UCAT Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A clinical guideline states: 'All patients with systolic BP above 160 mmHg should be started on antihypertensive medication.' A patient has a reading of 155 mmHg. Which is the correct inference?
- The patient should be started on medication
- The patient does not meet the guideline threshold for medication (Correct answer)
- The patient is healthy
- The guideline does not apply to this patient
Correct answer: The patient does not meet the guideline threshold for medication
155 mmHg is below the 160 mmHg threshold stated in the guideline, so medication is not indicated under this specific rule.
Question 2: Which of the following best strengthens the argument that hand hygiene compliance reduces hospital-acquired infections?
- Nurses prefer gel dispensers to soap
- A randomised controlled trial shows a significant reduction in infections when compliance increases (Correct answer)
- Some hospitals already have high compliance rates
- Hand hygiene is taught in medical schools
Correct answer: A randomised controlled trial shows a significant reduction in infections when compliance increases
A randomised controlled trial provides the strongest evidence for a causal relationship between compliance and infection rates.
Question 3: A hospital manager says: 'If we extend opening hours, patient volumes will increase. If volumes increase, revenue will increase.' What conclusion follows logically?
- Revenue will definitely increase this year
- If opening hours are extended, revenue will increase (Correct answer)
- Patients prefer longer opening hours
- Extending hours is always cost-effective
Correct answer: If opening hours are extended, revenue will increase
Linking the two conditional statements logically produces: if opening hours are extended, then revenue will increase.
Question 4: A study of 50 volunteers finds that a supplement improves memory scores. A critic says the sample is too small. Which concept does the critic's objection relate to?
- Internal validity
- External validity
- Statistical power (Correct answer)
- Confounding
Correct answer: Statistical power
Statistical power refers to a study's ability to detect a true effect; small samples reduce power and increase the risk of false negatives.
Question 5: A pharmaceutical company reports that their drug is 'twice as effective' as a placebo. The absolute risk reduction is 2%. The relative risk reduction is 100%. Which figure is more clinically meaningful for individual patients?
- Relative risk reduction (100%)
- Absolute risk reduction (2%) (Correct answer)
- Both are equally meaningful
- Neither is useful
Correct answer: Absolute risk reduction (2%)
Absolute risk reduction reflects the actual difference in outcomes for individual patients, making it more clinically meaningful than relative risk reduction for decision-making.
Question 6: Which of the following statements is a value judgement rather than a factual claim?
- The hospital has 200 beds
- Patients should always be prioritised over cost concerns (Correct answer)
- The readmission rate is 10%
- Staff absences increased by 5% last year
Correct answer: Patients should always be prioritised over cost concerns
The statement about patient priorities over cost is normative (value-based), while the others are empirical facts that can be measured.
UCAT Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 2
A clinical guideline states: 'All patients with systolic BP above 160 mmHg should be started on antihypertensive medication.' A patient has a reading of 155 mmHg.
Which is the correct inference?