AR: Type 1 & Type 4 — Set Membership Questions

The Most Common AR Question Type

Type 1 (and the closely related Type 4) questions make up the majority of the AR subtest. You see two sets of 6 boxes each and must classify test shapes into Set A, Set B, or Neither.

Step-by-Step Approach

1. Glance at both sets — get an overall impression. Do they look obviously different? Are shapes in Set A generally larger/smaller/more numerous/differently coloured?
2. Focus on Set A — apply SCANS to identify the rule. Start with the simplest possible rule
3. Test your rule — does it hold for all 6 boxes in Set A? Does it FAIL for all 6 boxes in Set B?
4. If your rule works for both sets, it’s wrong — refine it. The rule must distinguish between the sets
5. Identify Set B’s rule — often the inverse or complement of Set A’s rule, but not always
6. Apply to test shapes — for each test shape, check both rules. If it fits Set A → Set A. If it fits Set B → Set B. If it fits neither (or both) → Neither

Distractor Elements

Not every element in a box is relevant to the rule. UCAT deliberately includes distractors — shapes that are irrelevant but make patterns harder to spot. If you’re struggling to find a rule, try ignoring certain elements:

• Ignore the smallest shapes and see if a pattern emerges among the larger ones
• Ignore a particular shape type and see if the remaining shapes follow a rule
• Focus only on shapes of a particular colour

‘Neither’ — When Does a Shape Belong to Neither Set?

A test shape belongs to ‘Neither’ when:

• It partially matches Set A’s rule but not completely
• It matches parts of both Set A and Set B’s rules simultaneously
• It doesn’t match either set’s rule

‘Neither’ is relatively uncommon — if you’re unsure between a set and ‘Neither’, the set is often the better guess.