Summary of Verbal Reasoning Subtest Strategy for UCAT
Emil, who scored in the 99th percentile in the UCAT 2020, provides an in-depth overview of strategies and tips for mastering the Verbal Reasoning subtest of the UCAT, as part of his UCAT crash course series sponsored by MedEntry.
Key Details on Verbal Reasoning Subtest
- Components: 44 questions to be answered in 21 minutes based on 11 passages.
- Question Types: Reading comprehension and True/False/Can’t Tell questions.
- Timing: About two minutes available per passage, although timing does not have to be uniformly distributed across all passages.
General Exam Strategy
Initial Mindset and Approach
- Prioritize answering approximately 32/44 questions with a higher accuracy on the first pass.
- Reserve the second pass for the remaining 12 or so questions, using educated guesses where necessary, aiming for about 30-40% accuracy on these.
Reading the Passages
- Quickly assess each passage to decide if it looks too complex or manageable.
- Begin with the questions to understand what specific information is needed from the passage.
- Use a selective skipping strategy to avoid spending too much time on complex questions or passages.
Detailed Question Tackling
- After assessing a question, read the relevant passage actively, looking for specific information needed to answer the question.
- Intentionally read each paragraph, summarizing as you progress to enhance retention and understanding.
- Answer the question, paying close attention to qualifiers in the question stem. Move quickly to the next question, using retained knowledge from the passage.
Tips and Tricks for Improving in Verbal Reasoning
- Relaxation: Start the test by taking deep breaths to calm nerves since this is the first subtest in UCAT.
- Retention of information: Build skills to retain detailed information from passages rather than re-reading them multiple times.
- Increase reading speed: Implement techniques like reducing subvocalization and starting to read from a few words into the sentence to enhance reading efficiency.
- Effective practice techniques:
- Read a paragraph, cover it, and then summarize what was read to improve retention.
- After answering a question, try recalling which part of the passage contains the needed information for the next question without looking back at the text.
Utilizing Resources
- Emil recommends using MedEntry, a UCAT preparation platform, highlighting its realistic practice questions and comprehensive preparation materials.
Live Demonstration
- Emil demonstrates his strategies using MedEntry’s Verbal Reasoning question bank, going through several sample questions to showcase how to apply different strategies for various types of questions.
By consistently practicing with the strategies and tips provided, students can enhance their accuracy and speed in the Verbal Reasoning subtest of the UCAT. Emil emphasizes the importance of understanding the passages well enough to rely less on revisiting the text and more on recalling critical information to answer questions efficiently.