UCAT Section Overview
1. Verbal Reasoning (21 minutes) 44 Questions
1. 11 STEMS each with 4 questions
2. 2 min per STEM and 28 sec per question
3. Identify a key word in the question and scan the passage for it to find your
answer (it’s worth reading the lines of text AROUND the key word to gain some
context as well)
4. DON’T use any outside knowledge!!!
5. AIM TO SPEND 1min 50sec on each text to save time for flagged questions
6. Two Question types- comprehension, true false and can’t tell
True, False, Can’t tell questions
True= explicitly mentioned in passage + synonyms could be mentioned + implied from passage
BUT NOT ASSUMED
False= direct contradiction in passage
Can’t tell= no explicit agreement/no direct contradiction + topic not mentioned
Comprehension questions
Read question, identify key word, scan text, eliminate answer options + select correct answer
←my strategy
Time Management + TIPS
● Within the first 15 seconds decide whether to flag and skip question (flag liberally! All
questions are worth the same number of marks so do those you find easier first)
● Always guess AND flag- your guess could be correct
● Learn how to read quickly and with accuracy
○ In your free time read articles of different types to get used to the different writing
styles
● Make inferences carefully and don’t jump to conclusions…DON’T USE OWN
KNOWLEDGE
1. Decision Making (32 minutes) 29 Questions…64s per question
, 1. Six types- recognising assumptions, probability and statistical reasoning, Venn
diagrams, interpreting information, logical puzzles, syllogism (Yes/No questions)
2. RECOGNISING ASSUMPTIONS: Choosing the strongest argument- there
should be a direct link to any themes in the Question, be universal (ie not just
applicable to a minority of ppl), directly follow from premises to conclusion and
not opinion based
3. SYLLOGISMS(Yes/No questions): Don't use prior knowledge, pay attention to
qualifier words ‘all ‘few’ ‘some’, drawing out Venn diagrams and tables can be
useful to break down info, most of the time they don't make sense! Don't assume
anything- follow given rules! Carefully look at qualifiers + use Venn diagrams
when needed
2. Common mistakes- vague/no link to conclusions, dependant on assumptions or
opinions, words such as ‘sometimes’ ‘might’ ‘few’ etc, contains holes in reasoning
How to approach this question- read Q carefully, pick out key words or phrases, read
through each statement to see if they refer to the key topics in the question, select
strongest argument, go with logical reasoning and gut instinct
NOTE: This is the only section where not every question is worth the same number of marks
(these are syllogism questions) ←1 mark received if you only get 4/5 whereas you'd receive 2
marks if you get 5/5
DM Probability revision
● Probability= events that lead to an event/total number of events
● Probability of something happening is always a number between 0 and 1
● ADD- ‘or’ situations, use this when wanting to find out about the probability of one
outcome occurring
● MULTIPLY- ‘and’ events, when we are interested in the probability of two separate
outcomes occurring
1. Quantitative Reasoning (25 minutes) 36 Questions, 41s per question
1. DIGITAL CALCUATOR- ‘num lock’ * is x and ‘/’ is divide
2. MATHS QUESTION TYPES…
1. Insufficient information
2. Eyeballing
3. Unit conversion (conversion rates given in the UCAT!)
4. Rearranging formulae (usually an equation involving 3 variables such as
‘s=d/t’ is given)
1. Verbal Reasoning (21 minutes) 44 Questions
1. 11 STEMS each with 4 questions
2. 2 min per STEM and 28 sec per question
3. Identify a key word in the question and scan the passage for it to find your
answer (it’s worth reading the lines of text AROUND the key word to gain some
context as well)
4. DON’T use any outside knowledge!!!
5. AIM TO SPEND 1min 50sec on each text to save time for flagged questions
6. Two Question types- comprehension, true false and can’t tell
True, False, Can’t tell questions
True= explicitly mentioned in passage + synonyms could be mentioned + implied from passage
BUT NOT ASSUMED
False= direct contradiction in passage
Can’t tell= no explicit agreement/no direct contradiction + topic not mentioned
Comprehension questions
Read question, identify key word, scan text, eliminate answer options + select correct answer
←my strategy
Time Management + TIPS
● Within the first 15 seconds decide whether to flag and skip question (flag liberally! All
questions are worth the same number of marks so do those you find easier first)
● Always guess AND flag- your guess could be correct
● Learn how to read quickly and with accuracy
○ In your free time read articles of different types to get used to the different writing
styles
● Make inferences carefully and don’t jump to conclusions…DON’T USE OWN
KNOWLEDGE
1. Decision Making (32 minutes) 29 Questions…64s per question
, 1. Six types- recognising assumptions, probability and statistical reasoning, Venn
diagrams, interpreting information, logical puzzles, syllogism (Yes/No questions)
2. RECOGNISING ASSUMPTIONS: Choosing the strongest argument- there
should be a direct link to any themes in the Question, be universal (ie not just
applicable to a minority of ppl), directly follow from premises to conclusion and
not opinion based
3. SYLLOGISMS(Yes/No questions): Don't use prior knowledge, pay attention to
qualifier words ‘all ‘few’ ‘some’, drawing out Venn diagrams and tables can be
useful to break down info, most of the time they don't make sense! Don't assume
anything- follow given rules! Carefully look at qualifiers + use Venn diagrams
when needed
2. Common mistakes- vague/no link to conclusions, dependant on assumptions or
opinions, words such as ‘sometimes’ ‘might’ ‘few’ etc, contains holes in reasoning
How to approach this question- read Q carefully, pick out key words or phrases, read
through each statement to see if they refer to the key topics in the question, select
strongest argument, go with logical reasoning and gut instinct
NOTE: This is the only section where not every question is worth the same number of marks
(these are syllogism questions) ←1 mark received if you only get 4/5 whereas you'd receive 2
marks if you get 5/5
DM Probability revision
● Probability= events that lead to an event/total number of events
● Probability of something happening is always a number between 0 and 1
● ADD- ‘or’ situations, use this when wanting to find out about the probability of one
outcome occurring
● MULTIPLY- ‘and’ events, when we are interested in the probability of two separate
outcomes occurring
1. Quantitative Reasoning (25 minutes) 36 Questions, 41s per question
1. DIGITAL CALCUATOR- ‘num lock’ * is x and ‘/’ is divide
2. MATHS QUESTION TYPES…
1. Insufficient information
2. Eyeballing
3. Unit conversion (conversion rates given in the UCAT!)
4. Rearranging formulae (usually an equation involving 3 variables such as
‘s=d/t’ is given)
