UCAT Quantitative Reasoning: Format, Timing and Technique
Quantitative Reasoning tests GCSE-level maths applied to realistic data: tables, graphs and charts drawn from everyday and workplace scenarios, not abstract equations.
What Quantitative Reasoning tests
36 questions in 26 minutes, plus 2 minutes to read the instructions. That is around 43 seconds a question, with an on-screen calculator available throughout.
How it's scored
This section is scored on a scale from 300 to 900. Combined with Verbal Reasoning and Decision Making, it contributes to a cognitive total reported from 900 to 2,700.
Quantitative Reasoning technique
Most errors come from answering the wrong quantity, not from getting the arithmetic wrong. Before calculating anything, identify exactly what unit and quantity the question is actually asking for.
Use the on-screen calculator deliberately rather than trying to save time doing arithmetic in your head. Accuracy matters more than shaving a few seconds off a single question.
A rough estimate before you calculate precisely will often eliminate two of the four answer options immediately, which narrows a guess if you run short on time.