The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) comprises of 5 sections, the second of which is the Decision Making section. This section tests your capacity to accurately solve problems, interpret information and make decisions under time pressure.
Having achieved a top 1% score on the UKCAT myself, I understand the anxiety of UCAT preparation for the decision-making section of the UCAT. In this article, we will discuss our 17 top UCAT decision-making tips to boost your score and improve your confidence.
Check out our guides to other UCAT sections to maximise your score, and check out our expert UCAT tutoring services if you need a bit more guidance!
17 Tips For UCAT Decision-Making Questions: A Summary
Be Aware Of The Different Question Types
Syllogism Questions - Determine The Direction Of Each Rule
Logic Puzzle Questions - Organise Information Visually
Interpretation Questions - Start By Reading The Questions & Answers
Assumption Questions - Remember Medicine Is Evidence-Based
Probability Questions - Draw Your Tables
Venn Diagrams - Loop Back Through The Question
Be Strict With Your Timings
Don’t Make Assumptions
Remember What They Are Asking For
Don’t Forget To Use The Whiteboard
There Is No Negative Marking
Use Your Keyboard Shortcuts To Save Time
Reflect On Your Practice Questions
Use The Skip Option Strategically
Target Your Revision To Harder Question Types
Practice With The Official UCAT Decision-Making Mocks
👉🏻 Read more in our Ultimate UKCAT Guide
Tip 1: Be Aware Of The Different UCAT Decision Making Question Types
For the UCAT Decision Making Subtest, there are a variety of question types that you might face.
Familiarity with the different types of questions will improve your confidence going into the exam and increase the speed at which you can answer questions!
The question types in DM include:
Syllogisms - where you are provided with a set of premises which define the system rules. You are then given a conclusion and must decide whether this follows the system's rules. Here you need to use deductive reasoning in order to help answer the questions.
Logic Puzzles - where you will face questions defining challenging scenarios and will need to use a logical approach to pick apart the questions to reach the correct answer of the logical puzzles.
Interpretation - requires looking at tables, diagrams or graphs and determining the correct conclusion which can be deduced from the available data.
Assumptions - where you are provided with a statement and need to choose the strongest argument out of some given options.
Probability - determining the probability of an event given information about the frequency.
Venn Diagrams - these may be presented to you visually or in text format, and you will be required to deduce the number in a partial group subset.
👉🏻 Read more about what to expect on the day of your UCAT exam
Tip 2: Syllogism Questions - Determine The Direction Of Each Rule
In the Syllogism-type decision-making questions, it’s important to determine the direction of the given rules.
If the rule of a system is: A → B
It does not mean that B → A
A statement which relies on B → A would not fit the rules of the system provided and would be incorrect.
To simplify these types of questions, we recommend summarising the rules and labelling their directional flow. This will make it clearer which options fit the system and which do not.
👉🏻 Read more: How To Pick The Perfect UCAT Exam Date
Tip 3: Logic Puzzle Questions - Organise Information Visually
The important information provided to you in the DM logic puzzle questions is usually buried within large amounts of text. We recommend reorganizing information from the question to help you identify key relationships.
Some decision making questions will lend well to drawing diagrams, whilst some will fit better within tables. With practice, you will learn to recognise how different types of questions can be represented visually.
This process of restructuring the given information helps to simplify the puzzle, making it easier to solve under time constraints.
Tip 4: Interpreting Information Questions - Solve By Reading The Question & Answers
When tackling data interpretation questions, it's essential first to read the question carefully and pinpoint exactly what you're being asked to interpret. This will help you to understand the question before you work out how to get to the answer.
When faced with a large dataset or diagram, it might be tempting to begin by fully interpreting the figure. Whilst roughly understanding the figure is important, you should avoid spending too long focussed on the diagram before knowing exactly what the question wants you to interpret.
There will be information included within the dataset which is irrelevant to the question you’ve been asked. Avoid wasting your time interpreting the themes of this data by checking the question and answer options at the start of the question.
