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UKCAT Booklet Sample
UCAS MindApplying for Medicine
Welcome to UCAS Mind 4................................................................................................Is Medicine Right For You? 5............................................................................................How to Apply to Medical School 6....................................................................................How to Choose a Medical School 7..................................................................................Course and Teaching Styles 8..........................................................................................Career as a Doctor 12......................................................................................................Studying Medicine Abroad 15............................................................................................
UCAS Application
Work Experience 18..........................................................................................................UCAS Application 24........................................................................................................Personal Statement 26.....................................................................................................
UKCAT
UKCAT Key Information 33...............................................................................................Verbal Reasoning 34........................................................................................................Quantitative Reasoning 35...............................................................................................Abstract Reasoning 37.....................................................................................................Situational Judgement 39.................................................................................................Decision Making 41...........................................................................................................
Medic Mind
Medic Mind UKCAT Day 43..............................................................................................Contact Details 46............................................................................................................UKCAT Verbal Reasoning Sample 47..............................................................................University by University Guide End..................................................................................
Contents Page
Introduction
Welcome to UKCAT Mind 1..............................................................................................Course Breakdown 2........................................................................................................Timetable for the day 3......................................................................................................Introduction to Medic Mind 4..............................................................................................About Us 5.........................................................................................................................How We Can Help After Course Day 6..............................................................................
The UKCAT Test
What is the UKCAT? 8.......................................................................................................Section by Section Breakdown 8.......................................................................................Timeline for the UKCAT 9..................................................................................................Choosing your UKCAT date 10..........................................................................................The UKCAT scoring system 10..........................................................................................UKCAT Preparation 11.......................................................................................................How To Maximise your UKCAT Score 12..........................................................................How To Structure Your Preparation 13...............................................................................Personal Study Guide 14...................................................................................................Adapting to Computer Testing 16.......................................................................................Achieving your UKCAT Mind 16........................................................................................
Strategy Sessions
Timing 19...........................................................................................................................Section Breakdown of Timing 20.......................................................................................Using the Computer Efficiently 22.....................................................................................Performing On Exam Day 23.............................................................................................Common Traps To Avoid 24...............................................................................................Multiple Choice 24.............................................................................................................Elimination Methods 24.....................................................................................................Guessing Techniques 25....................................................................................................
Verbal Reasoning
Theory Introduction to Verbal Reasoning 27..................................................................................Medic Mind Approach: Verbal Reasoning 28.....................................................................Structure and Breakdown 30.............................................................................................What are they looking for? 31............................................................................................True, False, Can’t Tell Questions 32..................................................................................Type 1 Questions 36..........................................................................................................Type 2 Questions 41..........................................................................................................Author Questions 45..........................................................................................................Reverse Questions 52.......................................................................................................Scientific Passages 56.......................................................................................................Opinion Passages 61.........................................................................................................Verbal Reasoning Timing Strategies 64...........................................................................
ApplicationVerbal Reasoning Test 1 66...............................................................................................Verbal Reasoning Test 2 72...............................................................................................Verbal Reasoning Test 3 78...............................................................................................Verbal Reasoning Test 4 84...............................................................................................Verbal Reasoning Test 5 90...............................................................................................Answers and Explanations 96...........................................................................................
Quantitative Reasoning
TheoryIntroduction to Quantitative Reasoning 101........................................................................Medic Mind Approach: Quantitative Reasoning 103..........................................................Structure and Breakdown 105...........................................................................................What are they looking for? 106..........................................................................................Percentage Change 108....................................................................................................Areas and Ratios 114.........................................................................................................Graphs and Charts 118......................................................................................................Weighted Means 125.........................................................................................................Triangle Formulae 128.......................................................................................................How to use the Calculator 130...........................................................................................
List of Formulae 132..........................................................................................................Quantitative Reasoning Timing Strategies 136..................................................................
ApplicationQuantitative Reasoning Test 1 140....................................................................................Quantitative Reasoning Test 2 147....................................................................................Quantitative Reasoning Test 3 155....................................................................................Quantitative Reasoning Test 4 162....................................................................................Quantitative Reasoning Test 5 169....................................................................................Answers and Explanations 177.........................................................................................
Abstract Reasoning
TheoryIntroduction to Abstract Reasoning 182.............................................................................Medic Mind Approach: Abstract Reasoning 183................................................................Structure and Breakdown 184...........................................................................................What are they looking for? 184..........................................................................................Type 1 Questions 186........................................................................................................Type 2 Questions 192........................................................................................................Type 3 Questions 198........................................................................................................Type 4 Questions 206........................................................................................................Most Common Patterns 210..............................................................................................Pattern Triggers 215..........................................................................................................Abstract Reasoning Traps 221..........................................................................................Abstract Reasoning Timing Strategies 224........................................................................
