Pre-UCAT Discussion 2021

[fm8]

Well Done! Really impressed by what you could achieve considering your circumstances.

In terms of VR, this section is largely an assessment of your ability to read fast, but also memory retention and comprehension of the information in that short reading period. Understanding these fundamentals, the simplest and quickest way I've (and others) have improved their verbal reasoning is by engaging in brain conditioning. There are a couple of tricks that I used specifically:

1. Speed Reading
- By actively training your brain to consume information at a faster rate, naturally your verbal reasoning should improve. Start with manageable speeds, and slowly work your way up.

2. Memory Retention games
- I believe that this method helped me significantly. There are many different types of games you can find online - for example the game that I used a lot was one where I had to remember a sequence of numbers, which kept getting longer each time I progressed a level. This particularly helped my short-term memory, which is incredibly important in verbal reasoning.

3. Wiki Article reading
- This is a method that I devised myself, which helped me score above the 90th percentile in VR. Essentially, I would find a random article on Wikipedia, and I would read perhaps the first 3 paragraphs as fast as I could, ensuring I do not spend more than 30 seconds doing so. Afterwards, I would try and summarise as much as possible of what I had just read. I like Wikipedia as these types of non-fiction articles are usually found on the UCAT!

I do have many more tips for VR, and other sections too for the UCAT! Please don't hesitate to ask additional questions here in the thread, I would be more than happy to help

(last line edited by moderator to encourage use of threads to share information and tips)

Thanks so much, ive done a few speed reading courses, but my memory retention is horrible, so ill try and focus on that!

 

[fm8]

Hi, it looks like there are at least 7 people (8 including me!) on MSO who are resitting the UCAT this year.

I would appreciate some help with AR.

Just completed an AR Mini-Mock and achieved 570. Before I sat this Mini-mock, I worked through 60 pages of AR tips and worked examples from a very famous UCAT Textbook (which of course won't be named), twice, (because I didn't retain anything the first time through), by spending 5 hours each day at the library for the past 4 days. (I am taking a gap year solely for the purpose of resitting the UCAT so I have a lot of time haha).

Is there something I could be doing wrong? The technique I learnt from their textbook was not using a mnemonic, but thinking about 1. Type 2. Features 3. Arrangement. (Which I feel works better for me than SCANS or the other mnemonics.)

Any other useful tips for AR? Do you think writing down every single pattern you come across into a Word document is helpful?

This is now my strongest area! and honestly I use to be extremely bad at this section.

The best advice I can give is practice with immediate feed back and take notes. eventually the patterns become repetitive

These are my personal notes that I gathered over time and practice for the A or B type of questions
Sorry for my spelling and grammar errors

