How to Pass the UKCAT: Unbeatable Practice for Success in the United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test

321 Pages·2009·7.47 MB·English

by  Mike Bryon

How to pass UKCAT aw:Layout 1 26/5/09 11:07 Page 1
HOW TO PASS THE
H
The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is used by the majority of UK medical schools and
some dentistry schools as part of their selection procedures. Although these tests cannot be O
revised for, they can be prepared for. By familiarizing yourself with the type of questions you
W UKCAT
may be asked you will be one step closer to fulfilling your potential and winning a place.

How to Pass the UKCATwill help you to work hard on your exam technique and learn how to T
achieve the necessary balance between speed and accuracy. It teaches you about each of
O
the five styles of question involved and what they demand of you, showing you how to
develop a winning approach and get the results you want. Written by testing experts Mike
P
Bryon and Jim Clayden it contains 600 up-to-date, highly relevant practice questions for the
UKCAT subtests. It also offers mini tests so you can practice under realistic test conditions A
against the clock. You won’t find another book that offers so many practice questions with
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answers and full explanations on:
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(cid:129) verbal reasoning;

(cid:129) decision analysis; T
(cid:129) quantitative reasoning;
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(cid:129) abstract reasoning;
(cid:129) non-cognitive analysis. E

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How to Pass the UKCATcontains everything you need for a successful programme of
self-study and will remove the unnecessary stress and anxiety these tests generate, helping K
you to gain the competitive edge.
C
Mike Bryonis an expert on psychometrics and training solutions. He is also the author of The A
Advanced Numeracy Test Workbook, How to Pass the GMAT®, How to Pass the Civil Service Unbeatable practice for success in the
T
Qualifying Tests, and Ultimate Psychometric Tests, and (with Sanjay Modha) How to Pass
Selection Testsand How to Pass Technical Selection Tests(all published by Kogan Page). United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test
Jim Claydenhas extensive pedagogical experience in analytical and numerical reasoning. B
He has developed learning and testing materials in higher and further education for various r
institutions. y Over 600 practice questions with answers
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n and detailed explanations

