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Pre-UCAT Discussion 2022

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hp90

Member
Thanks for your opinion, I agree with you.
I was wondering what you think is the best time to take the UCAT?
I guess it depends when you think you perform best. I have booked a 10.30am slot, because it allows me time to get there without rushing, and I know I don't work at my best by the time the afternoon rolls around.
 

SLP

Bond MD I
I guess it depends when you think you perform best. I have booked a 10.30am slot, because it allows me time to get there without rushing, and I know I don't work at my best by the time the afternoon rolls around.
Agree ... for most people, doing their exam in the afternoon is where a 'food coma' may kick in, having had 2 heavy meals and not being able to focus 100%. Do keep in mind morning traffic if you are planning to do it in the morning, but I also did mine in the morning and felt completely refreshed without any sluggishness or anything.
 
Hi everyone,

How is everyone feeling at this point a few months away from sitting in regards to their progress?

For me I started off in mocks at around 50 percentile and after doing 9 papers and reviewing/ individual work in between have managed to increase to approximately 70 percentile. I am hoping I can continue to improve until I sit in August. So overall okay for me but still a ways to go.
 

hp90

Member
Hi everyone,

How is everyone feeling at this point a few months away from sitting in regards to their progress?

For me I started off in mocks at around 50 percentile and after doing 9 papers and reviewing/ individual work in between have managed to increase to approximately 70 percentile. I am hoping I can continue to improve until I sit in August. So overall okay for me but still a ways to go.
Hey! That's great improvement so far! Well done. Plenty of time to keep working on those scores.

I have been outrageously lax recently - family visiting and home renos will do that I guess. My test is 1st July so need to get focused again. My mock results have been ok, even verging on pretty good (I have only done 4 so far though) however as a non-rural, non-standard applicant, the pressure is on!
 

law123

Member
Hi all,

How much time would be recommended for studying for the UCAT? Would starting now full time be sufficient for a non-standard entry? I am pretty much done for the trimester and the testing is at the beginning of the next trimester, so have 8 weeks from now where I could be spent doing full time study.
 

hp90

Member
Hi all,

How much time would be recommended for studying for the UCAT? Would starting now full time be sufficient for a non-standard entry? I am pretty much done for the trimester and the testing is at the beginning of the next trimester, so have 8 weeks from now where I could be spent doing full time study.
I would say so as you have a good amount of time to dedicate to it. The trickiest thing is to get used to the timing as UCAT is so time pressured but 8 weeks should be ample time to create your own strategies.
 

hotshot

Member
Hi, I have been doing mocks and mini mocks for sometime. Abstract reasoning is my weakest area. Verbal reasoning used to be my stronger area. But what I notice now is my VR is getting bad while my abstract reasoning is getting slightly better. My VR score was 750 and suddenly in mini mocks I am getting around 680. I am very much worried as I cannot afford to have two weakest subtests. Is there any one who is finding the same thing? Also, if this is the case, what would be my percentile in VR or I would appreciate if someone could advise. many thanks
 

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Hi, I have been doing mocks and mini mocks for sometime. Abstract reasoning is my weakest area. Verbal reasoning used to be my stronger area. But what I notice now is my VR is getting bad while my abstract reasoning is getting slightly better. My VR score was 750 and suddenly in mini mocks I am getting around 680. I am very much worried as I cannot afford to have two weakest subtests. Is there any one who is finding the same thing? Also, if this is the case, what would be my percentile in VR or I would appreciate if someone could advise. many thanks
I have noticed same for me, initially I was scoring very well in AR and QR but as I have done more practice this has shifted towards me doing very average in AR and QR compared to my VR and DM.
 
Does anyone know how to access the post-ucat discussion 2019 thread? I am trying to find the VR advice that Funtimes (Highest Aus Ucat Scorer) posted on it, but it comes up with an error.
 

DrDrLMG!

Resident Medical Officer
Administrator
Does anyone know how to access the post-ucat discussion 2019 thread? I am trying to find the VR advice that Funtimes (Highest Aus Ucat Scorer) posted on it, but it comes up with an error.
Unfortunately that thread is no longer available. I’ve searched through Funtimes’ posts from that thread and am assuming this is the post you’re looking for.


“For VR, skimming is key. For the first question in the stem, I always read the question AND the answer options first. It's much easier to read a chunk of text when you go in with a purpose. However, it wouldn't be a blank process of finding words. As I skimmed, I would try understand what was at the heart of the passage: what is the author saying, what is their viewpoint (positive, negative or impartial of the subject matter) and roughly what's being discussed in each paragraph (to make finding information for subsequent questions easier).

For the second/third/fourth question in the stem, 50% of the time I was able to recall information from my first skim through to reach an answer. I recommend you have a good breakfast, are well hydrated and well rested to maximise your chances of not having to go back for a second read. If however I did need a second read, I knew roughly where the information I needed was (from having done the first reading) and this would save time.

Once I had become comfortable with the text, it became easier to ignore certain answer options because they were too strong in modality, outside the scope of the passage, contradicted by something I remember reading in the passage, or as a last case scenario, just didn't make sense to me.

It's important to mention that you mustn't get hung up on a question. Don't get attached. If you're struggling between two answer options, go with your gut and move on. Often this is the correct answer. If it isn't, it's unlikely you would have picked up on it if you spent an additional 10-20 seconds on it, and it's much better to flag, guess and skip to spend that time on new, easier questions.”
 

dotwingz

Google Enthusiast
Moderator
Also he's got QR advice here, but its pretty generic

Did you mostly depend on mental maths too? or use the calc
sorry wanst sure if u did or did not use the calc
thanks for the reply btw!

I think I used the calculator A LOT. Though certain calculations like e.g. 1280 + 2040 (these numbers are purely an example) are simple enough to do mentally, at the end of the day, it made me feel calmer just putting it into the calculator and getting an answer, all within 3 seconds.

More generally, for QR, the calculations are simple. Much simpler than any online question bank I've seen. The most difficult part of this section is understanding the heart of the question stem. This includes understanding what a table/graph is telling you. That comes with practice.

My personal strategy was all dependent on timing. It involved checking where I was in terms of time every 3 minutes. It's important to be aware of time in this section, because one hard question can leech away more time than it feels like. I would then adjust my speed accordingly, going from cautious calculations to hasty number smashing if needed.

Aside from that, confidence is also key in QR. Once you get an answer which matches an answer option, click it and move on. Don't be paranoid about your working. Also, eat a good proper breakfast, sleep well and hydrate with water to stay sharp.

Let me know if you all have any other questions. I know this period during exam time is extremely stressful (I was there just 24 hours ago, scouring this forum for some last bits of advice) so I hope I can help reassure you from the other side.
 

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