UCAT — University Clinical Aptitude Test (UK medicine)
Take the UCAT Verbal Reasoning, Set 2: 20 multiple-choice questions (30 minutes) with instant scoring and a full answer review. Covers 20 UCAT Verbal…
What this test covers
The first 5 questions of this test, with the correct answer and explanation.
Q1. Read the passage: Ignaz Semmelweis In 1847, the Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis was working at a maternity hospital in Vienna that had two clinics. In the first clinic, where women were cared for by doctors and medical students, many more mothers died of childbed fever than in the second clinic, which was run by midwives. Semmelweis noticed that the doctors often came directly from performing autopsies. He suspected that they were carrying "cadaverous particles" on their hands, and he required staff to wash their hands in a chlorine solution before examining patients. The death rate in the first clinic fell dramatically. However, many of his colleagues rejected his ideas, partly because he could not explain why handwashing worked. Only decades later, when scientists such as Louis Pasteur showed that germs cause disease, were his findings widely accepted. Fewer mothers died in the clinic run by midwives than in the clinic run by doctors.
Answer: A. True
Explanation: Many more mothers died in the first (doctors') clinic.
Q2. Read the passage: Ignaz Semmelweis In 1847, the Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis was working at a maternity hospital in Vienna that had two clinics. In the first clinic, where women were cared for by doctors and medical students, many more mothers died of childbed fever than in the second clinic, which was run by midwives. Semmelweis noticed that the doctors often came directly from performing autopsies. He suspected that they were carrying "cadaverous particles" on their hands, and he required staff to wash their hands in a chlorine solution before examining patients. The death rate in the first clinic fell dramatically. However, many of his colleagues rejected his ideas, partly because he could not explain why handwashing worked. Only decades later, when scientists such as Louis Pasteur showed that germs cause disease, were his findings widely accepted. Semmelweis required staff to wash their hands in a chlorine solution.
Answer: A. True
Explanation: This is stated directly.
Q3. Read the passage: Ignaz Semmelweis In 1847, the Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis was working at a maternity hospital in Vienna that had two clinics. In the first clinic, where women were cared for by doctors and medical students, many more mothers died of childbed fever than in the second clinic, which was run by midwives. Semmelweis noticed that the doctors often came directly from performing autopsies. He suspected that they were carrying "cadaverous particles" on their hands, and he required staff to wash their hands in a chlorine solution before examining patients. The death rate in the first clinic fell dramatically. However, many of his colleagues rejected his ideas, partly because he could not explain why handwashing worked. Only decades later, when scientists such as Louis Pasteur showed that germs cause disease, were his findings widely accepted. Semmelweis was able to explain exactly why handwashing reduced deaths.
Answer: B. False
Explanation: Colleagues rejected his ideas partly because he could not explain why it worked.
Q4. Read the passage: Ignaz Semmelweis In 1847, the Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis was working at a maternity hospital in Vienna that had two clinics. In the first clinic, where women were cared for by doctors and medical students, many more mothers died of childbed fever than in the second clinic, which was run by midwives. Semmelweis noticed that the doctors often came directly from performing autopsies. He suspected that they were carrying "cadaverous particles" on their hands, and he required staff to wash their hands in a chlorine solution before examining patients. The death rate in the first clinic fell dramatically. However, many of his colleagues rejected his ideas, partly because he could not explain why handwashing worked. Only decades later, when scientists such as Louis Pasteur showed that germs cause disease, were his findings widely accepted. Semmelweis eventually received an award for his work.
Answer: C. Can't tell
Explanation: The passage does not mention any award.
Q5. Read the passage: Ignaz Semmelweis In 1847, the Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis was working at a maternity hospital in Vienna that had two clinics. In the first clinic, where women were cared for by doctors and medical students, many more mothers died of childbed fever than in the second clinic, which was run by midwives. Semmelweis noticed that the doctors often came directly from performing autopsies. He suspected that they were carrying "cadaverous particles" on their hands, and he required staff to wash their hands in a chlorine solution before examining patients. The death rate in the first clinic fell dramatically. However, many of his colleagues rejected his ideas, partly because he could not explain why handwashing worked. Only decades later, when scientists such as Louis Pasteur showed that germs cause disease, were his findings widely accepted. Semmelweis's findings were widely accepted during his time at the Vienna hospital.
