i ii UKCAT is the abbreviated title for the United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test published by Pearson. This publication does not contain any real UKCAT questions or test material. It has been devised first and foremost as a source of help in preparing for the challenge of the UKCAT. The questions and advice have been written to help real candidates pass the real test. iii iv Whilst the authors have made every effort to ensure that the content of this book is accurate, please note that occasional errors can occur in books of this kind. If you suspect that an error has been made in any of the tests included in this book, please inform the publishers at the address printed below so that it can be corrected at the next reprint. Publisher’s note Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and authors cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of the authors. First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2009 by Kogan Page Limited as How to Pass the UKCAT Reprinted 2009 (twice) Second edition published as How to Master the UKCAT, 2010 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic repro- duction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses: 120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241 4737/23 Ansari Road London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA 19147 Daryaganj United Kingdom USA New Delhi 110002 www.koganpage.com India © Mike Bryon and Jim Clayden, 2009 © Mike Bryon, Chris Tyreman and Jim Clayden, 2010 The rights of Mike Bryon, Chris Tyreman and Jim Clayden to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. ISBN 978 0 7494 5690 0 E-ISBN 978 0 7494 5921 5 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bryon, Mike. How to master the UKCAT : over 750 practice questions for the United Kingdom clinical aptitude test / Mike Bryon, Jim Clayden, Chris John Tyreman. -- 2nd ed. p. ; cm. Rev. ed. of: How to pass the UKCAT / Mike Bryon and Jim Clayden. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7494-5690-0 1. UK Clinical Aptitude Test--Study guides. I. Clayden, Jim. II. Tyreman, C. J. III. Bryon, Mike. How to pass the UKCAT. IV. Title. [DNLM: 1. Medicine--Great Britain--Examination Questions. 2. College Admission Test--Great Britain-- Examination Questions. W 18.2 B916h 2010] R838.5.B79 2010 610.76--dc22 2009046645 Typeset by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt Ltd v Contents 1 Use this book to maximize your UKCAT score 1 The computer-administered test 2 You need a good UKCAT score 2 You may also need a well-balanced score 2 Practice makes a big difference in UKCAT scores 3 Key stages in preparing 4 Things to remember on the day of the test 7 If English is not your first language 7 If you are planning to sit the UKCAT many years after studying 8 If you suffer a disability 9 2 Verbal reasoning 11 Warm up questions 12 Eight mini-tests 27 UKCAT-style timed tests 44 3 Decision analysis 65 Twenty questions on synonyms, antonyms, expanded or contracted 65 terms and terms that are similar Thirty-three warm up questions 70 UKCAT-style decision analysis timed tests 81 4 Quantitative reasoning 107 Objectives 107 The test 107 Mini-tests 146 UKCAT-style timed tests 168 vi Contents 5 Abstract reasoning 187 Warm up questions 189 Master class questions 224 Mini-tests 240 6 Non-cognitive analysis 265 7 Answers and explanations 303 Chapter 2 303 Chapter 3 326 Chapter 4 349 Chapter 5 370 Chapter 6 381 1 1 Use this book to maximize your UKCAT score If you have been searching for a way to improve your UKCAT score then you have found it. This book provides practice to maximize your chances of getting into medical school with over 800 questions and signposts to thousands more. Use it to get down to some serious score-improving practice. It includes warm up material to assist the candidate who prefers a new challenge to be broken down into its constituent parts, difficult material to help ensure that the practice remains a challenge throughout your programme of revision, and timed, realistic mini-tests to ensure you get right the all-important start in a computer-adaptive test like the UKCAT. Our aim is simply to provide everything you need to ace the test. We will not spend time discussing why you want to be a doctor or how you might best prepare for medical school. Instead we will focus purely on giving you the practice you need to meet the chal- lenge of the five sub-tests that make up the UKCAT. You should have carefully studied the very important information provided at www. ukcat.ac.uk. You should be completely familiar with the details regarding the stated purpose of the test, what it attempts to predict and its key features. You should follow the online application process to the letter and regularly check your inbox for e-mails from UKCAT. You should have already downloaded the practice questions and tests. You will realize that the UKCAT is made up of sub-tests of verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning and non-cognitive analysis. Note that some of the questions in each sub-test may be non-scoring, as they are being trialled for inclusion as scoring items in future tests. You are not given any indication as to which are scoring, so treat every question with the same determination. You should also realize that, like all selection tests, the UKCAT is under almost constant development and so some things 