UCAT SJT Most and Least Appropriate Questions
Choose the most and least appropriate responses in UCAT SJT 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 most and least appropriate questions work?
You read a scenario and three possible actions, then choose the one that is most appropriate and the one that is least appropriate; the third is left unselected. The question asks what the person in the scenario, usually a student or a doctor, should do, not what you would find easiest. These questions sit in the same SJT section as the two rating formats, which has 69 questions in 26 minutes, so you still need to answer briskly.
Can I get partial marks on SJT most and least appropriate questions?
Yes. In this trainer each scenario is out of two, so getting either the most or the least appropriate action right earns one mark even if the other is wrong. Choosing the middle option as your most or least costs that mark, so the biggest risk is two options that look similar. In the real UCAT, the Consortium gives full marks for the keyed answer and partial marks for answers close to it across the SJT, and all SJT marks become a band.
What are the common mistakes in SJT most and least appropriate questions?
Many candidates pick the most cautious option as most appropriate, such as escalating straight to a senior, when a direct and proportionate step by the person themselves is better. Another error is choosing a passive option as least appropriate when a different option actively causes harm, breaches confidentiality or is dishonest. Some also rate each option on a scale and then stall when two land on the same rating; in this format you only need the order.
Can you show a worked example of a most and least appropriate SJT question?
Suppose a dental student sees that a classmate has posted a photo from clinic on social media with a patient visible in the background. The options are: ask the classmate to remove it straight away, report the classmate to the dean without speaking to them, or leave it because the post has few views. Asking for removal is most appropriate, as it is quick and protects the patient. Leaving it is least appropriate, because the breach of confidentiality stays public.
How are most and least questions different from SJT rating questions?
Rating questions are absolute: you judge each response against a fixed scale, and two responses can earn the same rating. Most and least questions are relative: you only decide which of three actions is best and which is worst in this situation. That means a sensible action can still be least appropriate if the other two are better, and a weak one can be most appropriate if the others are worse. Compare the three options against each other before you choose.
How does the Most / Least Appropriate trainer work?
Each scenario shows three responses. You mark one as most appropriate and one as least appropriate, then submit to see the keyed order and a rationale for all three options, including the middle one. The trainer holds 150 ranking scenarios, which you can filter by GMC domain and difficulty. Scenarios where you miss either mark go into your mistake reviews, and if you reload the page part way through a scenario, it picks up where you left off.