Advice & Insight From UCAT Specialists
Quantitative Reasoning contains 36 questions to be answered in 24 minutes (that’s 40 seconds per question). The questions vary in difficulty. Usually, easy questions can be solved by applying one calculation and harder questions will involve two or more.
You will need to use your prior GCSE knowledge of Maths including mental maths skills, problem solving and data analysis. Research has shown that there are about 17 different topic areas that come up each year. Of these, you will find that the application of formulae and equations will need to done in at least half of these so it is definitely worthwhile spending some time ensuring that you remember the main ones.
Certain formulae that you need to be aware of include how to calculate averages, percentages, fractions, ratios and conversions. Also, you will need to know geometric formulae such as how to calculate areas and volumes of shapes (especially circles), speed. You should also brush up how to perform currency conversions, calculate interest rates along with percentage changes.
Shape | Perimeter | Area |
Square | 4s | s² |
Rectangle | (2 x l) + (2 x w) | l x w |
Parallelogram | s1 + s2 + s3 + s4 | b x h |
Circle | 2πr | πr² |
Triangle | a + b + c | ½ x b x h |
s = side l = length h = height b = base w = width
Shape | Surface area | Volume |
Box | 2lw + 2lh + 2wh | l x w x h |
Sphere | 4πr | 4/3 πr³ |
Parallelogram | s1 + s2 + s3 + s4 | b x h |
s = side l = length h = height b = base w = width
area | πr² |
circumference | 2πr |
diameter | 2r |
Pythagoras’ theorem = a² + b² + c²
“Speed, distance, time triangle”
distance = speed x time
speed = distance ÷ time
time = distance ÷ speed
Acceleration = change in velocity
time taken
Mean (average) = sum of terms
number of terms
Percentage change = difference x 100
original
Some useful conversions to remember to save time performing unnecessary calculations:
1 metre (m) | 100 cm |
1 metre (m) | 1000 mm |
1 kilometre (km) | 1000 metres |
1 gram (g) | 1000 milligrams (mg) |
1 kilogram (Kg) | 1000 grams |
1 tonne | 1000 Kg |
1 litre (L) | 1000 ml |
Good luck!
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