2 How to master the UKCAT may change. You will find a great deal of interesting (soft) information about the UKCAT on forums, for example www.thestudentroom.co.uk. However, take some of the views expressed on these sites with a largish pinch of salt. The computer-administered test Be sure to take the time to become entirely familiar with the way in which the UKCAT is administered onscreen. Pay attention to, for example, how to use the onscreen calculator in the qualitative sub-test. Be aware that diagrams on the computer screen can be misleading, especially in the case of geometric shapes, tables and graphs, as the screen can distort the image or the scale or both! The test author is aware of this and will have provided sufficient information to arrive at the answer. Take note of what is said and avoid drawing unnecessary assumptions about the appearance of a diagram, table or graph on the screen. For example, if a shape is described as a cube but on the screen the sides do not all seem quite equal, ignore it and treat the shape as a cube. Equally, if a table or graph says that quantity x is the largest but on the screen it looks as if quantity y is the same or in fact bigger, then take no notice and treat quantity x as the largest. You need a good UKCAT score Competition for places at medical, dental and veterinary school and especially at the more prestigious schools is fierce. The score range for the UKCAT is 300–900, with 500–700 being the normal range and 600 being the average mark in each section (note that the non-cognitive paper is scored differently from the other four sub-tests). To ensure that your score supports your application you will generally need an above-average score in each sub-test. However, the averages are based on a very broad range. Some people will get into the school of their choice with lower scores than others. There will not be a minimum score that you have to achieve. The UKCAT is only one of the many assess- ments used to decide if an applicant is to be offered a place, but it is in your interests to try to maximize each element of your application. You may also need a well-balanced score Doing really well in, for example, the quantitative part of the UKCAT will compensate for a weaker performance in the verbal parts of the test, but this compensation needs to be within certain limits. Most schools will prefer candidates who do well across all five sub- tests. The need for a balanced score makes it really important that candidates identify and work to address areas of personal weakness. If you have always found maths difficult but until now have succeeded in spite of it, it is time to correct this. You will feel more confident and will recognize what is behind a question and the significance of the subtle differences in the suggested answers. Use this book to maximize your UKCAT score 3 Most UKCAT candidates will have strengths and weaknesses, but, if you believe that you have an imbalance that may be seen as too great, make sure you start work early to address it. Everyone can become proficient in the aptitudes examined; it is simply a matter of giving yourself enough time to practise. It takes some candidates longer to reach the required standard in any area of personal challenge, but given hard work and determination everyone can realize it. It can be boring, painful even, but if you have decided to follow a career that requires you to realize a good balanced pass in the UKCAT then you have little alternative but to get down to some serious hard work. Once again, if you are not prepared to put in the hard work to maximize your scores on these tests, then it is likely that medical, dentistry or veterinary school and a related career are not for you. Practice makes a big difference in UKCAT scores It is important that you realize that most people who score well in the UKCAT will have worked hard preparing for the test. There is no secret. Studies show that those who put in the most hours do best, whether in sport, music or academic achievement. Above all else, this requires time and especially commitment. Without the latter it is unlikely that you will do very well. In addition to plain hard slog, there are also some strategies to adopt so that you are not only working harder, but working smarter too. Adopt a ‘no going back’ philosophy Treat every question as a passport to fulfilling your dreams. Adopt the mindset that each question counts, so be sure of every answer before moving on to the next. When prac- tising, resist the temptation of going back and reviewing your answers. In the real test you will not have time to do this, so do not hit the submit button for each answer without a final, brief review. Manage your time expertly You need to work quickly through every sub-test. Sometimes you may find it difficult to attempt all the questions in the given time. You should practise answering the questions in this book in an average of 30 seconds per question, so that in the real test you will be able to concentrate on the questions and take your time management for granted. Resist wasting too much time on difficult questions. Guess intelligently If you do not know the answer you have little alternative but to guess. Straight guessing offers a 20 per cent chance of getting the right answer, but remember to look at the suggested answers to see if you can rule any out as definitely wrong. If you can, then you