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A good doctor has a strong work ethic and is focused on providing the best patient care. Besides professionalism, sound communication skills are essential to functioning within the ever-evolving medical profession, as you will constantly be interacting with your peers and patients.
The English language has gained prominence in the communication field and is spoken globally. Therefore, as future doctors, high-quality language skills are essential to coordinate research with colleagues on the international stage. Furthermore, in order to keep up to date, your English vocabulary should be strong enough to comprehend the advanced information presented within research journals and peer-reviewed articles to apply into your clinical practice.
Entering an undergraduate medical degree in Australia or New Zealand is highly competitive, and for most high school graduates, the UCAT is a major hurdle in the admission process. Alongside ATAR results and medical interviews, the UCAT is designed to assess whether candidates possess the cognitive and professional potential required for medicine. The UCAT evaluates applied mathematics, logical reasoning, visual interpretation, and decision making under time pressure. However, an often underestimated factor across multiple sections is English proficiency, which underpins reading comprehension, ethical judgment, and effective communication. Strong English skills therefore matter not only for UCAT performance, but also for medical school and future clinical practice.
Medicine is not solely about scientific knowledge or technical ability. At its core, it is a profession built on communication, trust, and decision making. Doctors must clearly explain diagnoses, discuss treatment options, collaborate with healthcare teams, and respond effectively in high‑pressure situations. English is the dominant language of medical education and research worldwide. Most medical journals, clinical guidelines, and peer‑reviewed studies are published in English, so future doctors must be able to read and interpret complex texts to apply evidence‑based knowledge in clinical practice.
Strong English skills are equally important in patient care. Clear, empathetic communication improves patient trust, understanding, and adherence to treatment, while poor language skills can lead to miscommunication and compromised care, especially in multicultural settings common across Australia and New Zealand. For this reason, medical schools value English proficiency as an early indicator of readiness for the profession, assessed from the pre‑medical stage through aptitude tests such as the UCAT and medical interviews.
The UCAT is an aptitude test that assesses cognitive abilities essential for medical practice. While some sections emphasise numerical or abstract reasoning,English proficiency plays a critical role in Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, and the Situational Judgement Test (SJT). Quantitative Reasoning relies more on numerical skills and pattern recognition, but candidates still need to read and understand instructions quickly and accurately. In contrast, Verbal Reasoning and SJT are heavily text‑based, requiring rapid comprehension of passages, question stems, and subtle wording.
Overall, strong English skills improve efficiency, reduce misinterpretation, and support higher accuracy across the exam. Research on medical admissions testing suggests that verbal reasoning scores have a modest positive relationship with later academic and clinical performance, which supports the idea that strong English comprehension helps students succeed beyond the UCAT itself.
Verbal Reasoning is the first UCAT section, consisting of 44 questions completed in 21 minutes following a brief instruction period. This section assesses a candidate’s ability to rapidly read, interpret, and extract key information from written passages.Success in Verbal Reasoning requires more than reading speed. Candidates must identify the author’s intent, distinguish fact from opinion, and draw accurate conclusions based solely on the information provided - common pitfalls outlined in common mistakes in UCAT Verbal Reasoning.
Weak grammar knowledge, restricted vocabulary and difficulty in interpreting sentence structures can significantly hinder comprehension and lead to errors.
Developing strong reading habits, particularly through regular exposure to nonfiction texts, analytical writing, and opinion-based pieces can substantially improve both comprehension speed and accuracy. These skills are all directly transferable to UCAT preparation and are equally essential for academic success in the medical field.
For example, a UCAT-style passage may present an author’s opinion on a healthcare issue alongside supporting statistical evidence. A typical question may then require candidates to determine whether a statement is true, false, or cannot be determined based solely on the information provided. This requires careful interpretation of wording and avoidance of conclusions drawn from prior knowledge. Misinterpreting even a single phrase or assumption can result in an incorrect response, highlighting the importance of precise English comprehension in this section.
The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is the final UCAT section and differs significantly from the others. It assesses professional judgement, ethical reasoning, and understanding of appropriate behaviour in medical and everyday contexts. Candidates answer 66 questions in 26 minutes, responding to scenario based passages followed by multiple questions. These scenarios evaluate teamwork, integrity, empathy, and professionalism. Subtle wording can impact the meaning or ethical implication of a response.
Whereas misinterpreting tone or intent may lead to incorrect judgements, even if a candidate understands medical ethics in principle. A strong knowledge of English enables the candidates to quickly identify key details, comprehension and accurately assess the appropriateness or importance of different actions catered to the situation. These skills mirror real-world medical experiences, where clear communication and sound judgment are essential.
English skills are not just an academic requirement, they are a fundamental factor for success in the UCAT and in medicine itself. From accurately interpreting written passages in Verbal Reasoning, to making informed decisions under pressure, and evaluating scenarios in the Situational Judgement Test, strong English proficiency underpins every aspect of the exam.
Beyond the UCAT, clear and empathetic communication is essential for building trust with patients, collaborating effectively with healthcare teams, and applying medical knowledge in real-world settings. By investing in English proficiency early, through reading, critical analysis, and practice, students can approach both the UCAT and their future medical careers with confidence and precision.
In Decision Making, an applicant’s interpretative skills are challenged through complex puzzles, inferences, syllogisms, venn diagrams and statistical data. During medical practice, you will face complex scenarios that demand higher-level problem solving skills in order to make the final decision. This decision should consider possible uncertainties and be logically driven.
One of the reasons behind including statistics and venn diagrams that are detail-oriented and confusing in appearance is to really gauge your ability to manage risk when you decide on a potential diagnosis. Besides, in real-life scenarios, the decision needs to be communicated to your patients through the right choice of words that reassures them about your diagnosis and management.
Therefore, it is crucial that the review, analyse and deliver information coherently, which also includes how you choose to respond to the questions you receive from your future patients. These are some of the day-to-day encounters you will likely come across in a medical setting and your English vocabulary needs to be sound enough to build trust and a good patient-doctor rapport.
English proficiency plays a vital role in both UCAT success and future medical practice. From accurately interpreting passages in UCAT Verbal Reasoning to making sound judgements in the Situational Judgement Test (SJT), strong English skills underpin performance across the exam. These abilities all extend beyond the UCAT, shaping how future doctors communicate, collaborate, and deliver patient-centred care.
Thank you for reading. For further support, explore Fraser’s guides on what the UCAT assesses and Decision Making strategies to strengthen your preparation.
In the meantime, we recommend reading some of our other useful resources and be sure to sign up to our FREE UCAT Learning Academy to jumpstart your UCAT preparation journey
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