👉🏻 Read more: Answering Data Interpretation Questions
Tip 5: Assumption Questions - Remember Medicine Is Evidence-Based
In the assumption style questions, you need to be able to evaluate arguments and identify the strongest provided out of the 4 options.
When choosing the strongest argument, consider
Does the argument take into account all of the factors in the statement?
Does the argument mention that it’s supported by evidence?
Whilst the arguments in the question are unlikely to be related to medicine, one of the aspects that UCAT examiners expect you to apply is the need for interventions to be evidence-based. Therefore the strongest evidence in these assumption-style questions will include a reference to how it is evidenced.
Tip 6: Probability Questions - Draw Your Tables
Drawing tables for probability questions in the UCAT can be beneficial, as it allows you to visualise the relationships between items or events.
This helps break down the question into manageable parts and increases the chances of you calculating the correct answer in the limited time constraints.
Remember that the probability of 2 events happening requires you to multiply the 2 probabilities, whilst the probability of either event happening requires you to add the probabilities.
Probability of Event 1 | Probability of Event 2 |
|---|---|
A | B |
Probability of Event 1 AND Event 2 = A x B
Probability of Event 1 OR Event 2 = A + B
👉🏻 Read more: Answering Calculation Questions
Tip 7: Venn Diagram Questions - Loop Back Through The Question
When answering questions which require you to either interpret or draw a Venn diagram, we recommend reading the question more than once.
In Venn diagram questions, often information at the start of the question is only useful after the interpretation of information further into the question.
Therefore, in answering these questions we recommend doing several ‘sweeps’ of the question, adding to your diagram or interpretation each time until you reach the correct answer.
Decision Making Subtest Tip 8: Be Strict With Your Timings
The DM section of the UCAT exam is significantly time pressured with 29 questions to answer in 31 minutes.
This allows for just over a minute per question.
This time pressure tests not only your problem-solving abilities but also your capacity to manage stress and maintain accuracy under pressure.
Therefore to complete as many questions as possible in this time frame, it’s important to avoid spending too long on difficult questions.
👉🏻 Read more: Making a UCAT Revision Strategy
UCAT Decision Making Tip 9: Don’t Make Assumptions
Facts presented to you in assumption or syllogism-type questions may not be factually correct or it may be about topics on which you have additional knowledge.
However, it’s vital to only use the information that you’ve been provided in the question in your decision-making.
The UCAT is not a test of your factual knowledge, but your problem-solving skills. Therefore, making assumptions or drawing conclusions based on your knowledge will cause you to lose marks.
Therefore, it is essential that you base your answers solely on the given data and scenario in the question.
UCAT Tip 10. Beware Of Red Herring Answers
Some UCAT answers are added as an option because they are the correct answer if a student has made a mistake in their work, or has not read the question properly.
Avoid these red herring answers by carefully reading the question, and ensuring that the answer they have reached fully meets the specifications of the question, such as in the correct units and in the correct timeframe.
👉🏻 Read more: Avoiding UCAT Burnout During Revision Periods
Tip 11: Don’t Forget To Use The Whiteboard
In your UCAT examination room, you will be provided with a whiteboard to make notes during the exam. Decision-making and quantitative reasoning are the 2 sections where this will come in the most useful.
Using a whiteboard in the decision-making section of the UCAT exam helps visualise your thoughts and summarise important information to break down the questions.
We recommend that you utilise the whiteboard to its full potential in your exam to help score 900 in UCAT Decision Making.
Tip 12: There Is No Negative Marking
The UCAT does not penalise wrong answers, as there is no negative marking system in place.
Therefore, if you're uncertain about an answer, you should make an educated guess and then flag the question for potential review later.
Given the intense time pressures of the DM section, it's better to guess rather than leave any question unanswered.
👉🏻 Read more: Strategic UCAT Applications
Tip 13: Use Your Keyboard Shortcuts To Save Time
Several validated keyboard shortcuts work in the UCAT exam software. These are hugely beneficial for increasing your speed in the exam and thus improving your decision making score.
