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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Delivery and Development of the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

UK CAT Consortium Ltd · compiled

Tender information last checkedLast checked 29 Sept 2026, 18:54.

Opportunity overview

The UCAT Consortium is a consortium of 36 universities responsible for the delivery and development of a test used in undergraduate medical and dental selection. The purpose of the future procurement exercise is for the UCAT Consortium to appoint a supplier to deliver and further develop the test from 2025 onwards.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

Contract value
£27m
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
12 Dec 2023
Award ID
012559-2025-0-1
Status
active
Location
London, UKI, WC2R 0RL, United Kingdom

Classification

  • CPV80000000 — Education and training services
  • CPV48000000 — Software package and information systems
  • CPV72000000 — IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
  • CPV72200000 — Software programming and consultancy services
  • CPV72316000 — Data analysis services
  • CPV72500000 — Computer-related services
  • CPV80300000 — Higher education services
  • CPV80320000 — Medical education services
  • CPV80490000 — Operation of an educational centre

Lots

  • The UCAT test is an aptitude exam, designed to measure innate cognitive abilities in addition to individuals’ judgement regarding situations encountered in a target role. The test is used in selection by a consortium of UK universities for entry to medical and dental training. The current exam consists of five separately timed subtests - Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and the Situational Judgement Test. Items (questions) include those developed from operational items used in previous administrations and new items trialled in previous years. The Consortium owns the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in existing test content. The test is currently delivered to candidates at physical test locations in the UK and internationally from July through to October. A small number of candidates take the test online. In 2022 over 36,000 candidates sat the test. Test scores are delivered to universities in early November. The delivery of the test is underpinned by a commitment to excellent customer service including candidate access to a straightforward online booking system, provision of a wide range of accommodations for candidates with disabilities, extensive preparation advice to candidates and access to freely available preparation materials, and pre-equating of the test to allow candidates immediate access to their test scores. The Consortium wishes to appoint a supplier to develop and deliver services within the UK and Internationally from January 2025 (mobilisation period to start October 2024). The supplier may also be required to provide the test for use in selection by a consortium of Australia and New Zealand universities. It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded in December 2023.£26.5m

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
INT-UC01
Status
complete
Has Recurrence
No
Procurement Method
open
Main Procurement Category
services
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure

Bid Opening

Date
13 Oct 2023, 12:01

Legal basis

Id
32014L0024
Scheme
CELEX

Expected award period

Starts
13 Oct 2023, 12:01

Tender Period

Ends
13 Oct 2023, 12:00

Communication

Future Notice Date
28 Jul 2023, 00:00

Classification

Id
80000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Education and training services

Submission terms

Languages

en

Submission Method

electronicSubmission
written

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
cancelled
Has Options
No
Has Renewal
Yes
Description
The UCAT test is an aptitude exam, designed to measure innate cognitive abilities in addition to individuals’ judgement regarding situations encountered in a target role. The test is used in selection by a consortium of UK universities for entry to medical and dental training. The current exam consists of five separately timed subtests - Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and the Situational Judgement Test. Items (questions) include those developed from operational items used in previous administrations and new items trialled in previous years. The Consortium owns the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in existing test content. The test is currently delivered to candidates at physical test locations in the UK and internationally from July through to October. A small number of candidates take the test online. In 2022 over 36,000 candidates sat the test. Test scores are delivered to universities in early November. The delivery of the test is underpinned by a commitment to excellent customer service including candidate access to a straightforward online booking system, provision of a wide range of accommodations for candidates with disabilities, extensive preparation advice to candidates and access to freely available preparation materials, and pre-equating of the test to allow candidates immediate access to their test scores. The Consortium wishes to appoint a supplier to develop and deliver services within the UK and Internationally from January 2025 (mobilisation period to start October 2024). The supplier may also be required to provide the test for use in selection by a consortium of Australia and New Zealand universities. It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded in December 2023.

Value

Amount
26,500,000
Currency
GBP

Renewal

Description
Initial Contract Period will be 5 years with the option to extend a further 5 years.

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Name
quality
Type
quality
Description
60
Criterion 2
Type
price
Description
40

Contract period

Duration In Days
3,600

Submission terms

Variant Policy
notAllowed

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK
Entry 2
Region
UK
Entry 3
Region
UK
Entry 4
Region
UK

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
72000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
Entry 2
Id
48000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Software package and information systems
Entry 3
Id
80320000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Medical education services
Entry 4
Id
80300000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Higher education services
Entry 5
Id
72500000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Computer-related services
Entry 6
Id
72200000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Software programming and consultancy services
Entry 7
Id
80490000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Operation of an educational centre
Entry 8
Id
72316000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Data analysis services

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
economic
Document Type
economicSelectionCriteria
Entry 2
Id
technical
Document Type
technicalSelectionCriteria

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-FTS-84929
Name
UK CAT Consortium Limited

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKF14
Locality
Nottingham
Postal Code
NG7 2UH
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
B-Floor, Medical School, QMC, Nottingham

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
BODY_PUBLIC
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Description
Body governed by public law
Entry 2
Id
09
Scheme
COFOG
Description
Education

Identifier

Legal Name
UK CAT Consortium Limited

Contact

Name
Rachel Greatrix
Organisation 2
Id
GB-FTS-88633
Name
UK CAT Consortium Ltd

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKF14
Locality
Nottingham
Postal Code
NG7 2UH
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
B-Floor, Medical School, QMC, Nottingham

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
BODY_PUBLIC
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Description
Body governed by public law
Entry 2
Id
09
Scheme
COFOG
Description
Education

Identifier

Legal Name
UK CAT Consortium Ltd

Contact

Name
Rachel Greatrix
Organisation 3
Id
GB-FTS-88634
Name
UK CAT Consortium Ltd

Roles

reviewBody

Address

Locality
Nottingham
Country Name
United Kingdom

Identifier

Legal Name
UK CAT Consortium Ltd
Organisation 4
Id
GB-FTS-142687
Name
Pearson Professional Assessments Limited

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
UKI
Locality
London
Postal Code
WC2R 0RL
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
80 Strand

Details

Scale
large

Identifier

Legal Name
Pearson Professional Assessments Limited

Award information

Award 1
Id
012559-2025-0-1
Status
active

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-142687
Name
Pearson Professional Assessments Limited

Related lots

1

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
012559-2025-0-1
Status
active
Award ID
012559-2025-0-1
Date Signed
12 Dec 2023, 00:00

Value

Amount
27,000,000
Currency
GBP

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Nottingham · UKF14 · NG7 2UH · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UK

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-03d54c-2025-04-02T15:00:18+01:00compiled ·