UCAT Verbal Reasoning Tips: How to Improve Your Score

Written By Team MedView
Reviewed By Thomas Nicolson (Currently studying Doctor of Medicine - MD at the University of Queensland)

The Verbal Reasoning (VR) subtest is 1 of 5 sections included in the UCAT — in fact, it's the very first part of the exam — and it gauges your ability to critically evaluate information presented in a written form.

There are a number of ways you can improve your Verbal Reasoning skills in the lead-up to the UCAT, to ensure you're tackling the VR section with as much knowledge and practice under your belt as possible.

So, let's get started on the journey to the UCAT with strategies to help improve your Verbal Reasoning score.

Understanding the UCAT Verbal Reasoning section

The UCAT Verbal Reasoning subtest gauges your ability to read information and determine whether specific conclusions can be drawn from it. The reason it'sits included in the UCAT is because this skill is incredibly important for those working in the medical field.

Doctors and other medical professionsthe like need to excel in verbal reasoning as they are required to ingest and understand complex information and then be able to deliver it to patients in a clear and easy to understand way.

Additionally, they also need to be able to interpret findings from published materials and apply this in their own day-to-day.

This is why you're required to pop on your VR hat and answer 44 questions in a 21-minute test time. You also have an extra minute at the beginning of each section to read the instructions.

The VR section is a comprehension test that requires you to read 11 passages of text, which are roughly 200-400 words long, and answer questions based on these.

When it comes to the UCAT scoring system, the Verbal Reasoning score is transformed into a scale from 300 to 900. All of the 5 subtests in the UCAT are scored on the same scale.

Verbal Reasoning question types

Each section of the exam has different question types and there are 2 styles in the Verbal Reasoning section. Here's what you can expect.

True/False/Can't Tell questions

One of the types of questions you'll be asked in Verbal Reasoning are True/False/Can't Tell questions.

After reading a passage of text, you'll have 3 options to chose from:

• True: Based on the information, the statement is true
• False: Based on the information, the statement is false
• Can't Tell: Based on the information, you can't tell whether the statement is true or false

Single best answer questions

For the second style, you'll be presented with a question or incomplete statement and 4 response options. From here, you're required to pick the best or most suitable option (keep in mind you can only select one).

Preparing for Verbal Reasoning

To get a good result in the UCAT Verbal Reasoning section, it is important to assess your progress from practice tests and pinpoint any areas for improvement.

For starters, VR is the section that responds best to work outside of the UCAT, which is great news. With this in mind, let's look at ways you can prepare for the VR subtest.

Practice speed reading

Your reading speed plays a large role in how well you can do in VR. This section requires you to speedily read through a lot of information and answer questions, so developing speed reading techniques is important.

To start working on this muscle, try making speed reading a part of your daily routine. Each day, practice speed reading articles and then test yourself: do you remember specifics from those articles when discussing them with friends or family?

We recommend that you read often and read with purpose. Get used to reading the news and talking to people about what you've read, as well as engaging with both fiction and non-fiction writing.

Skimming and scanning

Becoming adept at skimming and scanning can help you easily spot significant data within the information without spending too much time on it.

Skimming lets you gain a general understanding of what the information is conveying, while scanning lets you discover keywords, which you read around to help answer the questions.

You may wish to quickly skim read the passage first, before scanning for important keywords — it's up to you to discover what process works best for you.

Implement a skimming and scanning strategy during your daily reading and see how it feels for you and how much information you can obtain from this practice.

Focusing on keywords

To make the most of your time and ensure accuracy during the UCAT Verbal Reasoning portion, hone in on relevant keywords. It’s especially crucial to pay attention to verbs and nouns since they are usually decisive words.

When selecting a keyword, opt for one that is relevant to the question at hand. Focusing on specific terms will enable you quickly pinpoint key data from texts provided so as to answer questions more promptly with higher precision.

Be sure to keep an eye out for confusing phrases or questions that are similar to parts of the test, but include negative interjections such as 'not' or 'don't'.

Analyse your performance and address weaknesses

This is relevant for all parts of the UCAT, but taking regular practice tests can help you discover your strengths and weaknesses, and allows you to focus your study on the latter.

You might discover that your time management skills need to be sharpened up, or your speed reading is a little lacking. From here, you can take steps to work on these ahead of the UCAT.

MedView Spark is a great resource for this — our learning platform has over 4,500 practice questions as well as practice exams you can work through to become exam-ready.