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Questions on verbal and quantitative reasoning,
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a decision analysis and cognitive analysis
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e Realistic timed tests
£12.99 n
US $24.95
n
ISBN: 978-0-7494-5333-6
o
Kogan Page Kogan Page US
i
t
120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241 i
d
London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA 19147 e
United Kingdom USA 9 780749 453336 Mike Bryon & Jim Clayden 9
www.koganpage.com Careers and testing 0
0
2
i
HOW TO PASS THE
UKCAT
ii
UKCAT is the abbreviated title for the United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test
published by Pearson. This publication does not contain any real UKCATquestions
or test material. It has been devised first and foremost as a source of help in
preparing for the challenge of the UKCAT. The questions and advice have been
written to help real candidates pass the real test.
iii
HOW TO PASS THE
UKCAT
Unbeatable practice for success in the
United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test
2009 edition
Mike Bryon and Jim Clayden
London and Philadelphia
iv
Whilst the authors have made every effort to ensure that the content of this book is accurate, please
note that occasional errors can occur in books of this kind. If you suspect that an error has been made
in any of the tests included in this book, please inform the publishers at the address printed below so
that it can be corrected at the next reprint.
Publisher’s note
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time
of going to press, and the publishers and authors cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions,
however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action,
as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of the authors.
First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2009 by Kogan Page Limited
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted
under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or trans-
mitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of
reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning
reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses:
120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241
London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA19147
United Kingdom USA
www.koganpage.com
© Mike Bryon and Jim Clayden, 2009
The rights of Mike Bryon and Jim Clayden to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by
them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 978 0 7494 5333 6
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
ACIPrecord for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bryon, Mike.
How to pass the UKCAT: unbeatable practice for success in the United Kingdom clinical aptitude test /
Mike Bryon and Jim Clayden.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7494-5333-6
1. UK Clinical Aptitude Test--Study guides. I. Clayden, Jim. II. Title.
R838.5.B79 2009
610.76--dc22
2008049565
Typeset by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby
Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt Ltd
v
Contents
1 Use this book to maximize your UKCATscore 1
The computer-administered test 2
You need a good UKCATscore 2
You may also need a well-balanced score 2
Practice makes a big difference in UKCATscores 3
Key stages in preparing 4
Things to remember on the day of the test 6
If English is not your first language 7
If you are planning to sit the UKCATmany years after studying 7
If you suffer a disability 8
2 Verbal reasoning 9
Warm up questions 10
Eight mini-tests for the UKCATverbal reasoning paper 25
3 Decision analysis 38
Warm up questions 39
Sixty warm up decision analysis questions 44
Four decision analysis mini-tests 63
4 Quantitative reasoning 72
Objectives 72
The test 72
Mini-tests 112
5 Abstract reasoning 134
Introductory questions 136
Mini-tests 186
vi Contents
6 Non-cognitive analysis 211
7 Answers and explanations 248
Chapter 2 248
Chapter 3 263
Chapter 4 280
Chapter 5 291
Chapter 6 299
1
1
Use this book to
maximize your UKCAT
score
If you have been searching for a way to improve your UKCATscore then you have found
it. This book provides practice to maximize your chances of getting into medical school
with over 600 questions and signposts to thousands more. Use it to get down to some
serious score-improving practice.
Our aim is simply to provide everything you need to ace the test. We will not spend
time discussing why you want to be a doctor or how you might best prepare for medical
school. Instead we will focus purely on giving you the practice you need to meet the chal-
lenge of the five sub-tests that make up the UKCAT.
You should have carefully studied the very important information provided at
www.ukcat.ac.uk. You should be completely familiar with the details regarding the stated
purpose of the test, what it attempts to predict and its key features. You should follow the
online application process to the letter and regularly check your inbox for e-mails from
UKCAT. You should have already downloaded the practice questions and tests. You will
realize that the UKCAT is made up of sub-tests of verbal reasoning, decision making,
quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning and non-cognitive analysis. Note that some of
the questions in each sub-test may be non-scoring as they are being trialled for inclusion
as scoring items in future tests. You are not given any indication as to which are scoring,
so treat every question with the same determination. You should also realize that, like all
selection tests, the UKCAT is under almost constant development and so some things
may change. You will find a great deal of interesting (soft) information about the UKCAT
on forums, for example www.thestudentroom.co.uk. Take some of the views expressed
on these sites with a largish pinch of salt.
2 How to pass the UKCAT
The computer-administered test
Be sure to take the time to become entirely familiar with the way in which the UKCATis
administered onscreen. Pay attention to, for example, how to use the onscreen calculator
in the qualitative sub-test. Be aware that diagrams on the computer screen can be
misleading, especially in the case of geometric shapes, tables and graphs, as the screen
can distort the image or the scale or both! The test author is aware of this and will have
provided sufficient information to arrive at the answer. Take note what is said and avoid
drawing unnecessary assumptions about the appearance of a diagram, table or graph on
the screen. For example, if a shape is described as a cube but on the screen the sides do
not all seem quite equal, ignore it and treat the shape as a cube. Equally, if a table or graph
says that quality xis the largest but on the screen it looks like quality yis the same or in
fact bigger, then take no notice and treat quantity xas the largest.
You need a good UKCAT score
Competition for places at medical (dental and veterinary) school and especially at the
more prestigious schools is fierce. The score range for the UKCAT is 300–900, with
500–700 being the normal range and 600 being the average mark in each section (note
that the non-cognitive paper is scored differently from the other four sub-tests). To ensure
that your score supports your application you will generally need an above-average score
in each sub-test. However, the averages are based on a very broad range. Some people
will get into the school of their choice with lower scores than others. There will not be a
minimum score that you have to achieve. The UKCATis only one of the many assess-
ments used to decide if an applicant is to be offered a place, but it is in your interests to try
to maximize each element of your application.
You may also need a well-balanced score
Doing really well in, for example, the quantitative part of the UKCATwill compensate
for a weaker performance in the verbal parts of the test, but this compensation needs to be
within certain limits. Most schools will prefer candidates who do well across all five sub-
tests. The need for a balanced score makes it really important that candidates identify and
work to address areas of personal weakness. If you have always found maths difficult but
until now have succeeded in spite of it, it is time to correct this. You will feel more
confident and will recognize what is behind a question and the significance of the subtle
differences in the suggested answers.
Most UKCATcandidates will have strengths and weaknesses, but if you believe that
you have an imbalance that may be seen as too great, make sure you start work early to
address it. Everyone can become proficient in the aptitudes examined; it is simply a
matter of giving yourself enough time to practise. It takes some candidates longer to
reach the required standard in any area of personal challenge, but given hard work and
determination everyone can realize it. It can be boring, painful even, but if you have
decided to follow a career that requires you to realize a good balanced pass in the
Use this book to maximize your UKCAT score 3
UKCATthen you have little alternative but to get down to some serious hard work. Once
again, if you are not prepared to put in the hard work to maximize your scores on these
tests, then it is likely that medical, dentistry or veterinary school and a related career are
not for you.
Practice makes a big difference in UKCAT scores
It is important that you realize that most people who score well in the UKCATwill have
worked hard preparing for the test. There is no secret. Studies show that those who put in
the most hours do best, whether in sport, music or academic achievement. Above all else,
this requires time and especially commitment. Without the latter it is unlikely that you
will do very well.
In addition to plain hard slog, there are also some strategies to adopt so that you are not
only working harder, but smarter too.
Adopt a ‘no going back’ philosophy
Treat every question as a passport to fulfilling your dreams. Adopt the mindset that each
question counts, so be sure of every answer before moving on to the next. When prac-
tising, resist the temptation of going back and reviewing your answers. In the real test you
will not have time to do this, so do not hit the submit button for each answer without a
final, brief review.
Manage your time expertly
You need to work quickly through every sub-test. Sometimes you may find it difficult to
attempt all the questions in the given time. You should practise answering the questions
in this book in an average of 30 seconds per question, so that in the real test you will be
able to concentrate on the questions and take your time management for granted. Resist
wasting too much time on difficult questions.
Guess intelligently
If you do not know the answer you have little alternative but to guess. Straight guessing
offers a 20 per cent chance of getting the right answer, but remember to look at the
suggested answers to see if you can rule any out as definitely wrong. If you can, then you
will improve your chances of guessing correctly. If the end of the test approaches and you
have not attempted all the questions, then in the last 60 seconds or so, randomly guessing
answers to the remaining questions may well secure a couple of extra percentiles.
Make a really good start
In the UKCATevery question counts, but try especially hard to get the first question right
in each sub-test, then the first five questions and then all the rest! The opening questions
in a computer-administered test are especially significant because these tests are often