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SUBSET OVERVIEW SKILLS BEING TESTED

•29 questions
•Each question is individual There are 3 things that are assessed by this section:
•31 mins
•60 secs/question 1. Deductive reasoning – this is the process of logically
doing through a passage or statement to reach a
SUBSET PURPOSE certain conclusion. Assessed by question types: 1 &
To test ability to decide on conclusions 2
that draw from a passage, interpret
probability and Set Theory. This is 2. Evaluative skills – testing your ability to assess the
important as doctors have to regularly credibility of certain claims and assess the quality of
draw conclusions from information they reasoning. Assessed by question types: 3 & 4
are presented with and evaluate the
strength of arguments. This section is 3. Statistical reasoning – assessing your ability to
testing your problem-solving ability and interpret data and make sense of statistical
your ability to think under pressure. information. Assessed by question types: 5 & 6

QUESTION TYPES TOP TIPS!

There are 6 different types of questions:
• This section is where the
whiteboard is going to be most
1. Logic puzzles – given a puzzle either in text format or
useful so make sure to keep using
with a diagram that you need to solve
a whiteboard and pen setup
throughout your practice
2. Syllogisms – assessing a series of conclusions. This
section contains “drag and drop” questions – for these • Make sure you’re only using the
questions you’ll be scored out of 2, receiving 1 point information you’re presented with
for a partially correct answer. when coming to an answer – don’t
make assumptions based on other
3. Interpreting information – will be expected to interpret information
a graph, chart or information from a section of text and • Use BMAT Section 1 past papers
draw a conclusion. Also, contains “drag and drop” to help you develop the skills
questions. required for the evaluative
questions
4. Recognising assumptions – will be given a statement
and have to choose the stronger argument from the • Get used to looking at and
answer choices presented interpreting graphs – your A-level
Biology past papers may be
5. Venn diagrams – you’ll be presented with Venn helpful for this.
diagrams using different shapes and asked relevant
questions
EXTRA RESOURCE
Briefly going through this Logical and
6. Probability– tests your statistical reasoning and ability
Critical Thinking Course on
to apply principles of probability
FutureLearn will help you develop
the skills to approach question types
2 and 4.
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APPROACH FOR LOGIC PUZZLES MORE ON SYLLOGISMS
Remember these reasoning patterns only go in
1. Read the statement and the question
one direction.
2. Identify the main subjects and variables in
For example, the statement “All medical
the statement
students learn Anatomy” can be broken down
3. If the question is quite complex consider
in the following way:
creating a table and fill in as much of it as
• A = medical students
you can using the statement
• B = learning Anatomy
4. Make sure you’re only including variables
that are directly relevant to the question
A → B: Medical students → Learn Anatomy
you’re trying to answer in your table as you
don’t have much time
You can’t however say B → A as that would
5. Compare each of the answer options with
mean you’re saying that everyone who learns
your table and eliminate options
Anatomy is a medical student which is not true
from the above statement.
APPROACH FOR SYLLOGISMS
Extra tip:
Syllogisms will require you to identify premises
Do not use any outside knowledge. Some of the
and arrive at an inferred conclusion. A premise
questions might try and trick you in doing so,
is essentially a base of an argument and if it is
but you need to make sure any conclusions are
followed it will lead to a conclusion.
only drawn from the premises given.

Rule:
Premise 1: A → B RULES FOR SYLLOGISM
Premise 2: B → C All + All = you can draw the conclusion
THEREFORE: A → C • All houses have a kitchen, all kitchens have
a kettle.
Example: • Conclusion: all houses have a kettle
Premise 1: If I study hard I will pass my exams.
Premise 2: If I pass my exams I will get in to All + Some = you can’t draw the conclusion
medical school. • All houses have a kitchen, some kitchens
THEREFORE: If I study hard I will get in to have a kettle.
medical school. • Conclusion: we can’t say all houses have a
kettle
A = studying hard
B = passing my exams All + None = can draw an inverse conclusion
C = getting in to medical school • All houses have a kitchen, no kitchens have
a kettle.
Approach: • Conclusion: no houses have a kettle
1. Break the premises down in the form shown Some + None = you can’t draw the conclusion
above • Some houses have a kitchen, no kitchens
2. Link the 2 premises together. Note that this have a kettle.
might not be a direct link as demonstrated • Conclusion: the houses with kitchens don’t
above so you’ll have to look out for the use have kettles, but we don’t know about those
of any qualifiers or absolutes to determine that don’t have kitchens so no conclusion
how to link it. can be drawn.
3. Think critically using only the information
given to you by the statement to come to an None + None = you can’t draw the conclusion
answer. • No houses have a kitchen, no kitchens have
a kettle.
For more information on • Conclusion: we don’t have enough
qualifiers and absolutes see the information to say whether a houses have a
VR cheat sheet for examples of kettle outside of the kitchen.
each.
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APPROACH FOR INTERPRETTING INFORMATION APPROACH FOR VENN DIAGRAMS
1. Scan the data looking at any titles, trends in 1. Read the question and try and identify what
the data, axes and try and get a general you need to be looking for in the data – not
grasp of it. every question will need you to draw a
Venn diagram
2. Look at each of the answer options and re-
check the conclusion from the data to 2. Look at the data and try to understand it. If
determine whether it can be extrapolated the data isn’t already presented in a Venn
from the data diagram you may want to flag and skip the
question as these questions will require you
to draw your own Venn diagram which will
APPROACH FOR RECOGNISING ASSUMPTIONS take a lot of time

1. Read the statement and determine the key 3. Compare the answer options with the Venn
subject and point it’s trying to make. This diagram and eliminate answer options until
might be a link between 2 things. you’re left with the right one.
e.g. “Should physician assisted suicide be
legal despite the idea that doctors should do
no harm?” DRAWING A VENN DIAGRAM
Here the theme is linking physician assisted
suicide with non-maleficence. For those questions that you guessed and
flagged because a Venn Diagram wasn’t
2. Read each of the arguments in the answer provided, if you have time you’ll come back
options and discard the ones that are not and try to draw the Venn diagram. Here’s how:
relevant to the subject discussed in the
statement. If you have formed a link as 1. Identify all the different categories
shown above the argument must address 2. Count up the total number of items
both aspects, e.g. the argument of “Yes, as a 3. Draw an outline for the Venn diagram
patient’s autonomy should be respected” is 4. Go through each of the statements given to
not necessarily a strong argument here as it you to fill it out
doesn’t address the non-maleficence aspect.
This will take time but it something you’ll get
3. Look at the remaining arguments and better at with more practice.
decide which one is the strongest. The
strongest argument is likely to directly relate
to the statement. APPROACH FOR PROBABILITY
1. Read the information and briefly identify the
TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE CORRECT ARGUEMENT most relevant information from it
• Don’t make any assumptions or use any 2. Use the AND and OR rule to work out the
outside knowledge to choose the strongest answer to the question
argument – base your choice solely on the 3. Eliminate answer options that don’t align
context of the statement and select your answer
• Opinion based arguments tend to be the
weakest so if you’re not sure don’t go for
them AND / OR RULE
• An argument that focusses on correlation AND = multiply the probabilities
over causation will more likely be correct OR = add the probabilities
• Look out for qualifiers – if you’re guessing
the stronger argument is more
likely to contain an absolute
such as “all”.

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