What is the UCAT® Abstract Reasoning?
UCAT® Abstract Reasoning is the fourth subtest, assessing pattern recognition among abstract shapes, filtering out distractions, and determining patterns and forms.
Why Is Abstract Reasoning Important in Medicine?
UCAT® Abstract Reasoning evaluates ability to shift perspectives, critically evaluate, and formulate hypotheses, crucial for physicians to identify patterns in ambiguous symptoms for reliable diagnosis.
UCAT® - Abstract Reasoning Structure
The UCAT® Abstract Reasoning subtest features four distinct question categories, each with varying answer formats, as detailed in the "UCAT Abstract Reasoning Question Types" section.
How much time do you have for UCAT® Abstract Reasoning?
UCAT® Abstract Reasoning consists of 55 questions, taking 13 minutes with an average time of 14 seconds per question. Detecting patterns takes 30 seconds and 5-10 seconds for each response.
UCAT® Abstract Reasoning Timing.
• Subtest: UCAT® Abstract Reasoning.
• Test time: 13 minutes.
• Number of questions: 55.
• Average time per question is 14 seconds.
Tips for answering UCAT® abstract reasoning questions
Learn the common patterns: Identifying UCAT® Abstract Reasoning patterns is a challenging task that may seem odd to some students, but understanding the specific pattern is crucial.
Focus on the simplest box - The least complex form of a set contains the same pattern or rule, minimizing distractions and aiding in focusing on key pieces, enabling pattern recognition.
Use the whiteboard as needed - It is easy to forget the rules and mix them up, resulting in easy marks if you have already detected the pattern. Use the whiteboard as needed.
UCAT® Abstract Reasoning Questions
Set A, Set B, or Neither - The UCAT® Abstract Reasoning subtest's most common question type involves determining if a shape belongs to Set A, Set B, or neither set.
Linear Pattern Completion is the UCAT® Abstract Reasoning subtest's most common question type involves determining if a shape belongs to Set A, Set B, or neither set.
Analogous Pattern Completion - The UCAT® Abstract Reasoning question presents two pairs of images, with Image A and Image B being related, and the choice of answer options is up to the student.
Set A or Set B - The questions are similar to Set A or B, but with four or five shapes as answer alternatives, requiring you to determine which fits into the pattern.
UCAT® Abstract Reasoning Questions on Exam Day
Avoid becoming fixated on solving difficult questions, instead guess questions on exam day, flag them, and move on to the next one.
Track exam time to avoid leaving questions blank and avoid losing points for erroneous responses, allowing you to improve UCAT® scores by filling in all questions.
If a UCAT® Abstract Reasoning question has many patterns, use the one you can identify to answer as many questions as feasible. Flag the question and come back to it later if time permits.
Use keyboard shortcuts - Similar to the Set A, Set B, or neither question type, you will be given four or five shapes as answer alternatives and must identify which fit within the pattern of Set A or Set B.
For more information, check out our full article here:
https://gradready.com.au/ucat-abstract-reasoning