ApplicationAbstract Reasoning Test 1 226..........................................................................................Abstract Reasoning Test 2 230..........................................................................................Abstract Reasoning Test 3 235..........................................................................................Abstract Reasoning Test 4 239..........................................................................................Abstract Reasoning Test 5 242..........................................................................................Answers and Explanations 244.........................................................................................
Decision Making
TheoryIntroduction to Decision Making 246..................................................................................Medic Mind Approach: Decision Making 246.....................................................................Structure and Breakdown 247...........................................................................................What are they looking for? 249..........................................................................................Conclusion Questions 251.................................................................................................Argument Questions 256...................................................................................................Probability Questions 261..................................................................................................Mathematical Questions 264.............................................................................................How To Revise Decision Making 268.................................................................................Decision Making Timing Strategies 270.............................................................................
ApplicationDecision Making Test 1 273...............................................................................................Decision Making Test 2 277...............................................................................................Decision Making Test 3 281...............................................................................................Decision Making Test 4 285...............................................................................................Decision Making Test 5 288...............................................................................................Answers and Explanations 292.........................................................................................
Situational Judgement
TheoryIntroduction to Situational Judgement 296........................................................................Medic Mind Approach: Situational Judgement 297............................................................Structure and Breakdown 298...........................................................................................What are they looking for? 300..........................................................................................Common Ethics Topics 301...............................................................................................In-depth: Rights of A Medical Student 302.........................................................................In-depth: Confidentiality 303..............................................................................................In-depth: Abortion 305.......................................................................................................In-depth: Autonomy 307.....................................................................................................In-depth: Regulations 309..................................................................................................GMC Guidelines 310.........................................................................................................How To Revise Situational Judgement 312.......................................................................Situational Judgement Timing Strategies 313...................................................................
ApplicationSituational Judgement Test 1 315......................................................................................Situational Judgement Test 2 320......................................................................................Situational Judgement Test 3 325......................................................................................Situational Judgement Test 4 331......................................................................................Situational Judgement Test 5 336......................................................................................Answers and Explanations 341.........................................................................................
Medical Application
Personal StatementHow to structure it 343.......................................................................................................How to stand out 346.........................................................................................................Introduction: Making It Captivating 347.............................................................................
Work ExperienceWhy Medicine? 349...........................................................................................................Extra-Curricular 350...........................................................................................................Conclusion: Ending Strongly 352.......................................................................................Medic Mind Personal Statement Guide 353......................................................................
InterviewDifferent Types of Interview 357........................................................................................Personal Questions 359....................................................................................................Personal Statement Questions 362...................................................................................Role Plays 364...................................................................................................................Medical Ethics Scenarios 366............................................................................................NHS Hot Topics 368...........................................................................................................MMI vs. Panel Interviews 371............................................................................................Medic Mind Interview Guide 372.......................................................................................Model Questions & Answers 373.......................................................................................
UCAS
Where to apply? 375..........................................................................................................Intercalating Degrees 377..................................................................................................Should I take the BMAT? 379............................................................................................
UCAS Timeline 380...........................................................................................................Is Medicine Right For You? 381.........................................................................................
Looking Forward
UKCAT Exam Day 383......................................................................................................
Weekly Revision Schedule 384.........................................................................................Personal Progress Report 386..........................................................................................2 Weeks To Go 387...........................................................................................................1 Week To Go 390.............................................................................................................Day Before Exam Day 391................................................................................................Exam Day 392...................................................................................................................Medic Mind Journey 394....................................................................................................How We Can Help 396......................................................................................................Your Tutor Contact Details 401..........................................................................................Good Luck! 405.................................................................................................................
Structure and Question Types
We will introduce the content and the general structure of the section, including the number of questions and time available. We will then focus on the specific question types that can come up, and how they vary in terms of structure and style.
Theory and Techniques
After gaining a firm grasp of the section content, we will begin to teach you the Medic Mind Strategies to tackle each question type. For each method, we will guide you through worked examples to ensure that you understand how to apply them.
Timing Strategies The UKCAT is as much a test of speed as it is quality, so we focus heavily on techniques to work faster and more efficiently.
Practice Questions As a class we will walk through some practice questions, showing you how to apply the theory. Then we will give you the opportunity to try some on your own.
IntroductionWelcome to Medic Mind
Medic Mind and the UKCAT
Today’s Course
Our 7 UKCAT Tips
Introduction�
Welcome to Medic Mind!
