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* MEGATHREAD * - UKCAT 2016 Entry Discussion Megathread

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Original post by muchensmile
Ukcat offical QR practise first 10 questions are harder than medify's questions :frown: Anyone else tried them?


Ye they're really hard in my opinion! I don't know which site is representative of QR anymore!


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Is Ukcat rescheduling free? I have work experience for a week might need to reschedule my test:P
Original post by HCAssistant93
Ye they're really hard in my opinion! I don't know which site is representative of QR anymore!


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Yeah Ill stick with medify and maybe kaplan:biggrin:
Original post by muchensmile
Is Ukcat rescheduling free? I have work experience for a week might need to reschedule my test:P


Yes, thankfully :P I postponed mine so many times!
Original post by Blobfish13
Has anyone done the mock test at the back of the 600q book????? If so what score did you get????? Do you think the qr is too hard and da too easy?????????? :smile:


i got 699. prefer the DA questions in the book than in medify. Qr definitely too hard!
Anyone here recommend the emedica online questions for the Ukcat??????
Want to get the 2 week course on it :smile:

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Original post by JC_Costales
Anyone here recommend the emedica online questions for the Ukcat??????
Want to get the 2 week course on it :smile:

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I'm using emedica. The VR questions are so complicated and sometimes the explains aren't good enough. I haven't done the test though so idk if it's representative. Other sections are doable.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Davesaves
Hey everyone, would really appreciate some help on QR. Like, when it comes to applying discounts (lets just say 20% from an original total of 100), do you 1) multipy 100 by 0.8 or 2)divide 100 by 1.2. I'm pretty sure its the first. However, in a online kaplan mock, a q about tax deduction from a certain total, involved dividing by 1.something. So yh im confused, when would you multiply by 0.x and when would you divide by 1.x????


I would use 0.8 multiplied by 100. When you're asked to find a percentage (y) of x (in that question you are essentially being asked to find either 20% or 80% of 100 depending on the method you use) then I would do y in decimal form multiplied by x.

I would only divide if you aren't given the original number (e.g. if you were told that the price of something was £80 after a 20% discount and asked to find the full price. In this case you could either do 80 divided by 120 (%) and then multiplied by 100 or 80 divided by 1.2. You'd also divide if you were asked to find the percentage change or express 20 as a percentage of 100 or if you were working out compound growth and decay.

Maths isn't my strongest subject though as I haven't studied it since GCSE so there might be exceptions to this. I hope this helped though :smile:

1.

Hello, got my UKCAT coming up at the end of the month, but I've already done a couple of mocks. I've got a few of questions for anyone willing to answer

First, I'm studying from the Score Higher book and I'll be getting medify for the last two weeks, mostly because they're the most recommended. But I also have the UKCAT for dummies book, can someone let me know how representative it is of the actual UKCAT, is it worth using? I've not seen anyone recommend it on these forums

Second, I'm really struggling with QR. The QR section of the official practice test A was really difficult for me, is the actual test that hard?

Anyone got any advice for how to improve my QR ability, aside from practice? Should I read Qs first, and just skim through the paragraphs?

So I actually thought the Abstract Reasoning bit was finding a square that matches the pattern inside the text box... No wonder I had loads of them wrong...
Original post by Dohaeris

1.

Hello, got my UKCAT coming up at the end of the month, but I've already done a couple of mocks. I've got a few of questions for anyone willing to answer

First, I'm studying from the Score Higher book and I'll be getting medify for the last two weeks, mostly because they're the most recommended. But I also have the UKCAT for dummies book, can someone let me know how representative it is of the actual UKCAT, is it worth using? I've not seen anyone recommend it on these forums

Second, I'm really struggling with QR. The QR section of the official practice test A was really difficult for me, is the actual test that hard?

Anyone got any advice for how to improve my QR ability, aside from practice? Should I read Qs first, and just skim through the paragraphs?



I haven't sat the test yet so I can't comment on how representative anything is, but my tactic for QR is to read the question first, then skim read the information and pick out the parts that I need. It's still important to skim read everything, just incase you have to use information from some obscure bullet point right at the end, but I find that I'm faster if I read the question first because I don't get hung up on reading unnecessary information.

It might also help to improve your mental maths because doing short calculations in your head, or using mental maths to estimate/make an educated guess, will be a lot faster than using the calculator.

Hope that helped a little :smile:.
Reply 2051
Original post by Rose256
I'm using emedica. The VR questions are so complicated and sometimes the explains aren't good enough. I haven't done the test though so idk if it's representative. Other sections are doable.


What are QR and AR like? Do you think it's improved your ability to recognise the patterns and also prepare you for QR?


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Original post by tw781
What are QR and AR like? Do you think it's improved your ability to recognise the patterns and also prepare you for QR?


