UCAT SJT Importance Questions
Judge the importance of considerations in UCAT Situational Judgement scenarios.
Written and reviewed by Dr Akash Gandhi, NHS GP (GMC 7601216) and founder of TheUKCATPeople, teaching the UCAT since 2012. Last reviewed .
Frequently asked questions
How do UCAT SJT importance questions work?
Importance questions give you a scenario in which someone has to make a decision, then list considerations they might weigh up. You rate each consideration as very important, important, of minor importance or not important at all to that decision. Unlike appropriateness questions, you are not judging whether an action is good: you are judging how much a fact or factor should influence what the person decides. Each rating counts as one of the 69 SJT questions.
How are SJT importance questions marked?
The keyed rating earns full marks and a rating next to it earns partial marks, both in the real UCAT and in this trainer, where the split is one mark and half a mark. The most expensive error is crossing the middle of the scale, for example rating something very important as of minor importance. A quick check helps: if ignoring the consideration could lead to the wrong decision, it belongs in the top half of the scale; if it is only background, it belongs in the bottom half.
What are the common mistakes in SJT importance questions?
Students often give weight to self-interest: the person's own reputation, convenience, discomfort or fear of being caught rarely matters to the right decision. Another trap is treating paperwork or timing as decisive, such as a signed form or a delay, when consent, safety or the patient's wishes outweigh it. Some candidates also slip into judging whether an action is good, which is the appropriateness question, not this one. Finally, avoid rating everything very important just to feel safe.
Can you show a worked example of an SJT importance question?
Suppose a medical student is deciding whether to raise the fact that a classmate keeps signing in a friend who skips teaching. That the attendance record is false is very important, because honesty and accurate records sit at the heart of professionalism. That raising it might make the student unpopular is not important at all, since it is purely self-interest. The middle ratings suit factors that shape how you act, such as when and to whom you raise it, without changing whether you do.
How does the Importance Rater work?
Pick a GMC domain and difficulty, or practise across all of them, then work through a scenario one consideration at a time. After you confirm each rating you see the keyed answer, the reasoning behind it and how it compares with the rating next to it. The trainer has 150 importance scenarios and keeps a running score for your session. A scenario you miss returns a day later, and two full-mark retries at least three days apart clear it from your reviews.