UCAT Verbal Reasoning 5

Question 1

A passage describes a surgeon who performed a new technique on 10 patients with 100% success. She concludes the technique is superior to existing methods. What is the main weakness?

Accepted Answer

The sample is too small and there is no comparison group

Answer

The surgeon is biased

Answer

Success rates can be faked

Answer

Existing methods may also have 100% success

Question 2

'If smoking causes cancer, then stopping smoking should reduce cancer rates. Cancer rates have fallen since smoking rates fell.' What logical form is this?

Accepted Answer

Modus ponens applied to population data — the evidence is consistent with the hypothesis

Answer

Circular reasoning — the conclusion assumes the premise

Answer

Post hoc ergo propter hoc — correlation is mistaken for causation

Answer

Modus tollens — the premise is denied

Question 3

Passage: 'Doctors in rural areas earn less than urban colleagues.' A policy maker concludes rural areas need financial incentives to attract doctors. Which statement best evaluates this?

Accepted Answer

The conclusion is reasonable if pay is the primary reason doctors avoid rural posts, but other factors may also matter

Answer

The conclusion is invalid because pay is irrelevant

Answer

Rural doctors should be paid more regardless

Answer

Urban doctors are overpaid

Question 4

A text states: 'The UK has one of the highest rates of antibiotic prescribing in Europe.' A student concludes UK doctors are irresponsible. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Jumping to conclusions — the statistic could reflect higher infection rates or other legitimate factors

Answer

Valid inference from data

Answer

An ad hominem attack

Answer

A slippery slope argument

Question 5

Passage says: 'Patients who feel listened to recover faster.' A hospital invests only in communication training. Which gap in reasoning exists?

Accepted Answer

Faster recovery may be caused by other aspects of care, and communication alone may be insufficient

Answer

Communication training is ineffective

Answer

Recovery speed is not important

Answer

Patients are wrong about feeling listened to

Question 6

'Research shows that people who eat breakfast perform better academically.' A school makes breakfast compulsory. Which assumption is the school making?

Accepted Answer

Making breakfast compulsory will cause the same benefits seen in voluntary breakfast eaters

Answer

Students who currently skip breakfast are identical to those who eat it

Answer

Academic performance is the only important outcome

Answer

Breakfast itself is the active ingredient

A passage describes a surgeon who performed a new technique on 10 patients with 100% success.She concludes the technique is superior to existing methods.What is the main weakness?

A passage describes a surgeon who performed a new technique on 10 patients with 100% success.
She concludes the technique is superior to existing methods.
What is the main weakness?