QR strategy
UCAT Quantitative Reasoning strategy
ยท Editorial owner: MedMantis
Official format
Quantitative Reasoning has 36 questions in 26 minutes. Questions commonly use charts and graphs, and a basic onscreen calculator is available.
Skills to practise
Prioritise percentage change, ratios, rates, averages, unit conversion, estimation and extracting the correct values from tables or charts.
Repeatable practice workflow
- State what quantity the question needs.
- Extract only the necessary figures and units.
- Estimate the likely magnitude.
- Enter the shortest reliable calculation and sanity-check the result.
Separate calculator fluency from QR reasoning
If the setup is right but calculator entry is slow or error-prone, train that tool separately. Keep the QR guide focused on mathematical setup, units, estimation and pacing, then use the dedicated test-tool guide for keyboard and calculator mechanics.
Error-to-action guide
| Error | Next action |
|---|---|
| Wrong setup | Write the relationship in words before calculating |
| Unit mismatch | Mark units beside every extracted value |
| Calculator entry error | Use shorter staged inputs and estimate first |
| Slow data extraction | Practise locating only the required row or series |
Review checklist
- Did I answer the quantity actually requested?
- Were the units consistent?
- Was the result plausible before selecting it?
- Was the delay caused by setup, arithmetic or data extraction?