UCAT Decision Making definitions
UCAT gives its own meanings for the quantity words. Some is more than one but less than all. Most is more than half. Few is less than half. Either is one or the other, not both. Try eight quick questions below.
Some of the volunteers at the clinic are students.
Does it follow that at least one volunteer is not a student?
Ready for the whole test? Sit the full free UCAT mock: 184 questions, marked by subtest.
The quantity words, as UCAT defines them
| Word | Means in UCAT | So |
|---|---|---|
| All | Every one of the group | All A are B does not make all B into A |
| Always | Every time, without fail | One exception makes it false |
| Either | One or the other, not both | Both together is ruled out |
| Few | A small number, less than half | Few of 20 is at most 9 |
| Majority | More than half, but not all | At least one is left out |
| Many | Like some: part of the group, not all | Not a count |
| Most | More than half: the largest part | Most of 30 is at least 16 |
| None | Not even one | Zero |
| Nothing | Not a single thing | Zero |
| Not all | Anything from 1% to 99% | At least one is left out |
| Only | Nothing else; the one condition | Only members may vote: a voter is a member |
| Some | More than one, but less than all | At least two do, at least one does not |
| Unless | The one case where the statement does not hold | Free unless a holiday: free on any other day |
UCAT says these words carry their everyday meaning and are not there to trick you. Its tutorial adds the list above to remove doubt, so read every question with it.
Venn diagram words
| Wording | Count |
|---|---|
| Both A and B | The overlap only |
| A only | A minus the overlap |
| At least one | A + B − both |
| Exactly one | A only + B only |
| Neither | Total − at least one |
Three circles at once: UCAT three-set Venn diagrams
Probability words
| Word | Means | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Certain | Probability 1 | It must happen |
| Impossible | Probability 0 | It cannot happen |
| Independent | One result does not change the other | Both: multiply |
| Mutually exclusive | They cannot happen together | Either: add |
| At least one | One or more happen | 1 − none happen |
| Exactly one | One happens, the other does not | Add each way it can happen |
UCAT's own example: Simon wins each of two independent games with probability 0.3. The chance he wins at least one is 1 − 0.7 × 0.7 = 0.51, so he is more likely to win one than not.
Two events together: UCAT independent and dependent events
Given that: UCAT conditional probability
How these questions are marked
Decision Making has 35 questions in 37 minutes, about a minute each. A single-answer question is worth 1 mark. A five-statement Yes or No question is worth 2, and a partly right answer earns 1.
Syllogisms in depth: UCAT syllogisms
Every Decision Making type: DM question types and methods
Questions people ask
What does some mean in UCAT Decision Making?
UCAT defines some as more than one but less than all. So "some volunteers are students" tells you at least two are, and at least one is not.
What does most mean in UCAT?
More than half. Most of 30 people is at least 16.
Does either mean both can be true in UCAT?
No. UCAT defines either as one or the other, not both.
Do I need to learn logic terms for UCAT Decision Making?
No. UCAT says no advanced statistics or formal logic terms are needed. Know the quantity words above, Venn diagrams and simple probability.