Answer: B. False
Explanation: They were accepted only decades later.
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Q6. Read the passage: The Panama Canal The Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. Before it opened, ships sailing between New York and San Francisco had to travel around the southern tip of South America, a journey thousands of kilometres longer. A French attempt to build a canal in the 1880s failed, largely because of tropical diseases and engineering difficulties. The United States completed the project after controlling the mosquitoes that spread yellow fever and malaria. Instead of cutting a canal at sea level, engineers used locks to raise ships about 26 metres to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake, and then lower them again on the other side. The canal was controlled by the United States until 1999, when it was handed over to Panama. The Panama Canal opened in 1914.
Q7. Read the passage: The Panama Canal The Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. Before it opened, ships sailing between New York and San Francisco had to travel around the southern tip of South America, a journey thousands of kilometres longer. A French attempt to build a canal in the 1880s failed, largely because of tropical diseases and engineering difficulties. The United States completed the project after controlling the mosquitoes that spread yellow fever and malaria. Instead of cutting a canal at sea level, engineers used locks to raise ships about 26 metres to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake, and then lower them again on the other side. The canal was controlled by the United States until 1999, when it was handed over to Panama. The French attempt to build the canal failed mainly because of a lack of money.
Q8. Read the passage: The Panama Canal The Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. Before it opened, ships sailing between New York and San Francisco had to travel around the southern tip of South America, a journey thousands of kilometres longer. A French attempt to build a canal in the 1880s failed, largely because of tropical diseases and engineering difficulties. The United States completed the project after controlling the mosquitoes that spread yellow fever and malaria. Instead of cutting a canal at sea level, engineers used locks to raise ships about 26 metres to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake, and then lower them again on the other side. The canal was controlled by the United States until 1999, when it was handed over to Panama. Ships passing through the canal are raised about 26 metres.
Q9. Read the passage: The Panama Canal The Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. Before it opened, ships sailing between New York and San Francisco had to travel around the southern tip of South America, a journey thousands of kilometres longer. A French attempt to build a canal in the 1880s failed, largely because of tropical diseases and engineering difficulties. The United States completed the project after controlling the mosquitoes that spread yellow fever and malaria. Instead of cutting a canal at sea level, engineers used locks to raise ships about 26 metres to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake, and then lower them again on the other side. The canal was controlled by the United States until 1999, when it was handed over to Panama. Gatun Lake is the largest artificial lake in the world.
Q10. Read the passage: The Panama Canal The Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. Before it opened, ships sailing between New York and San Francisco had to travel around the southern tip of South America, a journey thousands of kilometres longer. A French attempt to build a canal in the 1880s failed, largely because of tropical diseases and engineering difficulties. The United States completed the project after controlling the mosquitoes that spread yellow fever and malaria. Instead of cutting a canal at sea level, engineers used locks to raise ships about 26 metres to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake, and then lower them again on the other side. The canal was controlled by the United States until 1999, when it was handed over to Panama. Panama took control of the canal in 1914.
Q11. Read the passage: Telemedicine survey A regional health service surveyed 1,200 patients who had used video appointments with their doctor. 78 percent said they were satisfied with the service, mainly because it saved travel time. Satisfaction was highest among patients living more than 20 kilometres from their clinic. However, 40 percent of patients over the age of 70 said they found the technology difficult to use, and some doctors reported that physical examinations could not be carried out remotely. The health service plans to keep offering video appointments but will continue to provide face-to-face appointments for those who need them. Most surveyed patients were satisfied with video appointments.
Q12. Read the passage: Telemedicine survey A regional health service surveyed 1,200 patients who had used video appointments with their doctor. 78 percent said they were satisfied with the service, mainly because it saved travel time. Satisfaction was highest among patients living more than 20 kilometres from their clinic. However, 40 percent of patients over the age of 70 said they found the technology difficult to use, and some doctors reported that physical examinations could not be carried out remotely. The health service plans to keep offering video appointments but will continue to provide face-to-face appointments for those who need them. Satisfaction was highest among patients living close to their clinic.