Set A or Set B

• There is sometime a ‘KEY’ object that influences all other objects in the pattern. This could be a key object in the corner where other objects are placed certain spaces away from or are shaded differently.
• Objects sizes – same or different size
• Number of objects – is it the same in each shape, number of one objects could = the number of sides in another, or number of right angles or acute angles or symmetry axis.
• Is the number of white objects = number of black objects + 1. Is it number of white objects are of even number and black objects are odd number
• Number of circles in each shape = to the number of sides of another object within the shape
• If there are arrows. Are they pointing up for even number objects and down for odd number of objects
• Are the arrow heads = number of sides of an object
• How many arrow heads inside an object vs outside an object
• Number of sides – is there odd or even number of sides. Do the objects have a number of side’s that are a multiple of 2, 3… Could be the sum of all sides = to a number or sum of all corners. The number of sides to 1 object = to number of sides to another Object + 1.
• Symmetries - either line of symmetry, mirror image, rotational symmetry
• Number and types of angles – are the angles under over 90* or 180*, are there a fixed number of right or acute or obtuse angles. The number of right angles might match the number of other objects in the shape.
• Intersections - object overlapping or touching
• Colour of the object - colour influence count, number of edges/symmetries/angles = a coloured object
• If a square is black then a triangle must be white and a circle must be grey etc.…
• Position and direction of the object – is there a key object in the same position. Is there a certain object that is always opposite another or in the position the arrow is pointing/not pointing? Objects spaces away the same
• Types of answers
• Total number of edges across all objects in any one shape = the same
• There are at least 1 circle in each shape and all other objects only have straight edges whereas set B have both curved and straight edges
• Set A – all arrows are pointing all directions accept right, Set B arrows are point all directions accept left
• The rotational symmetry in set A has an order of 2, in set B it has an order of 4 (meaning all objects look the Same when rotated by a quarter
• All black objects can fit together within the white circle and not true for grey objects
• Has a total of 5 white sectors, 1 grey and 2 black
• Clock – the number of hours multiplies by the number of minutes = 60
• Each large circle contains 7 objects
• Number of black object = the number of sides to the large white object – 1.
• Grey copies of the key white object is 2 spaces away whilst black objects are 3 spaces away
• Square and circle are always the same colour and triangle and heart are always of different colour
• Set A – the number of triangles = the number of circles, set B is the number of triangles = the number of circles + 2.
• The number of edges equal 10 when counting black objects as doubled
• The white object has always 4 more side than the black object
• Number of black objects = number of arrow heads and white objects = number of straight lines
• Number of grey objects = number of right angles in the black object only. Black objects have an even number of sides and white objects = number of non-right angles in the black objects
• Rule: Set A: for every large arrow pointing downwards there are two large arrows pointing upwards, the small arrows are a distraction.
• Rule: Set A has an even number of even pointed stars, an odd number of odd pointed stars and an odd number of shaded stars. Set B has an even number of odd pointed stars, and odd number of even pointed stars and an even number of shaded stars.
• Set A - Sequence begins with top left shape and progresses to bottom right. When there is a black circle, the next shape has one more side than the previous shape (i.e. if a triangle has a black circle, the next shape will be a square). There is a white circle next to each shape.
• Set B - Sequence begins with top left shape and progresses to bottom right. When there is a black circle, the next shape is the same as the previous shape. If there is no black circle on a shape, the next shape will have one more side than the previous shape. There is a white circle next to each shape.
• Rule: In Set A, if there are one or more odd-sided shapes, then the pattern is rotated to an X (i.e. if all the shapes are even sided, it is in a + direction). In Set B, if there are one or more even-sided shapes, then the pattern is rotated to a X (i.e. if all the shapes are odd sided, it is in a + direction). The colours are a distraction.
• The left triangle is always white , when the middle shape has an odd number of sides, the right triangle is black. Vice versa
• Shapes altering between convex and concave
• Set A: There is at least always one square and one circle, the square is always larger than the circle. Set B: the is at least always one square) and one star (any type of star), the star is always bigger than the square
• Set A: the number of intersections (n) = (number of shapes) + 1, and Set B: is the number of intersections (n) = (number of shapes)-1

 

[ThunderDragon]

Hi everyone

Second-time sitter for UCAT this year as well. Does anyone have any tips on how to get consistent scores with DM? Last year, in terms of my practices and mocks, my scores really varied from around 500 to 850 right throughout the roughly two months (as in I got like 850 in the middle of my practice before getting a 600 and then getting a 750, etc after). I eventually ended up with a 700 on the real exam.

 

[ucatking]

Hi everyone

Second-time sitter for UCAT this year as well. Does anyone have any tips on how to get consistent scores with DM? Last year, in terms of my practices and mocks, my scores really varied from around 500 to 850 right throughout the roughly two months (as in I got like 850 in the middle of my practice before getting a 600 and then getting a 750, etc after). I eventually ended up with a 700 on the real exam.

Hey bro, thanks for your message. From my experience, Decision Making is probably the easiest subsection to maintain a relatively decent level- perhaps because it is the least time pressured subtest.

In Decision Making, there are a lot of different question types, and so your brain needs to do well pivoting from one domain of thinking to another in fairly rapid succession. If you find trouble doing this, I've heard people attempt one question type at a time; for example, they only attempt syllogisms in their first run-through of the test, and then they only attempt venn-diagrams... and so on. This could help your brain from being overloaded with many different question types all at once.

Another suggestion I would add - which pertains to the fact that DM contains a lot of question types - is that you need to be comfortable with all of them. Considering your varied results, this could be the result of weakness in certain question types. So, rather than practising DM as one whole subsection, I would probably suggest practising each question type, especially ones you are weaker in. This might help improve your consistency.

Hope this helps,

 

[ThunderDragon]

Hey bro, thanks for your message. From my experience, Decision Making is probably the easiest subsection to maintain a relatively decent level- perhaps because it is the least time pressured subtest.

