11 UCAT Verbal Reasoning Tips (Explained for Beginners)
Paul Nowak
Founder & CEO @ IrisReading.com | Speed Reading, Memory, Productivity Training
The UCAT verbal reasoning segment is a high-tension part of the UCAT exam, which is why you need practical tips to pass it. You’ll need to sharpen your retention, answer questions strategically, scan at high speed, and manage your time effectively.?
UCAT is an exam specifically developed to ensure that healthcare professionals meet all the mental and emotional requirements for the job. However, verbal reasoning is one of the hardest because of the extreme time constraint and long passages.?
If you want to scale the aptitude test, the verbal reasoning segment is a focal point with 44 marks on the line. Doing well in this aspect alone can significantly boost your overall score.?
This article will share twelve effective tips to help you score high on your UCAT Verbal Reasoning. These tips will give you the confidence to ace your exam.?
What is UCAT verbal reasoning subtest?
The UCAT verbal reasoning is the aspect of your UCAT exam that tests your ability to read a text, comprehend information, and pick critical points from it. This aspect requires a scientific aptitude and the ability to discern information strictly from the material before you.?
Doctors and dentists need well-sharpened verbal reasoning skills to comprehend their patients’ medical information and make sound calls.?
They also need to be able to pick out the findings in published materials and apply this to subjective circumstances.?
In addition, doctors must also be able to communicate situations clearly to their patients and relatives. All of this must be done in record time, especially during emergencies. This is why the verbal reasoning section is vital.?
The verbal reasoning category usually contains eleven passages with four questions per passage. The texts vary in length and can come from journals, medical textbooks, news, or regular information.?
You have twenty-one minutes to answer the 44 questions. This gives you about 15 seconds per question. As a result, most students don’t complete the verbal aspect, the most failed section of the UCAT exam.?
You are only required to use the information available in the passages. So, you should avoid applying any residual knowledge to the subjects. The questions come in different forms, and some of them are:?
True/ False/ Can’t tell
You’ll be expected to answer the questions in this category with any of these options. This used to be the most common question type before, but in recent years, it’s only a percentage of it.?
Critical thinking?
Some questions test your ability to think critically. They require you to draw conclusions and make inferences based on the information given in the passages.?
Single best answer questions?
You’ll be expected to fill incomplete statements with any of the four options available for these questions.?
Question & answer types
You are expected to write out answers to the questions directly. This is more time-consuming and can slow you down considerably. Author questions, too, appear in this format.?
This type of question expects you to evaluate the author’s opinion as given in the passage.?