CO-WRITTEN BY DR KUNAL DASANI WHO SCORED 900

AWARD WINNING UCAT COURSE

2023 ENTRY

MASTER THE
UCAT
2000+ Practice Questions
100+ Comprehensive Lessons

DR KUNAL DASANI
DR MOHIL SHAH
DR SHWETA MADHU
DR JOHN ADAM
ARUSHI RAMANI
 Copyright © 2022 by Mohil Shah

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 Contents

I Introduction

1 A Beginner’s Guide to the UCAT 3

2 UCAT Scoring Guide 6
3 Preparing for the UCAT 10
4 How to Use This Book 15

II Verbal Reasoning I: The Basics

5 Introduction 21
6 True, False, Cannot Tell 24
7 Using Inferences 31
8 Extreme Language 36
9 The Keyword Approach 44
10 Passage Adjustments 53
11 Correlation and Causation 56

III Verbal Reasoning II: Question Types

12 Type 1 vs Type 2 Questions 61

13 Type 1 Questions 64
14 Type 2 Questions 68
15 Writer Questions 73
16 Reverse Questions 79
17 Scientific and Factual Passages 83

IV Decision Making

18 Introduction 89
19 Logical Puzzles I: An Introduction 92
20 Logical Puzzles II: Mathematical Puzzles 107
21 Logical Puzzles III: Spatial Equations 112
22 Logical Puzzles IV: Visual Puzzles 121
23 Logical Puzzles V: Cross Hatch vs. Fill In 132
24 Logical Puzzles VI: Ordered Questions 142
25 Logical Puzzles VII: Conditional Scenarios 148
26 Syllogisms I: Introduction 154
27 Syllogisms II: Venn Diagram Approach 156
28 Syllogisms III: Shorthand Approach 163
29 Interpreting Information I: Fictional Text 171
30 Interpreting Information II: Non-Fiction Text 177
31 Interpreting Information III: Tables 181
32 Interpreting Information IV: Graphs 187
33 Recognising Assumptions 195
34 Venn Diagrams I: Introduction 202
35 Venn Diagrams II: Text to Venn 204
36 Venn Diagrams III: Implicit Text to Venn 213
37 Venn Diagrams IV: Venn to Text 223
38 Venn Diagrams V: Comparing Combinations 234
39 Probability I: Introduction 242
40 Probability II: Comparing Items 251
41 Probability III: Expected Frequency and
Repeat Events 255
42 Probability IV: Independent and Non-
Independent Events 263
43 Probability V: Mutually and Non-
Mutually Exclusive Events 269
44 Test Day and Final Tips 276

V Quantitative Reasoning

45 Introduction 285
46 Estimation vs. Precision 288
47 Interpreting Question Stems 296
48 Units in the UCAT 303
49 Percentages 309
50 Proportion 319
51 Mean, Median and Mode 321
52 Ratios I 329
53 Ratios II 334
54 Resources in the Quantitative Reasoning Section 341
55 Interest Questions 348
56 Tax Questions 354
57 Geometry I 360
58 Geometry II 366
59 Speed, Distance and Time 371
60 Time Zones and Graphs 376
61 Fractions 382
62 Venn Diagrams 386

VI Abstract Reasoning

63 Introduction 393
64 SPONCS 396
65 Triggers 407
66 Finding the Pattern 417
67 Distractors 430
68 Shape Patterns 440
69 Position Patterns 449
70 Orientation Patterns 457
71 Number Patterns 465
72 Colour Patterns 475
73 Size Patterns 485
74 Dependent Patterns 494
75 Type 2 Questions 505
76 Type 3 Questions 515
77 Type 4 Questions 523
78 AR Timing Strategies 534

VII Situational Judgement Test

79 Introduction 543
80 Appropriateness Questions 547
81 Importance Questions 556
82 Ranking Questions 563
83 Binary Questions 567
84 Approaching SJT Scenarios 574
85 Key Principle: Safety 582
86 Key Principle: Working within Remits 588
87 Key Principle: Confidentiality 594
88 Key Principle: Professionalism 600
89 Key Principle: Honesty and Integrity 606
90 Key Principle: Teamwork and Respect 612
91 Duties of a Doctor 622
92 Pillars of Medical Ethics 636
 II

Verbal Reasoning I: The Basics

Verbal Reasoning in the UCAT tests the applicant’s

abilities to thoroughly read, interpret and synthesize
important information from a given passage.
 5

Introduction

Verbal Reasoning in Clinical Practice

Verbal Reasoning is arguably one of the most important skills

that clinical practitioners will need to develop throughout their
careers. Doctors are often expected to comb through large quan-
tities of notes to accurately consider the patient’s background
in their care provision. Comprehension and summary skills
also play a role in discharge summaries; these are essential
documents in the continuity of care for patients, enabling
doctors and nurses in the community to follow through on post-
admission plans.
Academically, clinicians are expected to understand and cri-
tique research papers, draw their own conclusions as to the
validity of the findings and communicate these in an unbiased
manner to interested patients.