In Decision Making, there are a lot of different question types, and so your brain needs to do well pivoting from one domain of thinking to another in fairly rapid succession. If you find trouble doing this, I've heard people attempt one question type at a time; for example, they only attempt syllogisms in their first run-through of the test, and then they only attempt venn-diagrams... and so on. This could help your brain from being overloaded with many different question types all at once.

Another suggestion I would add - which pertains to the fact that DM contains a lot of question types - is that you need to be comfortable with all of them. Considering your varied results, this could be the result of weakness in certain question types. So, rather than practising DM as one whole subsection, I would probably suggest practising each question type, especially ones you are weaker in. This might help improve your consistency.

Hope this helps,

Ah ok. Thanks so much for the advice. Yeah now that you mention it, there are definitely parts of DM that I am weaker in like the Syllogisms for example.

 

[occhiolisms]

Anyone else sitting UCAT again (second time)? *sigh*
I don't even know where to start or what to change in my preparation...
Last year I got 84th percentile, this year's goal is 98th (putting it out there to hold myself accountable )
Does anyone have any advice on when to start studying for it as a retaker? Should I do one mock exam a week during my uni sem and then one every couple of days leading up to the exam in the July uni holidays? I'm a third-year uni student studying full time (avoiding GAMSAT at all costs if I can coz sounds a trek and a half compared to UCAT)

Yep!! Got a 2930 last year so JUST missed out on interviews. Taking a gap year this year and planning on saving up a bit while studying for the UCAT!

Does anyone have any advice on how to push up my UCAT? Aiming for a 3100+ this time. I didn't do much prep last year, should I do mocks this year? And if so, when should I start doing them regularly?

 

[fm8]

Yep!! Got a 2930 last year so JUST missed out on interviews. Taking a gap year this year and planning on saving up a bit while studying for the UCAT!

Does anyone have any advice on how to push up my UCAT? Aiming for a 3100+ this time. I didn't do much prep last year, should I do mocks this year? And if so, when should I start doing them regularly?

what i am doing, third time sitting it is: Im going through section by section, with focusing on 2 sections a month/2-3 weeks depending, Im doing all type of questions in that section and finding my weak area's, then i would focus on those weak areas while doing timed mini mocks on those sections only. for example in QR im weak in currency exchange and time/flight questions so I plan to do heaps of those . After doing that, i'll focus on mocks and speed as a whole.

 

[cocodreams]

for second time sitters previously or in 2021, do we have to make a new pearson ANZ account to register for the UCAT or can we use the same one as last time?

 

[dotwingz]

you can use the same one.

 

[sevun]

How would you approach this pattern? While there are a few patterns/factors we can rule out immediately, even with the remaining factors, I felt it was a bit difficult ://

Did we get a rule for this in the end?

 

[Scrivo_72]

Did we get a rule for this in the end?

Yea pretty sure for set a it was “bottom right shape is the top left shapes pattern rotated 90 degrees clockwise” and set b was “bottom right shape is the top left shapes pattern rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise.” might be another rule though.

 

[mars_02]

Hello, can anyone see the button?

I can't see it..

 

[sd_19]

Hello, can anyone see the View attachment 4523 button?

I can't see it.

i can't see it either !

Has anyone been able to book their test yet? It doesn't seem to work for me

 

[sevun]

I’m calling the customer service at the moment, hopefully they pick up soon. It says this exam has no web scheduling.

 

[cocodreams]

I’m calling the customer service at the moment, hopefully they pick up soon. It says this exam has no web scheduling.

where does it say there's no web scheduling? for me it just shows that "scheduling will begin in the future"

 

[sevun]

where does it say there's no web scheduling? for me it just shows that "scheduling will begin in the future"

 

[cocodreams]

View attachment 4524

mine's like this. Hmm, maybe refresh your page?

 

[Penny Lane]

O

This is now my strongest area! and honestly I use to be extremely bad at this section.

