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Pre-UCAT Discussion 2021

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ucatboy

final year eek
Valued Member
I encourage everyone to read about Bertrand's box paradox, which comes into play for questions where we don't know which dice/coin we're looking at: Bertrand's box paradox - Wikipedia

If you can understand the reasoning on this page and remember it, you should be good to go for questions like these.
 

JeydinNewWon

Regular Member
DonTheDoc Pearson's explanation is wrong but answer is right.

JeydinNewWon the probability of getting one 5 only is not 5/36 but 10/36 because you can set either die to be the one with the 5 - they're separate entities, although it can be difficult to tell visibly, especially if they're identical. Instead, you could try pretending that Dice A is blue and Dice B is red or something. If we use Dice A-Dice B notation:

Setting Dice A as the 5: 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-6
Setting Dice B as the 5: 1-5, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 6-5
= 10/36 permutations

You are correct in saying that the chance of getting two 5s is only 1/36 - both dice must land on a 5 to satisfy the requirements for this outcome.

In summary:
Play 36 games (-$36)
10/36 plays yield one 5 i.e. $2 (+$20)
1/36 plays yield two 5s i.e. $10 (+$10)
= $6 loss

Pearson accidentally swapped the probabilities of getting one 5 and two 5s in their explanation, which only makes the question more confusing.
Thanks! I was also thinking about how either dice can be considered as separate entities too and was unsure about it.
 

Ems

Member
Hi
Does it matter if you sit the ucat in august rather than in july ? I am looking to change my july booking to august, will that affect my application being considered for some unis ?
 

ucatboy

final year eek
Valued Member
Hi
Does it matter if you sit the ucat in august rather than in july ? I am looking to change my july booking to august, will that affect my application being considered for some unis ?
Applications are considered after the September 30 deadline, what you do before then doesn't matter.
 
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jinjja21

Member
Hey guys, just a quick question

If we are sitting the actual exam (on the exam day) and experience technical errors with the computer, keyboard, mouse etc, should we be informing the invigilator about the error as soon as we notice it, at the end of a section (during the 1 min break) or at the very end of the exam?

If we perhaps let them know either when we first notice it or during the break, wouldn't this drag into our exam time and potentially disadvantage us by cutting down the time we have to answer each question? But then, if we tell them at the very end, the invigilators will not be able to 'witness' the error and proper follow-ups may not be made...?
 

dotwingz

Google Enthusiast
Moderator
What do you mean technical errors? If it impedes your ability to take the test (e.g. frozen screen) you should let them know ASAP. Difficulties will eat into your time no matter what, let them know ASAP so they might be able to fix it,
 
Hey, I was just wondering if you are able to adjust the font size for VR passages? (I prefer a larger font size due to poor eyesight)
 

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Wolfles

CCCS MD-JMP III
Hi, just confirming all we need for UCAT day is: appropriate ID and confirmation email?
That’s correct, and perhaps earplugs if you need them. (Would recommend, however don’t use if it’s uncomfortable).
Bring a bottle if you want to drink beforehand. You cannot take it in however.
Good luck!
 

Wolfles

CCCS MD-JMP III
Hey guys, just a quick question

If we are sitting the actual exam (on the exam day) and experience technical errors with the computer, keyboard, mouse etc, should we be informing the invigilator about the error as soon as we notice it, at the end of a section (during the 1 min break) or at the very end of the exam?

If we perhaps let them know either when we first notice it or during the break, wouldn't this drag into our exam time and potentially disadvantage us by cutting down the time we have to answer each question? But then, if we tell them at the very end, the invigilators will not be able to 'witness' the error and proper follow-ups may not be made...?
If you come across any errors that significantly affects your ability to do the UCAT, Eg. Crashes, glitches, broken equipment, let the invigilators know ASAP. If the error is able to be fixed, you’ll resume where you are (however, most cases the timer would not have stopped and you’ll lose time). On your UCAT score report you will have a star (*) next to the section which you experienced this error. (This lets universities know that something has happened).

However, I think it is more advisable to push for a resit, as I believe most unis do not give you a competitive advantage because of the * on your UCAT report.
 

jinjja21

Member
hey, i read somewhere that pearson adds 1-2 new types of questions to DM each year but these don't hold any marks - is this true?
 

Mayagical

Lurker
Hi everyone, long time lurker and first time posting,

My exam is in 3 days and I'm not sure how I should approach the time I have left. I'm not planning to do a mock in case it goes badly and hurts my confidence.

At this point, I would say AR and VR are my weakest sections. Any advice would be appreciated :)
 

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dotwingz

Google Enthusiast
Moderator
Hi everyone, long time lurker and first time posting,

My exam is in 3 days and I'm not sure how I should approach the time I have left. I'm not planning to do a mock in case it goes badly and hurts my confidence.

At this point, I would say AR and VR are my weakest sections. Any advice would be appreciated :)
Try high yield study. Do a very brief (<1 hour or so) study on each section tips and trick, then just try doing questions and implement the tricks. I.e. read the vr guide of hazell/smelly boy, do a few vr questions implementing the strategy, then do it fast, then faster, then try dm, do it faster, etc. I have guides linked in my signature.
 

2xq

Allied Health Member
Hello!

Has anyone done their UCAT at Cliftons in Sydney? What was the venue like?
Cliftons Sydney is a new venue in light of the ITIC closure. If there have been people sitting UCAT ANZ there, it wouldn't be many at this point in time.
 
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