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

Structure and Content

The Verbal Reasoning, or VR, section is the most time-pressured

aspect of the exam, as shown by the timings explored below.

• 21 minutes total
• 11 passages, with 4 questions each
• 44 questions overall
• 2 minutes per passage
• 30 seconds per question.

Keep in mind that the VR passages tend to err on the lengthy side
and so, can be quite difficult to thoroughly understand within
the allocated time. This makes it all the more important that
you prepare using the frameworks explored in the following
chapters to help save time whilst improving accuracy.

There are 5 types of Verbal Reasoning questions. Understanding

these is critical as it saves time and lends confidence. Explore
the common question types below.

1. True, false, cannot tell. Here, you are asked to determine

whether a given statement is true or false - or if you cannot
decide between the two (i.e.; cannot tell) - based on a
passage.
2. Type 1. In these questions, the stem requests a specific
conclusion from the passage.
3. Type 2. On the other hand, type 2 questions involve an
indirect and generalized form of questioning, that, at face
value, may not have much to do with the passage itself.
Type 2 questions require you to draw assumptions from

22
 INTRODUCTION

given information.
4. Writer. Here, the question asks about underlying context,
relating to the writer’s strongest views, presumed opin-
ions, and much more. Importantly, the format of these
questions can be any of the first three types.
5. Reverse. These are negative questions, where the main
difficulty lies in tricky semantics.

Acing the Verbal Reasoning Section

The key to this section is perfecting a variety of time-saving

techniques in an effort to build a trusty toolkit that can be used
for longer, more complicated passages.
Ultimately, it is also very helpful to indulge in reading for
pleasure prior to the exam, if you do not already, as this will
build skills in skim and speed-reading. Above all, work hard on
understanding the following approaches and their subsequent
adaptations per question type to score well in Verbal Reasoning.

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 6

True, False, Cannot Tell

Prior to 2013, the ‘true, false, cannot tell’ (TFCT) format formed
the bulk of the VR questions in the exam. Today, they only
account for roughly 10%.
Broadly considered the easiest questions in the exam, TFCTs
can be deceptively tricky with subtle distinctions between the
answer options.

The Questions

Understanding the format of VR questions is key to gaining

comfort, and thus, speed and accuracy in this section. Below is
a visual representation of how TFCTs can appear in the exam.

SLIDE 6 keynote VR TFCT FULL SLIDE WITH LABELS PLEASE

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 TRUE, FALSE, CANNOT TELL

True

To interpret whether a given statement is true or not, it is best

to first understand how the UCAT Consortium defines “true”.
A statement can be considered to be true if it is either directly
stated or a reasonable inference. Below is an example of the
former; direct statements are often the easiest to find.

Passage: ‘Mark Zuckerberg became founder of Facebook

in February 2004 whilst at Harvard University’

True statement: Facebook was founded in 2004.

Reasonable inferences, on the other hand, can be tricky to

spot. Colloquially, an inference is thought to be something that
requires you to read between the lines. At its core, this is a true
statement that is not directly stated. Consider the following
example.

Passage: ‘Altitude has grown significantly since its launch.

To date, a vast number of UK firms are using Altitude to
boost their social media marketing strategy’

True Statement: Altitude is one of the better social media

management firms in the UK.

Clearly, this is a reasonable inference. If Altitude has grown

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

significantly, and many local firms are using it, it is acceptable

to assume that it is one of the better management firms.
Therefore, the inferences made here are that Altitude is one
of the better firms located in the UK and that it is a social media
management firm; these are all reasonable.

On the other hand, had the statement claimed that Altitude is

the best social media management firm, this would likely be a
“can’t tell” statement as opposed to a “true” statement as there
is vital missing information that prevents us from extending
our assumptions that far. While it is implied by the passage that
they are a good firm, we cannot say that they are the best.
Most importantly, note that this is not a false statement. This
is because there is no direct indication that Altitude is a poor
firm.

False

Much like “true” statements, there are two ways in which a

statement can be false. These are

• If the statement contradicts the passage, or

• If it goes too far

Contradictions are the easiest to spot in theory; consider the

following example.

Passage: ‘King William III sought to modernise his king-

dom’s finances to pay for its wars, and thus the first

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 TRUE, FALSE, CANNOT TELL

government bonds were issued in 1693 and the Bank of

England was set up the following year’

False Statement: The Bank of England was set up in 1693.

