I was looking through some results of UKCAT test questions the other day and I came across one question that had a surprisingly high rate of incorrect answers. So I thought I’d write a few words here to try and clarify things a little: which mistake should UKCAT candidates really avoid?
Some context first
Before answering this question, let’s put some context in place. A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words (although who ‘they’ are, is never made clear) and so is an example problem.
Ever wondered how candidates achieve the highest score in the UKCAT quantitative reasoning section?
You are probably familiar with the UKCAT data analysis exam: you need to deduct certain information from a seemingly complex table and a related key to find the correct answers.
I’ve come across a lot of UKCAT questions that require you to calculate the average or mean of a set of data. This is not a difficult task but it is time consuming and time is a luxury you may find in short supply when you sit your Quantitative Reasoning section in the UKCAT. Any technique that will save you a few seconds could make the difference between finishing and not.
I’ve come across a lot of UKCAT questions that require you to do a calculation which involves various values with ‘hidden’ zeroes. These hidden zeroes are often skulking at the top of a column of data, in a table heading, on a chart axis or in the wording used in the question. Between them they determine the order of magnitude of the answer.
