UCAT Verbal Reasoning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Passage: 'Antibiotic resistance is rising globally. Doctors are prescribing fewer antibiotics.' Which conclusion can be drawn?
- Reduced prescribing alone has not stopped resistance rising (Correct answer)
- Antibiotics are now ineffective
- Patients are not taking antibiotics correctly
- Resistance will peak and then fall
Correct answer: Reduced prescribing alone has not stopped resistance rising
The passage shows resistance is still rising despite fewer prescriptions, so prescribing reduction alone has not reversed the trend. No other conclusion is directly supported.
Question 2: 'Most accidents happen within 5 miles of home.' A driver concludes she is safer driving far from home. What is wrong with this reasoning?
- Most driving also happens near home, so proximity is not the risk factor (Correct answer)
- Accidents are equally distributed everywhere
- Far roads are more dangerous
- She drives faster near home
Correct answer: Most driving also happens near home, so proximity is not the risk factor
The statistic reflects exposure: people drive more near home, so more accidents occur there. Distance from home does not itself increase safety.
Question 3: A passage claims that a new drug reduced hospital stays by 2 days on average. A critic notes the control group was healthier. This criticism suggests:
- The drug's benefit may be overstated due to confounding (Correct answer)
- The drug has no effect
- Shorter stays are bad for patients
- The study was fraudulent
Correct answer: The drug's benefit may be overstated due to confounding
If the control group was healthier, the comparison is unfair — the drug group may have had longer stays for reasons unrelated to the drug, making the 2-day reduction appear greater than it is.
Question 4: 'Either we invest in renewable energy or we face severe climate consequences.' This argument structure is an example of:
- False dilemma (Correct answer)
- Ad hominem
- Circular reasoning
- Slippery slope
Correct answer: False dilemma
Presenting only two options when more may exist is a false dilemma (false dichotomy). Other energy or policy options might also avert climate consequences.
Question 5: A passage states vaccination rates fell and measles cases rose. Which additional piece of evidence would most strengthen a causal claim?
- In regions with higher vaccination rates, measles cases remained low (Correct answer)
- Measles cases also rose in vaccinated individuals
- The measles virus mutated recently
- Health funding was cut at the same time
Correct answer: In regions with higher vaccination rates, measles cases remained low
Showing a consistent inverse relationship across multiple regions (dose-response / comparative evidence) greatly strengthens the causal argument between vaccination rates and measles incidence.
Question 6: Passage: 'The council banned single-use plastics. Litter on beaches fell by 40%.' The author concludes the ban worked. Which weakens this most?
- A major beach clean-up campaign also ran during the same period (Correct answer)
- Single-use plastics make up 60% of beach litter
- The ban was enforced with fines
- Neighbouring areas saw no change
Correct answer: A major beach clean-up campaign also ran during the same period
A concurrent beach clean-up provides an alternative explanation for the litter reduction, undermining the conclusion that the ban alone caused the improvement.
UCAT Verbal Reasoning 2
Passage: 'Antibiotic resistance is rising globally.
Doctors are prescribing fewer antibiotics.' Which conclusion can be drawn?