This is a false statement; while the first government bonds were

issued in 1693, it is clearly stated that the Bank of England was
set up the following year, in 1694.

Common pitfall!
The UCAT Consortium is partial to using dates and
timelines to trick applicants in the TFCT questions.
Ensure you read around dates to spot semantics such
as "last year" or "the following month" to consider
the actual timeline relevant to the statement.

Other statements can be false because they go too far from

the fundamentals discussed in the passage. Have a look at the
following example.

Passage: ‘With raw materials for Amaroo Extract becom-

ing scarce, customers are forced to buy from dominant
retailer Krandon, one of the very few suppliers left’

False Statement: Krandon are the only supplier of Ama-

roo Extract left to date.

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

This statement goes too far in assuming that Krandon is the only
Amaroo supplier left. We are told in the passage that Krandon is
one of “very few” suppliers, which implies a relative, but not
absolute, shortage.
Importantly, notice how this is a false assumption rather than
a “cannot tell” statement as we can tell from the wording of the
passage that there are other suppliers.

Common pitfall!
Ensure that you do not use any external knowledge
when answering TFCT questions. Often, they will
purposefully include information that is either
illogical or historically inaccurate. Only interpret
the statements within the context of the attached
passage.

Cannot Tell

The “cannot tell” answer option is reserved for statements

that are unsupported by the passage, typically due to a lack of
information. Have a look at the example below.

Passage: ‘David Schwimmer has had several notable TV roles in

Friends, The Wonder Years, and Monty. His parents were both
attorneys.’

Statement: David Schwimmer worked in America

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 TRUE, FALSE, CANNOT TELL

In particular, remember the aforementioned pitfall - your

existing sitcom knowledge may tell you that Friends was filmed
in America. However, the passage does not give us enough
information to support this assumption nor does it contradict
the statement. Hence, we cannot tell whether this statement is
true or false.

An important distinction to the rule regarding external knowl-

edge is the use of synonyms or definitions. These are not
considered external knowledge. For example, if the passage
refers to an attorney, you are allowed, and expected, to use your
existing English knowledge to interpret that as a job in Law or
as a lawyer.

Attempt the following past-paper UCAT Verbal Reasoning ques-

tions to help consolidate the information presented thus far.

SLIDE 21 keynote VR TFCT question beginning ‘The Olympic

Games…’

The only reference made to timelines in this passage is in the

first paragraph wherein it is stated that February 2013 was six
months after the Games. However, it is not stated when this
half-yearly calculation began; it is unclear whether this is after
the start, middle, or end of the Games. This suggests that there
is some information missing in order to make the assumptions
in the statement, and so, the answer is “C - Cannot Tell”.
The length of the passage within the limited time frame can be
daunting to avid readers, let alone anybody else. In the following
chapters, we will explore various techniques to help tackle this
challenge.

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

Take-home points

1. True statements. These can either be directly stated

or reasonably inferred from the passage. Be mindful of
statements that go too far, and look for the common date
traps explored earlier in this section.
2. False statements. These can either be a direct contradic-
tion to the passage or simply an assumption that has gone
too far. Remember that to be false, the statement must
be reasonably contradicted by the passage, or it will be a
“cannot tell” statement.
3. Cannot tell. If there is some missing information between
the statement and the passage, it is likely a “cannot tell”
statement.

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 7

Using Inferences

An inference is defined as a presumptive conclusion based on

evidence and logical reasoning. The ability to adequately infer
is vital to acing the VR section of the UCAT as direct statements
are uncommon.

When can we infer

To learn how to infer, we must learn when to infer. There are

four scenarios wherein inferences can be made in the UCAT.

1. Direct match. The statement is completely reflected in the

passage.
2. Imperfect match, reasonable inference. If the inference
is reasonable, the statement may be true.
3. Imperfect match, unreasonable inference. Here, there is
not enough information to comment on whether or not
the statement is true and so, it is often a “cannot tell”
statement.

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

4. Mismatch. There is no correlation between the statement

and the passage and so, the statement itself is false.

Let us explore how each of these may manifest in the context of

the following paragraph.

“UCL Medical School has become one of the most

popular institutes in the UK. With recent investment in
a new Medical Library and development of the lecture
theatres UCL is becoming a genuine dream medical
school for any UK applicant”

Statement: UCL is one of the best medical schools in the

UK

This statement is true. It is a direct match with the passage,

which tells us that UCL is one of the most popular institutes in
the UK.