We would like to warmly welcome you on the Medic Mind Journey to becoming a doctor. Getting into medical school is the first step, and the UKCAT is the best place to start.
We can assure you that you are in great hands - we have a team of experts to give you the head start you need to clinch those limited places in the UK’s finest medical schools. Medic Mind Students have an exceptional record, with over 96% of them achieving an offer for medicine.
The UKCAT is a challenging proposition. It is designed to put students out of their comfort zone, and at first can seem hugely intimidating. You should see the UKCAT as an opportunity to showcase your talent and boost your application, and with our specialist techniques it will become exactly that.
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Medic Mind and the UKCAT
Statistical AnalysisWe have employed a team of data analysts and used the latest technology to study the UKCAT for the past 7 years. In this time, we have developed a set of Medic Mind Strategies which we believe are the best techniques available for the UKCAT to guarantee you a brilliant score.
Expert TutorsWe promise the highest standards, and therefore the course will be taught by the most experienced tutors available, our two co-founders, Kunal Dasani and Mohil Shah. With over 1000 hours of tuition experience between them, they have taught the UKCAT across the world from the UK to Singapore.
Personal CareIf you are a Medic Mind Student you are much more than a customer. You are part of the family. With our huge network of support, we will look after you from your application until you qualify as a doctor. Never hesitate to pick up the phone and speak to us, we will always be here to listen.
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Today’s Course
This course will guide you through each section of the UKCAT. For each section we will focus on:
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Our 7 UKCAT Tips
Identify exactly what each section is asking you to do
Before working on complex techniques on how to tackle each question type in the section, first work out the structure and break down of the questions in the section. For example, in Verbal Reasoning a Scientific Content question will require you to look closer at facts or numerical data in the passage, whereas for an Author Question you will find more joy looking at the beginning and end for the conclusion or writer opinion.
Practice the Exam Day Scenario
On the test day you will be sitting a 2 hour test in a warm room on a computer, using an on screen calculator and just a small whiteboard for note making. You don’t have to follow these conditions each time you practice, but get used to doing a full mock in one sitting, and using the on screen UKCAT calculator on a desktop computer.
Be decisive on your technique for each question type
Going into the exam you should have a definitive strategy, most likely the ones we give you. We understand that everyone approaches the test differently, but we strongly advise you to practice with our methods because they have a proven track record for success in psychometric tests.
Focus on time management
Over the years we have seen some of the brightest and most able candidates struggle because they fall in to the timing traps scattered all over the UKCAT. We will teach you timing strategies for each specific section, and you should work hard to practice these in preparation for applying them on the day.
Ask us questions
Your course teachers are the most experienced they get! Use their vast bank of knowledge by asking as many questions as you feel appropriate on the course day, as well as after
the test. Each student has a different learning style, so we can help you personalise the Medic Mind Strategies to suit your methods.
Stick to the UKCAT Rules
We will explain the Do’s and Don’ts for each section. For example, in Verbal Reasoning we will tell you that you cannot bring outside information or external knowledge into your thinking. Ensure that you abide by these rules during your practice and following on until Test Day.
Learn the triggers
For each section we will teach you triggers to use for particular questions, and these will help you save time on the day. For example, in Abstract Reasoning if you see Grey Shapes we want you to immediately think about a Colour Pattern, or if you see arrows think about a Direction Pattern.
Verbal ReasoningIntroduction to Verbal Reasoning
True, False, Can’t Tell
Writer Questions
Extreme Language
Type 1 Questions
Type 2 Questions
Passage Adjustments
Verbal Reasoning Timing Tips
Reverse Questions
Introduction to Verbal Reasoning
What is Verbal Reasoning?
The Verbal Reasoning subtest assesses your ability to read and think carefully about information presented in passages and to determine whether specific conclusions can be drawn from information presented.
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Why do they test it?
Doctors and dentists need excellent verbal reasoning skills in order to understand complex information and communicate this clearly and simply to patients is essential. Medical practitioners must also be able to interpret findings from published materials and apply this to their own practice. It is essential they are able to critique such materials and draw their own conclusion as to the validity of any findings.
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What are the different question types?
There are 5 types of Verbal Reasoning Question:
• True, False, Cannot Tell- the question stem is a statement, and you have to choose either True, False or Cannot Tell
• Type 1- the question stem has a specific question, and you have to choose which of the four similar statements is correct.
• Type 2- the question stem is generic, and you have to choose which of the four unrelated statements is correct.
