verbal reasoning - colour publishing · what is verbal reasoning? the verbal reasoning subtest...

Theory & Technique

Mock Questions

Step-by-Step Guides

Detailed Explanations

Verbal ReasoningUKCAT Course Book

Motivate. Mentor. Maximise.

Verbal Reasoning Lessons

Lesson 1: Introduction to Verbal ReasoningLesson 2: True, False, Can’t TellLesson 3: Using InferencesLesson 4: Extreme LanguageLesson 5: Keyword Approach Lesson 6: Passage Adjustments Lesson 7: Writer QuestionsLesson 8: Type 1 Statement QuestionsLesson 9: Type 2 Statement QuestionsLesson 10: Scientific and Factual PassagesLesson 11: Timing StrategiesLesson 12: Reverse QuestionsLesson 13: Timing ContingenciesLesson 14: Causation vs. CorrelationLesson 15: Verbal Reasoning - Test Day Lesson 16: Tips from the ExpertsLesson 17: Summary & Overview

Verbal Reasoning Extra QuestionsQuestions and Explanations

Lesson 1: Introduction to Verbal Reasoning

Lesson 2: True, False, Can’t Tell

Lesson 3: Using Inferences

Lesson 4: Extreme Language

Lesson 5: Keyword Approach

Lesson 6: Passage Adjustments

Lesson 7: Writer Questions

Lesson 8: Type 1 Statement Questions

Lesson 9: Type 2 Statement Questions

Lesson 10: Scientific and Factual Passages

Lesson 11: Timing Strategies

Lesson 12: Reverse Questions

Lesson 13: Timing Contingencies

Lesson 14: Causation vs. Correlation

Lesson 15: Verbal Reasoning - Test Day

Lesson 16: Tips from the Experts

Lesson 17: Summary & Overview

Verbal Reasoning Extra Questions

Answers and Explanations

What is Verbal Reasoning?

The Verbal Reasoning subtest assesses your ability to read and think carefully about information presented in passages and to determine whether specific conclusions can be drawn from information presented.

�

Why do they test it?

Doctors and dentists need excellent verbal reasoning skills in order to understand complex information and communicate this clearly and simply to patients is essential. Medical practitioners must also be able to interpret findings from published materials and apply this to their own practice. It is essential they are able to critique such materials and draw their own conclusion as to the validity of any findings.

�

What are the different question types?

There are 5 types of Verbal Reasoning Question:

• True, False, Cannot Tell- the question stem is a statement, and you have to choose either True, False or Cannot Tell

• Type 1- the question stem has a specific question, and you have to choose which of the four similar statements is correct.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page � ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••4UKCAT BMAT www.medicmind.co.uk Interview UCAS

Introduction to Verbal Reasoning Lesson 1

• Type 2- the question stem is generic, and you have to choose which of the four unrelated statements is correct.

• Writer- the question asks something related to the author of the passage, whether it be his overall opinion, strongest point, or something else. Question format can be Type 1, 2 or TFCT.

• Reverse- the question involves a negative, e.g. which of the following is least likely, or not true. Question format can be Type 1, 2 or TFCT.

�

What are the main challenges of Verbal Reasoning?

• Timing- you have under 2 minutes to answer four questions relating to a fairly large passage. Therefore you have to be efficient, quick and decisive.

• Reading the passage- at normal reading pace it would take you 2 minutes to read the passage alone, so you need to use our Keywords Approach to succeed in the questions.

• Variety of questions- the huge range of verbal reasoning makes it very difficult to apply a single approach. There is a different Medic Mind approach specific for each question type, and without lots of practice this can at first seem intimidating.

�

External Knowledge

A general rule for all Verbal Reasoning questions is that you should not use any external knowledge to answer the questions. You should only use the information in the passage.

Consider the question statement:

“Barack Obama was elected as President of the USA in November 2008”.

You may know that this is true from your own knowledge. You can use this to help you knock out the option ‘False’, but the answer can still be ‘Can’t Tell’ if there is no explicit mention of this fact in the passage.


True, False, Can’t Tell

�

Types of True

1. Directly Stated

A statement can be true if it is directly stated in the passage. This is the simplest to find, and should be an easy mark.

Statement: WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.


