UCAT ANZ calculator and keyboard shortcuts

Some of the easiest seconds to gain in the UCAT ANZ are not about reasoning at all. They come from knowing the screen. The Consortium's test tools page lists the tools you will have, and one of its high-scoring candidates says that knowing the keyboard shortcuts well can buy you valuable seconds.

The on-screen calculator

A simple calculator is available in the Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning subtests. The Consortium names only those two subtests.

How it works, from the Consortium's page:

• Open it with the calculator button in the blue toolbar above the question, or with Alt + C.
• It opens in a separate window from the test screen. You can drag it by its title bar.
• Use the mouse on its buttons, or the keyboard for number input. If you use the keyboard, Num Lock must be on.
• Close it with the X button, or just move to the next question.
• The ON/C button clears it. Backspace clears all the digits at once, not one at a time, and there is no other way to delete a single digit.

One quirk matters. Because the calculator is a separate window, if you click back on the test screen, or press a shortcut key such as Alt + F, the calculator will not respond until you click on it again. If you press a number and nothing happens, that is the likely reason.

The Consortium calls it a simple calculator. The Consortium describes Quantitative Reasoning as less about numerical facility and more about problem solving, so the calculator is a helper, not the point. Candidates profiled by the Consortium describe saving time by estimating and by crossing out obviously wrong options first, and by using some basic algebra to cut the number of calculations.

Keyboard shortcuts

Wherever a letter is underlined on the screen, the Alt key with that letter acts as a shortcut. The common ones listed by the Consortium are:

Which shortcuts are available depends on the current screen. You can also select answers with the keyboard, for example by pressing B for answer B. The mouse is needed for questions that ask you to drag and drop.

A warning for practice: the Consortium notes that in Google Chrome, Alt + F is a default browser shortcut, so it will not flag a question in the practice materials. If that happens, use another browser for your practice or use the flag button on screen. Behaviour at the test centre may differ, which is why it is worth getting used to the on-screen buttons as well.

Flagging and the Navigator

The flag-for-review function is repeatedly recommended in the Consortium's candidate advice. One candidate says the ability to flag a question and come back before the subtest ends is invaluable, and that if you cannot see an answer quickly, you should flag it and move on. The Navigator window (Alt + V) is also among the listed shortcuts, so open it in practice and see what it shows. Practise flagging until it takes no thought.

Notebook and marker pen

You are given a marker pen and an A4 laminated notebook, which the Consortium suggests using for notes and workings, particularly in Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning. Some practical points from its page:

• Check the pen works before you start.
• Replace the cap when not in use so it does not dry out.
• The notebook is not erasable. If you need a replacement, raise your hand.
• At centres without notebooks you will be given a laminated noteboard instead.

Practise with something similar: a thick marker and a few sheets of paper you do not rub out. It is a different feel from a pencil, and neat, brief notes work better than long ones.

Timer and progress indicator

Every subtest, and every instruction screen, has its own time limit. A countdown timer sits in the top right and turns yellow when there are under 5 minutes left. A progress indicator beneath it shows your question out of the total. You can minimise both by clicking their icons. If time expires you will see a message, and you must click OK to continue, because timing for the next section has already begun. If you do not click, you lose time from other sections.

Scrolling and drag-and-drop

If content is longer or wider than the screen, a scroll bar appears and a pop-up warns you of unseen content. You cannot move on until you have scrolled through everything. Drag-and-drop questions appear in Decision Making and Situational Judgement, and you click a response and drag it into the right box.

Make it habit

Use the Consortium's free practice tests and tour tutorial, which include the calculator and the on-screen tools, and use the shortcuts every time you practise, not just in mock tests. After a week they stop being something to think about.

Where to go next

• Decision Making: how it works
• Verbal Reasoning and the clock
• Our UCAT ANZ practice timed papers are on the pricing page, and a free taste is on the samples page.

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Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the UCAT ANZ Consortium.