Statement: UCL has improved over time

This statement is also true. While the passage does not directly
comment on this, the use of the past (“has become”) and present
continuous tense (“is becoming”) indicates an improvement over
time. Notably, the inference here boils down to subtleties in tone
and tense.

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 USING INFERENCES

Statement: UCL is the best medical school in the UK

This is a “cannot tell” statement. Notice how this is a large

assumption, using superlative language. There is missing
information to suggest this. Alternatively, the passage could
contradict this in two ways - by telling us UCL is not the best or
by telling us that a different school is the best. Neither of these
are given.

Statement: The redevelopment of the school has been a

complete success.

This is also a “cannot tell” statement. It’s important to think

laterally with superlative statements, such as this and the
previous one. Any statement can be true if it is not mentioned
in the passage. Here, we are not told about any negative
consequences of the redevelopment, however, they may still
be present. Therefore, the lack of information regarding this
makes it a “cannot tell” statement.

Putting it together

Consolidate the aforementioned information by attempting the

following past-paper inspired UCAT questions.

SLIDE 4 keynote USING INFERENCES question beginning ‘the

bay serves…’

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

Here, we are told that the town of Stonehaven invented the deep-
fried Mars Bar and that the Bay is a restaurant in this locality.
Therefore, you may assume that it is reasonable to infer that
the Bay serves this delicacy, but it is not. In the absence of any
further information, we do not know which establishments in
Stonehaven serve the dish. Therefore, the answer is a distinct
“C - Cannot Tell”.
In particular, note how this is not a false statement as we are
not told that The Bay does not serve deep-fried Mars Bars.

SLIDE 6 keynote USING INFERENCES question beginning

‘Some customers of the Bay…’

In this question, we are told in the third paragraph that some

of the customers accuse the owner of double standards due to
their use of plastics. In this case, it is a reasonable inference
that these customers take an interest in environmental matters
because if they did not, they would not debate the disposal of
plastic waste.

Summary

SLIDE 13 keynote USING INFERENCES 4-POINT DIAGRAM

ONLY PLEASE

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 USING INFERENCES

Take-home points

1. Being reasonable. An inference can only be justified by the

contents of the passage. If the statement is a stretch of the
truth, the answer will be “cannot tell”.
2. Good inferences. Inferences can be justified by tone,
tenses, or other linguistic features. True statements are
usually relatively mildly worded and so, require careful
consideration of the aforementioned language character-
istics.

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 8

Extreme Language

Using extreme language

Extreme language is a key component to help save time in the

VR section. At its core, extreme language uses superlatives to
form absolutes or exclusive statements. This includes words
and phrases such as, “only”, “never”, “definitely”, “the best”,
“the weakest” etc. More often than not, statements which use
extreme language are either false or cannot tell; keep reading to
understand the rationale behind this.

Why is it less likely to be true?

The UCAT aims to mimic real life as much as possible. Inter-

estingly, superlative statements are less often true in the real
world. For example, stating that there are no PlayStation 2 users
left in the UK would lend the assumption that there is not one
person holed up in their basement playing Crash Bandicoot.

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 EXTREME LANGUAGE

On the contrary, stating that there are fewer users left playing
PlayStation 2 in the UK leaves more room for numerical error
and so, with less extreme language, is more likely to be true.

Secondly, from an examiner’s perspective, there are very few

ways in which to denote extreme language in writing. If the
statement is that Nike running shoes are the best, the passage
has to near perfectly match this, making for too easy a question.
There are many more ways in which less extreme language can
be used to make inferences.

A word of caution; whilst extreme language is less likely to be

true, it is not impossible. It is possible to save time by leaning
towards fewer options (i.e.; false or cannot tell) but do not
completely disregard the possibility that the statement could be
true.

Expert's Advice!
If you are short on time and thus, need to make an
educated guess, scan for extreme language and choose
between the "false" and "cannot tell" options before
flagging it up to return to later.

Sample Question

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

SLIDE 4 keynote EXTREME LANGUAGE question beginning

‘two hours of PE…’

In the final paragraph of this passage, we are told that the

government “ended their recommendation” for two hours
of PE. Whilst it is reasonable to assume that the ending of a
government educational reference would correlate with school
policy, we cannot deduce with certainty that every school in the
UK has removed two hours of PE per week.

Qualifiers

A qualifier is defined as any word or phrase that changes the

absolute, certain, or generalised nature of a statement. Spotting
these can be useful to further define extreme language.
For example, let us consider the statement, “The UCAT is a
hard exam”. Adding qualifiers to this statement will invariably
change its meaning. For instance, “The UCAT is always a hard
exam” and “The UCAT is often a hard exam” have different
meanings to one another and to the original statement. Notably,
it is important to consider qualifiers within their context, as
explored below.