True, False, Can’t Tell Lesson 2

True means that the statement is correct based on the passage.

• A statement can be true if it is directly stated in the passage. This is the simplest to find, and should be an easy mark.

• A statement can be true if it is an inference from the passage, even if it is not directly stated. Here there is a blur between True and Can’t Tell.

False means that the statement contradicts the passage. Again, it may not be explicitly shown to be wrong, but instead you can detect it using an inference.

• A statement might go against the passage, either factually or in terms of general opinion

• A statement could take something in the passage and extend it too far - e.g. the passage says ‘one of the few suppliers in the market’ and the statement says ‘the only supplier’.

Can’t Tell means that you cannot be certain based on the information on the passage.

Passage: ‘Mark Zucherberg, founder of Facebook, sanctioned the acquisition of WhatsApp’.

2. Inference

A statement can be true if it is an inference from the passage, even if it is not directly stated. Here there can often a blur between True and Can’t Tell.Statement: ‘Altitude are one of the better social media management firms in the UK’

Passage: ‘Altitude has grown significantly since its launch. To date, a vast number of firms are using Altitude to boost their online marketing strategy’

�

Types of False

1. Contradiction

A statement might go against the passage, either factually or in terms of general opinion.

2. Statement Goes Too Far

A statement could take something in the passage and extend it too far

Statement: ‘Krandon are the only supplier of Amaroo Extract left to date’

Passage: ‘With raw materials for Amaroo Extract becoming scarce, customers are forced to buy from dominant retailer Krandon, one of the very few suppliers left.

�

Types of Can’t Tell

1. External Knowledge

“Barack Obama was elected as President of the USA in November 2008”.

You may know that this is True from your own knowledge. You can use this to help you knock out the option ‘False’, but the answer can still be ‘Can’t Tell’ if there is no explicit mention of this fact in the passage



True

Direct Match

Inference

Beyond Passage

Contradiction

StatementToo Extreme

Can’t Tell

False

Practice 1: True, False, Can’t Tell Questions


Sports in UK Schools

On 17th February 2013, at the annual Sports Conference conference, Government has been accused of "turning its back on school sport" and undermining the Olympic legacy six months after the Games.

Shadow Sports Minister Clive Efford MP told the BBC: "What has gone on in school sport is absolutely disastrous.” Education Secretary Michael Gove is expected to announce a new strategy for school sport later this month.

Efford continues: ‘We need a long-term strategy blueprint to get sport into our schools. If we don't, we're storing up a huge problem for ourselves, for the economy and for the NHS. Doing nothing isn't an option’. Despite record investment in elite and community sport, the Government has made some cuts in schools sports. Ministers say they are spending £1bn on youth sport over the next five years through Sport England.

But the government has abolished ring-fenced funding for the national School Sport Partnerships (SSPs) and ended recommendation for two hours of PE in schools each week. The SSP network enabled well-equipped 'hub' secondary schools to lend PE teachers to those that needed them, especially primary schools.

1. The Olympic Games began in August 2012.

A. TrueB. FalseC. Can’t tell

Using Inferences

There is a fine line between True and Can’t Tell. Consider this passage and the four associated statements:

• “UCL Medical School is one of the best in the UK”

True- you can infer from the positive comments that UCL medical school is one of the best in the UK.

• “UCL Medical School used to be worse than it is now”

True- the passage references recent investment in a library and more modern lecture theatres as reasons for UCL’s development, so we can infer that it has improved.

• “UCL Medical School is the best in the UK”

Can’t tell- we can suspect this based on inferences from the passage, but we cannot be sure. The statement is going beyond the terms of the passage.

• “The recent project to build a new Library has been a full success”

Can’t tell- we can tell that it has made a difference to UCL and the quality of the medical school, but it is too far to say that it has been a ‘full success’. We do not know about costs, how long the project took based on estimations, or other related issues.


Using Inferences Lesson 3

Example Passage

“UCL Medical School has become one of the most popular institutes in the UK. With recent investment in a new Medical Library, and development of the lecture theatres UCL is becoming a genuine dream medical school for any UK applicants”

verbal reasoning - colour publishing · what is verbal reasoning? the verbal reasoning subtest...

Documents