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UCAT ANZ 2026 Preliminary Results
UCAT ANZ 2026 Preliminary Results: What the Numbers Show, and Where Percentiles Are Heading
The preliminary UCAT ANZ 2026 statistics are out. Just over 17,330 candidates sat the test this year, up from 16,950 in the 2025 window. Here is how the two years compare, and what it means for your percentile.
Mean scores: 2025 vs 2026
| Subtest | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 620 | 619 | −1 |
| Decision Making | 642 | 655 | +13 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 679 | 691 | +12 |
| Total Cognitive | 1941 | 1964 | +23 |
Median (50th percentile): 2025 vs 2026
| Subtest | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 610 | 610 | 0 |
| Decision Making | 650 | 650 | 0 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 660 | 680 | +20 |
| Total Cognitive | 1930 | 1950 | +20 |
Two things to take from this
1. The cohort scored higher overall. Total Cognitive mean rose 23 points and the median rose 20. The same raw performance is worth a slightly lower percentile this year.
2. QR and DM did the lifting. Quantitative Reasoning moved most (+12 mean, +20 median), with Decision Making close behind. Verbal Reasoning was essentially flat, so VR remains the section where a strong score separates you from the pack.
So will percentile thresholds go higher this year?
Short answer: yes, most likely. Percentiles are relative — they describe where you sit against everyone else who sat the test. When the whole cohort scores higher, every threshold shifts up with it.
Both anchors we have point the same way. The median moved up 20 points and the mean moved up 23. The mean rising slightly faster than the median is a small hint that the upper end of the distribution stretched a little further than the middle — which would mean the top deciles shift up by a bit more than the bottom ones.
Applying that shift to the 2025 thresholds gives a working estimate of where 2026 should land:
| Decile / percentile | 2025 actual | 2026 estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 1st decile (10th) | 1610 | ~1625 |
| 2nd decile (20th) | 1710 | ~1725 |
| 3rd decile (30th) | 1780 | ~1800 |
| 4th decile (40th) | 1850 | ~1870 |
| 5th decile (median) | 1930 | 1950 (confirmed) |
| 6th decile (60th) | 2000 | ~2020 |
| 7th decile (70th) | 2090 | ~2115 |
| 8th decile (80th) | 2190 | ~2215 |
| 9th decile (90th) | 2310 | ~2335 |
| 95th percentile | 2390 | ~2415 |
The 2025 column is actual published data. The 2026 column is our projection based on the mean and median shift — only the 2026 median (1950) is confirmed. Treat the rest as a guide until the official percentile calculator is released.
In practice that means a score which landed you around the 60th percentile in 2025 may sit closer to the 55th this year. It is a shift, not a collapse — roughly one small step down at most positions on the scale.
What last year's interview cut-offs looked like
To ground those numbers, here are published interview cut-offs from the last cycle — the 2026 intake, which used UCAT ANZ 2025 scores on the current three-subtest scale:
| Pathway (2026 intake) | Cut-off | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Monash — Victorian non-DRL | 2380 | 94th |
| UNSW | 2370 | 94th |
| Monash — Dean's Rural List | 2050 | 66th |
Two things stand out. First, both standard non-rural lines sat at the 94th percentile — well above the 9th decile that gets quoted as the general benchmark. Second, the rural pathway line was dramatically lower: 2050 at the 66th percentile. If you are eligible for a rural or bonded pathway, the score you need is a very different number.
Our prediction for the 2027 intake
If each pathway holds roughly the same percentile position and we apply the 2026 score shift, here is where those lines would land:
| Pathway | 2026 intake actual | 2027 intake predicted |
|---|---|---|
| Monash — Victorian non-DRL | 2380 (94th) | ~2400–2410 |
| UNSW | 2370 (94th) | ~2390–2400 |
| Monash — Dean's Rural List | 2050 (66th) | ~2070–2080 |
The practical read: if you are sitting 2420 or above, you are comfortably clear of where both standard lines have historically fallen. Between 2370 and 2420 is the borderline zone this year — a score that would have made it last cycle may be marginal against this cohort. For rural pathways, anything from around 2080 up is in contention.
Important: cut-offs are an outcome, not a target set in advance. They move with applicant numbers, place numbers and each university's own weighting of UCAT against ATAR, GPA and other criteria — not just the score distribution. A pathway can also shift its percentile position year to year, as Monash's non-DRL line did between the 2023 and 2026 intakes. Older published cut-offs from before 2025 sit on the four-subtest scale and cannot be compared directly to current scores. Always confirm against each university's own page.
What this means for you
Compare yourself against 2026 data only — not last year's tables and not older screenshots floating around forums. A raw score that felt strong in 2025 will read slightly differently against this cohort.
Also remember these are preliminary figures. A full total-score percentile calculator and more detailed statistics are due in the coming weeks. When they land, use the official thresholds rather than any projection, including ours.
And one reminder
Your UCAT is done. It opens the interview door — it does not decide the outcome on its own. Once you reach the interview stage, communication, motivation and how you handle pressure carry real weight. Shift your energy there.
Sources: official UCAT ANZ 2026 preliminary statistics; UCAT ANZ 2025 summary statistics (1 July – 17 August 2025, 16,950 candidates); Monash University entry requirements page; UNSW published cut-off.
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