The best advice I can give is practice with immediate feed back and take notes. eventually the patterns become repetitive

These are my personal notes that I gathered over time and practice for the A or B type of questions
Sorry for my spelling and grammar errors

Set A or Set B

• There is sometime a ‘KEY’ object that influences all other objects in the pattern. This could be a key object in the corner where other objects are placed certain spaces away from or are shaded differently.
• Objects sizes – same or different size
• Number of objects – is it the same in each shape, number of one objects could = the number of sides in another, or number of right angles or acute angles or symmetry axis.
• Is the number of white objects = number of black objects + 1. Is it number of white objects are of even number and black objects are odd number
• Number of circles in each shape = to the number of sides of another object within the shape
• If there are arrows. Are they pointing up for even number objects and down for odd number of objects
• Are the arrow heads = number of sides of an object
• How many arrow heads inside an object vs outside an object
• Number of sides – is there odd or even number of sides. Do the objects have a number of side’s that are a multiple of 2, 3… Could be the sum of all sides = to a number or sum of all corners. The number of sides to 1 object = to number of sides to another Object + 1.
• Symmetries - either line of symmetry, mirror image, rotational symmetry
• Number and types of angles – are the angles under over 90* or 180*, are there a fixed number of right or acute or obtuse angles. The number of right angles might match the number of other objects in the shape.
• Intersections - object overlapping or touching
• Colour of the object - colour influence count, number of edges/symmetries/angles = a coloured object
• If a square is black then a triangle must be white and a circle must be grey etc.…
• Position and direction of the object – is there a key object in the same position. Is there a certain object that is always opposite another or in the position the arrow is pointing/not pointing? Objects spaces away the same
• Types of answers
• Total number of edges across all objects in any one shape = the same
• There are at least 1 circle in each shape and all other objects only have straight edges whereas set B have both curved and straight edges
• Set A – all arrows are pointing all directions accept right, Set B arrows are point all directions accept left
• The rotational symmetry in set A has an order of 2, in set B it has an order of 4 (meaning all objects look the Same when rotated by a quarter
• All black objects can fit together within the white circle and not true for grey objects
• Has a total of 5 white sectors, 1 grey and 2 black
• Clock – the number of hours multiplies by the number of minutes = 60
• Each large circle contains 7 objects
• Number of black object = the number of sides to the large white object – 1.
• Grey copies of the key white object is 2 spaces away whilst black objects are 3 spaces away
• Square and circle are always the same colour and triangle and heart are always of different colour
• Set A – the number of triangles = the number of circles, set B is the number of triangles = the number of circles + 2.
• The number of edges equal 10 when counting black objects as doubled
• The white object has always 4 more side than the black object
• Number of black objects = number of arrow heads and white objects = number of straight lines
• Number of grey objects = number of right angles in the black object only. Black objects have an even number of sides and white objects = number of non-right angles in the black objects
• Rule: Set A: for every large arrow pointing downwards there are two large arrows pointing upwards, the small arrows are a distraction.
• Rule: Set A has an even number of even pointed stars, an odd number of odd pointed stars and an odd number of shaded stars. Set B has an even number of odd pointed stars, and odd number of even pointed stars and an even number of shaded stars.
• Set A - Sequence begins with top left shape and progresses to bottom right. When there is a black circle, the next shape has one more side than the previous shape (i.e. if a triangle has a black circle, the next shape will be a square). There is a white circle next to each shape.
• Set B - Sequence begins with top left shape and progresses to bottom right. When there is a black circle, the next shape is the same as the previous shape. If there is no black circle on a shape, the next shape will have one more side than the previous shape. There is a white circle next to each shape.
• Rule: In Set A, if there are one or more odd-sided shapes, then the pattern is rotated to an X (i.e. if all the shapes are even sided, it is in a + direction). In Set B, if there are one or more even-sided shapes, then the pattern is rotated to a X (i.e. if all the shapes are odd sided, it is in a + direction). The colours are a distraction.
• The left triangle is always white , when the middle shape has an odd number of sides, the right triangle is black. Vice versa
• Shapes altering between convex and concave
• Set A: There is at least always one square and one circle, the square is always larger than the circle. Set B: the is at least always one square) and one star (any type of star), the star is always bigger than the square
• Set A: the number of intersections (n) = (number of shapes) + 1, and Set B: is the number of intersections (n) = (number of shapes)-1

Ok this is awesome. Thank you!!!

 

[Penny Lane]

Has anyone been able to book their test yet? It doesn't seem to work for me

I’m still waiting... refreshing every few mins

 

[sevun]

View attachment 4525
mine's like this. Hmm, maybe refresh your page?

Hmm, I have multiple times! Maybe it will come in time... Thanks for your help though