UCAT-ANZDecision Making
DM rewards process more than instinct. Use grids, diagrams on your laminated notebook, and the on-screen calculator - and stop trying to do logic puzzles in your head.
What UCAT-ANZ Decision Making actually tests
Decision Making is the most varied UCAT-ANZ section - six distinct question types, each with its own technique, all interleaved through a 37-minute window. The Consortium says it assesses your ability to apply logic to reach a decision or conclusion, evaluate arguments and analyse statistical information. Use the A4 laminated notebook and marker pen the test centre issues (some centres give a laminated noteboard instead) - building grids, sketching Venn diagrams, listing premises - rather than holding it all in your head.
The 63-second per-question budget is the most generous in UCAT-ANZ - but it’s deceptive. Some questions are quick and others take far longer. That is why pacing discipline matters here: bank fast wins, flag the slow ones, come back if there’s time. And because you may sit UCAT-ANZ only once per cycle - the 2026 window ran 1 July to 5 August, with no re-sit until the following year - the section you under-prepare is the one you can’t fix mid-cycle, so start your DM method early.
DM contributes to the /2700 cognitive total alongside Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning. A single-answer question earns 1 mark. A five-statement question earns 2 marks, or 1 mark if partly correct, and wrong answers lose nothing, so answer every question.
The 6 Decision Making question types
Each type has a distinct technique, and we found no published count of each type, so prepare for all six.
Logic puzzles
Mix variesAlways use a grid. Holding every constraint in your head is the most common way to go wrong.
Syllogisms
Mix variesTest each conclusion against the rules in turn. Don't skim. Watch for "some" vs "all" traps.
Interpreting information
Mix variesCharts often look complex but the answer is in 1–2 data points. Find them first; don't study the whole chart.
Recognising assumptions
Mix variesOfficial examples ask you to select the strongest argument for or against a proposal. Weak arguments lean on something the question does not tell you.
Venn diagrams
Mix variesSketch the diagram on your laminated notebook if it isn't already drawn - no paper is allowed in the test room. Set algebra is faster than re-reading.
Probability
Mix variesUse the on-screen calculator. Convert all probabilities to fractions before combining.
The laminated-notebook technique
The test centre issues an A4 laminated notebook and a marker pen (a laminated noteboard at some centres) - no paper is allowed in the test room. Structured sketching is what turns a messy logic puzzle into a quick tick-off. Here’s how to use it for the three question types where it matters most.
Logic puzzles → 2D grid
Draw the categories along rows and columns. Mark ✓ and ✗ as you eliminate.
| Pizza | Salad | Soup | Sushi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ben | ✗ | ✗ | ||
| Cara | ✗ | ✗ | ||
| Dan | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Syllogisms → premise list
Write each premise as P1, P2. Then test each candidate conclusion against the list.
- Some A → Cinvalid
- All B → Areversed
- Some C → Bvalid
Venn → quick sketch
Two or three overlapping circles — fill in the known regions, then solve for the unknowns.
Build the habit in practice, so sketching feels quick on test day.
Top 7 strategies for UCAT-ANZ DM
Habits to build in your practice, then keep the ones that work for you.
Use the laminated notebook for every logic puzzle
The test centre issues an A4 laminated notebook and a marker pen (a laminated noteboard at some centres). For every logic puzzle, draw a 2D grid mapping the categories. Mark ✓ and ✗ as you eliminate. It is not erasable, so raise your hand for a replacement rather than cramming.
Read syllogisms with strict logic
A syllogism is "valid" only if the conclusion is necessarily true given the rules - not probably true, not consistent with the rules. Practise spotting the difference between "some A are B; some B are C; therefore some A are C" (invalid) and similar traps.
Calculator-first for probability and Venn
Don't do mental arithmetic under time pressure when the numbers are awkward. Open the calculator, convert to fractions, and compute.
Bank the easy ones first
DM has wide variance in difficulty. Some questions are 20-second wins (Venn diagrams with two given values), others are 90-second multi-step puzzles. On the first pass, answer obvious wins and flag the rest. Come back with the time you saved.
Drill weakest type for 2 weeks pre-test
Take a diagnostic test, identify your weakest of the 6 types, and drill 30–50 questions of just that type per day.
Sketch even when not asked
Many students don't sketch a Venn diagram if the question doesn't show one. That's a mistake. A 10-second sketch always beats trying to combine three sets in your head.
For assumptions, ask what each argument leans on
Official examples of "recognising assumptions" ask you to select the strongest argument for or against a proposal. Test what each argument relies on: weak ones lean on something the question does not tell you. The trap is an option that sounds true but does not answer the question asked.
Worked examples
One example per question type. Click to answer, then check.
Anna, Ben, Cara and Dan each ordered a different one of: pizza, salad, soup, sushi. Pizza and soup are served hot; salad and sushi are served cold. Anna didn’t order pizza or sushi. Ben ordered something hot. Cara’s order was the same temperature as Ben’s. What did Dan order?
Premise 1: All trained doctors are graduates. Premise 2: Some graduates work in finance. Which conclusion necessarily follows?
A bag has 5 red and 3 blue marbles. Two are drawn without replacement. What’s the probability both are red?
In a class of 30 students: 18 study French, 14 study German, 7 study both. How many study neither?
Argument: “The new road must have caused the rise in pedestrian accidents - accidents have risen since it opened.” Which assumption does the argument depend on?
A bar chart shows annual revenue ($m): 2020 = 40, 2021 = 50, 2022 = 65, 2023 = 70, 2024 = 84. What was the percentage change from 2021 to 2024?
Timed mini-quiz
5 mixed DM questions, 60 seconds each. Auto-advances when time runs out.
DM speed quiz
Mixed types - logic, syllogism, probability, Venn, assumptions.
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Are you DM-ready?
Tick honestly. Progress saves locally, so you can come back and update it.
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UCAT-ANZ Guide
The full UCAT-ANZ overview: subtests, the July–August test window, the /2700 scale and how Auckland and Otago use your score.
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