The difference between False and Can’t Tell is one of the most important ideas in UCAT Verbal Reasoning.
A statement is False when the passage gives you evidence that it is wrong.
A statement is Can’t Tell when the passage does not give you enough evidence either way.
That sounds simple, but the distinction becomes tricky when a statement sounds unlikely or incomplete.
Imagine the passage says that a town opened a new sports centre in 2022. A statement says, “The town had no sports facilities before 2022.”
You cannot say that is False unless the passage tells you there were already sports facilities.
You also cannot say it is True.
The passage simply does not tell you.
So the answer is Can’t Tell.
This is where students often go wrong. They confuse “not stated” with “wrong”.
The safest approach is to ask two questions.
First: can I point to evidence that directly contradicts the statement?
If yes, it is False.
If not, ask: can I point to evidence that supports it?
If the answer is also no, it is Can’t Tell.
Be especially careful with words such as “never”, “all”, “only” and “always”. A passage may not support such a strong claim, but that does not automatically make it False. You still need contradiction.
Another common trap is using common sense. A statement may sound ridiculous in real life, but if the passage does not contradict it, you may still have to choose Can’t Tell.
The UCAT rewards discipline here. Do not answer based on what seems likely. Answer based on what the text proves.
Once you train yourself to look for contradiction rather than just absence, False and Can’t Tell become much easier to separate.
