How do we prepare our UCAT students for the real exam?
Our UCAT course is split into five sections, covering all sections of the UCAT. Each covers the following elements:
• An overview of the aptitude test for that section of the UCAT
• A look at common pitfalls for those not scoring highly
• A straightforward approach for all types of questions
• Strategy and tricks for tackling the questions smartly and efficiently
• UCAT practice where you answer questions using the method taught
• Mini mock UCAT test (10 minutes - timed)
• A detailed review of the mock questions, applying the strategies taught one more time to reinforce the knowledge.
Verbal Reasoning
The verbal reasoning section of our course lasts 3 hours. Depending on the source you read, you will see advice on reading the passage in full or scanning the keywords. We have found that neither of these is effective for a top score. From collaborating with several applicants with outstanding VR results, we observed them and analysed what they all did in common to devise our “mental mapping” strategy.
The strategy is unique to theMSAG team, created by us and only taught in our live course. Verbal reasoning is the lowest scoring section of the UCAT year on year, and our “secret” approach gives you an edge over other applicants.
Decision Making
The decision making strategies we teach have been reviewed and improved for 2021. We have found this to be a section where students struggle to achieve excellent scores. The variety in question types is often the culprit here. Some students do well in Venn diagrams, but not in logic puzzles or some students do well in all parts of decision making, except probabilities.
We are the only course in the UK that dedicates four whole hours to decision making review. It means we do not rush on any question type and offer you strategies and tricks that match the wide variety you can be presented with. Did you know there are four types of probability questions? Do you know how to recognise them in 5 seconds and the fastest method to solve each? This is precisely what we teach you in our decision making class.
Quantitative Reasoning
Quantitative reasoning is the highest scoring section in the UCAT, and for this one, we usually see two types of applicants. One group is naturally gifted in Maths and can technically solve most questions - but their main struggle is timing and knowing which ones are worth doing and which ones are worth skipping.
The other group of students find solving the questions challenging on top of the timing struggle. We have developed several strategies to help both groups of applicants. We teach you how to recognise a question type within 5 seconds. For many of them, we offer a single more rapid method to solve the question. We also delve into the overall section timing strategy, how to be efficient, and how to identify where you can skip questions. A pivotal secret to scoring highly in the quantitative section is to learn when and how to estimate, which we also cover with many example questions.
Abstract Reasoning
The abstract reasoning section of the UCAT is the section where we see the fastest improvement in our students. The shapes are farthest from anything you may have studied in class and can feel intimidating at first. When you realise you have 15 seconds per question, the intimation can reach high proportions.
The most important part of our teaching here is our approach. Mnemonics are good not to forget anything, but always approaching a question with the same mnemonic can mean that you are not starting with the obvious, costing you precious time. Our blended approach of using mnemonic and critical tips to recognise common patterns fast sets you up to excel in abstract reasoning. We take the challenge to make this initially stressful section feel fun for you!
Situational Judgement
The situational judgement section has gained weight in importance over the last few years. Many medical schools now have selection algorithms that strongly prefer students who achieve a band 1 in the SJT. For example, the University of Manchester gives a solid preference for SJT bands 1 and 2, while other schools like King’s medical school give a strong preference for SJT band 1.
The most considerable confusion we see in students here is the definition of the answer options. As a medic, you will often be in situations requiring judgment, but the situational judgement test is not asking how you would deal with something in real life. Instead, it is asking what the right thing to do according to the GMC guidelines is. Think of the “Duties of a Doctor” as your SJT workbook. We help students understand exactly what makes the difference between “appropriate” and “very appropriate” in the eyes of the UCAT, or the difference between “somewhat important” and “not important”. Once those definitions have been clarified with several examples and applied to scenarios where applicants can feel sure about their answers, the SJT section becomes “easy”.
