Here are some UKCAT Situational Judgement questions for you to try. These are all of the ‘appropriateness’ type. This section is marked on how close your answer is to what medical ‘experts’ have decided to be correct.

You are a medical student practicing how to take a history from patients in a your local orthopaedic clinic. One of the patients is actually the wife of your former chemistry teacher at sixth form. She mentions her husband and how he thought very highly of you. She then asks you to put her name at the top of the waiting list for her operation.

How appropriate are the following responses? You need to answer either A,B,C or D for each question. Similar questions can turn up in medical school interviews so think how you would explain to an examiner why you have chosen your answer.

A. A very appropriate thing to do

B. Appropriate, but not ideal

C. Inappropriate but not awful

D. A very inappropriate thing to do

Q1. Look at the list of people waiting for an operation and cancel someone who you feel can wait so that your patient is seen sooner.

Q2. Speak to your consultant about the request.

Q3. Find out the waiting times in the hospital for similar operations and inform your patient.

Q4. Inform your patient she will have to wait like everyone else.

Q5. Inform her that you would like to speak to her husband.

Q6. Ignore her request as it not part of the history taking you are currently learning.

Q7. Try and make her symptoms sound more severe when you present the history to your consultant.

Q8. Inform her you are a medical student and have no role in deciding the priority of patients

There are certain topics that are assessed in the Situational Judgement section and we cover these in our UKCAT day course as well as teach you strategies on how to boost your banding. Taught in small classrooms by doctors and sixth form teachers.

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