Qualifiers of Time

These include words such as “never”, “occasionally”, and

“normally”; they lend temporal context to the remainder of
the statement. Consider the following example.

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 EXTREME LANGUAGE

SLIDE 20 keynote EXTREME LANGUAGE question beginning

‘the government often…’ PLEASE CHANGE ANSWER - this is
cannot tell

The qualifier of time here is “often”, and so, we need to work

out if there is enough information in the passage to support this
fact. We are told that the government “has made some cuts”,
so it would be reasonable to assume that the government does
make cuts. However, there is no mention of how frequently this
occurs. Therefore, the answer is “C - Cannot Tell”.

Qualifiers of Quantity

This refers to words such as “some”, “none”, and “few”. As the

name suggests, these qualifiers set the quantitative context of
the subject of the statement, i.e.; the degree to which something
is true or the amount it happens. Attempt the example below to
better understand qualifiers of quantity.

SLIDE 23 keynote EXTREME LANGUAGE question beginning

‘Michael Gove…’

The qualifier of quantity here is “some”. This statement is true

as we are told in the second paragraph that Gove is expected to
announce his strategy, which would be a strange occurrence if
he did not wield at least some control over school sports.
Most notably, the answer might have been “cannot tell” had
the statement used a different qualifier; we cannot tell whether
he has complete control.

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

Qualifiers of Certainty

These include words such as “definitely”, “certainly”, and

“maybe”. These qualifiers allow us to estimate the degree of
certainty of the statement.

SLIDE 26 keynote EXTREME LANGUAGE question beginning

‘Over £1 billion…’

The subtle qualifier here is “will be spent” - rather than “might

be” or “could be”. We must, however, be absolutely certain
from the text that this will happen to ensure that this is true.
The text does not give us this certainty, so the answer is cannot
tell.

Qualifiers of Necessity

Qualifiers of necessity are often the trickiest to navigate. They

are opinionated and include words such as “should”, “must”,
and “need to”. In order for these statements to be true, the
passage must also be opinionated, giving an idea as to the way
that things should be, i.e.; context is vital where qualifiers of
necessity are present. Explore this in the example below.

SLIDE 29 keynote EXTREME LANGUAGE question beginning

‘schools in the UK…’

The qualifier of necessity here is “should have”. This connotes

an opinion, based on a factual article revolving around govern-
ment policy. Immediately, we cannot tell that this statement is

40
 EXTREME LANGUAGE

either true or false, as the passage does not support any opinions
about the way PE should be practiced in UK-based schools.

Qualifiers of Quality

These qualifiers describe the quality of the subject of the state-

ment, using words such as “best” or “worst”. They are the most
common qualifiers found in the UCAT.

SLIDE 32 keynote EXTREME LANGUAGE question beginning

‘The UK has some of…’

The qualifier here is “some of the best”. Notice that while this
is extreme language, it is not as extreme as “the best” and so,
requires lesser evidence to substantiate the claim. Regardless,
we do not have enough evidence to support the statement
despite the third paragraph stating a “record investment” as it
has not been compared to other European countries.

Putting it together

Consider this past-paper-inspired VR question to further con-

solidate your learning. Note that the passage here is of a length
commonly seen in the exam.

SLIDE 38 keynote EXTREME LANGUAGE question beginning

‘According to the text…’

In this case, WEIRD societies are defined in the second para-

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 UCAT GUIDE FINAL V1.0

graph. All of the answer options include extreme language.

However, in the context of a definition, extreme language can
be the correct answer. This is because for a subject to meet the
definition, it must include the characteristics. A WEIRD society
will always be industrialised, otherwise, it would not be WEIRD.
Therefore, C is the correct answer.

Common trap!
Use extreme language as a guide, not a 100% rule. As
a general rule of thumb, extreme language is often
accepted when it refers to definitions.

SLIDE 45 keynote EXTREME LANGUAGE question beginning

‘The authors would like…’

Here, we will need to assess all these statements, but, statement

D has very extreme language, and is, therefore, less likely to
be true. This suggests that it is a wiser use of time to begin by
interpreting the other statements first. In this case, statement C
is correct because the text says grant agencies should prioritise
“cross-cultural studies”.

Timing Tip!
When perusing answer options, consider those with the
least extreme language first as they are more likely
to be correct.

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 EXTREME LANGUAGE

Take-home points

1. Extreme language. Statements using extreme language

are less likely to be true.
2. Caution! Extreme language can be true, especially when
used to define the subject.
3. Qualifiers. These can be the difference between true and
false statements, so identify and interpret them carefully.

43