UCAT: Abstract Reasoning

[2xq]

hey guys, can someone please explain the pattern for set B? The explanation says that the blocks can be fit together to form a 5 x 5 L shape that's two layers thick, but I can't seem to figure out how that works?

the blocks can be rearranged (rotated, slid) and put together to form a 5x5 L shape 2 blocks thick.

 

[fishy87]

Had the same question, I think of it as an L-shape that is two blocks thick. So imagine the letter L made up by one single row of those blocks, and then add another strip of blocks. Like,
View attachment 3720 This would be a 4 x 3 L shape that is two layers thick.

the blocks can be rearranged (rotated, slid) and put together to form a 5x5 L shape 2 blocks thick.View attachment 3721

ahh thank you so much!! i've been fretting over that pattern for so long trying to figure it out

 

[sevun]

I have read on the Post-UCAT discussion page lots of patterns people found in AR were straightforward and one rule. Could anyone confirm whether the left pattern below contains one rule and the right pattern has two rules?

 

[fishy87]

I have read on the Post-UCAT discussion page lots of patterns people found in AR were straightforward and one rule. Could anyone confirm whether the left pattern below contains one rule and the right pattern has two rules?

View attachment 3724View attachment 3725

I would say the first one has two rules because if I remember correctly, set A for that one needed to have more shaded than unshaded shapes too, however, they're both quite standard ("easy") patterns. With the second one, I would say it has two rules too because of the difference in colour and position of the arrow depending on the presence of the other shapes and is a bit of a more "difficult" one than the first pattern. I just read on the post-ucat thread that someone in their mocks always got patterns that involved colour and number (for example) but in the real one for them it was just colour or just number. so idk, i feel like the patterns above have two rules, but just my take on the patterns

 

[Lennylen628]

Hi, from the UK can anyone help me with AR, other than writing new patterns and practising and also SCANS are there any tips which can help me improve with AR

 

[Fili]

Hi, from the UK can anyone help me with AR, other than writing new patterns and practising and also SCANS are there any tips which can help me improve with AR

Practice

It helps getting comfy with flagging questions asap and learning to only figure out part of a pattern rather than all of it.

 

[gudgie]

Hellooo~~ I just wanted to share this quick drawing bc I found it hard to remember the number of sides of each shape (especially irregular ones) and the number of right angles, especially when I wanted to quickly find the pattern



Sorry aha the drawings are pretty crappy but hopefully, they make sense (?)

 

[Lennylen628]

Hi is it useful to complete all the AR questions available like finish a whole question bank so that I am exposes to a lot of patterns

 

[Fili]

Hi is it useful to complete all the AR questions available like finish a whole question bank so that I am exposes to a lot of patterns

The official ones yes.

 

[AJ]

The official ones yes.

I agree with this. If you are strapped for time. Do the officials a couple of times.
I have come from the alternative route where I have completed hundreds of questions elsewhere and what I find the alternate questions lack, and this is the same with most circumstances when comparing to official test/ practice content is that there are slight subtleties that the officials provide. Once you realise this and they are only slight you unlock another pattern of thinking.

 

[ProfessorPond]

Just leaving this here. If anybody still struggles with AR like I did, try this. Look for the most generic rule that applies to both of them. If group A has a triangle in the bottom left and group B has a square in the bottom left, use that as your rule. You might not even be close to the actual rule, but this at least helps you eliminate some of the easier ones.
Use this when you've spent over 30 seconds on the question and still haven't gotten anywhere. This is the damage control I fell back on during the actual test because I didn't get the rules for half of them but I used that, and with a little luck (or a lot, I don't know. Probably a lot.) I still managed to get high 700s.

 

[sunnyrain]

Hello.
I was just doing a question on the UCAT app and in Set A: There was a quadrilateral in both the bottom corners in all the boxes but the test shape didn't have that so I put it in neither but the answer was set a. I figured out the bigger pattern they were looking for but I got it wrong because I had an extra 'rule'. My question is how do you know if you've gone 'too far' with the rules? Or will the actual exam make sure that there are no rules that are coincidental,that is, will they make sure all the rules are accounted for?

 

[whys]

Hello.
I was just doing a question on the UCAT app and in Set A: There was a quadrilateral in both the bottom corners in all the boxes but the test shape didn't have that so I put it in neither but the answer was set a. I figured out the bigger pattern they were looking for but I got it wrong because I had an extra 'rule'. My question is how do you know if you've gone 'too far' with the rules? Or will the actual exam make sure that there are no rules that are coincidental,that is, will they make sure all the rules are accounted for?

You can never go 'too far'. If you've found a rule that applies to all boxes, then it's a rule for the set, no doubt about it. The actual exam will make sure they account for that and don't create any coincidental rules, otherwise it would be unfair. Some of the official UCAT questions are riddled with minor errors, so I'm not surprised they didn't take into consideration the coincidental positioning of the quadrilaterals.

 

[AJ]

Hello.
I was just doing a question on the UCAT app and in Set A: There was a quadrilateral in both the bottom corners in all the boxes but the test shape didn't have that so I put it in neither but the answer was set a. I figured out the bigger pattern they were looking for but I got it wrong because I had an extra 'rule'. My question is how do you know if you've gone 'too far' with the rules? Or will the actual exam make sure that there are no rules that are coincidental,that is, will they make sure all the rules are accounted for?

do you have a screenshot of the pattern?

 

[sunnyrain]

Hey, I've tried to find the question again but it randomises the test set every time so I can't find it.

 

[kcx]

Do circle technically have a point?

 

[AJ]

View attachment 3784View attachment 3785 Do circle technically have a point?

I think your mistaken by the definition of a “point” they refer to a point as in a form of scoring !

 

[kcx]

I think your mistaken by the definition of a “point” they refer to a point as in a form of scoring !

Ahahaha just reread the explanation, thanks!

 

[Circles]

Might be a silly question but can someone confirm whether the pointy end of an arrow counts as a right angle? I've come across questions where they have considered it as a right angle and some that don't (e.g. Picture below). Thank you!

 

[Noodlemeister]

Might be a silly question but can someone confirm whether the pointy end of an arrow counts as a right angle? I've come across questions where they have considered it as a right angle and some that don't (e.g. Picture below). Thank you!

View attachment 3794

I thin generally for questions like these, it's best to assume arrow points don't count as right angles (could be tricky for stretched screens for example).