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The groundwork, free and in plain English. Paid services exist for the parts that genuinely need a person's time.

UCAT

The UCAT is a timed aptitude test, not a knowledge test. Almost everyone loses marks to the clock rather than to difficulty.

Learn the format of each section before you attempt full papers, so practice measures technique rather than confusion.
Practise under real time limits from early on, untimed practice teaches habits you cannot use on the day.
Decide in advance which question types you will skip and flag. Triage is a skill, not a failure.
Universities use scores very differently: some set thresholds, some rank, some weight sections. Check each one before assuming your score rules you out.

Most UK medical schools use multiple mini interviews (MMIs) or a panel interview. Both reward structure and honesty over polish.

Practise thinking aloud. Interviewers are assessing reasoning, not memorised answers.
Have a small set of genuine experiences you can draw on, and know what each one taught you.
For ethical stations, name the competing principles, weigh them, then commit to a position.
Learn the format the specific school uses, station count, timings and whether roles are played out.

Medical schools care far more about what you understood than about where you were placed.

Care work, volunteering and paid roles involving responsibility all count, shadowing a surgeon is not required.
Keep a short reflective note after each session while it is fresh; it becomes your interview material.
Focus on what you observed about communication, teamwork and the limits of medicine.
Virtual programmes are legitimate, especially where access to placements is limited.

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