ALT-N - Next question
ALT-P - Previous question
ALT-C - Open calculator
ALT-F - Flag question
Practice using these shortcuts to build up muscle memory and save you time in the decision-making subtest.
UCAT Tip 14: Reflect On Your Practice Questions
Whilst practice UCAT questions can be exhausting, it’s important to maximise the benefit you receive from revising.
To do this, we recommend using our reflective revision technique.
After each decision-making practice, comb through your answers carefully, making sure that you understand where you went wrong, and check that you could answer the question correctly if faced with a similar one.
Consider which type of DM questions you find hardest and get incorrect the most often in your practices.
👉🏻 Read more about reflective revision to optimise your UCAT score
UCAT Questions Tip 15: Use The Skip Option Strategically In The UCAT Decision-Making Subtest
Once you’ve become familiar with which question types you routinely get wrong, or struggle with, you can begin to employ the ‘strategic skip’.
Given that all DM questions are worth the same number of marks, we recommend skipping question types which you frequently struggle with in this ucat subtest.
You can always guess, flag and come back to these questions later if time permits.
Decision Making Tip 16: Target Your Revision To Harder Question Types
After identifying your weaknesses, another option is to hone your revision.
As reassuring as it is to practice DM question types that you’re familiar with and comfortable with, you will gain more from revising the question types and topics which you struggle with.
Work on understanding how to answer each question type effectively, and use focused practice to improve your method of approaching the questions.
👉🏻 Read more: UKCAT Key Dates in 2024
Tip 17: Practice With The Official UCAT Decision Making Mocks
Using the official UCAT Consortium decision-making mock questions for revision is highly effective, in providing a realistic understanding of the exam format and the types of challenges you will face.
Practising with the official problem-solving questions will enhance your familiarity with the question styles and time constraints.
👉🏻 Read more about our UKCAT Practice Questions
UCAT Decision Making Frequently Asked Questions
What does the UCAT Decision Making section test?
The UCAT Decision Making section assesses your ability to solve problems, interpret information, and make decisions under time pressure.
How many question types are there in the UCAT Decision Making section?
There are six types of questions in the UCAT Decision Making section: Syllogisms, Logic Puzzles, Interpretation, Assumptions, Probability, and Venn Diagrams.
Why is it important to be familiar with different question types in the UCAT Decision Making section?
Being familiar with the different question types improves confidence and increases the speed at which you can answer questions, as it helps you quickly recognise and approach each question effectively.
How should I approach syllogism questions in the UCAT?
For syllogism questions, determine the direction of each rule and avoid assuming a reciprocal relationship unless explicitly stated. Summarizing and labelling the directional flow of rules can clarify which options fit the system.
What strategy is effective for logic puzzle questions?
For logic puzzles, reorganise information visually through diagrams or tables to identify key relationships and simplify the puzzle, making it easier to solve under time constraints.
What is a key tip for answering interpretation questions in the UCAT Decision Making section?
Start by reading the question and answer options carefully to understand what you need to interpret, avoiding the trap of spending too much time analyzing the entire dataset or diagram first.
How can drawing tables help in probability questions?
Drawing tables helps visualise relationships between events or items, breaking down the question into manageable parts and increasing the accuracy of your probability calculations.
Is there negative marking in UCAT Decision Making?
No, there is no negative marking in UCAT Decision Making, so it's advisable to make an educated guess for questions you are uncertain about.
What is the importance of time management in this section of the UCAT?
With just over a minute per question and a total of 29 questions in 31 minutes, effective time management is crucial to answer as many questions as possible and to avoid spending too long on difficult questions.
How beneficial is practising with official UCAT Decision Making mock questions?
Practising with official UCAT Decision-Making mock questions is highly effective, as it provides a realistic understanding of the exam format and helps enhance familiarity with question styles and time constraints.
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