SJT-Critical Universities

The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is often treated as a secondary component of the UCAT — something that matters less than the cognitive score. This is a dangerous assumption. For many universities, the SJT band is a critical part of the selection process and can determine whether your application progresses or is immediately rejected.

This lesson identifies universities where SJT performance is particularly important and explains how to navigate this strategically.

---

How the SJT Works (Recap)

The SJT is the final section of the UCAT and is scored in Bands 1 to 4:

Band	Description	Interpretation
Band 1	Excellent understanding and judgement	Top tier — demonstrates strong professional values
Band 2	Good but not consistently excellent	Solid — no concerns for most universities
Band 3	Average understanding and judgement	Acceptable at many universities but a disadvantage at SJT-critical schools
Band 4	Below expected level	Problematic — results in automatic rejection at most medical schools