Which UCAT subtest is the hardest?

Verbal Reasoning. In 2026 it had the lowest average, 602 out of 900, against 640 for Decision Making and 675 for Quantitative Reasoning. It also gives you the least time of the three scored subtests: 30 seconds a question.

By Shrey, Cambridge studentUpdated
Verbal Reasoning0:00 / 0:30

Demand responsive minibus

A local transport partnership introduced a demand-responsive minibus for a limited trial. Its first report showed an increase in booked journeys. Supporters described the rise as evidence of improved access to essential services across the district. The report’s author was more cautious. A temporary fare reduction had occurred during the same period, and the records did not distinguish passengers who had previously used scheduled buses from other users.

The author accepted that the additional recorded activity was real. Her objection concerned what it could establish: the records measured use of the scheme, rather than all relevant activity before and after its introduction. She recommended retaining the trial while gathering information from both users and non-users. She did not recommend treating every recorded use as an additional activity caused by the scheme.

A later summary omitted the qualification and described the trial as a demonstrated success. The author objected to that wording, not to publication of the figures. She noted that people could change the route through which they obtained a service without increasing how often they obtained it. The operator replied that the scheme had never been intended to answer every question about access. Neither response supplied the missing comparison. The committee renewed funding for one further period and asked for a broader evaluation before any permanent decision.

Statement: At least 100 people did not use the scheme.

Every subtest in 2026

SubtestAverageTop 10% fromSeconds each
Verbal Reasoning60271030
Decision Making64076063
Quantitative Reasoning67582043

The same order held in 2025: Verbal Reasoning 602, Decision Making 628, Quantitative Reasoning 661.

Why VR scores lowest

  • 44 questions on reading passages, in 22 minutes.
  • True, False or Can't Tell turns on one word: some, all, only.
  • There is no time to read every passage in full.

The method: UCAT Verbal Reasoning strategy

Your hardest subtest

The average is not you. Sit one timed mock and fix the subtest where you lost the most marks first.

© 2026 UCATGenius. Independent of the universities and test providers.Privacy