• Writer- the question asks something related to the author of the passage, whether it be his overall opinion, strongest point, or something else. Question format can be Type 1, 2 or TFCT.
• Reverse- the question involves a negative, e.g. which of the following is least likely, or not true. Question format can be Type 1, 2 or TFCT.
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What are the main challenges of Verbal Reasoning?
• Timing- you have under 2 minutes to answer four questions relating to a fairly large passage. Therefore you have to be efficient, quick and decisive.
• Reading the passage- at normal reading pace it would take you 2 minutes to read the passage alone, so you need to use our Keywords Approach to succeed in the questions.
• Variety of questions- the huge range of verbal reasoning makes it very difficult to apply a single approach. There is a different Medic Mind approach specific for each question type, and without lots of practice this can at first seem intimidating.
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External Knowledge
A general rule for all Verbal Reasoning questions is that you should not use any external knowledge to answer the questions. You should only use the information in the passage.
Consider the question statement:
“Barack Obama was elected as President of the USA in November 2008”. You may know that this is true from your own knowledge. You can use this to help you knock out the option ‘False’, but the answer can still be ‘Can’t Tell’ if there is no explicit mention of this fact in the passage.
True, False, Can’t Tell Questions
True, False, Can’t Tell
True means that the statement is correct based on the passage.
• A statement can be true if it is directly stated in the passage. This is the simplest to find, and should be an easy mark.
• A statement can be true if it is an inference from the passage, even if it is not directly stated. Here there is a blur between True and Can’t Tell.
False means that the statement contradicts the passage. Again, it may not be explicitly shown to be wrong, but instead you can detect it using an inference.
• A statement might go against the passage, either factually or in terms of general opinion• A statement could take something in the passage and extend it too far - e.g. the passage
says ‘one of the few suppliers in the market’ and the statement says ‘the only supplier’.
Can’t Tell means that you cannot be certain based on the information on the passage.
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Using Inferences
There is a fine line between True and Can’t Tell. Consider this passage and the four associated statements:
• “UCL Medical School is one of the best in the UK”
Example Passage
“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 applicants”
True- you can infer from the positive comments that UCL medical school is one of the best in the UK.
• “UCL Medical School used to be worse than it is now”
True- the passage references recent investment in a library and more modern lecture theatres as reasons for UCL’s development, so we can infer that it has improved.
• “UCL Medical School is the best in the UK”
Can’t tell- we can suspect this based on inferences from the passage, but we cannot be sure. The statement is going beyond the terms of the passage.
• “The recent project to build a new Library has been a full success”
Can’t tell- we can tell that it has made a difference to UCL and the quality of the medical school, but it is too far to say that it has been a ‘full success’. We do not know about costs, how long the project took based on estimations, or other related issues.
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Technique: Keyword Approach
You will not have the luxury of being able to read the passage. The biggest mistake students make is trying to read too much, and therefore falling heavily short of time.
We teach our students to follow the Keyword Approach:
1) Read only the first two lines of the passage.
By reading the first part of the passage you can gauge the topic of the passage, which will help you when choosing a relevant keyword. You will see the value in this later.
2) Read the question and pick a keyword
Pick a keyword from the statement or question. This keyword will help you find the information you are looking for in the passage.
3) Search for the keyword in the passage
Look for the keyword in the passage. When you find it, read from the sentence before the keyword, to the sentence after. This small section of the passage should contain your answer.
4) Eliminate the wrong answers
Knock out the wrong answers, and select the correct one.
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Choosing a Good Keyword
• Key words should not appear all over the passage, because it won’t narrow down any information for you!
• Dates, numbers and nouns (with capitalised letters) make very good keywords because they are easy to find by visual inspection
• The keyword does not necessarily have to be a ‘word’. It can instead be a ‘phrase’, or a selection of two words.
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Importance of Step 1 of the Keyword Approach
Imagine you had a passage about the growing popularity magazines. Each paragraph discussed different types of publication, such as sport magazines, travel magazines, or cooking magazines.
Your question is:
“Magazines relating to football are becoming increasingly popular”
• True • False • Can’t Tell
From the passage topic, we know that ‘magazine’ will not be a good keyword as it appears in most paragraphs. Whereas ‘football’ would be a brilliant key word.
Now reverse the situation.…
Imagine the passage was all about football. Each paragraph explored different elements of the sport, such as football on TV, local academies, football literature and magazines. In this scenario, a good keyword is ‘magazine’, and a weak keyword is ‘football’.
This shows you the value of reading the first 2 lines of the passage to gauge the general topic and help you pick the right keyword.