Work on your reading speed, time management and skimming and scanning through Verbal Reasoning questions. Plus, our interface is designed to mimic the UCAT experience, right down to the keyboard shortcuts and calculator, so there are no surprises and it'll help you feel comfortable for the real deal.

The dos and don'ts of Verbal Reasoning

Having knowledge of the most common dos and don'ts in the VR subtest can help you navigate this section with a little more ease. Here's what to do (to help you increase you score!), and what to avoid, during the first part of the UCAT.

Test timings

• Do: Be consistent with test timings
• Don't: Spend too much time on questions early in the test

During the test, it's incredibly important that you are consistent with your timing. Each passage should take slightly under 2 minutes to read and answer 4 questions.

Taking more time, especially at the beginning of the exam, can lead to not enough time later on, which in turn, can lead to poor test results.

Keep tight on these timings so you have time to finish all 11 sections of Verbal Reasoning.

Assumptions and prior knowledge

• Do: Use information from the text to answer questions
• Don't: Use your own external knowledge to provide answers

Students often make assumptions based on past knowledge during the VR section but try to resist the temptation to do this. When answering questions, focus only on the information provided in the passage.

For example, you might know that something is correct from your own prior knowledge, but the information confirming this may not be included in the passage, and as a result, you can't say it's true because this has been derived from previous knowledge.

Misreading questions

• Do: Speed read where possible (to save time!)
• Don't: Assume you understand the question solely based on reading keywords

While sticking to a tight time schedule is important, it's also vital to take time reading the questions in the UCAT Verbal Reasoning section accurately, as this will prevent incorrect answers due to misreading or misunderstanding.

Speeding through questions can lead to mistakes, so it’s important for candidates to thoroughly comprehend each question and its accompanying text before attempting a response.

Students tend to run into issues with speed reading (and missing important information) so improving this skills will lead to overall improvements throughout the whole section.

How to approach questions you’re unsure about

If you're unsure about a question, it's best to have self-understanding as to the exact nature of your confusion with a question, and evaluate your thinking as to whether you can reasonably get a correct answer within an appropriate timeframe.

Here are 3 scenarios and how to deal with them:

1. You've spent 30 seconds on the question (this is the ideal timing) and you've narrowed it down to 2/3 options and you're thinking a bit more time might be helpful — from here, try spending another 15 to 20 seconds and then pick an answer (keep in mind this shortens time in upcoming sections)
2. You've spent 30 seconds on the question (again, ideal timing) and have narrowed it down to 2/3 options but have no idea how to differentiate the options — from here, guess your best option and keep moving
3. You've spent 30 seconds on the question and have no idea what the answer could be — from here, guess your best option and move on

Remember that you're marked on the number of correct answers you give, which means there is no negative marking for wrong answers, so it's worth taking an educated guess if you're unsure.

What is considered to be a competitive Verbal Reasoning score?

A competitive, or 'good', Verbal Reasoning score is considered to be X or higher. This demonstrates a student's ability to discover relevant and important information in a passage, evaluate it and in turn, make conclusions from it — a skill that is crucial for a career in the medical field.

For comparison, in 2023, Verbal Reasoning scores in the 90th percentile were 720, while the median score was 600.

When it comes to your overall UCAT score, students who score in the 90th percentile for their overall UCAT score are considered competitive. For the 2023 admissions cycle, a score that surpasses 3100+ is often required to be offered a medical school interview at many of the major Australian universities.

If you're after more personalised support on your UCAT journey, here at MedView Education, we take med school admission to a new level through application review, entrance exam and interview tutoring, and extracurricular mentoring for students in Australasia.

If you'd like guidance from industry professionals with years of experience, we can help — simply book a free consultation with our MedView advisors.

Frequently asked questions

How can I improve my Verbal Reasoning?

To work on your skills for the Verbal Reasoning subtest, focus on reading, specifically speed reading, by ingesting new content every day. Undertake timed practice questions and exams to work on your time management and be strict with how long you spend on each question (remember, you have just under 2 minutes to read the passage and answer 4 questions).

What is the hardest subtest on the UCAT?

Verbal Reasoning is widely regarded as the toughest and lowest scoring UCAT subtest. The stringent timing and dense passages all contribute to its difficulty, resulting in lower scores among test takers.

The median VR score in 2023 was 600; in both 2022 and 2021, it was 580.