Key DM strategies
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Our Top Tips will help you with every question as you practise Decision Making:
1. Identify the question type: Take a split second to acknowledge which of the six question types you are attacking to activate your technique and time-saving strategies.
2. Read the question stem (multiple choice) or the first statement (drag-and-drop) first: The question stem will focus you on the goal, ensuring you do not do extra work. In Syllogisms and Inference questions, start with the first statement so you can answer it as you read the initial information.
3. Deduce, Notate/Calculate, Eliminate. Be ready to make deductions based on the particular logic of each question type. Sometimes, you will need to make notations in your notebook or use the calculator. You can always eliminate wrong answers as a main approach or a backup strategy.
4. Compare statements to the stimulus: Do this one statement at a time in Syllogisms and Inference questions. Do not compare statements to each other – only to the initial information.
5. Skip the most difficult questions: Do not hesitate to flag for review if any question seems very difficult or time-consuming. This will allow you to maximise marks on the simpler, faster questions before you return to the harder ones with remaining time on a second pass through the section.
We have further top tips that are particular to certain question types in Decision Making:
1. In Syllogisms and Inference questions: If the statement must be true, the answer is Yes. Otherwise, the answer is No.
2. Logic Puzzles and Venn Diagram questions: Make a sketch in your notebook, do rough working or use the onscreen calculator as needed, but always keep the goal in sight. Otherwise, it’s easy to keep working unnecessarily after you have proven the correct answer.
3. Strongest Argument and Probability questions: These questions have the simplest logic and tend to require the fewest steps in DM. Drill them so you can solve quickly with minimal effort or error. These items are a great opportunity to bank extra time for the longer, harder questions in this section. Aim for 30 seconds per question, but try to go even faster with the shorter, simpler ones as you practise.
It’s important to play to your strengths in Decision Making.
Do the questions you can complete quickly and accurately as a priority. This will let you lock in the marks on faster, simpler questions.
Aim to answer virtually all DM questions in 1 minute or less. If the question is very short or simple, try to answer it in 30 seconds or less.
This approach ensures you maximise your marks whilst also saving time for any flagged questions.
If a question looks like it will take more than 1 minute, triage it. You should:
- Flag for review immediately.
- Do no work and leave the question unanswered.
- Leave the question for a second pass through DM with any remaining time.
On your second pass, you can filter flagged questions or unanswered questions. You will have multiple tools to help you filter triaged questions in your final minutes.
Be brisk and ruthless in your triage technique in order to maximise your score.
Pacing guidelines for DM questions
Strongest Argument and Probability questions tend to have shorter, simpler tasks.
- Aim to answer them in less than 30 seconds.
- Ideally, answer each question as it comes up on your first pass through the section.
- If one seems super hard or strange, don’t hesitate to triage it ruthlessly.
Pacing guidelines for DM questions
Logic Puzzles and Venn Diagram questions cover a range of simple and complex tasks, but are largely low to medium difficulty with practice.
- Try to answer them in 1 minute or less in almost all cases.
- If a question is shorter and simpler, push yourself to finish it in 30 seconds or less.
- If a question is very tough, it should be triaged. Be ready to flag and skip a few such questions, then attempt them on your second pass.
Pacing guidelines for DM questions
Syllogisms and Inference questions can be long and complex at first glance, but some will be simple or less challenging.
- Many of these will take longer than 1 minute.
- You can risk missing easier marks on multiple-choice questions if you try to answer the five-part questions first.
- You could triage the harder questions individually, or you can use the Medify approach for five-part question triage.
Medify recommends you practise and refine this approach to triage Syllogisms and Inference questions:
- Immediately flag for review on your first pass through DM.
- Do not read or attempt these questions. Do not drag and drop answers. Just flag each question as fast as you can.
- Stop flagging when you see a question with answers A to D. Resume your normal pacing for the first pass.
- Bank at least 12 minutes for the second pass.
- Prioritise simpler marks among the five-part questions in the second pass. Likely, this means Syllogisms, then Inference questions.
- Leave any other flagged, skipped questions – any with answers A to D – until you have completed five-part questions in the second pass.
This approach takes rigorous practice and efficient pacing in the multiple choice questions. However, you may find you can often bank 15 minutes or longer, allowing you to try to earn both marks by getting all five parts correct in Syllogism and Inference questions.
Consider a common breakdown of a Decision Making section:
- 12 five-part questions: Syllogisms plus Inference questions
- 23 multiple-choice questions: the other four question types
- 35 questions total
You have 37 minutes to answer DM questions under normal timing. Let’s assume 1 minute for each multiple-choice question.
- First pass through DM: 1 minute each × 23 multiple-choice questions = 23 minutes
- Time remaining for second pass: 37 – 23 = 14 minutes
This ensures around 1 minute for each five-part question, with a couple of extra minutes.
Now, consider a more rigorous pacing technique with the same DM section breakdown:
- 12 five-part questions: Syllogisms plus Inference questions
- 23 multiple-choice questions: the other four question types
- 35 questions total
Assume you answer most multiple-choice questions in 1 minute, except you answer 8 simpler questions – some of the Strongest Argument and Probability questions – in 30 seconds each.
- First pass through DM: (1 minute × 15 multiple-choice questions) + (0.5 minutes × 8 multiple-choice questions) = 19 minutes
- Time remaining for second pass: 37 – 19 = 18 minutes
With this rigorous pacing and triage, you would have 1 minute for each five-part question, plus 6 extra minutes. This ensures you can take longer on the hardest five-part questions. You could also focus on triaged questions in the other four question types with any leftover time.
Make the effort to develop your technique for Decision Making pacing and triage.
Train yourself to leave at least 12 minutes if you use the Medify approach for five-part question triage. With practice, try to consistently increase this to 14 minutes or more.
You can take control of the UCAT to maximise your marks in this section. It will take practice to build skill and confidence, but you will start to see that good pacing and ruthless triage pays off in higher DM scores.