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Keywords appearing multiple times
When you find the keyword, look for the answer in the sentences around it, as per the Keyword Approach:
• If you find a reference to the question information, then you can be generally satisfied that you have found the right section of text. Choose the answer and move on.
• If you do not find a reference to the question information, then you may be inclined to choose ‘Can’t Tell’ and move on. But the keyword may appear again later on in the passage, so do a quick scan to see if there are multiple references
Keywords that do not appear in the passage
Sometimes the keyword will not appear in the passage. In this situation you have to assess the passage and decide on your approach appropriately.
If you believe that the answer is ‘Can’t Tell’, choose this and move on.
If you feel that the answer is still hidden somewhere, try a different approach to find it:
• Check again- if you have rushed your search, it is sometimes worth scanning the passage again for the keyword.
• Synonyms- you should search for synonyms or rephrasing of the keyword. For example, the keyword ‘holiday’ may instead appear as ‘vacation’ or ‘trip’.
• Alternative keyword- you can choose a different keyword if you are confident the passage will have a reference to the information in the question.
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Practice: True, False, Can’t Tell Questions
According to the passage the principles of homeopathy are not scientifically valid.
A. TrueB. FalseC. Can’t tell
Homeopathy
The core principles of homeopathy fly in the face of science. If they were true, much of what we learned in physics and chemistry would be wrong. Homeopaths often say that we simply have not yet discovered how homeopathy works. The truth is that we know there is no conceivable scientific explanation that could possibly explain it. Yet as a clinician almost 30 years ago, l was impressed with the results achieved by homeopathy. Many of my patients seemed to improve dramatically after receiving homeopathic treatment. How was this possible?
In order to understand this apparent contradiction, we have to take a step back and consider the complexities of the therapeutic response. Whenever a patient or a group of patients receive a medical treatment and subsequently experience improvements, we automatically assume that the improvement was caused by the intervention. This logical fallacy can be very misleading and has hindered progress in medicine for hundreds of years. Of course, it could be the treatment — but there are many other possibilities as well.
For instance, the condition could have improved on its own. Or the encounter between the therapist and the patient could have been therapeutic without any meaningful contribution from the treatment itself. Or the patient could have had high expectations of the treatment that prompted a powerful placebo response. Or the patient self-administered some other treatments concomitantly that caused the improvements. In other words, it is not the effect of the remedy per se, but the non specific effect of the context in which it is given that benefits the patient.
According to the passage homeopathic remedies cannot be effective because they contradict scientific principles
A. TrueB. FalseC. Can’t tell
According to the passage, patients must expect treatments to work before they will do so
A. TrueB. FalseC. Can’t tell
According to the writer, the treatment itself is more important than the context in which the medical treatment is given
A. TrueB. FalseC. Can’t tell
Writer Questions�
Introduction to Writer Questions
Writer Questions are centred around the writer’s opinion. For example:
• Which of the following would the author most likely agree with?• Which of the following does the author cite as a reason for the recession? • The author’s strongest stated opinion is…
For these questions we should only worry about the view of the author, not facts or statistics unless the writer has given an opinion on them.
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Writer Question Approach
You can use the keyword approach again for Writer Questions. It is, however, particularly important to do step 1 thoroughly, and it is often worth reading the last few lines of the passage too:
1. Read the first two lines and last two lines of the passage to understand the general author opinion
2. Pick a keyword from the question statement
3. Search the passage to find the keyword. Read from the sentence before to the sentence after.
4. Eliminate the incorrect answers and select the correct one.
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Finding the Conclusion of the Passage
The conclusion is the overall opinion of the passage. It can often be found at the end in the last paragraph, but the writer may also mention it in the first sentence of the passage and go on to discuss and justify the conclusion throughout the passage.
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Finding the Writer’s Strongest Opinion
• The writer’s most strongly stated opinion will tend to be found in the conclusion of the passage, so that is the best place to look.
• The strongest stated opinion may be mentioned the most number of times, or it could be a topic discussed in the most detail.
• When a question asks you for the writer’s strongest opinion, all of the options may be views held by the author. Therefore if you find a reference to statement A, for example, do not automatically assume that is the answer. You should check each option and find the strongest view.
• Ideally the strongest view will be surrounded by an indicator phrase:
‘Most important of all…’‘The most pressing issue…’‘…. is very important’
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Timing for Writer Questions
Author questions can be quite time-consuming because to understand the writer opinion you sometimes have to read several lines. Therefore be wary not to spend too much time on them if you cannot reach the answer.
