Getting Started in DM

Decision Making is the second UCAT section.

You must apply logic and make deductions in six question types with a wide range of different formats and tasks.

You will answer 35 questions in Decision Making. Each question is standalone, meaning that it has its own stimulus, data or diagram.

Unlike in other UCAT sections, nothing is shared between questions in DM. You must start over and work with a fresh stimulus in each question.

The Decision Making section by the numbers:

• 35 questions in total
• 1.5 minutes to read the instructions
• 37 minutes to answer the questions
• 63.4 seconds to answer each question

Simple approach to pacing: Try to answer each question in 60 seconds or less.

Complex approach to pacing: Try to answer each multiple-choice question in under 30 seconds or under a minute, depending on the question type and difficulty. Leave at least one minute for each drag-and-drop question, then answer all drag-and-drop questions on a second pass through the section.

In Decision Making, questions are worth one or two marks depending on the question format.

Any questions in a multiple-choice format – with four answers from A to D – are worth one mark. In these questions, you must simply click the correct answer to get the mark.

The questions in a drag-and-drop format – with five statements that you must answer Yes or No by clicking on the word ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and dragging it next to the blank box beside each statement – are worth two marks if you get all five parts correct.

Note that this applies to scored questions only. Unscored questions do not count towards your DM score. However, it is impossible to tell which questions are unscored, so you should try to answer all questions before time runs out.

You must use your logical reasoning skills with speed and accuracy for DM success.

Be ready to develop a technique for each question type so you can economise on time and find ways to get to the correct answer as fast as possible.

At the same time, be aware that some question types are more time-consuming, and some individual questions will require more work.

Thus, you must quite literally make decisions when you see each question to ensure you work quickly and lock in marks. Be prepared to skip and flag for review when a question is more difficult or time-consuming. With good pacing, you can come back to it later, after you complete the faster, simpler marks.

Decision Making includes six question types:

• Syllogisms
• Logic Puzzles
• Strongest Argument questions
• Inference questions
• Venn Diagram questions
• Probability questions

The questions always appear in the same order. On Test Day, you should see all the Syllogisms at the start of Decision Making, followed by all the Logic Puzzles, and so on.

This means that it is fairly simple to prioritise question types in your first pass through the section, potentially leaving all questions of one or more types for a second pass through DM. Try this approach as you revise, but note that it depends on rigorous pacing in the first pass.

You must be strict about skipping and flagging for review without attempting certain questions in order to bank time for your second pass. But like many UCAT skills, this is a technique you can learn and refine as you practise.

The number of questions of each DM question type varies from test to test.

In the 2026 UCAT, Medify expects you will likely see:

• 6 or 7 Syllogisms
• 5 or 6 Logic Puzzles
• 4 or 5 Strongest Argument questions
• 5 or 6 Inference questions
• 8 or 9 Venn Diagram questions
• 4 or 5 Probability questions

Get to know the format and task for each DM question type.

Some question types will repeat the same basic format again and again. For example, the format and task in Strongest Argument questions rarely varies.

Other question types may have a range of formats with slightly different variations on the core task. For example, Venn Diagram questions could have a diagram in the stimulus, or a diagram as each answer choice; these diagrams may or may not include numbers.

Build your familiarity with the common formats and tasks. Then, refine your pacing for each question type as you continue to practise.

A Logic Puzzle includes a brief set-up followed by a series of rules.

You must use the rules to make deductions that allow you to sequence, match or arrange the people, places or things in the set-up.

For example, you might have to sequence seven people in a queue or match four different cars with the colour of each car and its parking space number.

Sometimes, you must use algebra skills to solve a word problem for a numerical value, or to work with shapes or symbols as an unusual type of variable.

In Logic Puzzles, your task is to deduce something that must be true. You must also be able to distinguish anything that must be false, or things that could be true or false.

A Strongest Argument question includes a proposal or recommendation in the original question, followed by four arguments in response.

Each answer choice is a new argument starting ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ – almost always, there are two ‘Yes’ arguments and two ‘No’ arguments.

You must select the answer that has a direct impact on the logical terms of the original question. The correct answer is a strong argument because it supports or attacks the original question on its own terms. Wrong answers will have little or no impact on the original question – they are weak arguments.

An Inference question includes a paragraph or visual data as the initial information, with five ‘conclusions’ in boxes, each with a grey box to its right.

You must drag the word ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ into the grey box next to each conclusion, depending whether it is a valid inference (‘Yes’) or it cannot be inferred (‘No’) from the initial information.

The drag-and-drop format and ‘Yes’/’No’ logic is similar to Syllogisms, but the initial information is longer and more complex.

At the same time, the task is generally simpler since the initial information in Inference questions works just like a Verbal Reasoning passage.

Your task is to compare text and data (in the initial information) to new statements (the conclusions in the five parts) to see if the new statement matches (so it’s a ‘Yes’) or if it is the opposite or outside the original text or data (in which case, it’s a ‘No’).

A Venn Diagram question will almost always feature a Venn diagram in the stimulus or in each answer choice.

You may be able to answer without calculating if you must pick a single value from the diagram or select an overlapping region in the diagram.

But more often, you must think before you calculate to ensure you work with the right segments of the diagram.

Your task in most cases is to turn words into shapes, and then turn shapes into maths.

A Probability question involves probabilities or similar fractions, decimals or percentages where the sum of all possible outcomes is equal to 1 (or 100%).

You will almost always see two answers starting ‘Yes’ and two answers starting ‘No’. Unlike in Quantitative Reasoning, these will be longer, textual answers that often include numbers. Note that the three wrong answers will commit logical or maths errors – it can be any part of the words or numbers that makes a wrong answer incorrect.

Your task is to do the calculations required to confirm the correct answer. Sometimes, you can simply apply basic logic using basic probability principles to find the correct answer without calculations.

As you revise for Decision Making, think of DM as six mini-sections each with its own pacing and challenges.

This means you may have to switch your approach quickly under timed conditions. For example, if you review flagged questions with a mix of question types, be sure to use the pacing and focus on the challenges unique to each question type.

Thankfully, the question formats are generally very consistent, so you can train your brain to be ready to adjust quickly without compromising accuracy on Test Day.