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Is emedica worth getting or not?


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Original post by tw781
Just did practice test 1 from Kaplan/kaptest as a first mock and to see where I am at (exam in 3 weeks) and I'm so scared now after my awful score. I ran out of time in each section and didn't even have time to guess the final ones in VR and QR 😩. I got 730 in DA which I guess I am happy about but if I'm going to be doing so bad in other sections in needs to be way higher than that. Also 630 in AR - terrible! These sections need to be at least 750 to pull up my VR and QR!Posted from TSR Mobile


3 weeks before my exam should I be extremely worried by scoring in 500s (and not answering about 10QS in each) on QR and VR?

I'm so scared now! How can I improve on those two sections and HOW do people do this in the time limit????

Firstly, 3 weeks is still plenty of time, so don't worry! In terms of timing, in order to not spend too long on a question I think you need to get out of the A level mindset that easiest questions are at the beginning and hardest at the end. When you feel like spending ages on one, think: there may be easier questions later that could get me 3 more marks instead of this questionable one, so what is really best thing to do? So don't be scared to guess and go, all of us have to do it, not just you!
I find that my scores got higher by about 50 points in VR and QR once I manages to nail this into my own head :biggrin:

630 in AR is not terrible- plus tbh I feel like AR is one of those sections where you're either lucky or not on the test day- you may get patterns that you're personally good at spotting or not. Of course, still practice!

And don't panic 3 weeks is a long time, mine's in less that 2 weeks now!
Original post by Atham
I had a situation where a doctor was caught watching porn. Made me chuckle after a lot of boring questions.
haha that made me chuckle as well!
Reply 2055
Original post by MAnnaMM
3 weeks before my exam should I be extremely worried by scoring in 500s (and not answering about 10QS in each) on QR and VR?

I'm so scared now! How can I improve on those two sections and HOW do people do this in the time limit????

Firstly, 3 weeks is still plenty of time, so don't worry! In terms of timing, in order to not spend too long on a question I think you need to get out of the A level mindset that easiest questions are at the beginning and hardest at the end. When you feel like spending ages on one, think: there may be easier questions later that could get me 3 more marks instead of this questionable one, so what is really best thing to do? So don't be scared to guess and go, all of us have to do it, not just you!
I find that my scores got higher by about 50 points in VR and QR once I manages to nail this into my own head :biggrin:

630 in AR is not terrible- plus tbh I feel like AR is one of those sections where you're either lucky or not on the test day- you may get patterns that you're personally good at spotting or not. Of course, still practice!

And don't panic 3 weeks is a long time, mine's in less that 2 weeks now!


Thanks for the reassurance! Unfortunately I can't say my bad timing in QR is due to A level mindset as I just graduated and applying to GEM so I really don't have any excuse 😩 how else do you think I can improve on timing other than practice practice

Good luck!!


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Original post by Davesaves
Hey everyone, would really appreciate some help on QR. Like, when it comes to applying discounts (lets just say 20% from an original total of 100), do you 1) multipy 100 by 0.8 or 2)divide 100 by 1.2. I'm pretty sure its the first. However, in a online kaplan mock, a q about tax deduction from a certain total, involved dividing by 1.something. So yh im confused, when would you multiply by 0.x and when would you divide by 1.x????
you multiply by 0.something when you're trying to work out the price after the deduction. you divide the price after deduction by 0.something (e.g. if it's 20% off, and the price after deduction is 50, you do 50/0.8 to get original price) when you're trying to find the original price. You divide by 1.something when there is an increase in the price, and you're trying to work out the original price (e.g. if there is a 20% increase in price, and price after increase is 50, you do 50/1.2 to get original price)
Hi guys, what is the best online preparation website? I already finished Medify so I'm looking for another worthy one.
Original post by tw781
Thanks for the reassurance! Unfortunately I can't say my bad timing in QR is due to A level mindset as I just graduated and applying to GEM so I really don't have any excuse 😩 how else do you think I can improve on timing other than practice practice

Good luck!!


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For QR it might help to try and improve your mental maths, because working out the answer to simple questions in your head or using mental maths to make an educated guess will be much quicker than using the calculator for every question. I'm applying to GEM too and my previous degree was in English literature so this is something I really need to work on!

For VR I think all you can do is practice and your ability to pick out the keyword quickly without reading the passage will improve. Make sure you're skimming the text and just looking for the keyword, sometimes I find myself slipping into reading without realising it. You could also work on your speed reading (reducing sub-vocalisation etc...) and try and make your keywords as easy to pick out as possible (a date, a capitalised word etc...).

I hope that helps :smile:.
In the actual exam is the layout of QR same as VR & AR or is it like the practise mocks where you have to scroll down to see the choices? I hate scrolling down and then scrolling up to get the info needed -.-'

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