Practice: Writer Questions
According to the passage, the author believes that golf:
A. Is accessible to everyoneB. Should be a luxuryC. Is a man’s gameD. Improves well-being
Decline in Golf
The team turned up at the usual time — 9:15 on Saturday morning. Though it had rained for most of the summer, leaving the ground soft and very muddy, the course was still open for play. Under these conditions the green keepers would have normally closed the course in order to preserve the greens. However, due to the economic downturn, many ‘normal’ things no longer happen.
Golf clubs have been hit hard in these financially difficult times, with many now offering huge discounts to encourage membership. Many clubs are forced to keep the grounds open when they may have normally closed so that ‘pay and play’ members can support the club and add to the takings. More affluent clubs are surviving by diversifying and opening their facilities for private hire and various other functions and events.
Traditionally golf has always been seen as the sport for those with more time and money on their hands. It has very much been the domain of the male population, in particular those who have clinched important business deals while playing 18 holes. In more recent years it has won favour with a wide variety of people from different walks of life, and involved more women than ever before. However it is a leisure activity and when finances are tight, people are choosing not to spend large sums on membership fees and even on ‘pay and play’.
Even older retired people are feeling the pinch of financial uncertainty and golf is once again seen as a luxury that people can live without in order to save money. This is unfortunate as we have a larger population of older people than ever before. If more affordable, golf is a beneficial activity in terms of exercise and social interaction, both of which are so important to an ageing population who may suffer from loneliness and depression.
Which change would the author most likely make in order to increase the popularity of golf?
A. Extend opening hoursB. Returf the greenC. Reduce membership ratesD. Introduce discounts for businesses
Extreme Language
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For True, False, Can’t Tell questions you can look at the type of language used to help you decide on the answer.
• “Seeing a product used in a popular television programme will always increase the demand for the product”
‘Will always’ is very definitive language, so the answer is more likely to be Can’t Tell or False. If the statement said ‘might’ or “sometimes’ then the answer is more likely to be True.
• “Nike running shoes are the best shoes in the sports market”
‘Best’ is again extreme language. If the statement said they are ‘one of the best’, it is less extreme and more likely to be true.
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Examples of extreme phrases
Extreme phrases tend to be False or Can’t Tell.
“Will always”“Definitely”“Always”“Every time”“Biggest”
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Examples of less extreme phrases
Less extreme phrases tend to be True.
“Might”“Could”“One of the (best)”“Sometimes”
Practice: Extreme Language Questions
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. Playing golf is now the best exercise for elderly peopleB. Playing golf is cheaper now than it ever has beenC. Fewer people play golf now than have done previouslyD. More women play golf now than businessmen
Decline in Golf
The team turned up at the usual time — 9:15 on Saturday morning. Though it hadrained for most of the summer, leaving the ground soft and very muddy, the course was still open for play. Under these conditions the green keepers would have normally closed the course in order to preserve the greens. However, due to the economic downturn, many ‘normal’ things no longer happen.
Golf clubs have been hit hard in these financially difficult times, with many nowoffering huge discounts to encourage membership. Many clubs are forced to keep the grounds open when they may have normally closed so that ‘pay and play’ members can support the club and add to the takings. More affluent clubs are surviving by diversifying and opening their facilities for private hire and various other functions and events.
Traditionally golf has always been seen as the sport for those with more time andmoney on their hands. It has very much been the domain of the male population, in particular those who have clinched important business deals while playing 18 holes. In more recent years it has won favour with a wide variety of people from different walks of life, and involved more women than ever before. However it is a leisure activity and when finances are tight, people are choosing not to spend large sums on membership fees and even on ‘pay and play’.
Even older retired people are feeling the pinch of financial uncertainty and golf is once again seen as a luxury that people can live without in order to save money. This is unfortunate as we have a larger population of older people than ever before. If more affordable, golf is a beneficial activity in terms of exercise and social interaction, both of which are so important to an ageing population who may suffer from loneliness and depression.
The author suggests that which of the following is happening as a result of the economic downturn?
A. Golf clubs are looking for alternative ways of generating incomeB. Only the more affluent golf clubs are surviving financiallyC. All the clubs are now staying open when conditions are unfit for playD. More of the population are suffering from loneliness and depression
Type 1 General Questions�
Although tougher than True, False, Can’t Tell questions, General Questions are manageable if you follow our step-by-step approach.
The Type 1 General question has a question with four statements relating to the topic. There is a common theme amongst the four answer options, as they all relate to the question in a similar way.
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Type 1 Question Approach
We have learnt the Keyword Approach so far. This is the same technique we will use for each question type, although we have to adapt it slightly.
For a Type 1 question the challenge is greater because you have more information to assess - 4 statements instead of 1.
