The UCAT calculator is useful, but it can also become a time trap.
Some students use it for everything, including calculations that would be faster mentally. Others avoid it completely and make avoidable arithmetic errors.
The goal is to use it selectively.
Simple addition, easy percentages and basic multiplication may be faster in your head. More awkward decimal calculations, multi-step sums or conversions are often safer on the calculator.
Before opening the calculator, ask whether you actually need it.
You should also avoid typing too many intermediate steps if you can combine the calculation neatly.
For example, if you need 15% of £240, you may be able to calculate it mentally. Ten per cent is £24 and five per cent is £12, so the answer is £36.
But if you need 17.5% of £463.80, the calculator is probably the sensible choice.
Familiarity matters too. Practise using the calculator during your normal QR sessions so it does not feel awkward in a mock.
Another good habit is estimating before calculating. If you expect an answer around 50 and your calculator gives you 5,000, you know something went wrong.
The calculator should support your reasoning, not replace it.
Use it when it saves time or reduces error. Skip it when your brain can do the job faster.
