UCAT Quantitative Reasoning Tips

Written by Doctors Who Scored In The Top UCAT Decile

What is 12 x 8?

It’s a task that should take you a fraction of a second; however for those of you insistent on using the simple online calculator, this will consume 5-10 valuable seconds. Multiply this by 36 questions, and that’s a considerable amount of time wasted. Maximise time efficiency, and ensure that any multiplication or division (up to 12), and any addition or subtraction (up to 1,000) is completed using mental maths. If mental maths isn’t your strength, attend a BlackStone Tutors UCAT Course and we’ll discuss strategies to swiftly improve your mental maths.

UCAT Mental Maths Strategies

Time Aware - Time Efficient

How long do you have for each UCAT Quantitative Reasoning question? This answer should be at the tip of your tongue; the main reason for poor UCAT performance is a lack of time awareness. Let’s break it down and make this tip one to remember:

24 Minutes
36 Questions
Time for each question = 40 Seconds

With all questions being equally weighted, keep in mind the 1 minute rule: If any UCAT Quantitative Reasoning Question has or would take you longer than 1 minute, flag it and leave it until the end.

Keyboard Shortcuts

With the limited time and simple online calculator, keyboard shortcuts are essential. Simplistically, make sure you activate Num Lock and use the keypad, however check out our page dedicated to UCAT Keyboard Shortcuts.

Units & Conversions

Quantitative reasoning is primarily application based, however there are a few aspects such as units and conversions which require prior knowledge. Avoid losing easy UCAT marks, and ensure that you are familiar with the following units and conversions:

These conversions would likely be provided in the UCAT, however prior awareness will speed up any required calculations.

There are also a range of formulas (areas/volumes etc.) which can be found in our Intensive UCAT Guide for UCAT Course attendees.

UCAT Calculator

All practice should utilise the official UCAT calculator; it is far more simplistic than the scientific calculators that we are all accustomed to, and familiarity and speed are essential to succeed in the UCAT Quantitative Reasoning Section. We’ve included a link for you below:

UCAT Calculator (Click Here)