Yet again, follow the same approach:
1. Read the first two lines of the passage to understand the general topic
2. Pick a keyword from the question statement
3. Search the passage to find the keyword. Read from the sentence before to the sentence after.
4. Eliminate the incorrect answers and select the correct one.
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Eliminating Answers
Sometimes the route to the correct answer will be by eliminating the wrong answers. This is a particularly useful tactic for General Questions.
Be on the look out for anything that doesn’t seem right for a statement. Once you see a slight doubt, be quick to eliminate.
Type 2 General Questions�
In Type 2 General Questions there will be no keyword in the statement of the question. Instead, the statement will be generic, for example:
• Which of the following statements is true?• Which of the following statements is the author most likely to support?
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Type 2 Question Approach
As the statement is generic, you won’t be able to find a keyword in the question stem. Therefore you have to look at the statements to find your keywords.
1. Read the first two lines of the passage to understand the general topic
2. Find a keyword for the first statement, and search.
3. Repeat for each statement, knocking them out one by one until you find the answer.
• If two statements are remotely related, you may be able to use a single keyword for each.
• Start with the statement which you suspect is right using your gut instinct, rather than always starting with A.
• If you cannot find a keyword for a statement be ruthless and move on to the next statement. Unlike the previous question types, with Type 2 you have multiple keywords, so you do not have time to check again, look closely for synonyms or try a different keyword for the same statement.
Passage Adjustments�
Question statements may be very similar to phrases in the passage, and this can often trick you into choosing the wrong answer. Therefore it is essential to read the sentences around the keyword carefully, word to word, from the start to end.
Remember, you are skim reading to find the keyword. But once you have found the keyword, you are reading the sentence before to sentence after very carefully.
Nearly two-thirds of cars have been built with the new technology discussed in the passage.
A good keyword would be ‘two-thirds’, bearing in mind that you may have to look out for a numerical figure. This takes us to the line ’65% of electric cars have been built with this new technology’.
You could easily fixate on the terms ’65%’ and ‘cars’, and be tricked into thinking this statement is True. However, there is a slight adjustment in the passage, because the passage discusses ‘electric cars’ whereas the statement is generic to all ‘cars’. The answer is therefore Can’t Tell.
Example Passage
“The number of speeding tickets issued in the UK has grown significantly with the implementation of new technology in modern cars. The technology enables cars to accelerate much more efficiently, and often the driver does not realise the high pace they are travelling at.
Mark Watson, in the Road and Traffic Incidents Report, described his shock that ’65% of electric cars have been built with this new technology’. With the media fixation on modern safety and with widespread scrutiny of any single accident, it is becoming more important than ever to drive safely and carefully.”
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Other Examples of Passage Adjustments
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Scientific and Factual Passage
Some passages will be very factual heavy, often based on scientific topics.
• These passages can be quite abstract and difficult to understand. Therefore it is more important than ever to not waste time reading too much
• Keywords can be much easier to find, because factual passages include more figures, dates and specialised terms.
• The passages will be easier to handle than opinion based writer questions, even if they are harder to understand. With opinion passages, you have to read several lines to grasp a single point, but with scientific passages they tend to be concentrated in single lines.
Passage Question Statement Analysis“2015 brought a rise in temperature in London”
“In 2015, temperatures in the UK increased’
Can’t Tell - the statement is true for London, but not the whole of the UK
“With new features such as fingerprint detection and a wider screen, the iPhone is slowly becoming one of the key dominant players in the mobile phone market”
“The iPhone has the biggest share of the market”
Can't Tell- it has a big share, but we do not know that it is the biggest
“Ristorante Pizza has a received glowing reviews in this morning’s BBC Food Blog. The blog described the quality standard of the pizza, and cited the user-friendly packaging as a big bonus”
“Ristorante Pizza has easy-to-use packaging, and is easy to cook quickly”
Can't Tell- even though the first point is right, and the second could be plausible, we cannot be sure that it is easy to cook rapidly.
Timing Tips�
Guessing and Moving On
Some questions will require more than 30 seconds, and it can be worth spending those extra few seconds to secure the mark.
But how do you know whether you should invest the extra time?
• If you have eliminated 1 option by the 30 second mark, then guess out of the remaining 3 and move on
• If you have eliminated 2 options by the 30 second mark, you have done most of the work so it is worth spending an extra 15 seconds to get the right answer.
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First Question in a Set
If you are doing the first question in a set, bear in mind two things:
• Spending extra time on the first question in a set will help you understand the passage more, which will help you for the remaining three questions. Whereas spending extra time on the fourth question in a set will have no future benefit, so be more stringent.
