The universities page explains that a UCAT ANZ result cannot be moved into a following year. A 2026 result, for instance, is only good for applying to courses that start in 2027. The results page says the same: 2026 results are valid for the 2026 admissions cycle only.
That has a few consequences:
- A student who sits in Year 12 and does not receive an offer for the following year will need to sit again to apply in a later cycle, and the earlier result will not count.
- A student who takes a gap year and wants to apply the next year must sit in that later cycle.
- A strong result earned this year does not "bank" anything for next year.
Who can sit again?
Eligibility is not only for school leavers. The Consortium opens the test to anyone in, or past, their last year of secondary school, and says people part-way through or finished with an undergraduate degree can sit it. It cautions that some undergraduate programs requiring the UCAT ANZ do not offer places to non-school-leavers, so check the university.
Graduate-entry pathways can use a different test. The Consortium notes that GAMSAT applies to graduate entry into medicine and dentistry only, and points candidates to its website.
The UK UCAT is a different test
If you also want UK universities, the Consortium explains that you should sit the UCAT ANZ, not the UK test. Admissions deadlines here fall earlier than those in the UK, and Australian and New Zealand universities accept only UCAT ANZ results. Your UCAT ANZ 2026 result can be put towards 2027 entry at UK Consortium and UK Partner universities by completing a form on the UK site, which closes on 22 October 2026. Sitting the UCAT ANZ and the UK UCAT in one year is never allowed, and it is misconduct by the candidate.
If something goes wrong on the day
A technical problem or disruption at the test centre is different from a poor performance. The Consortium's Essentials page tells candidates to raise any problem with test centre staff straight away and then read the Test Incident page for what comes next. It also has a Fitness to Test Policy, under which turning up to sit the test means you are declaring yourself well enough to do so. If you are unwell on the day, read that policy before deciding whether to sit and talk to the Consortium about rescheduling before the date.
For the 2026 cycle, rescheduling cost A$25 after 29 June, and cancellation for a refund was possible until 12 June with A$50 deducted. See our post on cost for the table. Moving a booking within the same cycle is not the same as resitting.
Planning a later attempt
If you do decide to sit in a later year, treat the next cycle as a fresh start. Check eligibility again, look for the new dates and fees when they are published, and note the concession and access arrangement deadlines, which in 2026 closed well before the booking deadline. A mistake log from your first preparation is still valuable: it tells you which question types cost you time, so you can begin your next round with a targeted plan rather than starting from the beginning.
So how should you think about a "second chance"?
Because there is one sitting per cycle, the useful question is not "how do I plan a retake?" but "when am I ready to sit?" A few principles:
- Prepare so the first sitting counts. Use the Consortium's free tutorials, question banks and practice tests in order, and learn from your mistakes. Our post on using the free materials lays this out.
- Do not sit "just to see". An attempt used for practice uses up your cycle and costs about A$335 in the 2026 cycle.
- Know your options if it goes badly. Universities weigh the UCAT ANZ alongside other things, and each explains how on its website. Some applicants find a pathway that does not require it. The Consortium says some pathways to medicine, dentistry and clinical sciences do not need the UCAT ANZ, so check the university rather than assuming.
- Plan for another cycle only if you are still eligible and want to. Retaking in a later year is allowed, though it is a big decision about time and cost.
Where to go next
- UCAT ANZ and medicine entry: the overview
- What is a good UCAT ANZ score?
- UCAT ANZ timed practice is on our samples and pricing pages.
Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the UCAT ANZ Consortium.
Sources
Each page was checked on 19 October 2026.
- UCAT ANZ frequently asked questions, UCAT ANZ Consortium
- Eligibility, UCAT ANZ Consortium
- UCAT ANZ universities, UCAT ANZ Consortium
- UCAT ANZ results, UCAT ANZ Consortium
- UCAT ANZ Essentials 2026, UCAT ANZ Consortium
Common questions
Can I take the UCAT ANZ more than once?
Only once in any test cycle. A second sitting within a year counts as misconduct by the candidate, and every result may be cancelled. You can sit again in later years.
Do my results carry over to next year?
No. A UCAT ANZ result belongs to its own year and is not usable the following year. Results from the 2026 test apply only to entry in 2027.
Can I sit the UCAT ANZ and the UK UCAT in the same year?
No. Sitting both tests in one year is never allowed, whatever the circumstances, and counts as misconduct by the candidate.
What if something goes wrong on the day?
Tell test centre staff straight away, then read the Test Incident page on the Consortium's website to see what to do next.
Can I use a graduate-entry test instead?
GAMSAT serves graduate entry to medicine and dentistry only. The UCAT ANZ suits candidates in their final school year or later, including those part-way through or past an undergraduate degree.
Keep reading
- OverviewUCAT ANZ and medicine entry: what to knowA plain guide for Australian students: what the UCAT ANZ is, which universities use it, who can sit it, when, and how it fits an application.
- PlanningUCAT ANZ in Year 11: what you can do nowYear 11 students cannot sit the UCAT ANZ, but they can prepare. What the rules say, what to do in Year 11, and a calm path into Year 12.
- Fees and datesHow much does the UCAT ANZ cost?UCAT ANZ 2026 fees, late fees, the refund and rescheduling charges, and who can apply for the concession rate, with the dates they applied.
Want UCAT ANZ practice to try?
The form 01 practice papers are free. They are UCAT ANZ practice, written independently, so you can see how timed practice feels before deciding whether to do more.