Table Of ContentMastering
the UCAT
MASTERING
Mastering the UCAT: Third Edition
Dr Christopher Nordstrom, George Rendel, Dr Ricardo Tavares
2019
Mastering the BMAT
Dr Christopher Nordstrom, George Rendel, Luke Baxter
2016
Mastering
the UCAT
Third Edition
Dr Christopher Nordstrom
George Rendel
Dr Ricardo Tavares
CRC Press
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Contents
About the Authors ............................................................................... vii
Introduction ..........................................................................................ix
Chapter 1: Verbal Reasoning ..............................................................1
Chapter 2: Decision Making ..............................................................49
Chapter 3: Quantitative Reasoning ..................................................89
Chapter 4: Abstract Reasoning .......................................................129
Chapter 5: Situational Judgement Test ..........................................171
Index .................................................................................................. 211
v
About the Authors
Dr Christopher Nordstrom graduated from University College London with a prize- winning
degree in medicine and a first-class honours degree in neuroscience. He undertook medical
training in London and now works as a senior doctor in emergency medicine and is a Fellow of
the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Christopher has been involved in medical education
for over 10 years, completing a PgCert in Clinical Education and gaining a Fellowship in the
Higher Education Academy. He has received written praise for his teaching from hospitals and
universities, including Imperial College London and University College London. His academic
achievements include publications in world-renowned journals, published original research and
regular presentations and national and international conferences. He has also peer-reviewed for
the British Medical Journal and is one of the UK’s leading UCAT and BMAT experts, regularly
speaking at national events including the Royal Society of Medicine’s Career Day.
George Rendel graduated from the University of Leeds with a prize-winning, first-class degree
in English. He has used his academic understanding of the English language and his experience
in journalism and publishing to become a leading expert in the verbal reasoning and essay writ-
ing components of the UCAT and BMAT examinations. He has worked in educational publish-
ing for Pearson and in consulting for Accenture.
Dr Ricardo Tavares completed his prize-winning Medical Sciences Masters undergraduate
degree at Oxford University and went on to finish his medical MBBS training at University
College London Medical School. He carried out his foundation training within the Imperial
College Deanery before starting specialist registrar training in radiology. Ricardo has several
years of experience teaching medicine, both as part of a select group at Imperial College and as
a clinical methods teaching tutor for Imperial College medical students. He has been published
in leading international journals, spoken at numerous national conferences, and teaches on the
clinical MD programme for the University of Buckingham Internal Medicine degree.
vii
Introduction
Background
In 2019 the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) replaced the United Kingdom Clinical
Aptitude Test (UKCAT), which was first introduced in 2006. It is widely used by medical and
dental schools in the UK, Australia and New Zealand to aid in the selection of future doctors
and dentists. Unlike the traditional A-Level and International Baccalaureate examinations, the
UCAT tests aptitude, rather than knowledge. By focusing on innate skills, it is designed to reduce
the inequality which may arise between applicants from different backgrounds. This helps to
widen access into medicine and dentistry.
The UCAT consists of a 2-hour computerised test that is administered in computer test centres
across the world, with centres in over 135 countries, ensuring almost all candidates have easy
access to a testing centre.
You can choose when to sit the examination, with dates available in July for students applying to
Australia & New Zealand, and from July to the start of October for UK applicants. Each student
who takes the examination will get different combinations of questions in each section. This
prevents students who sit the examination later from finding out which questions will come up.
!
Top Tip: We recommend booking your test early, even if you wish to
sit it at the end of summer, as test dates fill up quickly and the price
increases.
The UCAT examination consists of five sections, each testing a different skill set. These sec-
tions are:
• Verbal Reasoning (VR)
• Decision Making (DM)
• Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
• Abstract Reasoning (AR)
• Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
The Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections are logical tests. They assess a candidate’s ability
to evaluate, problem-solve and draw conclusions, based on written and numerical information.
Abstract Reasoning tests both spatial awareness and pattern recognition. This helps to iden-
tify your aptitude for constantly developing and modifying hypotheses. Situational Judgement
ix