Q13. Read the passage: Telemedicine survey A regional health service surveyed 1,200 patients who had used video appointments with their doctor. 78 percent said they were satisfied with the service, mainly because it saved travel time. Satisfaction was highest among patients living more than 20 kilometres from their clinic. However, 40 percent of patients over the age of 70 said they found the technology difficult to use, and some doctors reported that physical examinations could not be carried out remotely. The health service plans to keep offering video appointments but will continue to provide face-to-face appointments for those who need them. Patients over 70 were less satisfied overall than younger patients.
Q14. Read the passage: Telemedicine survey A regional health service surveyed 1,200 patients who had used video appointments with their doctor. 78 percent said they were satisfied with the service, mainly because it saved travel time. Satisfaction was highest among patients living more than 20 kilometres from their clinic. However, 40 percent of patients over the age of 70 said they found the technology difficult to use, and some doctors reported that physical examinations could not be carried out remotely. The health service plans to keep offering video appointments but will continue to provide face-to-face appointments for those who need them. The health service plans to stop face-to-face appointments.
Q15. Read the passage: Telemedicine survey A regional health service surveyed 1,200 patients who had used video appointments with their doctor. 78 percent said they were satisfied with the service, mainly because it saved travel time. Satisfaction was highest among patients living more than 20 kilometres from their clinic. However, 40 percent of patients over the age of 70 said they found the technology difficult to use, and some doctors reported that physical examinations could not be carried out remotely. The health service plans to keep offering video appointments but will continue to provide face-to-face appointments for those who need them. Which statement is best supported by the passage?
Q16. Read the passage: Microplastics in fish Researchers examined 300 fish caught in three coastal areas. Microplastic particles were found in the digestive systems of 45 percent of the fish. The proportion was highest near a large city port, at 62 percent, and lowest in a protected marine reserve, at 21 percent. Most particles were fibres, probably from synthetic clothing. The researchers noted that the particles were found in the digestive system, which is usually removed before fish is eaten, and that further research is needed to determine whether microplastics reach the parts of fish that people eat. Microplastics were found in nearly half of the fish examined.
Q17. Read the passage: Microplastics in fish Researchers examined 300 fish caught in three coastal areas. Microplastic particles were found in the digestive systems of 45 percent of the fish. The proportion was highest near a large city port, at 62 percent, and lowest in a protected marine reserve, at 21 percent. Most particles were fibres, probably from synthetic clothing. The researchers noted that the particles were found in the digestive system, which is usually removed before fish is eaten, and that further research is needed to determine whether microplastics reach the parts of fish that people eat. The lowest proportion of fish with microplastics was found near the city port.
Q18. Read the passage: Microplastics in fish Researchers examined 300 fish caught in three coastal areas. Microplastic particles were found in the digestive systems of 45 percent of the fish. The proportion was highest near a large city port, at 62 percent, and lowest in a protected marine reserve, at 21 percent. Most particles were fibres, probably from synthetic clothing. The researchers noted that the particles were found in the digestive system, which is usually removed before fish is eaten, and that further research is needed to determine whether microplastics reach the parts of fish that people eat. Eating fish from the port area is harmful to human health.
Q19. Read the passage: Microplastics in fish Researchers examined 300 fish caught in three coastal areas. Microplastic particles were found in the digestive systems of 45 percent of the fish. The proportion was highest near a large city port, at 62 percent, and lowest in a protected marine reserve, at 21 percent. Most particles were fibres, probably from synthetic clothing. The researchers noted that the particles were found in the digestive system, which is usually removed before fish is eaten, and that further research is needed to determine whether microplastics reach the parts of fish that people eat. Most particles found were fibres.
Q20. Read the passage: Microplastics in fish Researchers examined 300 fish caught in three coastal areas. Microplastic particles were found in the digestive systems of 45 percent of the fish. The proportion was highest near a large city port, at 62 percent, and lowest in a protected marine reserve, at 21 percent. Most particles were fibres, probably from synthetic clothing. The researchers noted that the particles were found in the digestive system, which is usually removed before fish is eaten, and that further research is needed to determine whether microplastics reach the parts of fish that people eat. Why do the researchers say further research is needed?