UCAT Verbal Reasoning

Question 1

A passage states: 'All mammals are warm-blooded. Whales are mammals.' Which conclusion is definitely true?

Accepted Answer

Whales are warm-blooded

Answer

Whales live in cold water

Answer

All warm-blooded animals are mammals

Answer

Whales breathe air like land mammals

Question 2

A passage describes a hospital that increased nursing staff by 20% and saw patient complaints fall by 15%. Which statement is best supported?

Accepted Answer

More nursing staff was associated with fewer complaints

Answer

More nursing staff caused fewer complaints

Answer

Complaints will continue to fall

Answer

Patients preferred the new nurses

Question 3

'Some students who passed the exam had not studied. All students who studied passed.' A student did not study. What can we infer?

Accepted Answer

The student may or may not have passed

Answer

The student definitely failed

Answer

The student definitely passed

Answer

The student studied in secret

Question 4

A passage argues that urban green spaces reduce stress. It cites one study of 50 people. Which is the strongest criticism?

Accepted Answer

The sample size is too small to generalise

Answer

Green spaces are expensive to maintain

Answer

Stress is hard to define

Answer

Urban areas have other stressors

Question 5

Passage: 'Organic food sales rose 30% last year. Supermarkets expanded organic ranges.' Which assumption underlies the conclusion that supermarkets caused the sales rise?

Accepted Answer

Consumers bought organic food because it was more available

Answer

Organic food is healthier than non-organic

Answer

Supermarkets set prices too high

Answer

Sales rose in non-supermarket stores too

Question 6

A text says: 'No evidence of harm does not mean something is safe.' This statement most closely means:

Accepted Answer

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

Answer

Everything is potentially dangerous

Answer

Scientists have failed to look hard enough

Answer

We should ban untested substances