• If you are stuck on the first question, you can always move on to the next three and you might discover the answer as you learn more about the passage.
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Flagging Questions
In the UKCAT you can flag a question and return back to it later. However, you should be careful when you use this function:
• Never flag without putting in an answer, even if it is a guess. If you do not get time to come back, at least you will then have an answer prepared
• If you flag the 1st or 2nd question in a set, try to come back to it quickly when you have finished the 4th question in that set. This will save you time, because it can be quite difficult to re-familiarise yourself with a passage at the end.
Using the whiteboard for flagging
Before you start the test, number your white board 1 to 44. During the exam when you flag questions you want to distinguish between the questions you completely guessed, and the ones you would ideally like more time over:
• If you completely guessed a question, put an X next to the relevant number. You want to return to these first.
• If you answered a question but were not 100% sure over the answer and would like more time to re-check, put an O next to the relevant number. You want to return to these last, only if you have luxury time (quite rare).
By doing this, you avoid having a situation whereby you finish with lots of flagged questions, and unsure on what to return to first.
Verbal Reasoning Answers & Explanations
This is a preview document, so answers are only included for certain questions.
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Writer Questions
Question 1
The correct answer here is C. This is a Type 2 Question, so go through each statement individually.
• For A use the keyword ‘elderly’. In the fourth paragraph it says that golf is a beneficial activity for elderly people, but it does not say it is the best exercise. This is an example of extreme language
• For B use the keyword ‘cheaper’ or look for figures. The passage says that some clubs are offering discounts, but it does not say that it makes the course cheaper than ever before. Again this is an example of extreme language
• For C, look generally without a keyword. The second paragraph states how the economic downturn has affected Golf Clubs - ‘many now offering discounts to encourage memberships’.
• For D, use the keyword ‘women’. The third paragraph states that the sport has ‘involved more women than ever before’, but it does not say more than businessmen.
Question 2
The correct answer here is A. This is a Type 1 question. You can use the key term ‘economic downturn’.
• A is the correct answer because the second paragraph states that “more affluent clubs are surviving by diversifying and opening their facilities for private hire and various other functions and events”
• B is false because the second paragraph says that many clubs (not just the more affluent ones) are surviving financially by keeping grounds open to generate income from
‘pay and play’ members. The term ‘only’ should put you on alert, it is an example of extreme language.
• C is false because the passage doesn’t say that every club has been forced to stay open. The first paragraph described this change as one of the ‘many normal things that no longer happen’. Again, the term ‘all’ should put you on alert, it is an example of extreme language.
• D is incorrect because even it described how gold can help the ‘ageing population who may suffer from loneliness and depression’, it doesn’t state that more of the population are suffering from loneliness and depression due to the economic downturn.
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Extreme Language Questions
Question 3
The correct answer here is D. This is a Type 2 Question, so go through each statement individually:
• A is incorrect because the third paragraph says that as golf is considered a luxury many "people are choosing not to spend large sums on membership fees”. Affordability therefore does not make it accessible to all.
• B is incorrect because in the fourth paragraph, the author states that golf been seen as a luxury is "unfortunate" because of the exercise and social interaction benefits for older people in particular.
• C is incorrect because while the fact that golf has "very much been the domain of a male population", it has "involved more women than ever before". The author does not express an opinion on the sport being solely a man's game.
• D is correct because in the fourth paragraph the author states the benefits of golf “in terms of exercise and social interaction, both of which are so important to an ageing population who may suffer from loneliness and depression. Remember, for writer questions look at the last paragraph first for the passage conclusion.
Question 4
The correct answer here is C. This is a Type 2 Question, so go through each statement individually. Bear in mind that you are looking for the change the author would ‘most likely’ make, so he may suggest all of the options - you want the strongest opinion.
• A is incorrect because there is nothing in the passage to suggest limited opening hours are a problem, only the cost of membership fees.
• B is incorrect because while returfing the green would help preserve the condition of the golf course, there is no link to suggest this would increase the popularity of the sport.
• C is correct. This is because the author presents golf as a luxury which people are choosing not to spend money on. In the fourth paragraph, the author describes this luxury as "unfortunate" as the sport has health benefits. Making the sport less of an unaffordable luxury by reducing fees would ultimately increase the popularity of golf. Again, in a writer question look at the last paragraph to find the conclusion of the passage.
• D is incorrect because the third paragraph states the sport is already popular with businessmen, using the course to "clinch important business deals", so introducing discounts wouldn't necessarily make the sport any more popular than it already is.