Product methodology
How our planning methodology works
· Editorial owner: MedMantis
Inputs used by the planner
The planner uses the exam date, available study days, daily time budget, latest cognitive-section scores, SJT band, target and selected intensity. In the full app, completed or skipped tasks, mocks and check-ins add recent context.
How priorities are calculated
At a high level, cognitive sections with larger gaps from the target-equivalent score receive more attention. The plan balances that signal with exam proximity, available capacity, recent work and the need to review mistakes.
- Estimate section need from current performance and target.
- Adjust the mix for time remaining and the selected intensity.
- Allocate practice and review inside the stated daily capacity.
- Re-rank later work using completed tasks, mocks and check-ins.
How an isolated bad score is handled
One result can be affected by fatigue, unfamiliar questions or unrealistic conditions. MedMantis uses it as a signal, not a verdict. The full plan favours repeated evidence and bounded changes instead of allowing one score to trigger an extreme workload swing.
What the algorithm cannot infer
The planner cannot know whether a practice source was representative, whether a score was completed under valid timing, how well the student slept, or whether illness and stress affected performance. Students remain responsible for choosing suitable materials and adjusting work when rest or support is needed.
Why review and recovery are included
Practice measures performance; review identifies what to change. Recovery keeps later timed work more representative. Both are scheduled because repeatedly testing without learning or rest can produce more data without better decisions.
How methodology changes are documented
Material changes are recorded in release history and reflected in this page’s updated date. Official test facts are rechecked against current UCAT Consortium pages; MedMantis recommendations remain clearly labelled as product methodology.